3 Days in Puglia, Italy

Italy is filled with so many beautiful places to visit, so knowing where to start can be a bit overwhelming!

As an American living in Calabria, I can recommend another region here in the south: Puglia. Puglia is the region in Italy found in the “heel of the boot,” if you consider Italy to look like a boot! There, you’ll find lots of history, beauty, and, of course, delicious food!

If you only have three days, you can still see some great highlights in Puglia, Italy.

Day 1: Bari

There are flights to Bari from larger Italian and European cities, so if you’re doing the European tour, it’s fairly easy to get here.

Bari is one of the bigger cities in the south of Italy, with a population of over 300,000. It’s a port city that’s more than 2,000 years old. Let’s dive into an itinerary that I recommend!

Spend the morning ambling through Bari Vecchia, the old quarter. If you like churches, you’ll find 40, each filled with breathtaking art and architecture. I recommend Basilica Pontificia San Nicola, which has a gorgeous church with high ceilings and dozens of paintings, and an Orthodox chapel in the crypt.

Before leaving Old Town, find La Strada delle Orecchiette, the street where nonne make and sell their ear-shaped pasta. You can buy it in every size and color to give as gifts to friends back home (or keep and cook yourself!).

When you get hungry, head to Mastro Ciccio. While this is fast food, Italian style, it’s nothing like McDonald’s. Here, you’ll find dishes you won’t find elsewhere, like octopus sandwiches and deep-fried burrata stuffed with ragu.

Stop at a bar for a quick caffè to boost your energy before heading to Castello Svevo. This castle was built in the 12th century to protect Bari, which was the target of many conquerors. The castle is restored and full of art and artifacts from the area.

I know, I know. By now, you’re tired and hangry. Fortunately, there’s the best gelato shop across from the castle: Gentile. Here you can get a cup or cone of gelato or cremolata, a frozen treat made of blended fruit.

Day 2: Matera

Just an hour by car from Bari is Matera, a city that has turned its reputation around. Until the 1950s, people lived in caves carved into the mountainside, often without running water or electricity. It was an embarrassment, but all that has changed.

Now the city has become a popular tourist destination, especially after Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was filmed here.

Book a tour of the Sassi (the cave dwellings) for the morning so you have all day to explore. You can see how people lived in cavelike homes and wind through a labyrinth of narrow streets in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There are several cute trattorie and restaurants in Matera, but wherever you eat, make sure to try Lucanian Pane di Matera. You’ll know this bread right away since it’s got an unusual shape: it looks like a little mountain!

After lunch, head to the Lucano shop on Via del Corso. This liqueur brand is local, and at the shop, you can taste its amaro, limoncello, or even walnut liqueur! If you still need gifts, there are plenty of shops in the area.

Day 3: Alberobello

For your last day in Puglia, don’t miss one of the most iconic towns, Alberobello. It’s an hour’s drive from Matera.

Alberobello is known for its trulli, which are conical houses with pyramid-shaped roofs. In the main part of town, these whitewashed buildings that once served as homes are now restauants and souvenir shops.

The story of the trulli is interesting. During the Middle Ages, the tax man came around, demanding property taxes for any “permanent settlement,” meaning a completed building. Because the trulli are “dry constructed,” meaning there’s no concrete or other material keeping the stones together, the owners could easily remove a few stones, thus making the house incomplete and untaxable. Clever! When the tax man went on his merry way, the owners would return the stones to the structure.

You can meander the streets and shop, and some stores even offer an exclusive bird’s eye view of the rooftops of the trulli to customers.

There’s also the Casa Pezzolla, a museum housed in 15 connected trulli that contains a wealth of information about the trulli and Alberobello. There’s even a church made in the form of the trulli called Chiesa di Sant’Antonio that sits at the top of the mountain. It’s a lovely walk to the top, and there’s a park outside where you can relax.

If you can’t get enough of these trulli, you can even book a stay in one.

As for food, there are restaurants in the old part of Alberobello, but for a truly fantastic meal, head to the outskirts of the old quarter to Ristorante Puglianova. You’ll enjoy Apulian classics, as well as more modern, creative dishes like meat-stuffed eggplant with yellow tomato and cheese sauce, as well as pasta with shrimp and cuttlefish in a seafood bisque.

How Much are Things in Puglia?

Generally, Italy is quite affordable as a vacation destination, and more so in the south. That being said, these are tourist towns, so prices may be a little more elevated in Matera and Alberobello. 

For one night in a hotel in Matera or Alberobello, expect to pay €80-250 in June, depending on the level of luxury you want. Bari is a little more affordable, with prices ranging from €58 to 130 for very comfortable and clean accommodations.

Meals are a great deal. You can eat really well for €25-30, including wine, a first course of pasta, and a second course of meat for dinner. And lunch will be even less, especially if you go light and eat a sandwich or pizza. (And a tip: in Italy, you order a whole pizza and do not share!)

You can rent a car in Bari for under €100 for three days. If you can’t drive stick, make sure the car you reserve is automatic because, by default, they’ll give you a manual transmission.

In total, I’d budget about €800 for a couple to spend three days in Puglia, with money left over for a few souvenirs. Naturally, if you want to go total luxury, you’ll spend a bit more. 

Your Time in Puglia Comes to an End

This is just a fraction of what there is to see in Puglia. If you have more time, stop in Polignano a Mare just half an hour from Bari. It’s a beautiful seaside town. 

One tip: it can get quite crowded in these towns in the summer, as well as during the winter holidays. You’ll find fewer people there in May and June or September and October, and the weather’s still lovely.

While there are people who speak English in the tourist areas, it never hurts to learn a few Italian phrases. Learning to say “thank you” (grazie), “please” (per favore), and “where is the bathroom" (dov'è il bagno) will get you far!