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Puglia Italy Self-Guided Bike Tour: Short Escape: Looking for a shorter bike tour to add on to some of your other travel plans in Italy or Europe? Then this is the trip for you! Our 4-night / 5-day, self-guided Puglia bike tour allows you to experience the beautiful and unique parts of Italy, while also getting a feel region’s history. Start in the UNESCO-listed city of Matera, famous for its “Sassi,” where you will spend 2 nights. From here, bicycle through the beautiful Puglian countryside, making your way to the UNESCO-rated town of Alberobello. Famous for its “trulli” style houses, you will have 2 nights here! Less packing and unpacking, this tour gives you just the taste of this special region, whose rolling hills, olive groves, warm people, and delicious food & wine are sure to charm even the most veteran cycling vacation goer.
Pro Tip: Have more time? Ask about adding one more day of cycling with overnight in Lecce!
Take the train to Matera for the tour’s start. Tour finishes in Alberobello. Depart from Alberobello on your own.
Not Included: Choice of Hybrid, Road, or E-bike Rental
Included Standard Hotels:
About: Hotels on this tour are usually family-owned with local charm, and in central locations for your convenience. All lodging includes a private bathroom and a variety of other amenities. Upgraded pricing offers room upgrades to “Deluxe” and “Superior” category rooms at the above hotels, subject to availability. Please refer to the “Rates” section and inquire at the time of booking.
Local Expert: On your arrival in Southern Italy, Giuseppe or another friendly colleague, will be on hand with a wealth of local information, charm, and enthusiasm. During your thorough bike fitting and orientation, he will share the many secrets of this undiscovered region to ensure that you get the very best out of your cycling holiday. Along with our team of dedicated bike mechanics and logistics coordinators, our local representative is there to make sure your vacation runs smoothly so that you have the maximum time to enjoy the area!
Need to Know:
Arrive on your own (at any time) to Matera, the UNESCO-listed city located just outside of Puglia. This ancient city is truly breathtaking and is one of the most fascinating historical sites in Italy. Well-known for its ancient cave dwellings inhabited since the Paleolithic period, the “Sassi” have been described by Fodor’s as “one of the most unique landscapes in Europe.”
Meals: on own
Overnight: Matera
Today is a free day to enjoy and explore Matera, on your own. Starting at 11:00 AM, our local representative will welcome you and give you the bikes for your trip. Tonight, we recommend trying one of Sassi’s many pizzerias!
Meals: breakfast
Note: Orientation is at 9:30 AM today.
Overnight: Matera
Today starts with a 9:00 AM transfer to ride’s start in Gioia del Colle. Today you’ll leave Matera and begin your ride into the Apulia region. As you make your way, you will soon see how the countryside changes: flat terrain, stone walls, olive trees, and the famous trulli. The world-renowned trulli are the most iconic houses of the region, built in a conical shape of mortar and stacked stones, often with painted designs on the rooftops. The region of Alberobello is best known for the trulli, which is your home for the next two nights!
Meals: breakfast
Distance: 37 km/ 22 mi, +427m
Highlights: Alberobello trulli houses
Overnight: Alberobello
Today you can enjoy a relaxing start to your day, as you have a loop ride! To start, you will bike to the town of Putignano, known for its karst caves and ancient Carnivale. Take some time to enjoy and explore both of these towns before heading back to your accommodations in Alberobello.
Meals: breakfast
Distance: 47 km/28 mi, +544m
Highlights: explore Alberobello, Putignano, Baroque architecture
Overnight: Alberobello
After breakfast, your short Puglia self-guided bike tour comes to an end. We hope you enjoyed having a taste of this beautiful region! To depart, you can either return to Matera or Lecce, where trains are available to to all major cities. (Departure transfer is not included.)
Pro Tip: Have more time? Ask about adding one more day of cycling with an overnight in Lecce!
Meals: breakfast
Dates: Plan your trip at a time that fits your schedule best! Pure Adventures tours have flexible start dates.
2024 Tour Rates: (based on double occupancy)
Standard Hotels Rate:
Upgraded Rate: please refer to the “Lodging” section
Note: July & August are considered high season; a supplement will apply. Not recommended due to heat and traffic.
Choice of Bike Rental:
New! Travel Insurance is now required to participate in this tour. You can book through our preferred vendors or your own. Proof of coverage will be required.
We had a wonderful time overall and everyone was so amazing..the hotels were stunning and staff so friendly and helpful…..overall we loved the trip! Your local rep was wonderful and came to do the orientation at the first hotel in Pienza…….We chatted to your other staff many times and he was amazing!!! As we had done a tour with him last year in Puglia and had met him then as he did the orientation ….there was a great connection…..And so he was so very helpful with the small bike issue we encountered….. 🙂 And the restaurants amazing….. and the scenery on the rides….it is a great tour – thank you!
A++++
Our third bike tour with Pure Advenures – exactly as we expect and love every minute!
This trip exceeded our expectations! Good value for the tour package – bikes, rides/information, loved our hotels, and support during. Mar and the Pure Adventures team in Puglia took very good care of us, we are already planning our next adventure!
This tour was the perfect amount of days and cycling for my husband and I. We loved Matera and would have stayed longer in Alberobello – so cute! Pure Adventures did a great job and we felt taken care of from all of the emails back and forth with Mar and the digital per-tour details and then with the tour itself. Kudos to the local support crew!