GuardTrailsItaly · May
As you asked
Apulian Heartlands & Basilicata Explorer
The route that sticks closest to what you asked for.
A journey through the whitewashed villages of the Itria Valley, the dramatic Adriatic cliffs, the baroque golden stone of Lecce, and the ancient cave dwellings of Matera, designed for gentle exploration.
- days11
- bases6
- stages7
- nights10
- transfer days4
- stage to stage≈ 515 km
- at the wheel, day by day≈ 6 h 52
includes legs from an approximate position
Who this itinerary is for
This itinerary suits a traveller looking for: a trip in May, getting around by car, sleeping in hotels, a village stroll, a town walk (2 h), strolling, with no sporting programme, kayak or canoe, easy cycling, via ferrata, wildlife watching, a museum or cultural visit and a park or garden.
What this itinerary does not do: a day hike.
The area
the ancient cave dwellings of Matera, the dramatic cliffs of Polignano, the whitewashed trulli of the Itria Valley, and the baroque architecture of Lecce
The map
Loading the map…
The days at a glance
One line per day: where you sleep, what the day is, the road, and how its time is split.
| Day | Evening base | The day | Road | Time of the day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day1 | Evening base : Bari | ArrivalBari, arrival | Road 14 min | |
| Day2 | Evening base : Matera | TransferSassi di Matera | Road ≈ 1 h 03 | |
| Day3 | Evening base : Matera | Day on siteSassi di Matera | — | |
| Day4 | Evening base : Polignano a Mare | TransferCliffs of Polignano & Monopoli | Road ≈ 1 h 28 | |
| Day5 | Evening base : Polignano a Mare | Day on siteCliffs of Polignano & Monopoli | — | |
| Day6 | Evening base : Locorotondo | TransferTrulli of the Itria Valley | Road 29 min | |
| Day7 | Evening base : Locorotondo | Day on siteTrulli of the Itria Valley | — | |
| Day8 | Evening base : Lecce | TransferLecce | Road 1 h 20 | |
| Day9 | Evening base : Lecce | Day excursionSalento Peninsula | Road 1 h 32 | |
| Day10 | Evening base : Brindisi | TransferBrindisi, departure | Road 34 min | |
| Day11 | — | DepartureBrindisi, departure | Road 12 min |
- programme
- road
- free time
12.0 h usable every day
Good to know
What it leaves aside
To respect the traveler's preference for longer stays and less frequent hotel changes, we have grouped the destinations into six strategic bases, keeping daily drives well under the requested limit while ensuring every highlight is thoroughly visited.
Places it did not keep
Gargano Peninsula · Tremiti Islands · Pollino National Park
Getting there
Fly to Bari Karol Wojtyła International Airport (BRI), 14 min by road from the start.
Train to Bari Centrale, 4 min by road from the start.
Fly home from Brindisi Casale Airport (BDS), 12 min by road from the end.
Train home from Brindisi Centrale, 2 min by road from the end.
The rental car is returned at Brindisi Casale Airport, not where you pick it up: allow for a one-way drop-off fee.
Where you sleep
The region offers a variety of accommodations including boutique hotels, traditional masserie farmhouses, and guesthouses, with advance booking highly recommended during the peak summer season.
Safety
Italy: no warning from the UK authorities (FCDO). Advice of 2026-11-03 · Official advice
Check before booking and before taking out insurance: the advice may have changed since.
Why this version, the cost in detail and the sources are on the method page. Read the method →
When, and for how long
How long?
- You ask for
- 10days
- The area needs, at least
- 11days
- Days kept
- 11days
Travelling in May.
The climate — May
- Daily high, 1 day in 4 is hotter
- 23 °C
- Daily high, 1 day in 20 is hotter
- 26 °C
- Unfavourable day
- 7%
- Windy day
- 7%
Rain, wind and temperature are measured over the 8 h in the middle of the day, on a historical baseline of 55 observations (Open-Meteo). It is a measuring window, not the length of your day: each day of the programme counts 12 h of usable time.
The itinerary, day by day
7 stages over 11 days, in the order of the days. A stage appears on the day you first reach it: you sleep several nights at some, and a day trip leaves from your base and brings you back to it. Each day has its own page.
Every day of this trip has 12 h of usable time. Room to breathe — we have not padded these days to fill them: the free time left is part of the trip.
- Day 1ARRIVALBari, arrival · night in Bari3 h planned · 14 min on the roadSee the day →
Stage 2 · Matera
Sassi di Matera
≈ approximate position — the place itself was not found: placed at the expected location
We sleep at B&B Le Colombine, 100 m away
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 2Sassi di Matera · night in Matera5 h 30 planned · ≈ 1 h 03 on the road from an approximate positionSee the day →
- Day 3AT BASESassi di Matera · night in Matera4 h 30 plannedSee the day →
Stage 3 · Polignano a Mare
Cliffs of Polignano & Monopoli
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 4Cliffs of Polignano & Monopoli · night in Polignano a Mare5 h planned · ≈ 1 h 28 on the road from an approximate positionSee the day →
- Day 5AT BASECliffs of Polignano & Monopoli · night in Polignano a Mare6 h 30 plannedSee the day →
- Day 6Trulli of the Itria Valley · night in Locorotondo3 h planned · 29 min on the roadSee the day →
- Day 7AT BASETrulli of the Itria Valley · night in Locorotondo11 h 30 plannedSee the day →
- Day 8Lecce · night in Lecce5 h planned · 1 h 20 on the roadSee the day →
Stage 6 · Otranto
Salento Peninsula
Day trip from Lecce · no night here · climate favourable
- Day 9EXCURSIONfrom Lecce → Salento Peninsula4 h 30 planned · 1 h 32 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 10TRANSFERBrindisi, departure · night in Brindisi2 h planned · 34 min on the roadSee the day →
- Day 11DEPARTUREBrindisi, departure · end of the trip2 h planned · 12 min on the roadSee the day →
What it costs, roughly
€1,335 to €2,095 per person
€121 to €190 per day
Based on: 2 people.
The cost estimate and the availability of accommodation, transport and activities are as of 1 November 2026: prices and availability change over time.
Where the money goes, and how this figure is obtained →The method
Why this version, what sets it apart from the others, the cost in detail, the interest of the places, the automatic review and the sources.
Read the method →