9 nights four-star resorts, wine tasting, 8 lunches and dinners (some wine-paired), Michelin-rated restaurants, two half-day easy bike tours (one is optional) through the countryside, walking tours in 5 ancient villages, cooking class, winery visit and tasting, tour  and olive oil tasting at 2,000-year- old olive grove, more.

Please read all the details below on the Details/Itinerary page AND the linked Puglia Logistics page for all details about all aspects of the tours.  

Contact Morningstar See-Ski-Savor Tours directly at [email protected] or call us (520) 405-5508 with all your questions. 

Arrive in Bari April 10, 2024 after your overnight flight from USA and check into your hotel. The Hotel Excelsior is a 4-star property near the lovely pedestrian shopping area. Opton: 5-star Albergo Della Nazioni, right on the seaside of the old port of Bari. Nights 1 and 9. 

On our way to Masseria Cervarolo we will stop for a half-day visit at the ancient port town of Monopoli where we will have a wine-paired lunch at spectacular Piazza Palmieri Restaurante. 

Masseria Cervarolo is located in a pastoral country setting and only 10 minutes from Ostuni. This property is a centuries-old farm/fortress that has been beautifully restored. Many of the rooms are trullis! Replete with a beautiful pool area and a Michelin-rated restaurant,  Cervarolo is perfectly located and within short driving distances of all the sites we will visit.

First Afternoon: optional activity... Generous and tasty WINE TASTING with local Som, right at beautiful Cervarolo!  This is a great opportunity to try some local wines from nearby vineyards with a really nice local som lady. The pours will be abundant and big. We will do this @5:30ish. You really do not want to miss this. $27 per person 

On our second night at Masseria Cerverola, you will have a double-treat in store. First, a Puglian cooking class in the late afternoon. A 4-course wine-paired dinner at the Cervarolo’s Michilen-rated restaurant follows. Bonus: A local som will be there during the entire meal to share notes about each wine! As with our other masserias, we will be the only guests in the hotel…all ours,

Spend a morning exploring the ancient towns of Martina Franca (1 hour walking guided tour included) and Locorotondo. A wine-paired lunch overlooking a beautiful vista will be served. OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: For active, adept bike riders, we are offering a half-day bike ride thru the countryside in place of the city visits. It will include the same lunch as above. Added cost for transportation to starting point of ride, bike and guide: 90 euros.

Lecce: one of the best-preserved baroque cities in the world. Two-hour-walking tour followed by free time and lunch on your own.

Depart Lecce, visit a local vineyard and winery for a tasting at Cantine Paolo Leo winery on way home to Cervarolo.

Half-day bike ride, Parco della Dune Costiere… The ride takes us through the Ostuni countryside with panoramas of the Adriatic coast and the Puglian landscape with end point being the beach town of Tonne Canne. Electric bike upgrade available ($30). Easy ride with spectacular scenery! For lunch we will stop by a sea-side town for a buffet put on by a family-run La Limonaia.

After the ride and lunch, we will visit Masseria Brancati.

This masseria has olive trees that are over 2,300 years old! It has been in the same family for 8 generations. We will do a fascinating tour and olive oil tasting.

Then a special evening. After a freshen up break at our masseria, we will travel a short distance to Ostuni, where you will enjoy a exceptional dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Puglia. Best mussels we ever had!

Alberobello, a Unesco site. This town has more trulli per square foot than anywhere in the world. The guides were not available for a tour upon arrival. So you will have a free morning  to explore the village and have lunch on your own. Then we will meet at 2 PM for the 1 hour walking tour with the guides. 

After Alberobello, it is on to Alta Mura and our next masseria experience: Masseria Pitti, a farm/fortresses from the 1600s. Olive oil and wine was produced in caves under the properties. The defensive fortress-like estates were constructed to ward off pirate attacks.

Part of the group will be at Masseria Pitti as an upgrade. Those choosing to not upgrade will be at the 4-star Hotel Fuori in nearby Altamura.

Both properties are 10 minutes apart. The package includes the 4-star Hotel Fuori Le Mura in Altamura and the Pitti is an upgrade. Two of the included wine-paired dinners will be at the Pitti with the third being a 3-hour walking dinner tour in Altamura. Everyone will participate in all the Pitti activities, including the dinners.  Our charter bus will provide the short rides needed between properties. Best of all: we will be the only people in the Pitti…all ours.

A walking tour of this unique and historic village with underground olive oil and wine making facilities that date back many centuries. Then it is time for an optional amazing wine-paired lunch. Deb and Dan discovered Mamma Mia’s restaurant overlooking the ruins of Gravina and it was one of the best meals we had on our trip. You can join us at Mama Mia’s ($50) or explore on your own for lunch.

Get ready to be stunned. Matera, an ancient hilltop town that features 2,000-year-old cave homes under the modern city, will be our tour for the day. Free time to explore and have lunch. After some free relaxation time at the Pitti, you will be in for an extraordinary experience. Mattia, son of one of the owners of Pitti will guide us on a 3-hour walking dinner tour in Alta Mura. Prepare to eat more than you thought possible!