Self-Launched Walking in Puglia & Matera

Make your way to Alberobello, the UNESCO-listed town of conical trulli houses. From Bari Centrale (the nearest major airport hub), take a regional Ferrovie del Sud-Est (FSE) train to Alberobello — departures roughly hourly, journey ~1.5 hrs, around £6–8. Check in to your guesthouse in or near the Rione Monti trulli district. Spend the afternoon wandering the iconic whitewashed lanes freely — no ticket needed for the neighbourhood itself. In the evening, head to the old town for a solo welcome dinner: try orecchiette al ragù or a grilled mixed meat plate at a local trattoria. Budget around £15–20 for a sit-down dinner with house wine.

🚌Fly into Bari Karol Wojtyla Airport (BRI). Take the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL) shuttle train or bus to Bari Centrale, then FSE train to Alberobello (~£7, ~1.5 hrs).

🛏Il Poeta Contadino B&B or Trulli Holiday guesthouse (or similar budget option in Rione Monti), approx. £35–45/night for a private room

• →FSE train from Bari to Alberobello (~£7 each way)
• →Self-guided wander through Rione Monti trulli district (free)
• →Visit Casa d'Amore trullo museum (£2–3 entry)
• →Welcome dinner at a local trattoria in Alberobello town centre

Follow the same 13 km trail as the Exodus group, walking narrow country lanes through the Itria Valley hills dotted with olive trees, vineyards and trulli. The route from Alberobello to Locorotondo is well-marked and downloadable on AllTrails or Komoot for free. In Locorotondo, explore the beautifully circular whitewashed village at your own pace. Book a self-pay wine tasting at a local cantina — Cantina di Locorotondo offers guided tastings with lunch for around £20–25 per person, bookable direct or via GetYourGuide. Return to Alberobello by FSE train (10 min, £2).

🚌Walk to Locorotondo (~13 km, ~3–4 hrs). Return by FSE train to Alberobello (10 min, ~£2).

🛏Il Poeta Contadino B&B or similar in Alberobello, approx. £35–45/night

• →Self-navigated 13 km walk from Alberobello to Locorotondo via Itria Valley trails (free, use AllTrails/Komoot)
• →Free exploration of Locorotondo village
• →Wine tasting with lunch at Cantina di Locorotondo or similar (~£22 pp, bookable direct)
• →FSE train back to Alberobello (~£2)

Take a regional STP bus or FSE train from Alberobello towards Ostuni (change at Fasano or Martina Franca, total ~1.5 hrs, ~£6). Spend the morning exploring the spectacular all-white hilltop city of Ostuni — cathedral, viewpoints and ancient alleyways all free to wander. In the afternoon, walk the 6 km trail through ancient olive groves and coastal vineyards to Agnano Archaeological Park (entry ~£3), where you can visit cave ruins and see the famous skeleton of the Dama di Ostuni. Transfer by local bus or taxi to a masseria agriturismo outside Ostuni for an authentic farm stay and included dinner. Budget agriturismos in the area offer half-board options.

🚌FSE train/STP bus from Alberobello to Ostuni via Martina Franca (~£6, ~1.5 hrs). Local taxi or bus to agriturismo (~£5–10).

🛏Agriturismo Il Frantoio or Masseria Torre Coccaro (budget room, or similar working-farm agriturismo near Ostuni with half-board), approx. £50–65/night including dinner

• →Bus/train from Alberobello to Ostuni (~£6)
• →Self-guided walk around Ostuni historic centre and viewpoints (free)
• →6 km walk through olive groves to Agnano Archaeological Park (~£3 entry)
• →Visit cave ruins and Dama di Ostuni skeleton exhibit
• →Check in to agriturismo farmstay near Ostuni, dinner included in half-board rate

Today is yours to explore independently — exactly as the Exodus itinerary offers. Take a Trenitalia regional train from Ostuni to Lecce (~35 min, ~£6) or to Bari (~1 hr, ~£8). In Lecce, wander the extraordinary baroque architecture, Roman amphitheatre, Piazza del Duomo and the Santa Croce Basilica — most are free or low-cost to enter. Great street food scene: try pasticciotto pastry and rustico leccese for lunch for under £5. Alternatively, Bari offers a lively old town (Bari Vecchia), the Basilica di San Nicola and a famous fresh pasta street. Return to your agriturismo in the evening for dinner (included in half-board).

🚌Trenitalia regional train from Ostuni to Lecce (~35 min, ~£6) or Bari (~1 hr, ~£8). Return same route.

🛏Agriturismo near Ostuni (second night, half-board), approx. £50–65/night

• →Trenitalia train to Lecce or Bari (~£6–8 return)
• →Self-guided walk around Lecce baroque old town — Piazza del Duomo, Basilica di Santa Croce, Roman amphitheatre (free or £2–3 entry)
• →Street food lunch: pasticciotto, rustico leccese (~£5)
• →OR explore Bari Vecchia, Basilica di San Nicola and fresh pasta street (free)
• →Return to agriturismo for included dinner

Take a morning bus or taxi from your agriturismo to Polignano a Mare — a dramatic clifftop town perched above the Adriatic. Walk the 12 km coastal path south of town for spectacular sea views, or explore the shorter clifftop loop within town (all free). The historic white centro storico is freely walkable, with terraces overlooking the famous sea caves below. After lunch (grab a panino or pizza al taglio for £4–5), take a Flixbus or Marozzi coach from Bari to Matera (~2.5 hrs, ~£8–12 — book ahead online). Check into your cave hotel or B&B in the Sassi district. Spend the evening soaking up Matera's magical atmosphere.

🚌Local taxi or STP bus to Polignano a Mare (~£6–10). Flixbus/Marozzi coach Bari → Matera (~£10, book at flixbus.com or marozziviaggi.it).

🛏Locanda di San Martino or Le Monacelle hostel (cave-style private room or dorm in the Sassi), approx. £25–45/night

• →Morning bus/taxi from agriturismo to Polignano a Mare (~£6–10)
• →Self-guided coastal walk and clifftop loop, Polignano a Mare (free, ~12 km)
• →Explore Polignano centro storico and sea cave viewpoints (free)
• →Lunch: pizza al taglio or panino (~£5)
• →Flixbus or Marozzi coach from Bari/Polignano to Matera (~£10, ~2.5 hrs)
• →Evening walk through the Sassi di Matera cave district (free)

Take the local city bus (SITA, ~£1.50) to the outskirts of Matera and walk the ridge of the Gravina canyon — a stunning 13 km loop taking in rock churches, abandoned cave villages and dramatic limestone ravine landscapes. The trail is freely accessible and well-documented on AllTrails. In the afternoon, book a 2-hour guided walking tour of the Sassi district with a local guide via GetYourGuide (approx. £18–22 pp) — this mirrors the expert local guide in the Exodus itinerary. The narrow alleyways, cave dwellings and history of forced relocation in the 1950s are best understood with a knowledgeable guide.

🚌SITA city bus to trailhead (~£1.50). Walk back into town centre.

🛏Locanda di San Martino or Le Monacelle (cave-style room in the Sassi), approx. £25–45/night

• →City bus to Matera outskirts (SITA, ~£1.50)
• →Self-navigated 13 km Gravina canyon rim hike — rock churches, cave villages (free, use AllTrails)
• →Afternoon guided Sassi walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£20 pp, ~2 hrs)
• →Evening free exploration of Matera — aperitivo at a Sassi bar

Head out on foot or by city bus to the Murgia Materana plateau — a vast protected park home to over 150 rupestrian (rock-cut) churches dating to the 8th century, adorned with Byzantine frescoes and once inhabited by hermits. The park entrance is free; some individual churches charge a small fee (£1–2). Follow the ravine-edge path for spectacular views of the Sassi district below. Descend into Matera's canyon and, weather permitting, cross the suspension bridge (Ponte Tibetano) for dramatic views — free to cross. Walk back up into the Sassi centre. Spend the afternoon free in Matera: visit the MUSMA sculpture museum (£5) or the Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario cave dwelling museum (£3).

🚌Walk or city bus to plateau trailhead (~£1.50). Self-navigated on foot throughout.

🛏Locanda di San Martino or Le Monacelle (cave-style room in the Sassi), approx. £25–45/night

• →Hike to Murgia Materana plateau and Rock Churches Park (free entry, ~7 km loop)
• →Visit Byzantine rupestrian churches with frescoes (£1–2 each)
• →Ravine-edge path with panoramic Sassi views
• →Cross Ponte Tibetano suspension bridge (free, weather dependent)
• →MUSMA sculpture museum or Casa Grotta cave dwelling museum (£3–5)

Enjoy a final breakfast in the Sassi — try a local café for a cornetto and cappuccino (£2–3). The trip ends here; depart when you're ready. Flixbus coaches run from Matera to Bari Centrale (~2 hrs, ~£8) with connections to Bari airport (BRI) for onward flights. Alternatively, extend your stay in Matera or continue south to the Ionian coast independently.

🚌Flixbus/Marozzi coach Matera → Bari Centrale or airport (~£8–10, ~2 hrs). Book at flixbus.com.

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final breakfast in a Sassi café (£2–3)
• →Last wander through Matera's alleyways
• →Flixbus or Marozzi coach to Bari airport for departure (~£8–10)