Bari is the easiest door into central Puglia. It has an international airport, a busy railway station and an old town that rewards a first evening, and from here the trulli, the white hill towns, the sea caves and even Matera are all within about two hours. This guide explains how to organise a first visit around Bari without wasting time.
What to book ahead
Very little in Puglia needs a reservation months in advance, but a few things reward planning. Book a hands-on cooking class such as the orecchiette and focaccia session in Bari, because small classes fill up on weekends. Book the Polignano a Mare sea caves boat for a calm morning, since sailings depend on the weather and can be rescheduled. Book a guided visit for Castel del Monte and for Matera, where a guide explains what you are looking at, and reserve the Grotte di Castellana guided tour if you are travelling in a busy period. Everything else, from Bari Vecchia to Ostuni, you can simply walk.
Trains or a car
Bari is a rail hub, and regional trains run along the coast to Polignano a Mare and Monopoli in roughly half an hour to under an hour, with a separate line inland to Alberobello that takes around an hour and a half. Matera is reachable by train and bus from Bari in roughly the same time. For Castel del Monte, the inland villages and the countryside, a car or a guided tour is far easier, since public transport is thin. If you drive, learn about the limited traffic zones in old towns, park outside the historic centres and be prepared for narrow lanes. Many visitors mix the two, using trains for the coast and a rental car or a driver for one or two inland days.
How many days
Three days gives you Bari, the coast and Alberobello at a quick pace. Four to five days is the sweet spot, allowing a day for Bari and the Basilica di San Nicola, a coastal day with Polignano a Mare and Monopoli, a day in the Itria Valley with Alberobello, Locorotondo and Ostuni, and a day for either Castel del Monte and Castellana or Matera. A week lets you add Lecce, which is a long day trip but a better overnight stay, and slow evenings in a masseria.
Where the headline sights fit
Start in Bari Vecchia, where the Basilica di San Nicola and the orecchiette makers of Strada Arco Basso give you the city's character in a morning. Reserve the afternoon for the seafront or a cooking class. Polignano a Mare and its cliffs suit a morning boat trip, and Monopoli is a relaxed harbour town for lunch. Alberobello's trulli work best early or late, and Ostuni is at its best at sunset. Castel del Monte and the Castellana caves share a side of the region and can be combined in a long day, while Matera deserves a day of its own. Lecce rewards an overnight stay.
Practical rhythm
Lunch runs from about one in the afternoon and dinner starts late, often after eight. Many shops close in the early afternoon, and some restaurants close one day a week, so check before you go, especially outside summer. Summer is hot and busy, spring and autumn are the best seasons, and winter is quiet with some seasonal places closed. Carry some cash for small bakeries, and always taste the local focaccia, panzerotti and fresh orecchiette. Leave one afternoon free for nothing at all, because the best moments here are often unplanned: a bakery queue, a piazza at dusk, a stranger explaining the right way to eat a panzerotto. If you plan well and keep days short, Puglia is gentle, generous and easy to enjoy.
