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Ostuni white town skyline, Italy

Secrets of Southern Italy and Sicily

We love...

Exploring Matera's ancient cave dwellings that date back millennia. Sipping a glass of local red wine in Altomonte surrounded by beautiful churches. Being wowed by the beauty of Mount Etna, as plumes of smoke drift above the lava-sculpted landscape below.

This 11-day trip is southern Italy and Sicily in shades of sepia. Travelling through Puglia and Calabria with a ferry crossing over to Sicily, we explore the sun-warmed piazzas and palazzi of cobbled hilltop towns, wander ancient amphitheatres, and unearth architectural treasures - such as the 10,000-year-old ‘sassi’ cave dwellings of Matera and the kiln-shaped stone ‘trulli’ of Alberobello. We’ll top off our trip with a ‘The Godfather’ Sicilian village and a walk beneath the summit of restless Mount Etna - the highest active volcano in Europe.

Included with every escorted tour
  • VIP door-to-door travel service
  • Knowledgeable tour managers
  • Selected meals and international flights
  • Included excursions

Or Call us FREE on 0800 988 5823 to book this holiday


10 excursions & visits

20 meals

Easy going pace

Your itinerary

SSI map
Picked up by Titan's VIP-door-to-door travel service

Day 1 - UK - Bari - Alberobello

Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Bari. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel in Alberobello, Puglia. The hotel sits amongst olive and almond trees in part of the original farm, or ‘chiusa’ from which the hotel takes its name.

Grand Hotel la Chiusa di Chietri, Alberobello (4-star)

Today includes…

Dinner

Picked up by Titan's VIP-door-to-door travel service

Day 1 - UK - Bari - Alberobello

Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Bari. On arrival, we transfer to our hotel in Alberobello, Puglia. The hotel sits amongst olive and almond trees in part of the original farm, or ‘chiusa’ from which the hotel takes its name.

Grand Hotel la Chiusa di Chietri, Alberobello (4-star)

Today includes…

Dinner

View of old town white town Ostuni and cathedral at sunrise, Apulia, Italy

Day 2 - Alberobello - Martina Franca - Ostuni

Today’s full-day trip starts with a tour of the remarkable zona dei trulli in the old town of Alberobello. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is made up of 1,500 ‘trulli’ - white painted houses with dry-stone conical roofs that date back to the 14th century, only found in southern Puglia. The sea of kiln shaped rooftops appears straight out of a fairy tale. Next, we visit the historic town of Martina Franca in the Apulian hills. With Italian cinematic good looks, we wander through the sun-dappled piazzas, baroque churches and palazzos of the old town. Rising above a patchwork of olive groves, cypress trees and the glittering waters of the Adriatic, we continue up to the whitewashed town of Ostuni - an image synonymous with Puglia and stereotypical Italy at its finest. Topped with a sand-coloured 15th-century Gothic cathedral, the ‘Citta Bianca’ (White City) sweeps down the hillside in a labyrinth of narrow alleyways and staircases, with pretty gardens, painted doorways and tiny Fiats and scooters parked on the cobbles. Our exploration will involve some uphill walking.

Alberobello - Martina Franca - Ostuni

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Excursion to Alberobello, Martina Franca and Ostuni (all day)

Breakfast and Dinner

Piazza del Duomo square and Virgin Mary Cathedral, Lecce, Italy

Day 3 - Lecce

Today we continue exploring this beautiful corner of southern Italy with a trip to Lecce. The old town is a masterpiece of creamy-coloured stone and intricate baroque façades. Dating back to the Trojan Wars, it was given a facelift in the 17th century and is adorned with crouching gargoyles, ornate stained glass and carved balustrades - the elaborate decorative style of which birthed its own architectural name, ‘barocco leccese’. We'll visit the cathedral and then an aristocratic mansion - where we'll enjoy aperitivo.

Lecce

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Excursion to Lecce with local guide, including entrance to cathedral and afternoon aperitivo at an aristocratic mansion (all day)

Breakfast and Dinner

Aerial panoramic view of historical centre Sasso Caveoso, Basilicata, Italy

Day 4 - Matera - Altomonte

Our journey south to the Calabria region will be lengthy yet fascinating, stopping in the ancient troglodyte city of Matera. Thought to be the oldest city in the world after Aleppo and Jericho, the cave houses or ‘Sassi’ were inhabited for close to 10,000 years. Once described as the ‘the shame of Italy’ for the poor living standards, the residents were relocated in the 1950s. Finally recognising the historical significance of these dwellings, Matera was given UNESCO status in 1993 and was awarded the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Today, the caves are museums, boutique hotels and filming locations for Hollywood blockbusters. Arriving in Altomonte, we’ll stay for three nights. Our hotel is popular for local weddings and on these occasions we’ll have the use of a private restaurant and terrace.

Matera - Altomonte

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Guided visit to the caves at Matera (morning)

Breakfast and Dinner

Church of Santa Maria della Consolazione facade, Altomonte, Italy

Day 5 - Altomonte

This morning we take an orientation walk around Altomonte, a town known for its gorgeous churches, romantic stone squares and fabulous views over Pollino National Park and the Pellegrino mountains. The perfect wedding picture backdrop, Altomonte is known as the ‘Wedding City’ for the sheer number of couples that choose to marry here. The afternoon is free to explore.

Altomonte

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Orientation walk in Altomonte (morning)

Breakfast and Dinner
Free time

Ancient iIalian town Altomonte, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy

Day 6 - Altomonte

The whole day is free to spend as you please.

Altomonte

Today includes…

Breakfast and Dinner
Free time

What's included

20 meals

10 breakfasts

10 dinners

Transport from the UK

International flights. Prices are based on return flights with British Airways from London Heathrow or Gatwick.

Accommodation

10 nights in hotels

Transport

Travel in destination by coach

Tour highlights

10 excursions & visits

Excursion to Alberobello, Martina Franca and Ostuni

Excursion to Lecce with local guide (including cathedral and aristocratic mansion for aperitivo)

Guided visit to the caves at Matera

Orientation walk in Altomonte

Visit to the Archaeology Museum in Reggio Calabria

Visit to Savoca

Guided excursions to the slope's of Mount Etna (including wine tasting) and Taormina (including Greek theatre)

2.5 days free time

Enjoy time to explore independently, relax at your hotel, join our optional excursions or ask your tour manager for their recommendations.

Adventure made effortless with Titan Travel

VIP experience

Titan's VIP door-to-door travel service

Experts

Titan tour manager

Portable audio

Headset system on excursions

Porterage

Services included

Key information

A room tax of between €1-5 per person per night (subject to change), is payable directly to the hotel on check-out.
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Why choose a Titan tour?

Titan Travel have always been about seeing more and doing more – which is why we meticulously plan our award-winning escorted tours so that our expertly crafted itineraries make sure that so much is included. Once you book your holiday, you can relax knowing that every element has been taken care of. Choose the tour that gives you more.

VIP travel service

Smooth transfers to and from home with unlimited mileage

More value

From excursions to hotels, entry tickets and dining packages, we include more than any other tour.

More knowledgeable

Be guided by some of the most passionate and knowledgeable tour managers in the world, on hand to help every step of the way.

More flexible

Feel free to amend or extend your travel plans, up until final payment, and enjoy free time on your tour with us too.

cruise-awards
BTA 2024 Overall Winner Circle White - Titan won 13 awards
Silver travel awards 2022
wave awards 2022
cruise-awards
BTA 2024 Overall Winner Circle White - Titan won 13 awards
Silver travel awards 2022
wave awards 2022