Contrasts of Puglia Cycling

Contrasts of Puglia Cycling

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8 Days From

$2795

$2662

Contrasts of Puglia Cycling

8 Days Starting in Conversano and ending in Monopoli

Visiting: Italy

Tour operator:

Exodus Adventure Travels

Tour code:

C07PU

Group Type:

Independent

Guide Type:

Self Guided

Physical rating:

Leisurely / Moderate

Age range:

12-99

Special diets catered:

Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements

Tour operated in:

English

Interests:

Beach Tours, History

From: $2795 $2662 Travel Club discount: -$133

NB: Prices correct on 19-Sep-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Tucked away 'on the heel of Italy's boot', Puglia offers extraordinary variety and beauty with a dramatically rugged coast, providing a total contrast to the lush green interior. Your holiday starts in Conversano and ends in the historic town of Monopoli. You will be intoxicated by the rich colours of the landscape, olive groves, fruit orchards, vineyards and ruby-red fields, all intensified by the wonderful limpid light of the Adriatic. Highlights include staying in unique Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and visiting the postcard-pretty white village of Ostuni as you wind your way back towards the sea.



Highlights

  • Beautifully unspoilt region, full of contrasts and interest-packed cycling

  • Historic wine towns, colourful fishing villages, white sandy beaches, ancient olive orchards, tiny farming hamlets unchanged over the years

  • Traditional Mediterranean cuisine and excellent wines

  • Hand-picked hotels including two nights in a unique trullo house in UNESCO Alberobello

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Arrive At Conversano

Arrive at the Relais Corte Altavilla. There's time to explore the historic town before choosing one of the many restaurants for dinner (payable locally)

Day 2 : Conversano To Alberobello

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today's pedalling takes you through the rolling hills of the Valle d'Itria where the air is perfumed with wild mint and herbs. Stop off in the little towns of Putignano and Noci, and view their characteristic whitewashed houses and narrow alleyways. It's then off to unique Alberobello and its plethora of trulli houses, the architectural symbol of the region. On arrival you'll be met by one of the staff, who will show you to your own private trullo house.

Day 3 : At Alberobello

Meals Included: Breakfast

Explore the narrow streets and kitsch souvenir shops, or visit the Museo del Territorio. Alternatively, cycle into the Itria Valley to visit stunning Locorotondo, with its panoramic views across the valley. Continue on to Martina Franca, with its beautiful Baroque architechture and stunning palazzi.

Day 4 : Alberobello To Pezze Di Greco

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

You'll spend this morning cycling along beautiful undulating country lanes lined with weathered stone walls, before enjoying a long downhill run with panoramic views of the Adriatic coastline and the lower fertile plains. This incredible descent will bring you down towards Capitolo and finishes through a patchwork of almond orchards, olive groves, vineyards and gloriously coloured fields of fresh tomatoes and peppers.

Day 5 : At Pezze Di Greco

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Relax by the hotel's pool, or cycle to the nearby beach. For the more energetic, ride to charming Ostuni whose whitewashed houses are neatly piled on hills rich in olive groves and vineyards.

Day 6 : Pezze Di Greco To Monopoli

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning you leave the masseria and head back to the Adriatic coast on a gentle flat route. You will cycle past the colourful fishing village of Savelletri, a perfect stop for an authentic Italian espresso or to indulge in a delicious seafood lunch. Your ride will continue past the archaeological site of Egnazia, once the location of a Greco-Roman town, dating as far back as 4 B.C.. You then return to the picturesque coastal town of Monopoli and the Albergo Diffuso in time for a stroll before choosing your evening restaurant from one of the many eateries in the heart of the old town.

Day 7 : At Monopoli

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today's route takes you along the stunning coastline all the way to the beautiful Polignano a Mare. Take the time to explore this vibrant fishing village before continuing to the picturesque village of San Vito with its multi-coloured boats. Head back to Monpoli and enjoy an aperitivo in the old town's square watching the world walk past.

Day 8 : Leave Monopoli

Meals Included: Breakfast

The tour ends after breakfast in Monopoli.

What's Included

  • Luggage transfers between hotels

  • All accommodation

  • All continental breakfasts and 2 evening meals

  • Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent

  • GPS route directions and maps

  • /RideWithGPS/ navigation app

  • High quality bikes

What's Not Included

  • Arrival & departure transfers

  • Travel insurance

  • Single accommodation (compulsory)

  • Local tourist tax (pay hotel locally)

  • Visas or vaccinations

Food


In Puglia you will find genuine regional cooking that has strong links to the
land and the sea. To give you just a small list of the types of food on offer
in Puglia: Bread from the Murge, durum wheat pasta, olives, the pasta
delicacy Orecchiette served with a sauce of turnip-tops or fresh tomato and
sheep's ricotta-cheese, Cavatelli with pulses, aubergine and parmesan bake,
grilled fish and seafood, burrata (soft mozzarella and cream cheese), plus
excellent wines. This region is a food lovers paradise and the abundance of
delicious vegetables makes it a perfect destination for vegetarians! On this
trip there will be many opportunities to taste the best local specialities.

Accommodation

Your accommodation is as varied as the landscape, with each place specially chosen for its unique charm and character. In Conversano, your beautiful 12th century former court house, with barrel-vaulted ceilings, is just a stone's throw from the elegant Romanesque cathedral; in Alberobello, you cannot fail to be seduced by the authentic trullo houses (limestone dwellings with conical roofs that are the architectural symbol of Puglia); in Pezze di Greco, you spend two nights in a beautifully restored 17th century masseria (fortified farmhouse) with lovely pool and in Monopoli, you stay in characterful rooms set in various locations just 3 minutes from the beach.

Check out our Q&As

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Only Luggage transfers between hotels

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • Are children permitted to take part in the tour?

    12+ age people can go on this tour.

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Exodus has been trading since 1974

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.

Reviews of this operator

Gergana Racheva  

Very helpful and prompt service

06-Jan-2023

Very helpful and prompt service. I called to check for an already booked trip and once we sorted this, the agent was ready to help me with another booking as well. He actually waited for me to book my flight tickets, answered all my questions, informed me of all my options. Exodus is a tour company I am using regularly due to the quality of their trips, ease of booking and helpfulness of their customer service team

Trustpilot
Tim Hardy  

Stunning walking. Walking the Amalfi Coast

04-Nov-2021

This trip takes you through the most beautiful parts of the Mediterranean walking with a guide and also discovering the wonders of Pompeii and Vesuvius. The hotel had a nice feel as family run, spotless and comfortable rooms, we were well looked after for breakfasts and dinner each day, and the barmen fixed some mean cocktails for us.!

paul green (Google Reviewer)  

Went on a tour of...

14-Jan-2022

Went on a tour of morocco in October and loved it ,mohamed the tour guide was excellent, probably go with exodus to India next year

Paul Green  

It's amazing what you can do in a week! Cycling the Dalmatian Coast.

08-Oct-2021

This holiday was extremely enjoyable. The itinerary is well planned and the route takes you to a variety of destinations. Not having been to Croatia before I didn't know there were so many beautiful small islands and I loved the ferry and catarmaran rides. The coastal route we took was dramatic and the World Heritage sites in Split and Dubrovnik very interesting and worth visiting. The Adriatic Sea was warm, blue and inviting, good for swimming even in October. The hotels we stayed in varied in size from medium to large. I particularly liked the one just outside Dubrovnik as I had a sea view. Tourists were plentiful in Split and Dubrovnik but in the other places we stayed there was an end of season feel and it was quiet on the roads and in the resorts. The food was good and our guide was always able to recommend a nice restaurant for our evening meal. The weather in October was good for cycling - not hot, partly cloudy most days and one day it rained!

Mrs Y Morrison  

Fabulous company and trip

06-Jan-2023

We went overland from Cape Town to Zimbabwe through Botswana and Namibia. What a fantastic trip. Our first time with Exodus although we have travelled extensively around the world. We would highly recommend this company for such a brilliant trip - we got everything and more all at a good price. Thanks to everyone involved. We are looking at our next trip!

Trustpilot
John Edwards (Google Reviewer)  

I went cycling in Albania...

19-Aug-2023

I went cycling in Albania with exodus as my first holiday with them. Such a well organised and wonderful experience where I met multiple fellow travellers who have been advocates of them for many years. You can't argue with happy repeat customers and I'm planning my next adventure with them soon

Alison Payton (Google Reviewer)  

I've done 8 trips in...

17-May-2023

I've done 8 trips in the last 14 years with Exodus, and have been rewarded with a 10% discount on all future bookings. I feel very confident that I'll receive pleasant, efficient service, and have the unusual holiday experience that I'm looking for each time. I've trekked to the top of snow-capped peaks, wild-camped in the desert, seen amazing spectacles of nature, visited 4 capital cities in a week, and learned about local culture and experienced local hospitality in a way that I simply wouldn't on a conventional holiday. The quality of the accommodation and guides can vary, but this is mainly down to cultural differences and things that Exodus can't control. I've only ever complained once, my complaint was taken seriously, and I was sent a discount voucher - you can't say fairer than that. I remain a loyal customer.

David (Google Reviewer)  

Exodus are generally a good...

21-Aug-2024

Exodus are generally a good travel company. Things tend to run smoothly and trips well organised. Their customers tend to be at retirement age. Trips are a bit overpriced. I would also avoid trips in Europe, as these often focus on more coffee stops and meals, rather than walking. I would also recommend making sure your guide records any accidents you have, hopefully not applicable. I had one on Sierra de Aitana which the guide saw and knew about, but he and Exodus said it never happened when I followed up after the trip. I wasn’t putting in a claim, just suggested a safety improvement. They have since apologised and acknowledged this as an error. They are a good reliable option for outside of Europe trips.

Jacquelyn Moore (Google Reviewer)  

Food came quickly. Staff very...

07-Mar-2024

Food came quickly. Staff very friendly and polite . However the chef or person preparing the food did not seem to read the menu! If it says a meal should come with vegetables, you should not have to ask for them. They served shepherds pie with garlic bread! The munchies ice cream sundae said it should come in a glass with a flake but came in a little bowl with just a few munchies! When asking the staff were happy to replace and correct but customer should get what they order and what menu says first time round!!

johanna leonor (Google Reviewer)  

If you like to be...

07-Sep-2023

If you like to be mistreated Exodus is perfect for you. If you enjoy terrible choices for hotels and pseudo restaurants Exodus is perfect for you. Careless about their clients and loveless about their propositions. Exodus has been a dissatisfaction and disappointment about every dealing i and my group have had with him. Especially a man called Simone who just cares about the money he can get from you couldn’t care less about service.

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Monday - Monday

Sep 23, 2024 - Sep 30, 2024
$3005 $2862

Travel Club discount: -$143

Wednesday - Wednesday

Sep 25, 2024 - Oct 02, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$143

Saturday - Saturday

Sep 28, 2024 - Oct 05, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$143

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Travel Club discount: -$143

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Travel Club discount: -$133

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Travel Club discount: -$133

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Travel Club discount: -$133

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Oct 12, 2024 - Oct 19, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$133

Monday - Monday

Oct 14, 2024 - Oct 21, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$133

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Travel Club discount: -$133

Saturday - Saturday

Oct 19, 2024 - Oct 26, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$133

Monday - Monday

Oct 21, 2024 - Oct 28, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$133

Wednesday - Wednesday

Oct 23, 2024 - Oct 30, 2024
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Travel Club discount: -$133

Saturday - Saturday

Oct 26, 2024 - Nov 02, 2024
$2795 $2662

Travel Club discount: -$133

Monday - Monday

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$2795 $2662

Travel Club discount: -$133

Book with Confidence

  • Free Date Changes

    CTS demo white label allows you to make 20 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 0 days before the start of the tour.

  • Low Deposit

    CTS demo white label requires a minimum deposit of 55% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 30 days before departure.

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