Puglia Road Trip: 5-Day Itinerary (2026)

Puglia, the heel of the Italian boot, is best discovered by car: white villages, trulli with conical roofs, ancient olive trees, the golden baroque of Lecce and turquoise coves. In 5 days, you can drive from Bari to Salento via Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, Matera and Ostuni, never driving more than an hour at a stretch. Here is the day-by-day itinerary, distances, budget, driving tips and our recommendations for where to stay. This road trip can then become your personalized itinerary in 30 seconds with NavorAI.

Puglia road trip: the plan at a glance

Day 1: arrival in Bari, Polignano a Mare and Monopoli. Day 2: Alberobello, the Itria Valley and the Castellana caves. Day 3: a day trip to Matera and its Sassi. Day 4: Ostuni, the ancient olive trees, then the drive to Lecce. Day 5: Lecce and Salento, between Otranto and Gallipoli. Two bases are enough: the Itria Valley for the first three nights, Lecce for the next two.

Day 1: Polignano a Mare and Monopoli

Pick up your car at Bari airport and head to Polignano a Mare, 40 minutes away: a village perched on cliffs above a turquoise sea, with the famous Lama Monachile cove. Wander the white lanes and take in the view from the hanging terraces. In the afternoon, continue to Monopoli, 15 minutes away: an old port with blue boats, ramparts facing the sea and small coves for a swim. Then head to your base in the Itria Valley for the night.

Day 2: Alberobello, the Itria Valley and the Castellana caves

Arrive early in Alberobello, a UNESCO site for its trulli, white houses with conical stone roofs: before 10am, the lanes of the Rione Monti and Aia Piccola districts are almost empty. Then visit the Castellana caves, 15 minutes away, a spectacular underground network of stalactites, on a guided tour. In the afternoon, drive through the Itria Valley on small roads: Locorotondo and its circular all-white center, Cisternino and its butcher-grills where you choose your meat. In the evening, dine in a masseria, a fortified farm turned charming restaurant.

Day 3: Matera, the city of the Sassi

Spend the day in Matera, about an hour's drive away, just across the border in Basilicata. Its Sassi, cave districts carved into the rock and listed by UNESCO, form one of the most striking urban landscapes in Italy. Park outside the center, then walk down into Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano: rock churches, cave houses and viewpoints. Stay for sunset, when the city lights up, before returning to the Itria Valley.

Day 4: Ostuni, the ancient olive trees and Lecce

In the morning, go up to Ostuni, the "white city" perched on its hill, with its cathedral and whitewashed lanes. Between Ostuni and Monopoli, take the country roads lined with ancient olive trees with twisted trunks, and stop at an oil mill for a tasting. Then drive to Lecce, about an hour away: settle in for two nights and discover the illuminated, pedestrian historic center in the evening, with its Roman amphitheater and Piazza Sant'Oronzo.

Day 5: Lecce and Salento

In the morning, explore Lecce, nicknamed the "Florence of the South" for its baroque carved in golden stone: the Basilica of Santa Croce and Piazza del Duomo are spectacular. In the afternoon, choose your sea: the Adriatic coast toward Otranto, 45 minutes away, with its cathedral's medieval mosaic and coves such as Baia dei Turchi, or the Ionian coast toward Gallipoli, 40 minutes away, an island old town with sunsets over the sea. Back to Lecce for a final dinner, or leave for Brindisi airport, about 40 minutes away.

How much does 5 days in Puglia cost?

Indicative prices per person in 2026, for a trip for two. • Car rental: about €30-50 per day in mid-season, plus fuel and parking, so €100-160 per person for 5 days. • Meals: €30-50 per day, between focaccia and panzerotti at lunch and a trattoria in the evening, so €150-250. • Visits: about €40-60 (Castellana caves, Matera rock churches, Lecce monuments). • Total excluding accommodation: about €290-470 per person. • Accommodation: allow €90-160 per night for a double room in town or a trullo, and €150-280 for a beautiful masseria, so €500-1,000 for 4 nights. For two people, this 5-day road trip comes to around €1,080-1,940 all in, excluding flights.

Where to stay on a Puglia road trip?

To avoid changing hotels every night, choose two bases. For the first three nights, the Itria Valley, between Alberobello, Locorotondo and Ostuni: stay in a masseria with a pool among the olive trees, or in a renovated trullo, a unique experience. For the last two nights, Lecce, for its lively historic center in the evening and its proximity to both Salento coasts.

What to eat in Puglia?

Orecchiette with cime di rapa, small handmade ear-shaped pasta, is the signature dish. Try burrata, born in the region, focaccia barese with cherry tomatoes, and panzerotti, fried turnovers with tomato and mozzarella, Bari's street food. In Lecce, the pasticciotto, a small custard tart, is eaten for breakfast. And everywhere, local olive oil, best bought directly from a mill.

Driving in Puglia: our tips

Rent your car at Bari or Brindisi airport, choosing a small model: lanes and parking spaces are narrow. Watch out for ZTLs, the limited traffic zones of historic centers: driving in without authorization means a fine sent to your home months later. Park in the lots on the outskirts, often paid in summer. Favor secondary roads, prettier than the main ones, and carry coins for parking meters.

Your Puglia road trip, ready in 30 seconds

This plan is a starting point. With NavorAI, enter your dates, budget and interests (beaches, villages, food, couple or family trip): you get your day-by-day itinerary, in the right order, with the map, distances and budget. You can also find our 10 must-see places on our Puglia page.

Find your flight to Puglia

Recommended airport: Bari.