From exploring the pretty white town of Ostuni, to the beach towns of Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Otranto, this 5-day Puglia itinerary shows you the best of this region.
We’ve just returned from our second holiday in Puglia. We’ve always loved travelling in Italy, and while we have favourite spots all over the country, our trips to Puglia have been some of our most special. We adore the mix of pretty towns, history, charm, tradition and tasty food. On both trips, we’ve hired cars and spent days sightseeing, relaxing, enjoying the beaches, and of course, eating!
While these sound like adult trips, our most recent visit was with our two-year-old son. He loved it too, as there was plenty to keep him entertained. So, whether you’re considering a trip as a couple, with friends or as a family, I’d recommend exploring Puglia.
A 5-Day Puglia Itinerary: Plan Your Trip
How many days to spend in Puglia?
If you’re wondering how long to spend in Puglia, I’d suggest a first trip of between five and seven days. It’ll be a great introduction, and probably leave you wanting more!
You’ll have time to see a lot of the most famous towns, a few hidden gems, and not feel like you’re racing around in a stressful way. I think it’s important to think about pace with these trips. After all, you want time for leisurely Italian feasts, beach strolls and sunset spritzes. I think five to seven days in Puglia is enough time to relax and soak up what makes this region of southern Italy so special.
In this guide I’m sharing how I’d plan the perfect five-day Puglia itinerary. You might need to add a little bit of time at either end for travel to and from the region. Also, if you have more time available, spread things out a little more.
My guide takes you from the north towards the south of the region, but you could easily flip it around depending on where you’re flying into.
When is the best time to visit Puglia?
Puglia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, so expect long, hot summers and mild winters. The best time to visit depends on the type of trip you want, but here are a few thoughts:
- Spring (April–June) – Warm days, fewer crowds than summer. Perfect for sightseeing and road trips, though the sea will be chilly!
- Summer (July–August) – Great for a beach break but it does get very hot in the peak summer. It’s also the busiest time to visit, so you’ll be battling crowds and spending more on accommodation.
- Autumn (September–October) – One of the best times to visit Puglia as the temperatures are still warm, you can swim in the sea and there’s a more relaxed vibe out of peak season.
- Winter (November–March) – Quiet and cool, with much lower prices. However, be warned that a lot of businesses are seasonal so you might struggle to find suitable accommodation or find restaurants which are open.
Personally, my favourite tome to visit Puglia is from late May to mid-June or from the start of September to the middle of the month. These times usually offer a lovely mix of sunshine and warm weather, and you won’t have the big crowds of peak holiday season.
Where to fly to for your Puglia holiday
Bari and Brindisi are the most convenient airports to fly into for a holiday in Puglia. We found more options from the UK to Bari, which is in a good location for the northern and central parts of Puglia. Brindisi is a little further south, but still not far from the key sights. It also offers better access to the southern tip of Puglia, if you want to delve deeper into the region.
How to spend 5 Days in Puglia – a quick overview
- Day 1: Monopoli and Polignano a Mare – Seaside towns, cliff walks, fresh seafood and swimming
- Day 2: Alberobello and Locorotondo – Trulli houses, wine tasting and pretty views
- Day 3: Ostuni – Whitewashed old town and traditional food and drink
- Day 4: Lecce – Baroque architecture, history, street food and fine dining
- Day 5: Otranto – Charming coastal town, beach time, historic castle and al fresco dining
How to spend 5 Days in Puglia – Itinerary
Day 1: Monopoli and Polignano a Mare
These are two of the prettiest and most famous beach towns in Puglia. They’re both on the Adriatic Coast, so you’ll get to enjoy a full day of Puglian seaside life! They’re only a 15-minute drive from each other, so it’s easy to see them both in one day. You could choose to stay in one of the towns overnight, so you get to enjoy the nighttime ambience and lots of twinkling lights.
Monopoli
Monopoli is a lively harbour town, with beautiful historic buildings and a lot of seaside charm. I absolutely fell in love with this town on my first trip to Puglia. In an instant, it was one of my favourite towns in Italy! It was a romantic couples trip with my now husband, and we spent relaxed afternoons strolling around the old harbour, stopping for spritzes in the sunshine, dipping our toes in the water at the small beach, and enjoying dinners al fresco.
The Centro Storico in Monopoli is filled with old stone buildings, little squares, a cathedral and lots of traditional restaurants. It’s a town that’s grown in popularity in recent years, but it still doesn’t feel as hectic as Alberobello or Polignano a Mare.
Polignano a Mare
If you’ve looked at photos of beautiful beach towns in Puglia, I can pretty much guarantee you would have seen an image of Polignano a Mare. Set on thick limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic, with dramatic caves below, it’s absolutely spectacular.
The main beach in Polignano is Lama Monachile, a small slither of a rocky beach tucked beneath the arches of an ancient Roman bridge. It’s such a photogenic view, although I’ll admit it’s not the most comfortable place to laze around. It also gets very busy in peak summer.
We enjoyed a day trip to Polignano a Mare, but didn’t stay overnight. To be honest, that felt like the perfect amount of time. We enjoyed strolling through the centre, visited the beach, walked along the cliffs to take in the views, stopped for food and drink in town, and ended our day with aperitivos. I still remember the tasty spaghetti vongole we had in one of the main squares there – delicious!
Day 2: Alberobello and Locorotondo
Today is all about trulli houses and tradition. Much like yesterday’s duo, Alberobello and Locorotondo pair really well. They’re under fifteen minutes’ drive from one another, and offer different things.
If you’re deciding which town to stay in, you’ll find prices on the higher side in Alberobello as it’s more popular. However, there’s so much charm to seeing it at night when a lot of the day-tripping tourists have left. I’d probably choose to stay there if it’s your first trip… in fact, we stayed in a trulli house there on our first trip! For our second we mixed it up with two nights in Locorotondo.
Alberobello
I think everyone has seen photos of Puglia’s most famous town. Alberobello is famed for its unique fairytale-like trulli houses. While you’ll see some of these white stone buildings with conical roofs dotted around southern Italy, this special town is filled with them.
It’s a magical place to explore on foot. You’ll stroll along streets lined with shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, mostly located inside the small, cave-like trulli houses. Yes, it’s one of the most popular towns in Puglia (particularly in the summer months), but it’s one you shouldn’t miss. Even when it’s busy, it’s special.
For the best experience, I’d recommend booking to stay in a trulli house hotel in Alberobello. Seeing the town after dark adds an extra slice of magic, plus you’ll be able to stroll through the town and take all your photos, without the crowds getting in the way!
My favourite spots included: Trulli e Puglia Wine Bar and Ristorante Puglianova. On our first trip we enjoyed a comfortable overnight stay in Terraza Sui Trulli, which is in an amazing location in the centre of the town.
Locorotondo
This beautiful hilltop town may feel like a maze at first, with its skinny streets lined with whitewashed houses and wrought iron balconies. But, after a short stroll, you’ll soon get your bearings.
It’s an ideal location for a half or full day, with plenty of great restaurants and bars, and even a winery right in the town. Head to Via Nardelli for breathtaking panoramas over the Valle d’Itria. You’ll be rewarded with views of the rolling countryside peppered with vineyards, olive groves and trulli houses.
Locorotondo is really charming. It’s definitely somewhere to wander, get lost and then wander some more! Many of the restaurants in town have outdoor seating lining the narrow streets. We found it to be pretty quiet during the daytime (especially when temperatures were high) but it got busy by sunset. It’s around then that people seemed to venture out for aperitivos and dinner.
My favourite spots include: Kiatz Restaurant (amazing small plates and pastas), Ristorante Osteria Il Rosone (authentic and tasty pasta), Vinifera Vini & Affini (drinks and small plates), Pavì Wine Restaurant (great for aperitivo hour) and Sirose (Bufano winery).
Day 3: Ostuni
As you drive around, you’ll notice that a lot of the towns in Puglia are white. However, as you get closer to Ostuni, you’ll see this hilltop town is one of the prettiest and most pristine in the region. So much so, it’s nicknamed the La Città Bianca (the white city).
It has a similar feel to Locorotondo (where you visited yesterday) but Ostuni is a lot more popular. It’s another place where you’ll get lost in the maze of narrow streets, snapping photos of pretty stairs adorned with flowers. There are restaurants tucked on the narrow streets, many serving local pastas such as orecchiette and cavatelli.
We loved walking around Ostuni with no fixed plans. You know, the kind of walk where you stop for a coffee at one spot, then cool down with a delicious gelato, and eventually move on to spritzes and wine! If you’re looking to visit the most beautiful towns in Puglia, Ostuni has to be on your list.
Day 4: Lecce
The Puglian city of Lecce is a treasure trove of Baroque architecture, ornate churches and Roman ruins. So much so, it’s nicknamed “the Florence of the South”. If you’re interested in history, you simply have to visit. It’s a city, so it’s a lot bigger and busier with everyday life than the other places I’ve mentioned so far, but it’s got a great vibe.
As well as the amazing architecture, you’ll stumble upon lively piazzas and aperitivo bars. It’s also a wonderful place for seeing what daily life in southern Italy is like. You’ll see students going to university, commuters heading to work and Italian nonnas out buying groceries.
Are you a foodie? You’ll love Lecce! It’s got tasty street food, lots of authentic Italian restaurants, as well as some top-rated fine-dining establishments. Don’t miss the chance to try pasticciotti leccesi, a local custard pastry that is sweet and delicious. Or, you could unwind in the evening with a chilled glass of Salento rosé.
If you’re looking for the best of the best, I’d try to book a table at Michelin-starred Primo Restaurant. Alternatively, Gimmi and Duo both have great reputations.
Day 5: Otranto
Otranto is under forty minutes by car from Lecce. Some of you may look at the Puglia map and feel it’s too far from where you started, but I wanted to include it as it shot up my list of favourite towns after our most recent holiday. It’s one of the most photogenic towns I’ve visited in Puglia and is great for tourists.
The picturesque seaside town has a medieval castle, 11th-century cathedral, incredible beaches, rocky coastline and a lively ambience. It feels like a proper holiday town, but still retains an authentic Italian charm, perhaps as most tourists who visit are Italian.
A lot of this coastline in Puglia has rocky or pebble beaches, but in Otranto there is sand. This made it perfect for our toddler to play safely, and for us all to relax with some beach time. There are a mix of public and private (beach club) beaches. We were lucky enough to stay in an apartment directly opposite Spiaggia dei Gradoni, a public beach right in town.
On our final day, we ventured down to Atlantis, a beach club and restaurant located on a rockier peninsula. Here, you can either sit in the bar area and enjoy food and drink, or hire a sun lounger for the day. It’s worth mentioning that there isn’t much shade on the beaches in Otranto, so you’ll need a parasol and lots of sun cream if you want to truly enjoy the public beaches in peak summer!
For eating and drinking in Otranto, my favourite spots were: Lu Tata N’zinu (great pizzas), Retro Gusto (Michelin-recommended fine-dining) and Pasticceria Merola (the best gelato we had on our entire trip).
Tips for planning a holiday in Puglia
After visiting on two different holidays, several years apart, I wanted to share my top tips. Here are a few things to think about before you travel.
- Hire a compact car. I can’t stress this enough! If you’re driving through the skinny streets of these ancient towns, you won’t want a giant 4×4. Driving a smaller car will be a lot less stressful.
- Don’t feel you need a packed itinerary. My favourite thing about Puglia is the relaxed pace of life. You don’t need to plot in a lot of excursions or activities. Just mooch around the towns, pop into shops, enjoy long lunches and aperitivos. It’s more of a ‘doing nothing’ holiday!
- Try the local food and wine. This region of Italy boasts simple and delicious cuisine. I happily enjoyed a diet of orecchiette and cavatelli pastas, olive oil, flavoursome tomatoes, pasticciotti pastries and creamy gelatos. I also love the red wines from Puglia, such as Primitivo and Negroamaro.
- Skip branded hotels in favour of more authentic accommodation. My favourite places to stay in Puglia have included rustic masserias (old farmhouses), trulli houses in Alberobello and Locorotondo, and historic seafront apartments in Otranto and Monopoli.
- Enjoy getting lost. Don’t feel the need to memorise a map or have your phone out to navigate around the towns. Some of the best discoveries are made purely by chance!
I hope this 5‑day Puglia itinerary helps you to plan an amazing holiday in this special region of Italy. If you’re looking for more tips for your trip, take a look at my other travel guides…