UNESCO Cycling Tour Puglia

Unesco Cycling Tour Puglia, in the southern of the heel of Italy’s “boot,” better-known for its whitewashed hill towns,

Grade

Easy

When

All year round

Accommodation

4**** Hotels

Trekking Bike Rental

€110

Gravel Bike Rental

€160

E Bike Rental

€240

7 breakfasts

Included

Start

Bari

From: €950

Description

UNESCO Cycling Tour Puglia

UNESCO Cycling Tour Puglia. 8 days – 7 nights
Every day all year long.

En suite rooms in charming B&B, 4* hotels, and trulli houses in Alberobello.
For guided options from 4 persons or more send us an email at info@cycleclassictours.com

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UNESCO Cycling Tour Puglia, in the southern part of the heel of Italy’s “boot”. The region is better known for its whitewashed hill towns, centuries-old farmland, and hundreds of kilometers of Mediterranean coastline. This cycling Tour is designed to connect the three UNESCO sites of Castel del Monte, Matera, and Alberobello. You’ll ride some of the most scenic locations in the world that UNESCO has decided to preserve, and the bike distances are incredibly reasonable. Charming towns and incredible rocky landscapes, spectacular mansions and fairy trulli along the way, underground caves, and coastal villages where the daily routine is never boring.

This bike Tour among the UNESCO beauties is suitable for anyone with a minimum of training on the bicycle. The daily mileage goes from 25 to 50 daily kilometers. A week to appreciate all aspects of a territory that holds within it not only evidence of significant historical, archaeological, and palaeontological interest but also environmental and landscape phenomena of great importance. The bike will be a way to work off the good food and enjoy the many landscapes offered by this land. There will also be strictly cultural moments and the possibility of a refreshing swim in the clear sea of Puglia.

Cycling in the heel of Italy’s ”boot”

  • The Folklore of Bari and its Animated Streets
  • Discover local culture and traditions: the Matera local durum wheat bread or the Polignano fish soups
  • Visit Castel del Monte, the prehistoric Church of San Magno, or the Madonna della Stella
  • Taste the food and local wine Italy has to offer during this cycling Tour
  • The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot, dry, and sunny summers
  • Explore the Murge plateau, the archaeological site of Matera Rock Churches, and the Trulli area
  • The amazing Castellana Caves in Bari
  • Enjoy the beaches of Polignano a Mare

Savour every moment of a beautiful journey, full of adventure, generous breakfasts, peaceful wellness moments in the spa, food and wine tastings, and cool dips in the most beautiful seas in the regions of Salento and Puglia. Walk in total relaxation to enjoy the best moments of Italy.

Day 1
Arrival in Bari
The lovely regional capital and its charming old town will welcome you. Bari has become an important cultural destination thanks to the restoration and renewal of recent years. “Bari Vecchia”, which means old Bari, is called this bustling city center, that offers historic sights and local folklore clippings. It offers charming squares and old palaces next to grannies making orecchiette pasta in the street, the noise, and colors of the fish market near the firm candor of the countless churches. The Basilica of San Nicola stands out among the religious buildings: one of the main destinations of medieval pilgrimage, an innovative and masterful example of Puglia Romanesque style. Overnight in Bari.
Day 2
Bari to Ruvo di Puglia via Bitonto - 25km
After breakfast private transfer to Bitonto, the lively town developed around its Romanesque Cathedral. Away from the city, you'll cycle from the immense cultivation of olive trees to expanses of almond trees and vineyards leading to oak forests and “wooded” pastures. The route leads up to Ruvo di Puglia, a small agricultural center of peuceta origin, pre-Roman inhabitants of these lands were destroyed by the Goths. The Normans returned value to Ruvo and enriched it with important monuments, including an imposing Cathedral, known for its unique façade with slanted slopes.Overnight in Ruvo di Puglia.
Day 3
Ruvo di Puglia to Castel del Monte - 30km
A full immersion in the Alta Murgia National Park during these cycling holidays, a nature reserve that encompasses a unique biodiversity to safeguard, full of cattle tracks and hidden trails. After a few kilometers, you'll reach Castel del Monte, a brilliant example of medieval architecture, today Unesco heritage, universally known for its peculiar octagonal shape. The building preserves ancient mysteries and legends so that, till now, the exact purpose of the imposing building is unknown. After reaching your accommodation, very close to the fortress, you can spend the rest of the day visiting this fascinating and mysterious place. Overnight near Castel del Monte.
Day 4
Castel del Monte to Gravina in Puglia - 50km
From Castel del Monte the journey continues through extensive pastures of outcropping rocks and almost desert. Reach the prehistoric Church of San Magno, a building consisting of unequal masses, mastering an open space surrounded by extraordinary tombs of the Bronze Age; the old structure was once used for preserving the snow becoming an important source of water in summer. Be careful not to get lost in the charm of these places, because there is more to ride before arriving at Gravina in Puglia, the town of authentic and unexpected beauty. Overnight in Gravina in Puglia.
Day 5
Gravina in Puglia to Matera - 40km
Before leaving Gravina we recommend a stroll between Piaggio and Fondovico, the two districts in the historic heart of the city that host the major attractions. To explore the surroundings follow the long bridge over the stream leading near the rocky crypt dedicated to the Lady of the Star, Madonna della Stella. Between Gravina and Matera, you'll cross Altamura. Some say that the goodness of its bread is due to the water! Test the quality of filling your water bottle from one of the public fountains and tasting the delicious baked goods. If you also want to satiate your hunger for culture, visit the Cathedral, another building bequeathed to this earth from Puer Apuliae, Emperor Frederick II of Swabia title. Finally, Matera, is unique, with its neighborhoods overlooking the canyon of the river Gravina. Overnight in Matera.
Day 6
Matera to Alberobello via Gioia del Colle - 70km
Unesco site since 1991 and European Capital of Culture 2019, Matera is simple and genuine. Spend the first hours of the day in the City of Rocks, to discover an historic center unique in the world and extraordinary landscapes. In the late morning, you will reach the town of Gioia del Colle, unanimously recognized for the excellent quality of its dairy products, mozzarella, and cheeses. Here you'll visit a small cellar for a tasting of excellent local wines. After passing Putignano, the path follows Alberobello. Try not to “get off” too quickly, because you would miss the detour to Barsento Hill, a bucolic environment home to a rural church built in the 6th century. Overnight in the Capital of Trulli.
Day 7
Alberobello to Polignano via Castellana Grotte - 40km
The last stage is dedicated to the largest karst caves in Italy and the sea of Polignano, the beautiful village birthplace of the great Domenico Modugno... and excellent fish soups! With Alberobello behind you'll cycle gently downhill up to the Castellana caves, hollows that run underground for just over 3 kilometers in an atmosphere suspended between evocative power and magic, surrounded with stalagmites and stalactites grown with ancestral rhythms. They are the result of the erosive action of surface water that for millennia has continued to dig into the rock opening a passage to the sea. After the visit, back to the “blu dipinto di blu” of the sea and sky of Polignano, you can take time for a relaxing dip in the most famous beach of Polignano, Lama Monachile. Overnight in Polignano a Mare.
Day 8
Departure
Departure from Polignano a Mare. The Tour ends after breakfast.  



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Booking Information

Add your start date
  • All prices are based on double rooms - for bookings & inquiries: send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com
Technical details
  • This bike tour among the Unesco beauties is suitable for anyone with a minimum of training on the bicycle. The daily mileage goes from 25 to 70 kilometers, and you can stop at your leisure, or according to our advice, for visits and refreshments. The bike will be a way to work off the good food and enjoy the many landscapes offered by this land. There will also be strictly cultural moments and the possibility of a refreshing swim in the clear sea of Puglia.
Support 
  • The morning of the second day, after breakfast, you will have a welcome meeting. In case of need, you can call an emergency number ON h24
Accommodation En suite rooms in charming B&B, 4* hotels, and trulli houses in Alberobello.7 breakfasts and 1 tasting included. All other meals are not included.
  • 1 night in Bari
  • 1 night in Ruvo di Puglia
  • 1 night near Castel del Monte
  • 1 night in Gravina
  • 1 night in Matera
  • 1 night in Alberobello
  • 1 night in Polignano

Extra Information

  1. Fill out and submit the online booking request or send an email to info@cycleclassictours.com
  2. We tend and try to send all over within 48 hours.
  3. Please do not make travel plans until you receive our confirmation.
  4. Please be advised that we make every effort to ensure that all the information given on this site is accurate. All statements and information have been researched and supplied by third parties.
  5. The information given is accurate and reliable, to the best of our knowledge. Should errors be found, we will rectify them as quickly as possible. However, we accept no responsibility for errors or inaccuracies.
  • 7 nights with breakfast
  • 7 breakfasts and 1 tasting
  • Welcome briefing and bike fitting
  • Private transfers days 2 and 6
  • Tasting day 6
  • Boat trip from Polignano day 7
  • Travel App (maps, tracks, route notes)
  • Luggage transportation from hotel to hotel
  • Phone assistance 08:00-20:00
Season prices
  • Low-Season - 27/10/24 → 30/11/24 - €950
  • Low-Season - 01/03/25 → 28/03/25 - €980
  • Mid-Season - 29/03/25 → 13/06/25 - €1180
  • High-Season 14/06/24 → 31/08/25 - €1300
  • Mid-Season 01/09/25 → 26/10/25 - €1180
  • Low-Season 27/10/25 → 20/11/25 - €980
  • Meals and drinks
  • Entrance fees and tips
  • Trekking Bike rental €110
  • Gravel Bike rental €160
  • E-Bike rental €240
  • Helmet rental €15
  • Transfer Bari Apt-Bari (min 2 pax) €40
  • Transfer Polignano-Bari Apt (min 2 pax) €60
  • Single room from: €350 (Depends on the season)
  • Solo traveller €250
  • Insurance and what's not listed as Included

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