Alberobello & Locorotondo Travelers Recommend

With three days in Alberobello and Locorotondo, you’ll have enough time to delve into Puglia’s highlights and even cross the border into neighboring Basilicata. From the central Itria Valley, head north to Bari, south to Lecce, and west to the ancient rupestrian city of Matera. Here are your options for three days of exploration.

Day 1: The Heart of Puglia

Begin your day in Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to more than 1,000 round stone trulli cottages, unique to this valley. Then move on to Locorotondo, a hushed, whitewashed town with sweeping views over the surrounding valley. Opt for a walking tour through the historic center or a bike tour that takes in both the village and countryside. If you still have time, visit quieter valley locations such as the fishing village of Polignano a Mare or medieval Conversano. History enthusiasts can choose a guided visit of Castel del Monte or the Gnatia archaeological ruins, while a wine tasting, olive oil tour, or visit to the salami-producing town of Martina Franca will satisfy gourmands.

Day 2: Cities North and South

The Itria Valley is also home to two of Puglia’s most vibrant cities: Bari to the north and Lecce to the south. Join a walking tour to explore Bari’s old town, Bari Vecchia, thick with pretty churches, bustling squares, and a warren of backstreets. Alternatively, set your sights on the Salento Peninsula, and spend the day admiring the ornate baroque architecture in the center of Lecce. Known as the “Florence of the South” for its elegance and cultural riches, this city is best-visited with a guide to fully appreciate its intricately decorated monuments.

Day 3: Matera, the Cave City

Perched on the slope of a ravine in the neighboring region of Basilicata, Matera is one of the most significant and famous destinations in southern Italy. This unique city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and European Capital of Culture, has developed above a network of hundreds of ancient caves and grottoes, used as homes and churches over a millennia. Many of the historic cave dwellings, known as sassi, have been renovated into luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, and trendy art galleries. Spend your last day on a guided day trip to take a deep dive into the history and evolution of this singular hill town, and visit its historic caves, baroque churches, and narrow lanes joined by steep staircases.

Not only are Alberobello and Locorotondo two of the most beautiful villages in Puglia’s Itria Valley, they are also two of the most conveniently located. Set at the top of the Salento Peninsula, the towns are a practical base for exploring to the north and south. Here are a few ways to see the valley and peninsula in two days.

Day 1: The Itria Valley

Morning: Avoid the crowds that will clog the narrow lanes at midday by beginning your morning with a walking tour of Alberobello’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit some of the more than 1,000 historic trulli, the valley’s traditional, small, round cottages topped with conical roofs, as well as the trullo-style Sant’Antonio Church and unique 2-story Trullo Sovrano.

Afternoon: Sleepy Locorotondo has an understated charm and relaxed pace that is a welcome respite from the streets of Alberobello, often packed with tourists. This afternoon, take a tour on foot through Locorotondo’s historic center, or join a bike or Vespa tour that includes a stop in town as well as a turn through the pretty surrounding countryside.

Night: Set out just past the confines of the Itria Valley to tour the Castel del Monte fortress or the Gnatia archaeological ruins. Gourmands can opt instead for an olive oil tour or a stop in Martina Franca to learn about capocollo salami production. Alternatively, end the day with an excursion to the scenic village of Polignano a Mare or inland Conversano.

Day 2: North or South

Morning: Architecture enthusiasts can head south into the Salento Peninsula to tour the sumptuous town of Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South” for the ornate baroque architecture of its churches and palaces. Learn about the history of this elegant small city, and visit its historic artisan workshops during a walking tour of the center.

Afternoon: Alternatively, set your sights north to the bustling port of Bari, the most important city in Puglia. Take a walking tour through its historic heart, Bari Vecchia, to visit its soaring churches, vibrant squares, and quiet backstreets, where local women hand-roll pasta on tables set up outside.

Night: Whether you’ve struck out to the north or south, the only way to end the day in Puglia is on the beach. Stop in one of the many coastal villages for a waterfront dinner of fresh fish or seafood, or relax on a deck chair at the water’s edge as the sun goes down.

One of Puglia’s most unique towns, Alberobello is a clutch of over 1,000 hilltop trulli, fairy-tale-like round cottages topped with conical roofs. Pair a visit to this UNESCO World Heritage Site with a stop in the whitewashed center of Locorotondo to explore two of the loveliest destinations in the Itria Valley. Here are your options for a combined day trip.

Morning: Alberobello’s Trulli

Feel like you’re in a gnome village with a visit to the Rione Monti on the western hill of Alberobello, covered with an estimated 1,000 trulli. Join a guided walking tour through the pedestrianized old town in the morning, before the crowds arrive. You’ll explore the winding narrow lanes lined with the area’s traditional whitewashed stone dwellings, many of which have been joined together from the inside over the centuries to form larger homes, shops, and restaurants. Most walking tours also take in the trullo-style Sant’Antonio Church and the Trullo Sovrano, the quarter’s only trullo structure built on two stories, which now houses the local museum.

Afternoon: Locorotondo

Alberobello’s trulli are one of the most popular attractions in Puglia, and by the time midday rolls around, its narrow lanes can be clogged with tourists. Escape the crowds and head to the historic center of Locorotondo, a sleepy cluster of whitewashed palazzi and churches overlooking the Itria Valley. Learn about the history and architecture of this delightful hill town with a walking tour that takes in the neighborhoods and Madre San Giorgio and San Nicola churches. Locorotondo sits over the Murgia Plateau, known for its wine and olive oil production, and foodies can opt for a driving or bike tour that combines a visit to the town with a winery or olive oil farm visit and tasting.

Night: Beyond the Itria Valley

There are a number of interesting sights just outside the Itria Valley that make for an easy jaunt to end the day. Take a guided tour of the towering Castel del Monte fortress, so iconic that it is depicted on Italy’s one-cent coin. Excursions to tiny coastal Polignano a Mare or inland Conversano are ideal if you want to poke around more of Puglia’s pretty villages. Archaeology enthusiasts, on the other hand, can choose to tour the ruins of the ancient city at Gnatia, and foodies can head to Martina Franca to see how the area’s excellent capocollo salami is made.