One of the things we always encourage all our guests to do when they book a holiday to Italy with us is to organise a tour or experience during their trip. Bookings For You specialise in providing superb quality villa rentals in Italy. We’re passionate about ensuring that our accommodation exceeds expectations time and time again. But ever since we launched, we’ve also been absolutely passionate about the impact that a tour or experience can add. An experience such as a guided tour, excursion or cookery class, can help to give you a whole new perspective on your trip. Often they can give you access to hidden gems you’d never have discovered on your own. At other times, they enable you to much better get a feel for the culture, traditions and people of the area. Whatever you get out of it, we can assure you that the experience will always be a positive one. It will always be loads of fun and hugely informative. And, in fact, it can often be the highlight of your trip.
We’re keen to be able to offer our clients more tours and experiences than ever before. So today we’re very proud to be sharing with you details of our collaboration with Ad Pugliam. Ad Pugliam is a company specialising in Puglia tours and experiences. They also offer excursions further afield in Southern Italy. It’s a small company but this is, in part, what we love about it. It means our clients are assured of receiving an extremely personal and attentive level of service. The feedback Ad Pugliam receives from their clients is second to none. Hence, we have complete confidence in being able to recommend their Puglia tours and experiences to our clients.
They have such a wealth of experiences that it would be impossible to list them all here. But we thought we’d offer a flavour of some of the Puglia tours and experiences that our clients have enjoyed with them in the past.
Discover the trulli in Puglia
You can’t come to Puglia without discovering the charming trulli houses. One of the best places to do so is in Alberobello. Here you will find over 1000 of them in very close proximity. Your Ad Pugliam guide will take you on foot through the narrow streets of the Monti and Aia Piccola districts in Alberobello. They’ll take you inside one of the trulli and will bring to life the history of these fascinating structures and how people would live in them. A central part of any Italian’s life is the food and so, what better way to bring to life the lifestyle of those living in a trullo than to also combine this tour with time on a farm. You could choose to meet local cheese artisan Giorgio. He will demonstrate the art of making fresh burrata, mozzarella and scamorza. Or you could opt instead to head to a local farm for a cookery lesson, using the fruit and vegetables grown on the land. Or perhaps you fancy a simpler trip which just involves a delicious authentic lunch in Alberobello after your tour!
Visit a Puglia masseria
Trulli aren’t the only traditional buildings of Puglia. Also well worth a visit during any Puglia holiday is a masseria. These are best described as fortified farmhouses on estates that can date as far back as the 16th century. If you like your food, then a masseria is a great place to visit. Ad Pugliam have established wonderful relationships with a number of masseria owners and families. Enjoy a tour with them to learn about the olive oil production in the area or to enjoy an authentic Italian meal created using the produce grown within the estate.
Enjoy a guided tour of Ostuni
Whilst Puglia’s rural landscape is incredibly beautiful, Ostuni also boasts a number of fascinating towns and villages that must be visited during your Puglia holiday. Whilst, of course, you can visit these without a guide, choosing to visit at least one of Puglia’s towns with a guide is highly recommended. Ostuni is one such town. A guide can reveal so much within its maze of streets that you would never otherwise discover.
Enjoy a romantic picnic
If love is in the air when you’re visiting Puglia, then Ad Pugliam you help bring the romance to your trip! Why not enjoy a romantic picnic in Puglia’s olive groves. It’s estimated that there are over 60 million olive trees in Puglia, some as much as 2000 years old. Why not enjoy an olive oil tasting in one of the ancient olive oil estates followed by a picnic under the shade of the trees. Or, if you prefer something a little more energetic, you could enjoy a guided hike before relaxing with a picnic lunch.
Get on your bike
If you’re feeling energetic, then as well as guided walking tours and hikes, Ad Pugliam can also organise cycle tours for you to enjoy during your Puglia holiday too. With a choice of road bike or e-bike, the team will meet you mid way to bring you lunch so that you have the energy for the second half of your ride.
Discover the street food of Bari
Bari is the prosperous seaside capital of Puglia. It is home to a lively market, beautiful piazzas and, of course, the San Nicola Basilica. The latter is the home of Saint Nicholas, the world’s most popular saint! It’s also where you will discover a wonderful seafront promenade and fish market. Ad Pugliam will introduce you to some of Bari’s most popular fishermen. The braver ones amongst you will be offered the opportunity to enjoy a taste of some delicious raw seafood. After that, you’ll head into Bari’s narrow streets to see the old ladies making pasta on their doorsteps. And sample some of the incredible local street food.
Enjoy a hot air balloon ride
For an extra special experience, why not take to the skies above Puglia. Float across the idyllic rural landscape in a hot air balloon. As the sun rises, you’ll see the stunning coned trulli, dry stone walls and idyllic countryside at its most beautiful.
Discover the sassi of Matera
Neighbouring Basilicata is home to Matera, one of the most incredible landscapes anywhere in Italy. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, your guide will take you on a tour of the sassi here. These are ancient cave dwellings restored and now used as homes, shops, hotels and restaurants. En route, you’ll be taken to Altamura where you will head to a local baker to discover the techniques and secrets for making their special bread. We can pretty much guarantee that you’ll enjoy the most incredible bread and focaccia you have ever tasted!
Tour Puglia in a vintage car
A hot air balloon isn’t the only way to see Puglia in style. The other option is to take to Puglia’s country roads in a beautiful vintage car. The Ad Pugliam team can organise stops for you to head to en route, or you can opt to enjoy a more flexible itinerary.
Head underground
There is plenty to see below ground in Puglia as much as above ground. Why not get Ad Pugliam to take you on a tour of the fascinating caves – Castellana Grotte. Set sixty metres below the surface, it’s one of the largest cave structures in Europe.
Take to the water
And, of course, with the extensive coastline that Puglia boasts, there are plenty of Puglia tours and experiences that allow you to enjoy the wonderful seas surrounding it. Opt for a snorkelling tour over hidden Roman ruins, or a sailing trip aboard a yacht or tall ship. Or why not discover the caves of Puglia’s coastline from the water or head out on a kayak tour.
Visit artisan workers
Puglia is not only known for its food. It’s also famous for its artisan workshops. We particularly love the incredible ceramics that the region is famous for but there are also glass makers and weavers too. Ad Pugliam can organise for you to visit one of these workshops to see the craftsmen and women in action. And you can even enjoy the opportunity to have a go at making your very own piece of art to take home with you.
Put your dancing shoes on!
Another Puglia tradition is its dancing. The pizzica is a traditional dance of the Salento region and it’s rather unique. Dramatic and exciting to watch, visitors can enjoy a dance show with dinner or even enjoy a lesson to try the dance for yourself.
Of course, these are just a few ideas. It gives you a flavour of some of the Puglia tours and experiences you may want to enjoy during your holiday. But, think of it as some initial inspiration. There are a wealth of other suggestions that Ad Pugliam will be able to share with you.
Whichever experience you do decide to book, what Ad Pugliam can guarantee is that it will be bespoke and tailored to you to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment from it.
Get in touch with Ad Pugliam today. If you’re just looking for some ideas and inspiration about what’s on offer, or if you’re at the stage when you would like a quote for an activity, quote ‘Bookings For You‘ when enquiring to enjoy exclusive rates with them.