Puglia & Basilicata Vespa Tour

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DETAILS

Puglia & Basilicata Vespa Tour:

Hit the open road on this guided tour of Puglia (“Apulia” for the Brits), southern Italy’s hottest tourist destination. Your guide will lead you along quiet backroads amongst olive groves and vineyards to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Alberobello, where we spend two nights. Alberobello is famous for its conically shaped “trullo” houses, which are unique to the region and impart a fairytale feeling to the landscape. Our last two days are in the fantastic city of Matera, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Matera is cut in two by a spectacular ravine, creating cliffs that have been inhabited since prehistoric times. During the last thousand years, the locals excavated their houses, chapels, and shops from the soft tufa rock. The result is a fascinating and spectacular honeycomb of cave-hewn buildings.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Italy without great food and wine. Puglia is home to some of Italy’s most wonderful cuisine. Fresh seafood abounds as well as opulent arrays of antipasti offer roasted artichokes, delicious ricotta, savory vegetable pies, and the deliciously creamy burrata cheese. What’s more, indigenous grapes such as Primitivo, Negroamarro, and Aglianico are being transformed by state-of-the-art wine-making techniques into elegant yet powerful wines that many now consider to be among the best in Italy.

General Details

Location:
Italy

Duration:
6 Days/5 Nights

Departing from:
Bari at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, Day 2

Tour finishes:
Bari train station or airport on Day 6

Departures and Price

Apr 6

May 10

May 25

Jun 8

Jun 22

Aug 24

Sep 28

Oct 12

Book this tour from €3,500.00* pp.

Book now

€3,500 per person based on double occupancy and a minimum of 6 pax. €3,750 for 4–5 pax. €4,100 for 2 - 3 pax. Single supplement: €350. Pillion passengers receive €100 discount.

*Private departures are also available. Pick any date that suits you!

Included

Accommodation: 5 nights in luxury 4 star hotels. (1 night Bari, 2 nights each Locorotondo and Matera);

Meals: 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 4 dinners

Luggage: Bags are transferred from hotel to hotel and to the final drop off at Bari airport.

Special events: Wine tasting in Matera, guided visit of Alberobello and Matera with licensed city guide.

Transport: Private van transfers as noted in the itinerary.

Scooters: 125cc Piaggio *Vespa™ LX scooter. Automatic gears and electronic start. Helmet and fuel Included.

Insurance: Third party liability insurance and third party property damage

Active days: 5 days of riding

Guides: One bilingual Scooterbella guide for groups up to 5 scooters, and two guides for more than 5 scooters.

Max group size: Tours are capped at 14 people.

Getting to and from the tour:

Arrival: the trip starts in Bari on Day 1 at our pre-booked hotel. You can arrive by train or plane.

Air: Bari Airport (see link at the bottom of this page) is well connected with other Italian cities and there are some flights from European hubs such as London. It is a 25-minute taxi ride from the airport to our hotel in Bari (about € 25). London, Milan, and Rome have multiple airports (one serving more international flights and the other domestic), so be careful when purchasing transfer flights on different companies!
Rail: There are several trains a day to Bari from the major Italian cities (for timetables please see the link below to the Italian railway website). Travel time from Rome and Milan by Eurostar train is about 5 hours and 8 hours respectively. The hotel is a 5-minute cab ride from the train station (a taxi is advised), and should cost no more than €15. See our section on Italian trains below for more information.

Departure: the trip ends in Bari for afternoon trains to Rome (either at 13:14 or 18:17). If you choose to leave earlier from Matera for the Bari airport or train station, we can arrange transport for you (at your expense, about €120).

If you sign up for this tour, you’ll receive detailed information about travel logistics, including a "Final Bulletin" with clear instructions on how to reach the first hotel. The bulletin will also include your guide’s cell phone number for any assistance you may need.

ITINERARY

Day by Day

Day 1: Arrival and Exploration of Old Bari

Independent arrival in Bari and check into a four-star boutique hotel which is centrally located and less than a ten-minute walk from the colorful and atmospheric old Bari where cafés, wine bars, and trattorias line the labyrinthine medieval streets. Not to be missed is the remarkable Romanesque architecture of the 12th-century Basilica di San Nicola. Dine independently tonight in one of the many local restaurants. Overnight Bari. Hotel included. Dinner not included. Overnight Bari. Hotel included. Dinner not included.

Day 2: Vespa Adventure to Polignano and Alberobello

Meet your guide this morning at 9:00 in the hotel lobby and transfer by van to Polignano Mare, where our Vespa will be waiting. Perched atop a 20 metre-high limestone cliff above the shimmering waters of the Adriatic, Polignano a Mare is a stunningly beautiful starting point for our Vespa tour. We'll do a practice ride in a parking lot to make sure everyone is comfortable before heading out to explore the countryside. We gradually climb up to a vantage point for a view over a sea of olive trees that seem to wash up against the Adriatic. We take a side road to avoid traffic and ride to Monopoli’s imposing 16th century fortifications. Explore Monopoli by foot and then enjoy a lovely lunch at a local trattoria. Then hop back on your scooter and follow the coast road before climbing up to the hills. On the way you'll pass whitewashed masserie, the imposing fortified manor houses that are the legacy of centuries of danger when corsair pirates raided the coast. We stop in Alberobello for a guided visit of the famous Trulli Zone with a local guide then escape the crowds and ride to the lovely small town of Locorotondo. Your accommodation for the next two nights is the lovely Masseria Grofoleo, a lovingly restored 18th Century “Manor House” that is an oasis of calm located in the countryside on the immediate outskirts of Locorotondo. We take over the whole complex and have a special dinner catered for us at the masseria. Your bags are delivered by van. Overnight Locorotondo. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

Day 3: Olive Groves, Ostuni, and Wine Tasting

Today begins with an hour's ride past a vast sea of olive groves to the Masseria Brancati, one of the oldest olive oil farms in Puglia. Tour the historic masseria, which dates back to the Middle Ages, and then learn all about how this precious oil is produced. From there we have a short ride to another spectacular hilltop town, Ostuni, where you have time to explore on foot and stop for lunch. This afternoon we ride to the Baroque gem of Martina Franca to have a look at its stunning architecture before heading on to a short wine tasting just a few minutes from our home back in Locorotondo. Meet up again this evening for yet another delicious meal of local specialties. Overnight Locorotondo. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

Day 4: Discovering Matera's Ancient Sassi

Head southwest this morning through vineyards and orchards to the village of Gioia del Colle, where we stop for a coffee break and a visit to the imposing Swabian (yes, Swabian!) medieval castle. Then we have another hour’s ride to lunch at the edge of Matera in an ancient sheep corral. After lunch, it's a short ride from there to amazing Matera, where we have a visit with a local guide who will tell us all about the region’s Christian and pagan past. Visit centuries’- old frescoed rock chapels and monasteries, as well as some of the previously inhabited cave-houses. Matera is another UNESCO World Heritage site and is truly an unforgettable place. Up until the late 1950’s, many of Matera’s inhabitants lived in stone dwellings partially excavated from the rockface of the two steep ravines that slice through the city. The “Sassi” fell into ruin in the 1960s when the city moved these “cave dwellers” into new government housing. Fortunately for us, however, the people from Matera began restoring the ancient village a decade ago and it is now a truly unique place. Our hotel for the next two nights, the four-star Corte San Pietro (or similar), is a chic and modern reinterpretation on Matera’s traditional “Sassi” houses. Enjoy an aperitivo on the hotel terrace and watch the last rays of the sun play on the opposite wall of the gorge before walking to dinner. Overnight Matera. Hotel, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 5: Basilicata's Hidden Gems and Montescaglioso

Today's ride takes us deep into the heart of Basilicata, one of Italy's most stunning and secluded regions. We'll begin our journey at the Belvedere Murgia Timone, where you'll be treated to breathtaking panoramic views. From there, we'll ride across expansive plains and discover charming hilltop villages along the way. Our route includes a visit to the rustic village of Montescaglioso, offering an authentic taste of Italian life. We'll pause at Gran Caffè Roma for a leisurely break, where you can savor delicious coffee, brioche, refreshing lemonades, and exquisite gelato in a classic Italian café setting, before heading back to Matera for a delightful lunch at Grotta del Gusto, where local specialties await. In the afternoon, enjoy free time to explore the fascinating city of Matera at your own pace before gathering for dinner this evening. Overnight in Matera. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

Day 6: Departure from Bari

After breakfast we have a 09:00 transfer to the Bari train station (travel time approximately 1 hour) to connect with trains for Florence and Rome departing after 10:29 and afternoon flights from Bari airport. Earlier departures are possible but at your own expense. Breakfast and one group transfer to the train station are included.

Please note: According to the departure date of your tour some details of the itinerary may change. This is because we make discoveries whenever we run a tour. Sometimes they are good, like a wonderful new wine bar that we want to take you to, and sometimes bad, like a road has been washed away. We, therefore, sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding something new or substituting something that is no longer up to our standards. We always aim to provide you with the best possible experience because we want you to come back for another tour! We will let you know before departure of any changes to the original itinerary.

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ACTIVITY LEVEL

Are you ready?

ACTIVITY RATING: 1 = Super Easy

Our tours have been featured in the travel section of The Guardian (UK), Jan 20th, 2007. Another article was published by The Observer on April 23rd, 2006. Our Tuscany trip was also featured in a 3-page full-color article in the London Telegraph, and in London’s The Times.

Traveling by scooter is fun and easy. We have a local scooter provider who supplies us with modern 125cc Piaggio Vespa™ LX scooters which feature electric start and automatic transmission. The brakes are on the handlebars, like a bicycle. We provide you with helmets. The 125cc scooter is also powerful enough for two people to happily cruise through the countryside. It’s the best way to get off the beaten track without working up a sweat! Of course, couples can ride together on one scooter (and save €100 for one person).

NOTE: A motorcycle license is NOT required to drive a scooter a 125cc scooter in Italy. A valid car license is required.

We will be riding about 100 kms a day, at least, therefore you need to be a good rider. We aim to break up the rides so that we do not ride more than 45 minutes in one stretch.

Previous experience driving a scooter or motorbike is essential. You must arrive at the start of the trip already a competent rider, otherwise the risk of injury and hospitalization is too great. If you have not ridden a scooter before then you should take lessons or rent a scooter locally and learn how to ride it before coming on the trip.

Physical activity is limited to walking in the towns and villages.

To drive a scooter, you must be over 18 years of age & have a valid driver’s license. Previous experience driving a scooter or motorbike is essential. You must arrive at the start of the trip already a competent rider, otherwise the risk of injury and hospitalization is too great. If you have not ridden a scooter before then you should take lessons or rent a scooter locally and learn how to ride it before coming on the trip.

Please note: We will not teach you how to drive a scooter. You must arrive at the start of the trip already a competent rider.

You will be driving a motor vehicle on public roads. You are responsible for your safety but also for the safety of other motorists, bikers and pedestrians. You must be able to control the scooter and drive it competently. If we feel your driving skills put you and others at risk, we reserve the right to take the scooter away from you. In the event that you cannot ride as a passenger on the back of someone else’s scooter then we will help to arrange an alternative mode of transport such as a taxi or a rental car, but at your expense.

By making a booking, you declare to have a driving licence valid for the duration of the journey and for the vehicle used on this tour.

We highly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance. We recommend “Travel Guard” to our North American clients, just click on the logo below. Australian, New Zealander, and British travelers, please consult your insurance brokers.