The 12-Day Rome, Campania, Puglia tour is a relaxed paced tour of southern Italy’s sightseeing highlights beginning in Rome and ending in Puglia’s Lecce.
This southern Italy escorted tour from Rome day-by-day itinerary explores the mixture of cultures that colonized the Italic peninsula over the centuries. You’ll enjoy rich architecture, music, food, culinary traditions, and culture. Families, friends, groups, and singles will all enjoy history’s great civilizations coming to life on this 12-Day Southern Italy tour.
The tour and includes 4-star and 5-star accommodations with 3 nights in both Rome and Lecce and 2 nights in Sorrento and Bari.
Submit the form or call 800.227.1577 for the price of the all-inclusive southern Italy tour with airfare from your preferred departure city and for more tour information.
Highlights
12-Day Rome, Campania, Puglia Tour Highlights
Rome, Campania, Puglia Tour Highlights:
- Rome: Vatican Museum and Sistien Chapel Tour
- Rome: St Peter’s Basilica
- Rome: Colosseum Tour
- Pompeii guided walking tour
- Sorrento: Enjoy relaxing in the seaside resort town Sorrento, with views of Capri, Naples and Mt Vesuvius.
- Isle of Capri: Cruise aound the Island (weather permitting), before free time on the island.
- Matera: With your Local Expert, visit the famous Sassi or cave dwellings, which were home to approximately 20,000 people until 1950 and are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Bari: Visit Cathedral of St. Nicholas
- Alberobello: Explore the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of small whitewashed stone houses called Trulli.
- Otranto: Visit the Cathedral and time to enjoy the center.
To review the daily itinerary click here.
Rome, Campania, Puglia Tour Highlights Includes:
- Expert and professional English-speaking travel director who travels with group from beginning to end
- 8 nights First Class accommodations
- 3 nights Rome
- 2 nights Sorrento
- 2 nights Bari
- 3 nights Lecce
- Italian city hotel taxes
- Hotel portage – We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- Airport transfers included on first and last day of tour if flights are arranged to fall within transfer times.
- Meals: Daily breakfasts and 7 dinners with wine
- Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach
- Services of local guides in all major cities
- Entrance fees per itinerary
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included – you’ll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- WiFi included on coach and hotels
- Comfortable wireless earphones for enhanced touring -Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert’s fascinating commentary.
Accommodations
Rome, Campania, Puglia Tour Accommodations:
Hotel NH Vittorio Veneto ★ ★ ★ ★ – 3 Nights
The NH Collection Roma Vittorio Veneto hotel is located in the heart of Rome. Near the city’s most popular street, Via Veneto, stylish street edged with high-end boutiques, elegant restaurants and pavement cafés, it is within walking distance of Rome’s most famous sights, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Villa Borghese Park and Piazza del Popolo. The building was once a Vatican-owned convent, but a 2009 refurbishment has given it plenty of contemporary style.
Hotel Hilton Sorrento Palace ★ ★ ★ ★ – 2 Nights
Overlooking the coastline, Hilton Sorrento Palace is home to magical views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius. Relaxation, excitement, beauty – experience it all at our idyllic Sorrento hotel.
Breathe in the scent of glorious citrus groves while you lie next to six outdoor pools. Savor a cocktail or light bites at the poolside bar, or gaze out over the Bay of Naples from your room’s private balcony.
Grande Albergo Delle Nazioni ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 2 Nights
Located on the central waterfront Nazario Sauro. First and only 5 star hotel in town. Situated in one of the most chic and lively areas of the Apulian capital, not far from the Basilica of San Nicola,
Grand Hotel di Lecce – 3 Nights
Grand Hotel Lecce is a 4 star hotel located only ten minutes from the city center.
Video
Southern Italy Tour Video
Rome, Campania, Puglia Tour Daily Itinerary
You’ll be escorted around southern Italy visiting Rome, Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento, Alberobello, Matera, Lecce, and Otranto. In addition to the Campania and Puglia regions, this slow paced tour includes visiting the Basilicata region.
Travel through Mediterranean history meeting the ancient Greeks, ancient Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Carthaginians, crusaders, Bourbons, and Ottomans on this comprehensive all-inclusive tour of southern Italy. The daily itinerary provides time for your expert Italy tour guide to bring you through the area’s rich history and culture.
Day 1: Overnight Flight from United States to Rome
You will board your overnight flight to Rome, off to Italy on the adventure of a lifetime!
Day 2: Arrive Rome
Benvenuti a Roma, the Eternal City! We are pleased to offer complimentary transfers from the Rome airport to your hotel at scheduled times. Meet transfer at airport to transfer to the Rome hotel.
There will be time to relax in the afternoon before dinner with fine local wines at your hotel.
Day 3: Ancient Rome and Colosseum Tour
In the morning, you’ll get to experience a delicious Italian breakfast, complete with cappuccinos, fresh juices, croissants, fresh breads along with salami, cheeses and of course bacon and eggs!
Next, you will board a bus for a panoramic tour of Imperial Rome, including the Roman Forum, the Circus Maximus, and the Great Synagogue built in the heart of the Jewish quarter.
After your tour, you will experience the Colosseum, reliving the brutal entertainment of the gladiators and the lions, judged by the Emperor himself.
The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy as you please.
In the evening you may enjoy a dinner on your own. Ask your tour leader for a recommendation or venture out and explore the local restaurants in Rome! Be sure to try a “Suppli’”, a Roman delicacy, which is a fried ball of rice filled with tomato sauce, meat, and melted mozzarella.
Day 4: Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica
In the morning, you will take a short drive to the smallest country in the world—Vatican City! With our expert local guide you’ll tour the Vatican Museums, a massive collection of ancient Greek sculptures, medieval tapestries, and Renaissance paintings.
Your visit starts in the Sistine Chapel, renowned for its Renaissance art, especially the ceiling, which was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. This room, which attracts more than five million visitors each year, is also where the Pope is elected.
Next, you will visit St. Peter’s Basilica, by far the largest church in Christendom. You will see Michelangelo’s Pieta’, sculpted when he was just 24 years old, as well as Bernini’s seven story bronze canopy located above the main altar. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy! Take a stroll along the ancient streets of Rome, enjoy a gelato, or go shopping!
In the evening, you’ll get a taste of real Italian cuisine at a family-style restaurant in the characteristic district of Trastevere. This lively area is just what one imagines Italy to be like, with tiny cobblestone streets and music-filled trattorias at every corner.
Day 5: Rome to Pompeii and Sorrento
In the morning, you are off to Sorrento. You’ll stop along the way for a tour of Pompeii.
Imagine…a city perfectly preserved as it was on that fateful day 2,000 years ago, when ash and lava literally stopped it in its tracks. You’ll see the tragic fossils of people attempting to escape along with children and dogs.
After visiting Pompeii, you’ll continue to Sorrento and you’ll have some free time to enjoy before dinner in your hotel tonight.
Day 6: Capri
In the morning, you will take a ferry to the world’s most enchanting island, Capri. You will enjoy a private boat tour around the island (weather permitting). We’ll cruise by the magnificent Faraglioni, Capri’s iconic rock formations which tower above the Mediterranean Sea.
Later, you will visit one of the lesser known but equally beautiful sea caves, the Grotta Bianca. Following this visit, you’ll have free time to explore the island on your own or take advantage of a special optional excursion with your tour leader.
In the afternoon you return to Sorrento where you can relax before heading out for dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 7: Sorrento to Matera and Bari
In the morning, you will leave Sorrento by bus and head over to Bari, the capital of the beautiful region of Puglia and the heel of the “Italian boot”. First, you will stop in Matera, a city like no other and one of the oldest in the world. Discovering Matera is like living in the past – you’ll feel like you’re stepping into a nativity scene; for this reason, it is also known as “the second Bethlehem” and was the setting for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. Known for its unique architecture, which is characterized by cave dwellings carved into the sides of a ravine, Matera was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and it is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. You’ll have some free time on your own to explore and have lunch.
In the afternoon, you will continue your journey to Bari and check into your hotel and this evening, you will enjoy dinner out in a local restaurant with fine wines.
Please be sure to wear comfortable sneakers today as there will be uneven surfaces and many steps
Day 8: Bari
In the morning, you will explore the city of Bari. Your tour starts from the Swabian Castle (outside visit), and continues towards the famous “Orecchiette Street”, where guests will be able to enjoy watching ladies making homemade pasta.
Next, you will have a quick visit to the Cathedral and then the Basilica of St Nicholas, built over the tomb of Saint Nicholas.
In the afternoon, you will have a little taste of a specialty of Bari – focaccia: a specialty bread with ancient origins. After your tour, you’ll have some free time to enjoy a drink or coffee on your own.
In the evening, you’ll be able to enjoy a dinner on your own – be sure to try the orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe, a specialty in the Puglia Region.
Day 9: Bari to Alberobello and Lecce
This morning, you’ll say goodbye to Bari and travel to Lecce but first you’ll stop in one of the most unique cities in Italy: Alberobello. This town is known for its distinctive small conical houses made from dry stone, called “Trulli” and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique architecture and cultural significance.
Alberobello is divided into two districts: Aia Piccola, where every Trullo is still a home, and Rione Monti, where every Trullo is a souvenir shop. Your guided tour will take place in Aia Piccola, where guests will be able to explore the inhabited district, and to visit one of the biggest Trulli (today a museum) called Trullo Sovrano.
Next, you’ll climb the hill in Rione Monti, to visit the Trullo-shaped church dedicated to St. Antonio, and from there you’ll have some time to shop.
Next stop will be Lecce, also known as the “Florence of the South.” This charming town in Puglia is known for its baroque buildings, churches, palaces, and museums.
Tonight, you’ll enjoy a dinner out at a local restaurant.
Day 10: Lecce City Tour
Today you’ll enjoy a tour of this charming city. The tour will begin in front of one of the gates of the city, “Porta Napoli”. Then you’ll visit the Duomo Square, the most beautiful square in the city. Acting as the religious center of town, Piazza Duomo is home to some of the most ornately decorated Baroque buildings in Lecce.
You’ll continue to the Basilica of Santa Croce, the most important symbol of the Baroque city, and end in the main square where the Roman Age Amphitheater is located (Piazza Sant’Oronzo).
You’ll have some free time to explore – be sure to try the local pastry called “Pasticciotto” (a shortcrust pastry from Puglia filled with a silky, lemon-scented custard) or the renowned “Caffè Leccese” (iced coffee with almond liqueur).
This afternoon and evening will be free for you to enjoy as you please. This amazing city has many options – be sure to ask your tour leader for some restaurant recommendations.
Day 11: Otranto
In the morning, you will venture to another charming town in Puglia – Otranto. This town is situated on the Adriatic coast and offers stunning views of the sea and the surrounding countryside. Otranto is famous for its beautiful beaches, historic architecture, and amazing cuisine.
You will walk around the Otranto Ancient Walls, which were built in the 13th century and are a popular tourist destination and offer stunning views of the city and the Adriatic Sea.
In the afternoon, you will visit the Cathedral, dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, with a stunning mosaic floor dating back to the 12th century. You’ll have some free time to explore and enjoy a gelato.
On your way back to Lecce, you will stop at a farm for an olive oil tasting, and the region of Puglia is widely known for its high-quality olive oil. You will have a brief introduction to the different types of olive oil and then you will learn how to properly taste the olive oil.
This evening is yours to enjoy dinner on your own.
Day 12: Depart from Brindisi Airport
In the morning, you will head to Brindisi airport for your flight home.
While you say “arrivederci” to Italy, you will surely be taking home a piece of it with you….and maybe some wine too! Arrivederci Italia!
Click here to review the southern Italy tour accommodations.
For more southern Italy vacation options click southern Italy tours packages.
