One week in Puglia: itinerary for families you’ll love
One week in Puglia with kids: Puglia itinerary for families with the best things to see, kids’ attractions, family beaches, accommodation and travel tips.
Puglia is one of the most beautiful and family-friendly parts of Italy and a delight to visit with children of any age.
I have written before about visiting Puglia with kids and, if you follow my Instagram page, you may already have heard me wax lyrical about how wonderful this fabulous Italian region is for families.
I have, however, realized that while I have shared many Puglia highlights, I haven’t so far shared a recommended Puglia itinerary for families.
So, I do it today!
On this page, I share a recommended itinerary for Puglia over one week, based on our travels.
Of course, you can stay much longer in Puglia and never run out of things to see.
However, I noticed 7 days is a popular length of time for families, so I hope it can be a good start, an itinerary you can then, if needed, tweak and make your own.
This itinerary foresees the use of the car. The first part of it, however, around the Bari regions, may be negotiated by train and local taxis. The area of Lecce cannot.
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One week Puglia itinerary for families: day-by-day overview
| Day | Places you’ll see | Night in |
| Day 1 | Arrival in Bari, then local transport to Alberobello | Alberobello |
| Day 2 | Locorotondo and Monopoli | Monopoli |
| Day 3 | Grotte di Castellana, Polignano al Mare | Monopoli |
| Day 4 | Fasano Zoo, Gallipoli | Gallipoli |
| Day 5 | Galatina and Torre Lapillo | Gallipoli |
| Day 6 | Lecce | Lecce |
| Day 7 | Return to Bari | Bari |
Day 1 – Arrival and Alberobello
Driving time Bari -Alberobello about 1 hour
My favorite part of Puglia is the area around Bari and since Bari is easy to reach by plane, car and train, I love to start my itinerary from here.
Bari is a big city and while it is lovely in many ways, for this one week in Puglia, we decided to skip and head to smaller towns instead.
The first one we picked was Alberobello!
Alberobello is the most famous town in Puglia and, for a long time, the only one that attracted international tourism to this area.
Famous for its charming trulli, unique-looking dwellings with whitewashed walls and pointy roofs that give them a distinctive hobbit-like appearance!
Alberovello is fabulous and a Puglia must-see.
However, like all must-sees, it tends to suffer from over-tourism, which is why I recommend spending a night here, rather than just passing by.
In the evening, Alberobello loses the day trippers and settles back in a wonderful local quiet pace.
Also, staying here the night means you can have the thrill of sleeping in a trullo which is wonderful for adults and very exciting for kids too!
In Alberobello:
- Eat at: Ristorante Evo; La Lira Focacceria; Trulli e Puglia wine bar
- Stay in Family-friendly Trullo: Trulli Anti Charme & Relax (they have several, with slightly different characteristics, all wonderful)
- Do: walk around the town, explore Trullo Sovrano, and let the kids loose in Alberobello’s car-free streets.
Find here >>> my travel guide to Alberobello
Day 2: Locorotondo and Monopoli
Driving time: Alberobello-Locorotondo: 10 minutes. Locorotondo-Monopoli: 30 minutes
The area of Bari is famous for its ‘white towns’, whitewashed villages that seem out of a picture of Mediterranean splendor.
Out of the several, I Iove Locorotondo the most.
Locorotondo is a small, often overlooked village with a delightful, quiet atmosphere, fabulous white alleys and flowery balconies.
It is a small place, with little to do as such, and a great place to escape the crowds of Alberobello and immerse yourself in Puglia’s heart.
We love to come here for lunch and spend the time letting the kids’ free to wander ahead of us, peek into small yards and pet the local street cats.
For lunch, we enjoy La Braceria, which is a family-friendly, relaxed restaurant with local specialties and where you can taste the local white Locorotondo wine.
After lunch in Locorotondo, I love to regain the coast and head to Monopoli.
Monopoli is my favorite place in Puglia, a small place that I can easily go back to over and over again just because it is so pretty and relaxed and a place I love to recommend as it truly deserves it!
Monopoli is a small town, with a historical center that hugs a small port and a mighty old castle now turned exhibition space.
The town center is car-free and the perfect resort town: here, you have accommodation, restaurants, cafes, pretty shops, a large piazza with performers at night and a useful tourism info point that can help with excursions and activities.
As well as infrastructure for tourists, Monopoli also sees a lot of local life.
Along the town seafront for instance, there are sport pitches full of local kids! A fantastic place for children to meet local people and bond over a play of soccer or basketball!
Monopoli also has a small beach and larger ones just to the south of the center.
- In Monopoli, eat at: La Locanda dei Mercanti; Il Guazzetto; Mamemi (gastropub);
- Stay in:
Masseria Torre Coccaro – high-end resort with beach club, kids’ activities, mini club, play areas and more
Holiday Monopoli apartments in the old town, cute local homes well equipped for a short stay (careful as some require going up a flight of stairs; if traveling with little kids, ask about what apartment you are getting);
Torre Cintola resort – beautiful holiday village, great for families especially at quiet times like the end of May or early June (in summer, it can get very busy with activities, music etc)
Day 3 – Grotte di Castellana and Polignano a Mare
Grotte di Castellana (Castellana Caves) are one of the most fascinating natural attractions in Puglia for kids and adults.
Located inland, only a short drive from Monopoli, the Castellana Caves are large natural caves now accessible by guided tour.
The experience is well-organized and suitable for kids: families can choose a short or a longer path, and the tours are offered in Italian and English.
No photos are allowed in most of the cave so I am not able to show them to you. However, you can get a clear idea from their website, which is also where you can purchase tickets!
The caves are wonderful and good also in case of light rain.
Alternative idea! In Castellana, the same localities as the caves, there is Indiana Park Castellana Grotte. This is a cool adventure park for kids with treetop trails and zip lines for different ages, including small kids.
- Eat at: Masseria del Crocifisso
Polignano al Mare is one of the most photographed places in Puglia because of its unique position: Polignano is a white town perched on a rocky promontory lunging into the sea!
Polignano used to be a hidden gem, a place known to Italians are the birthplace of famous singer Modugno (of the famous song ‘Volare’ – click here to hear it on youtube) and its incredible rock.
Nowadays, Polignano is very much an ‘Instagram’ place; however, there is still great charm in it and it is a lovely place for a stroll in the afternoon!
The best things to see here are the Belvedere and the pretty city center streets, great for a leisurely walk and a snack (there are a million restaurants here!).
While we didn’t stay for lunch, we stumbled upon two random and delicious finds: Le Focacce Ignoranti (take out, street food and focaccia) and a cafe called Bar Clipper that had a delicious and cheap pastry and lovely coffee (and a restroom!)
- Evening: return to Monopoli.
- Eat at: La Locanda dei Mercanti; Il Guazzetto; Mamemi (gastropub);
Day 4: Fasano Zoo and Gallipoli
On day 4, you can mix kids’ fund with sightseeing with a combination of a morning in Fasano and afternoon in Gallipoli.
Fasano Zoo is one of the most famous attractions for kids in Puglia and a fabulous place to spend a morning or even a full day.
Fasano Zoo is organized into parts: a safari park, where kids can see the animals from the car (they give you carrots so you can feed the tamest of them, coming up to you in curiosity!) and a theme park with rides.
The park as a whole is super popular and in summer, you may find access tricky just due to the number of people flocking here. However, it is a fab place for kids so if you can organize it, it’s a great day!
The park has cafes and restaurants with take-out and sit-down options and, of course, kids’ favorites
Gallipoli is about 1.5 hours from Fasano, and it is the next place I recommend to make your base in Puglia.
The drive to Gallipoli is easy and the town a delight.
As you arrive, the first thing you see it the modern city, which has some pretty parts but also some non-descript ones.
However, as you keep driving towards the center, you’ll quickly see why I recommend Gallipoli; the ancient center is a peninsula stretching into the sea, surrounded by mighty bastions and entirely car-free!
To explore, you can leave the car at the harbor car park and venture in o foot. The town is small and you can quickly reach anywhere within the ancient center with a short walk.
- Stay in:
Palazzo Presta – a nice hotel with family rooms, close to Gallipoli Beach La Purita
Palazzo Zaca’ – offering nice rooms and breakfast in Gallipoli old town
Good to know: in the height of summer Gallipoli town can get very busy. Because of this, I also recommend you check some properties outside of it, such as Masseria Zanzara or La Collina di Montegrappa. Another alternative is to handle these last few days from a home base in Lecce. In that case, look at hotel in town such as ….
- Eat at: harbor fish market; La Navicula.
Day 5: Galatina and Torre Lapillo
On day five of your week in Piglia with kids, I recommend you seek out one of Puglia hidden gems: Galatina!
Galatina is a small and beautiful town, often included in organized day trips to the area but otherwise overlooked by tourism, probably because far from the sea, in an area famous for its beaches.
However, Galatina is one of the most fascinating places in Puglia and one I highly recommend. You’ll quickly see why!
First of all, Galatina is a small town with a strong local atmosphere.
Away from the sea and from the famous white towns of the Bari area, Galatina doesn’t get large numbers of tourists and retains that quiet charm that people usually refer to as ‘authentic’.
Also, Galatina is at the entrance of the unique tradition of the taranta, which is typical of this part of Puglia.
Local history tells us that in this area, women were often subject to being ‘bitten by a spider’ (not literally; take this as a metaphor).
The bite of this spider would cause the women to enter an altered state of mind that could only be ‘cured’ with communal dances to the beat of the tambourine and a visit to a local chapel.
This tradition is unique to this area and at the center of many sociological studies and dance performances.
As you explore the city, you can decide to ignore it entirely and just take in the beautiful town or chat with the man in the tourist office or the local Taranta museum to learn all about it!
You can also learn about it here
As you walk around Galatina, make sure you stop at Pasticceria Ascione for pasticciotto, a local sweet specialty filled with delicious custard, and do not miss the min church: the colorful interiors are stunning for adults and also awe-inspiring for kids!
- Have lunch in Corte del Fuoro or Tipo Zeo (pizza)
One of the best assets of Salento are its beaches.
Therefore, I couldn’t possibly have a family itinerary for one week in Puglia without adding a stop on Puglia’s most beautiful sandy beaches!
If you are based in Gallipoli area, like I suggest, you have a vast choice of beaches, but you are sure to love Torre Lapillo.
Located on the Ionian coast, Torre Lapillo is a flat, large, sandy beach with light-colored sand and crystal-clear waters idea for kids.
The beach is beautiful to see, safe and family-friendly; the only issue you have here is that it gets very busy in summer!
If you can, come here in June or September for a chance to get to experience it at a quiet time while still making the most of the beautiful swimming weather.
Good to know! Distances in Salento are not big. This means that from Lecce you can easily visit many more localities than those I highlight in this itinerary. Lovely places to consider are Torre dell’Orso, Santa Maria di Leuca, Pescoluse and Otranto, which we were able to quickly see during this very same trip. Find here >>> our guide to Salento with kids.
Day 6: Lecce
Lecce is one of the most beautiful cities in Puglia, often dubbed The Florence of the South, thanks to the wonderful art and and many churches that dot its beautiful center.
It is also a very child-friendly place!
Lecce old center is closed to cars, it is flat, has a park and it is perfect for children to explore while feeling safe.
You can visit the town on your own; you can join a walking tour or a bike tour, easy and fun on this flat area!
The tour will show you the incredible ancient theater of Piazza Sant’Oronzo, Lecce’s most important square and churches and tell you fun and fascinating stories about the city.
The tour we took was not for kids but it was child friendly and our primary school children followed it no problem.
The city is famous for the craft of paper mache so a very cool thing to do here is to get a workshop with one of the local artisans (the activity is child friendly).
If you don’t feel like fully organized activities, the paper mache shops allow you to walk in and see the masters at work.
In Lecce, is is also possible to have a nice cooking class making orecchiette, the typical pasta shape of the area.
Good to know: orecchiette are different from other types of pasta you may have made before! The class is worth doing even if you already know how to make tagliatelle or other types of pasta all’uovo. There is more than the shape that makes orecchiette unique.
Eat at: Boccon Divino; Vino al corso
Tour with: InfoTab Lecce Walking Tours; VeloService Lecce (bike tours)
Sleep in:
To eat, we enjoyed:
- Boccon Divino, 8, Via Giuseppe Libertini, 17, 73100 Lecce, Italy and
- La Bottega del Corso, Via Giuseppe Libertini, 52, 73100 Lecce LE, Italy
Day 7: return to Bari via Martina Franca
On the last day of your week in Puglia you will probably have to regain Bari.
However, if you have the time, you can still make a stop in lovely Martina Franca, two of the most famous white towns in the area!
Martina Franca is unique as it mixes the typical whitewashed exteriors of most of her houses with incredible Baroque churches.
As you walk around Martina Franca’s town center, you find parts of town that are a maze of alleys with laundry hanging outside the windows and the smell of dinner rising from the kitchen stoves to incredible piazzas overlooking by stunning elaborate churches.
A place not to be missed here is Frantoio Oleario, a real oil mill where you can taste and buy olive oil.
You can also have lunch with delicious fresh pasta in la bottega della pasta La Pasteria
This is a fantastic place for a quick lunch before getting to your flight or train back home!
Find here >>> our guide to Martina Franca with kids
Driving in Puglia
Driving in Puglia is remarkably easy.
For this trip, we have rented a car from Hertz, which we have found good and reliable and have trusted google maps to find our way around this stunning region.
We found the roads in Puglia to be well kept, not too busy and safe, a much easier driving experience than in other parts of Italy (it is incomparable with the Naples are ara for instance).
You can find here >>>
Marta Correale
Marta Correale is an Italian mama of two. Born and raised in Rome, Marta has a passion for travel and especially enjoys showing off Italy to her kids, who are growing up to love it as much as she does! A classics graduate from the University of Rome, Marta channeled her passion for culture and travel into the creation of family travel websites that inspire, support and help curious visitors to make the most of a trip to Italy and learn about Italian culture on the way. Marta also manages the thriving online community of parents 'Italy with kids' who turn to her for expert advice and competent Italy travel planning support. She is the author of the travel guides 'Best of Rome with kids' and 'Best of Florence with kids' available on Amazon and of an array of kids printables (scavenger hunts, info booklets etc) available on her Etsy shop 'Mama Loves To Print'
