Highlights of Puglia

I would have preferred a single room but they were sold out.

Fabio was fabulous. We lost out on the room lottery twice. I would slow it down a little. Maybe 3 nights in one place.

Tour leader Fabio went above and beyond in itinerary leadership and support during self-pay dinners etc. He is a fount of knowledge about the area and Italy in general.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Puglia tour. Fabio was a wonderful guide. He was very knowledgeable, humorous, and kind. Matera was an unexpected highlight for me. The hotels in Matera and Alberobello were outstanding- a great mix of historic charm and quiet elegance. The hotel in Lecce could use some updating. Our first room was extremely dark and dingy. We requested a room change- even offering to pay a little more- but no need as Fabio and the hotel staff were very gracious to accommodate our request. The itinerary was a perfect blend of guided tours and individual time to explore independently. We appreciated contributing to a group kitty from the start and not having to worry about daily trips for the city guides and drivers. I highly recommend joining the group dinners as Fabio chose amazing local restaurants that we would not have found on our own. This tour was a great value for the experience we received!

The Puglia tour in general is interesting and was worthwhile. The places visited were interesting & staying in a Trulli house was fun. I was, however, disappointed by the Tour leader who while she was good at putto g information on what’s app it was at times a bit late… The biggest problem was the lack of consideration for the group, some of whom were slower, and several of whom were hearing impaired, it felt at times as if that was an annoyance to the tour leader. The Tour leader was not up to the standard I expect & have previously experienced with Explore.

Highlights of Puglia lived up to expectation - so many highlights! Whole itinerary was excellent as was our tour guide Sonea; whose organisational skills and suggestions for restaurants/optional additional activities were first rate.

Puglia was a wonderful region to explore and the towns visited are beautiful. Our tour leader, was very good. It would have been good to have the same bus and driver for the whole tour, rather than a different driver and bus for each leg (some buses were better than others). Matera was the highlight destination of the tour for me, and the local guide was excellent. The accommodation was extremely disappointing. The late change to the Bari hotel meant we stayed in a rather dull area far from the historical town and esplanade area. The Alberobello Trullo accommodation was tired, dated and worn. It was located in the middle of a very noisy construction zone which commenced at 6am and then ramped up considerably at 7am each morning. We did raise this at the time but were told nothing else was available. I provided feedback to Explore and they were informed us that “the trullo met the standard agreed under our long-standing partnership”. Puglia is definitely worth visiting. However, considering the price of this tour, I expected better accommodation and felt greatly let down by the Alberobello Trullo accommodation which was advertised as a highlight. Staying in a Trullo was one of the reasons I picked this tour so it was extremely disappointing and upsetting and fell way short of my expectations and for this reason I would not recommend Explore.

Excellent trip with choices and free time to rest or swim. Suggestion to Itinerary On day 2 after Altamura and bread tasting try and include the trip to Gravina with the minibus -- NOT an optional train journey back there on day 3. We did this by not having lunch day 2 as we were full with bread!! and leaving a little earlier from Altamura and then continuing to Castel de Monte .AJ the guide was very helpful re this. Then day 3 afternoon we had more time to explore Matera which we needed to be fair.

This was a really enjoyable trip with an excellent leader. Highlights for me were Matera and Lecce together with the walk in Otranto and all the food tasting. AJ was an excellent leader and I really enjoyed Fabrizio's guided tours of Matera and Castel del Monte. I am glad that I added two extra nights on the end. I managed to do a day trip to Polignano a Mare and also Monopolo. The accommodation in Matera and the Trullis of Alberobello was also a highlight for me.

Well planned and balanced tour made possible by an excellent tour leader.

Tour leader was excellent; AJ went above and beyond to help us and make the tour an enjoyable experience.

The trip around Puglia was great. Beautiful towns full of historic places to explore, lovely food, and a real sense of regional identity. My favourite places were Matera and Lecce. Tour pace was not too hectic and allowing plenty of free time to do your own thing. Our tour leader was excellent - friendly, organised & knowledgeable. I strongly recommend adding a day or two before or after the trip to see a bit more of the area.

In hindsight, this trip would be improved by doing it in reverse order. Matera was definitely the highlight and Alberobello seemed commercial in comparison.. Antongiulio was an excellent tour leader and worked hard to accommodate the different needs within the group. His restaurant choices and recommendations were always spot-on. The vegetable tasting in Alberobello was memorable.. The second wine tasting could be advertised as such rather than olive oil but I appreciate that changes happen to ensure the tour runs smoothly. Fabrizio was a fabulous guide - so much energy and enthusiasm that kept everyone interested and entertained.

Fascinating and memorable visits; moving continually but with plenty of free time. Expert guide and local guides.

Im a Solo traveller and always travel with EXPLORE HOLIDAYS. Great communication from the minute you book. Very professional with great guides. They take care of everything - just pack your suitcase and let them take over. I'm always confident. Maximum group is 16 people. Reliable company and am very happy to recommend.

This is a great trip. The places visited and the accommodation are unique, the cave dwellings in Matera are really unusual and the trullis are incredible. I had visited these two towns before but not Lecce and that is a beautiful city. The tour was full, with all 16 places taken, a mixture of nationalities, and everyone got on very well. Fabio, our guide, was excellent. He was kind, highly organised, looked after the group well. Nothing was too much trouble, he was very helpful and nothing fazed him. He had a great sense of humour and is a real people person.

A lovely introduction to the delightful area of Puglia. A good mix of visiting characterful cities such as Matera and Lecce with some wonderful food experiences (visits to a bakery, a farm to see and taste mozzzarella being made, wine and olive oil tastings). Our Tour Leader Fabio was fabulous and booked us into a great mix of excellent restaurants to enjoy the local specialities, as well as giving us information on the area. Expert local guides in the cities.

It was a great trip. The tour leader was fantastic and the itinerary so interesting. I like holidays to be a discovery and it certainly was. The food in Italy is also gorgeous.

Tour leader Sonja, was great, informative, attentive, included whole group and was fun. Interesting places to stay, enjoyed Matera but really liked Alberobello, would liked to have stayed here an extra night.

I thought it was very varied and interesting, from castles to making mozzarella, and churches to bakeries. I very much enjoyed the coastal walk to the bauxite quarry which some previous reviewers had criticised. The restaurants organised for the group meals were also v good and varied, which was great at the current time of the virus.

Sonia was an excellent tour leader and was always available for any questions or requirements we had. She was always friendly and outgoing am made the trip very pleasurable.