Puglia Road Trip: Bari to Salento (5 Days)
Drive through Puglia from Bari to the Salento — the trulli of Alberobello, whitewashed Ostuni, baroque Lecce and turquoise coves, with the best stops and real costs.
Rough estimate — fuel + nights at typical rates. Get an exact figure in the calculator.
Italy’s heel: sun-bleached stone towns, cone-roofed trulli, olive groves and a turquoise sea on two coasts. Puglia is flat and easy to drive, and quieter than the north — a road trip of long lunches and swimming stops.
Day 1 — Bari to Polignano a Mare (40 km)
Start in Bari’s old town, then down the coast to Polignano a Mare, its houses perched over a cove cut into the cliff.
Day 2 — Alberobello and the trulli (30 km)
Inland to Alberobello, a whole town of conical trulli houses, and the Itria valley around Locorotondo.
Day 3 — Ostuni, the white city (35 km)
Ostuni, the dazzling “white city” on its hill above the olive plains.
Day 4 — Lecce, the baroque capital (80 km)
South to Lecce, the “Florence of the South”, carved from soft golden stone.
Day 5 — Salento coast
The tip of the heel — Gallipoli, Otranto and the coves toward Santa Maria di Leuca where the two seas meet.
Tolls and costs
Italy has motorway tolls, but much of Puglia is on toll-free coastal and country roads. Summer is hot and busy — start early. Use the cost calculator for your dates.
Where to stay on this route
Pick your dates and see what is available in Lecce.
See places to stay — Lecce →Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Plan this trip
Where to sleep
Hotels & B&Bs → Holiday homes & apartments → Campsites (bookable) → Campervan & overnight spots →Tours & tickets
Find things to do →Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
New road trips in your inbox
One email when we publish a new European route — the full guide, map and real costs. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.