Puglia is one of the most gorgeous parts of Italy, in the south or the “heel” of the boot shaped country. It has some beautiful towns that are worth visiting, starting with the capital, Bari. There’s a lovely old town, a street where Italian women make fresh pasta, and lots of other beautiful things to see. It’s also the perfect place to explore more of Italy from, as it has a major airport that makes it easy to get to. However in our opinion, you won’t need more than a day or two here. With any extra time, we’d highly recommend one or all of these three incredible day trips from Bari. What’s more, they’re also all more than possible without a car!

This is a gorgeous little seaside town only 35km from Bari. It is easy get to from Bari Centrale train station and the direct train trip only takes 43 minutes. You can check the direct train times on Google Maps or on the Trenitalia website . You can buy tickets either online or from the machines in the station. A one way ticket is €3.10 each. Once you have your tickets, you then have to validate them in the green machines on each platform before getting on the train. The train station in Polignano a Mare is only a 10 minute walk from the city centre.

Once there, head to the famous Lama Monachile beach. This is what you’ll see in all the photos because it is a beautiful little beach hidden in a pebbly cove. Unfortunately, it is always incredible busy, so be ready to be surrounded by people. There is some shade under the cliffs and the water is clear and reasonably calm so it’s a lovely place for a swim. We would highly recommend bringing some water shoes to swim in though, as the wet rocks make everything very slippery.

You’ll see a lot of boats near the beach, with people jumping off and enjoying the clear blue water. If you want to join them, this is a great 1.5 hour boat tour with a pickup in Polignano a Mare town centre. You get to go through the sea caves, enjoy a swim and a drink while appreciating the view.

As well as swimming, there’s lots of great shopping and food to enjoy in Polignano a Mare. Head to the Statue of Domenico Modugno where nearby is a great viewpoint over the water. Near this is also the Flat Stone where people jump into the water below which is fun to watch. As you walk around this area you’ll pass by La Focacceria Delle Noci Marco which is a great focaccia place. After that, walk to the Marchesale Arch and head through to the gorgeous old town. It is a lovely area with small winding streets and some more great view points.

After exploring the old town, make sure you walk down Roma Street which is one of the main streets in the city. It is often pedestrian only and there’s so many shops and restaurants to stop at. If you’re there after dark there are neon lights over the street, of lyrics to a famous song, that get illuminated and make the street so pretty. With all of the great shopping and food available, plus the beautiful beach, it really does make for one of the best day trips from Bari.

Alberobello is one of the most unique little towns we’ve ever visited and is only 55km from Bari. There is no train option so the only way to get between is by bus which can be booked on the Trenitalia website. Journeys take between 1 hour 10 and 1 hour 40 each way and a return journey is less than €15 per person. The bus stop in Bari is right near Bari Centrale train station. It’s called Bari Bus Terminal – FS Park and is walkable from the old town. In Alberobello the bus will get in at the main train station, which is also walkable from the main town. It’s a super easy journey!

The thing that makes Alberobello so unique is the Trullo buildings. Trulli are stone huts with conical rooves and are specific to this region of Puglia. The town is gorgeous and the trulli have been designated a UNESCO world heritage site for over 30 years. The only thing you need to do here is walk around, take photos in the cute streets, and check out the shops. The main street is Largo Martellotta which is where you’ll find the majority of the cafes and restaurants. This is also where you’ll find the little streets heading off into the Trulli streets.

If you’d like to see inside one of the historic trullo, only an 10 minute walk from the main street is Trullo Sovrano. Parts of this building was built as early as the 17th century, and you can go inside to see its original furnishings and artefacts, for only €2.50. Check their website for opening hours though as it does close in the middle of the day. If you’re interested in more history, you can book this walking tour with a local. It starts at Trullo Sovrano then heads into the town with a stop at a viewpoint. It’s a great way to learn more about the area with someone who knows the most about it!

We’d recommend around four or five hours in Alberobello, as it is small and you won’t need long to look around. It really is one of the easiest and most wonderful day trips from Bari!

Matera is probably our favourite place we visited in this area of Italy. While not in the region of Puglia, Matera is just outside it, around 65km from Bari in the Basilicata region. There are two bus companies that take you between Bari and Matera, and both journeys only take an hour each way. You can book your ticket on either the Itabus website or the Flixbus website. Both companies have good buses, ran on time, and were comfortable. They were also similar prices with journeys costing between €9 and €22 each way. The only reason to pick between them is based on the times they run, as they both only run a couple of trips a day. So have a look on both, and see which journey works best for your trip.

The only problem with this journey is that the bus stop in Matera is not super close to the main town. There will be lots of taxis at the bus stop to take you in if you want that option. There’s also a public bus, however we chose to walk. It is a 30 minute walk, with a slight uphill a lot of the way. However it was along a main road and wasn’t too bad a walk.

You’re going to want to head toward the Sassi di Matera, which are the beautiful cliffside old parts of town. The most amazing thing about Matera is it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth. It has been continuously inhabited since around the eighth millennium BC, before history was even recorded. The first inhabitants built caves into the limestone above the Gravina river that runs alongside the city. You can still see those caves from the city as well as do a hike up to see them. The hike is to the Belvedere Murgia Timone viewing platform which is around 4.2km from the starting point in the Sassi. It is considered a moderate hike and has an incredible view back to Matera as well as going past many of the caves.

Apart from the hike, the best thing to do is simply to wander around and admire everything. The Sassi is set on multiple levels and there are a couple of amazing viewpoints looking down on the town. There’s lots of small twisting streets and staircases, and the Sassi has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1993. There are lots of great places to shop and eat, including fancier restaurants and quick faster food. We would recommend Al Brucio – Il Concia panini for amazing paninis. For dessert, head to I Vizi degli Angeli – Laboratorio di Gelateria Artigianale for incredible gelato and granita – the tartufo was one of our favourite deserts of our trip!

As well as walking around and eating, there’s some cool things to visit too. There’s beautiful churches like the Church of Saint Mary of Idris and the Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi. There’s also the Cathedral Basilica of Matera which you can go in for a small fee, but also has an amazing view of the city from. As well, there are some fun cultural sites such as the Cave House in the Sassi of Matera, the Sassi in Miniature exhibit and the Palombaro Lungo cistern. If you’d prefer, there is a great 2 hour guided tour that includes entry to the cave house and a church with a local.

There’s more than enough to keep you entertained for the day in Matera, one of our favourite day trips from Bari.

If you’ve not got enough time to take a couple of day trips, then do not worry. Get Your Guide has a great 10 hour day trip that takes you to both Alberobello and Matera from Bari. You get at least 3 hours free time in each city with transport in between so it’d be perfect if you’ve only got one day free.

However long you’ve got to spare in Bari, you will have a great time whichever day trip you pick. Polignano A Mare is a beautiful beachside town with a gorgeous beach and a great old town. Alberobello is one of the most unique places we’ve visited and is definitely worth a couple of hours of your time. And Matera is an amazing old city set on a hill above a ravine, one of our favourite places we’ve visited.

Even better is they’re all more than possible to get to without a car, just using local trains and buses instead. There’s so much to see and explore in each city and they all make amazing day trips from Bari.

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