We are pleased to announce our Puglia & Basicilata Christmas Markets & More 4-day tour by air between Friday 12 and Monday 15 December 2025.
We have been organising our Puglia tours since 2019, adding tours to Basilicata last year. We are always keen to return to these beautiful regions in Southern Italy, which have always mesmerised us for their wonderful scenery, architecture, culture and cuisine. This is particularly so in the vibrant days leading to Christmas, where we will be able to savour the festive atmosphere at the various towns and villages we will be visiting in Puglia, from the beautiful countryside of Alberobello and its famous “trulli”, to the beauty of its tranquil villages such as Ostuni, Locorotondo and Cisternino, to the marine landscapes of places such as Bari and Polignano a Mare and much more. We will also be visiting the neighbouring region of Basilicata, where we will visit Matera, which is the third oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and the scene of various cinematic masterpieces, such as The Passion of the Christ, starring Mel Gibson, and No Time to Die, starring Daniel Craig, which is also the last instalment in the popular 007 James Bond series. Our culinary adventures will definitely go beyond the savouring of the traditional orechiette, taralli and the local Primitivo and Aglianico wines. We are sure that you will return back home enriched with a better knowledge of what this particular corner of Italy has to offer, especially during the festive period.
Limited seats are available on this tour and, as always, booking will be on a first come first served basis.
Visiting: Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino, Ostuni, Grotte di Castellana, Matera, Gravina in Puglia, Altamura, Polignano a Mare, Bari Vecchia, Bari.
Full programme
Friday 12 December 2025
Meet at 4:00am at Malta International Airport for check in and embarkation on Ryanair flight FR7109 to Bari departing at 6:00am. Arrival at Bari Karol Wojtyla International Airport at 7:25am. On arrival, we will board our private coach and head towards the town of Gravina in Puglia, nestled in the Parco Nazionale dell’ Alta Murgia, arriving there at around 8:30am. Here we will enjoy a short coffee break in the historical centre, before proceeding to the picturesque canyon in order to see the unique aqueduct bridge which was also used for the last James Bond film “No Time to Die”. (Click
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?si=B30cKf0zd8vSzFiX to see this scene). Free time in Gravina in Puglia. Coach transfer at around 11:00am to Matera, arriving there at around 11:30am. On arrival in Matera, we will visit the old cistern which was discovered recently (entrance fee included in tour price) and eventually proceed to tour the famous “Sassi di Matera”, which is an intricate network of cave houses which form the city of Matera and which make Matera the world’s third oldest continuously inhabited city dating back to the Paleolithic age around 10000 years BC. Free time in Matera, including free time for lunch (not included in tour price) and for further personal sightseeing. Departure from Matera at around 4:30pm to the medieval town of Altamura, arriving there at around 5:00pm. According to an ancient legend, Altamura's former name was Altilia, from Alter Ilium, the "other Troy”. According to a legend, it was founded by Antellus, a friend of Aeneas and also a fugitive from the Asian city of Troy destroyed by the Greeks. Another legend attributes the foundation to Althea, queen of the Myrmidons. Here we will visit the historical centre, Including the Cathedral built by emperor Federico II in 1232. Free time in Altamura. Late afternoon transfer to Castellana Grotte. Check in at our hotel, the exquisite four star superior Hotel Semiramide Palace (
https://www.semiramidepalacehotel.it) in Castellana Grotte. Allocation of rooms, followed by Dinner at the Hotel.
Saturday 13 December 2025
Buffet breakfast at our hotel, followed by departure at around 9:15am to Alberobello, arriving there at around 10:00pm. Alberobello was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1996. It is known for its “Trulli”, which are small limestone houses made with dry walls, similar to our own “hitan tas-sejjieh”, and topped with a conical roof. They are an exceptional form of unique building construction deriving from prehistoric techniques that have survived intact and are still functioning in the modern world. Alberobello is located at 428 metres above sea level. We will visit various interesting parts of this pretty town, including the Rione Monti quarter, with its unique townscape of different trullis, such as the Trullo Siamese and the trullo-style Church of St Anthony of Padova. Such buildings make Alberobello the only historical centre with an entire quarter of trulli. We will then cross to the other side of town where we will visit the Trullo Sovrano, the Basilica of San Cosma and San Damiano, known as the “medical doctor” saints and more. Free time for lunch (not included in tour price). In the afternoon, we will board our coach to visit the town of Locorotondo, just 9 km away. This town is considered as another gem in the beautiful Valle d’Itria. Locorotondo is also a wonderful place to visit during the festive period. We will conclude our day with a visit to the nearby town of Cisternino which, like Locorotondo and Alberobello, is also inscribed in “I Borghi piu’ Belli d’Italia” list. Late afternoon transfer to Castellana Grotte. Free time at the Hotel, followed by dinner at the Hotel.
Sunday 14 December 2025
Buffet breakfast at the hotel, followed by departure to Castellana Grotte. Here we will be able to visit (entrance included in tour price) the Grotte di Castellana, which were discovered in 1938. The caves began to form 90 million years ago and during our visit we will be going down to a depth of around 70 metres underground, where we will experience stalactites, stalagmites, concretions, incredible shapes, fossils, canyons and caves during a spectacular 3 kilometre underground walk which will take around 1 hour and a half. The Caves are also known for being the stage of various theatrical representations of Dante’s Inferno which are held frequently here. Late morning departure to Ostuni, the “white city” which evokes the style of the Peublos Blancos (White Villages) of Andalucia in Spain. Ostuni is the panoramic town “par excellence” of Puglia located at an altitude of 218 metres above sea level just 8km from the Adriatic Coast. It is said that here every house is a belvedere. On arrival in Ostuni, we will have free time for lunch (not included in tour price) in the historical centre. We will then meet after lunch where we will be able to explore together the historical centre and its cute alleyways, whilst appreciating various buildings such as the Basilica, the Aragonese Walls, the Obelisk of Sant’ Oronzo, the Scoppa Arch and much more. Free time in Ostuni, followed by late afternoon departure to our hotel. Free time at the Hotel, followed by dinner at the Hotel.
Monday 15 December 2025
Buffet breakfast at the Hotel, followed by check out from the Hotel. Departure from the Hotel at around 9:30am to Polignano a Mare, arriving there at around 10:15am. The jagged coastline of Polignano a Mare is one of the most beautiful in Puglia as a result of its very steep slopes. We will visit the beautiful historical centre, replete with signs of the Arab, Byzantine, Spanish and Norman cultures. Here we will enjoy the beautiful alleys of the old town, the Lama Monachile bridge, which doubles up every year as the theatre for the only Italian location within the Red Bull Cliff Diving circuit, the picturesque Piazza dell’ Orologio, the statue dedicated to one of Polignano a Mare’s greatest sons - the legendary singer Domenico Modugno known for his famous Volare / Nel blu dipinto di blu which, since 1958, has gradually morphed into a second Italian national anthem much loved by one and all - and much more. Free time in Polignano a Mare. Departure at around 12:30pm to Bari. On arrival in Bari, we will have free time for lunch (not included in tour price) which can be taken at one of the many eateries in the historical centre. We will then meet at around 3:30pm to visit Bari Vecchia, the old town which until a few decades ago was considered off limits for the tourist due to local criminality: all that has thankfully changed now. This is the time of the year when Bari is adorned with many stalls selling various types of traditional foods and artisanal products which enhance the vibrant spirit of the festive season. We will proceed to visit the Basilica of San Nicola, patron saint for mariners and for girls, where the remains of the co-patron saint of Bari have been kept since the year 1087, when 62 sailors from Bari, in a keenly fought race against other sailors from Venice, managed to retrieve the saint’s body from the city of Myra, in what is today Turkey, following the fall of the city to the Ottomans. We will then proceed to visit the Duomo dedicated to San Sabino, the town’s other co-patron saint, before proceeding to view the imposing Castello Normanno Svevo. Free time in Bari, including free time for further personal sightseeing, such as the Teatro Petruzzelli, as also to visit the high street shops on Via Sperone. Departure towards Bari airport at around 7:15pm, arriving there in time for check in and embarkation on Ryanair flight FR7107 departing at 10:10pm arriving in Malta at 11:30pm.
Price :
Adults: €799
Children aged 2 to under 12 years : €599
Children aged up to under 2 years : €150
Price includes:
Direct Ryanair flight Malta-Bari-Malta including one 10kg cabin or checked in luggage maximum dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and one small bag maximum dimensions 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
Taxes and airport charges
All transfers and excursions in Puglia and Basilicata by private coach which stays with us throughout our stay
Accomodation on Half Board basis in twin, double room, triple room or quadruple room sharing including buffet breakfast and three course dinner inclusive of local wine and mineral water at our hotel, the four star Hotel Semiramide Palace (
https://www.semiramidepalacehotel.it) in Castellana Grotte. All rooms with bathroom or shower ensute.
Entrance to Acqueduct in Matera
Entrance to Grotte di Castellana
City tax on hotel stays
Service of Go Sicily Travel tour leader
Insolvency Fund certificate
Other:
Single Room Supplement: €90 per person
Reserved seat on Ryanair flight: €10 each way
Upgrade from 10kg cabin luggage to 20kg cabin luggage, maximum dimensions 119cm x 119cm x 81cm: one way €30, both ways €60 (option only available at time of booking)
Additional 10kg hand luggage, including priority boarding, maximum dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 20cm: one way €30, both ways €60
Additional 10kg checked luggage maximum dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 20cm: one way €30, both ways €60
Additional 20kg checked luggage maximum dimensions 119cm x 119cm x 81cm: one way €50, both ways €100
Payment terms:
Deposit of €100 per person on confirmation
Balance by 20 November 2025 or immediately on booking for bookings (subject to availability) made after 20 November 2025
COVID-19 measures:
At www.gosicilytravel.com, we pride ourselves in offering quality experiences which are fully compliant with COVID-19 requirements whilst at the same time ensuring that our guests have an enjoyable experience
COVID vaccination certificates or swab tests are not required to travel to Sicily and back to Malta with effect from 25 July 2022. The compilation of Passenger Locator Forms is also not required.
Terms and conditions:
Link:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2316066091759498&type=3
Refund policy:
A 100% cash refund applies if the flight is cancelled due to new COVID-19 measures.
For enquiries and bookings please contact us on:
Mobile: 79742459
or
email:
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via Facebook message
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visit us (by prior appointment on 79742459) at our offices at
Go Sicily Travel, Cube Office Suites, 154, Eucharistic Congress Road, Mosta (road in front of Mosta Dome, around ten doors up from Partit Laburista club on the left hand side in the direction of Valletta)
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