Bari Travelers Recommend

With three full days to visit Bari, you’ll have time to discover the historic heart and cuisine of Puglia’s largest port city and visit cultural highlights in the region—both along the coastline and deep in the rolling countryside. Here are your options for three days in Bari.

Day 1: Bari’s Heart (Through Its Stomach)

Bari’s culture and cuisine are deeply entwined, and you’ll see how the two come together in the city’s historic center, known as Bari Vecchia. Delve into this warren of crisscrossing lanes and tiny squares with a guided tour on foot, bike, rickshaw, or Segway. Tours visit treasures like the 12th-century Basilica di San Nicola, Swabian Castle (Castello Svevo), Cathedral of St. Sabino, and the bustling Piazza Mercantile, where locals gather to sip coffee and socialize. 

Follow your guide through the hidden backstreets of the old town to see neighborhood women turning out tiny orecchiette pasta at tables set up along the street, and sample the city’s famed panzerotti and sgagliozze on a street food tour. End your day with a stroll along the waterfront promenade, elbow-to-elbow with the throngs who flock here each evening for a walk, or “passeggiata,” with gelato in hand.

Day 2: Countryside and Coastline

After you’ve become acquainted with the architectural and culinary treasures of Bari Vecchia, strike out along the coastline or through the countryside. There are a number of easy excursions that take you from Bari to the surrounding region of Puglia. A day trip to the fishermen’s village of Polignano a Mare offers the opportunity to explore the town and nearby beaches or to set sail with a local skipper for a fishing expedition, followed by lunch featuring your catch.

History buffs can take in the 13th-century Castel del Monte citadel that towers over the landscape outside Bari, the picturesque medieval town of Conversano, or the ruins at Gnatia, a city that predates ancient Rome. Foodies can opt for a day in a traditional fortified farmhouse, called a “masseria,” just outside the city for an all-day cooking class to learn how to prepare some of Puglia’s most iconic dishes.

Day 3: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Two of southern Italy’s most important cultural treasures are located within striking distance of Bari. Join a guided day trip to Alberobello, famous for its round stone cottages topped with conical roofs known as “trulli,” to learn about this unique town’s history and architecture and then spend time in a nearby winery tasting Puglian wines paired with traditional delicacies like taralli and burrata.

Alternatively, set off for the neighboring region of Basilicata to tour the Sassi of Matera, a city of ancient cave dwellings and churches, many of which are now trendy hotels, restaurants, and art galleries. Many Matera day trips pair a tour of the historic center with a food tasting, so you also can sample the specialties of the region, geographically near to Puglia but a world away in its cuisine.

The largest city in Puglia and a major cruise-ship and ferry port on the Adriatic Sea, Bari has a lovely old town that testifies to its rich and varied past, as well as a vibrant waterfront nightlife anchored firmly in the present. If you only have one day to visit this bustling coastal capital, here’s how to see the main highlights.

Morning: Old Town (Bari Vecchia)

Bari is a sprawling modern port, but at its heart lies the old town, Bari Vecchia. Take a self-guided audio tour or join a walking, bike, rickshaw, or Segway tour though the historic center with a guide to learn about this city’s long history. Tours generally take in highlights like the 12th-century Basilica di San Nicola, home to the remains of Saint Nicholas—better known as Santa Claus; Swabian Castle (Castello Svevo); Cathedral of St. Sabino; and the lively Piazza Mercantile, the social focal point of the old town.  

Afternoon: Bari Cuisine

No city is more proud of its local cuisine than Bari, and the city’s grandmothers (nonnas), often gather on the narrow lanes crisscrossing the old town to hand-roll fresh orecchiette pasta. Experience the deeply rooted culinary traditions of the city firsthand with a food tour and sample beloved street food like panzerotti and sgagliozze, or join a cooking class to create classic dishes on your own. Once you’ve prepared your meal, you’ll sit down to savor the fruits of your labor, washed down with Puglian wine. 

Night: Quick Jaunts

Bari sits on the coast, so end the day by taking a few hours to relax on the beach. Alternatively, a number of quick excursions can be combined with a day in Bari. The towering Castel del Monte fortress is a short drive from the city, as is the charming fishermen’s village of Polignano a Mare and the medieval town of Conversano. Archaeology enthusiasts can head a bit further south to tour the ruins of the ancient city at Gnatia, where many of the artifacts now displayed in Bari’s Santa Scolastica Archaeological Museum were unearthed.

As Puglia’s capital city and the largest port, Bari is the perfect base for exploring the region. Take a day to get to know the city’s old town and then set off to discover Puglia’s unforgettable hilltop and seaside towns. Here are your options for two culture-filled days in Bari.

Day 1: Bari’s Old Town (Bari Vecchia)

**Morning:**Push past Bari’s modern apartment blocks and chaotic port to the old town at the city’s heart. Explore Bari Vecchia, a warren of tiny lanes dotted with historic churches and a medieval fortress, via a self-guided audio tour or with a guided walking, Segway, bike, or rickshaw tour. 

**Afternoon:**Food is fundamental in Bari, and many guided tours have a culinary slant, weaving together the architecture and cuisine of Bari Vecchia. The highlight is often a stop on one of Bari’s “pasta streets,” quiet back alleys where local women set up tables to hand-shape traditional orecchiette pasta.

**Night:**Once you’ve gotten to know Bari’s heart (and stomach), set out for a short excursion. Options include the Castel del Monte fortress, seaside village of Polignano a Mare, medieval town of Conversano, or ruins of the ancient city at Gnatia. For gourmands, a cooking class in Bari instead provides both dinner and a cultural experience.

Day 2: Puglia and Beyond

**Morning:**Bari is a well-connected ferry and cruise-ship hub. Take advantage of its location to see highlights along the coast or in the countryside. Early risers can opt for a day at sea with a local skipper to fish off Polignano a Mare and dine on the day’s catch.

**Afternoon:**Head to the neighboring region of Basilicata to tour one of Italy’s most unique towns, the Sassi of Matera. This hilltop clutch of ancient cave dwellings has been named a European Capital of Culture, and tours often combine visits with tastings of regional culinary specialities.

**Night:**Dive into Puglia’s history and culture by opting for a trip to see the unique trulli, or fairytale-like stone cottages, in the town of Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pair your visit with a wine tour at a nearby estate to taste wines produced in Puglia’s countryside.