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Arriving
Deliberately keep it short after the flight: just arrive, have a swim and eat early.
It's best to do your first shopping for the holiday flat in Alberobello or Locorotondo.
Long stage — allow time for breaks.
This is where your journey begins. You fly from Cologne to Bari, where your rental car is waiting for you.
At Bari airport you'll collect your rental car. Check the tyres, fuel level and child seats before setting off; the motorway heading south is well maintained.
Your first base is a genuine trullo holiday flat with pool access and a garden on the edge of Alberobello. From here you can reach the white towns and the caves within a short drive, making it ideal for the first six nights.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
World Heritage right on your doorstep
Set off early so you can visit the old town before the midday heat and the coach tourists arrive.
Just half a day in town, with the afternoon by the pool: good for the wide age gap between the children.
The UNESCO trulli district of Rione Monti is a maze of over a thousand cone-roofed houses, many with little shops and courtyards. It's still pleasantly quiet in the morning; children love the whitewashed roofs with their mysterious symbols.
Alberobello's only two-storey trullo is now a small museum that vividly shows how people used to live in these stone houses. It's a short, manageable visit that also gives the six-year-old a good sense of trulli architecture.
Caves and cool adventures
It's cool inside the cave: bring a light jacket for everyone.
Sturdy footwear is a good idea, as the cave floor is partly damp.
One of Italy's most spectacular stalactite caves, with huge chambers and the brilliant white Grotta Bianca as the highlight. The guided tour is a real adventure for children and pleasantly cool at around 18 degrees on a hot day.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
See tickets on Tiqets(affiliate link)
One of Italy's most beautiful villages, with a circular layout and flower-decked white lanes. It's small and manageable, so even the little one can easily cope with the walk; round it off with an ice cream on the piazza.
White towns
There's little shade in Ostuni's lanes, so bring sun hats and water.
Cisternino around midday: a lovely, quiet alternative to the better-known towns.
The famous white town shines out over the plain, visible from afar on its hilltop. The walk through the tangled lanes up to the cathedral is atmospheric; park on the outskirts and take the short but steep route at a gentle pace.
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An authentic white village with a peaceful centre and famous fornello pronto: at the butchers you choose your meat, which is then grilled fresh on the spot. A relaxed lunch away from the big tourist crowds.
Sea and coast
The cliff beach is small and fills up quickly in summer: get there early.
Park on the edge of town, then walk into the old town.
An old town perched on jagged cliffs above the deep blue sea, famous for the Lama Monachile bay between the rock walls. The viewing terraces are spectacular, and the pebble beach in the bay is perfect for a splash.
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The small beach in the rocky gorge is ideal for a first swim in the clear water. As it's pebbly, water shoes are handy; for the children, swimming between the tall cliffs is quite an experience.
Castles & history
Matera is the furthest day trip: set off early to avoid the heat and the midday crowds.
There are lots of steps in the Sassi districts: comfortable shoes and breaks are a good idea, and take the walk in stages for the six-year-old.
The ancient cave city of Matera is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and feels like a journey back to biblical times. The Sassi districts, with homes carved into the rock, are unique; a visit to a cave house (Casa Grotta) brings past life vividly to children.
See tickets on Tiqets(affiliate link)
Change of location and nature
The moving day is deliberately broken up with a swimming stop, so the drive doesn't feel too long.
There's little shade and no big kiosks at Torre Guaceto: bring your own food and drink.
A protected marine and nature reserve with unspoilt dune beaches and crystal-clear water full of fish. A short walk or small shuttle takes you from the car park to the beach; the gently sloping entry is ideal for children to snorkel.
Your second base for the Salento week: a holiday flat with pool amid greenery, well positioned for the beaches and towns of the south. From here you can reach Lecce, Gallipoli and the Ionian coast in short stages.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Towns
Spend the morning in town, so the afternoon heat can be spent by the pool.
An ice cream or a pasticciotto, the typical Lecce sweet treat, gives little legs the motivation to keep going.
Lecce is often called the Florence of the south, with lavish baroque architecture in golden limestone on every corner. Piazza del Duomo and the Basilica di Santa Croce are highlights; children will find the well-preserved Roman amphitheatre right in the town centre fascinating.
The partly excavated Roman amphitheatre sits right on the central Piazza Sant'Oronzo. Viewed from above, it's easy to take in and gives children a good sense of how Roman towns worked.
Sea and history
Culture in the morning, beach in the afternoon: a good mix for both children's age groups.
A beach club with parasols is worth it during the summer heat around midday.
Gallipoli's old town sits on a small island in the sea, surrounded by town walls and a mighty castle at the harbour. The walk around is manageable and always with a sea view; fishing boats and the castle delight the children.
The fortress standing in the sea, with its round towers, once guarded the harbour entrance. Climbing up onto the walls offers wide views and brings history to life for children.
A fine sandy beach with shallow, warm water south of Gallipoli, ideal for families. There are beach clubs with sun loungers and parasols as well as free stretches; the long, shallow entry into the water is perfect for the six-year-old.
Water & swimming
A pure rest day with no cultural sightseeing, a good change of pace after all the towns.
Sun cream and shade are important on this flat, hot stretch of coast.
A Caribbean-feeling coastal spot with long sandy beaches and shallow turquoise water. The nearby Isola dei Conigli and calm bays are perfect for safe swimming with children; pedal boats and snorkelling spots keep things varied.
Sea and history
A short old-town walk in the morning, then the beach: a rhythm that's proven to work well for both children.
Head to the Baia dei Turchi early, as the car park fills up quickly.
Italy's easternmost town has a charming old town behind mighty walls and a cathedral with its famous mosaic floor. The Aragonese Castello by the harbour and the nearby town beach combine history and swimming within easy reach of each other.
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A natural beach with especially clear, turquoise water, reached via a short walk through pine woods. The flat sandy entry is ideal for children; the shade of the trees is welcome in the midday heat.
Relaxation
A morning by the pool takes the pace down, and the outing that follows stays short and optional.
If you'd rather stay by the pool all day, you can skip Leuca.
A quiet morning by your own pool to catch your breath during the trip. This is ideal so that the youngest, in particular, doesn't get overwhelmed.
At the southernmost tip of Salento, the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet. The lighthouse, the pilgrimage basilica and the elegant villas by the water are all worth seeing; small grotto boat trips along the steep coastline are an experience for children.
Heading back via the trulli region
Thanks to the short stages, moving day stays relaxed.
Arrival in the early afternoon, leaving time to settle in and have a swim.
An elegant baroque town in the Valle d'Itria with spacious piazzas and shady arcades. Pleasant to stroll around and less crowded; a good stopover on the way back to the trulli region.
For the final nights, you return to your familiar trulli base with pool, conveniently located for returning the rental car in Bari. This brings your round trip through Puglia full circle.
Booking ahead is often cheaper here
Capital of Puglia
Park on level ground in Bari (for example near the harbour or on the edge of the old town) and continue on foot.
Watching fresh orecchiette being made in the Strada delle Orecchiette is quite an experience for children.
Bari's lively old town is famous for the streets where women shape fresh orecchiette pasta by hand. The Basilica di San Nicola and the waterfront promenade round off the visit nicely; the bustling atmosphere is fun for children too.
The Hohenstaufen fortress, dating from Norman and Swabian times, stands proudly on the edge of the old town. The massive walls and courtyards make a fitting finale for a family fond of castles.
Saying goodbye
A deliberately quiet day, so that departure day itself is stress-free.
Fill up the rental car with fuel in the evening, so you can get to the airport quickly tomorrow.
One last relaxed day by the pool to gather your strength for the journey home. In the late afternoon, it's worth strolling through Alberobello once it's quieter, after the day-trippers have left.
In the evening, Alberobello lies still and the illuminated trulli roofs look particularly atmospheric. A peaceful finale with one last dinner in the Valle d'Itria.
Journey home
Allow at least three hours before your flight for the drive to the airport, including returning the car.
Keep your passports and booking documents to hand.
Long stage — allow time for breaks.
At Bari airport you'll return your rental car and check in for your return flight. Allow plenty of time buffer for the car return and security checks with children.
Back where you started: this brings your Puglia round trip full circle. You land back in Cologne.
Copy it and move it to your own dates.
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