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Day Trips from Bari: Matera, the Coast and the Best of the Valle d’Itria

By Antonio Marchese · Published 5 July 2026 · 7 min read

Bari makes an excellent base for exploring the region, with fast coastal trains, three separate regional railways and good road links all fanning out from one city. Whether you are only in town for a couple of days or settling in for a week, most of the best of Puglia (and one famous corner of neighbouring Basilicata) is within easy reach. Here are the day trips we recommend, how to reach each one, and roughly how long they take.

Matera: the classic day trip

Matera is the trip most people build their stay in Bari around, and rightly so. Its sassi, the ancient cave dwellings carved into a ravine, form one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One honest note first: Matera is not actually in Puglia at all. It sits just over the border in Basilicata, but it has always been the classic day trip from Bari, and getting there is straightforward.

The easiest option is the bus. Operators including Itabus, Miccolis and FlixBus run frequent direct services that take roughly one hour to one hour and twenty minutes, with the fastest getting you there in about an hour. There are many departures a day, so you can leave early and return in the evening. The alternative is the slow but scenic FAL train (Ferrovie Appulo Lucane) from Bari Centrale, which usually involves a change at Altamura and takes around two hours in total. The FAL line has been affected by engineering works in recent years, so check current timetables before relying on it. By car it is around 65 kilometres and about an hour. Whichever way you go, Matera easily earns a full day.

For a full breakdown of getting there by train, bus, car or a guided tour, see our Matera day trip guide.

Polignano a Mare and Monopoli: the easy coast

If you want a day trip with zero logistics, head down the Adriatic coast. Polignano a Mare is famous for its whitewashed old town perched on a limestone cliff, the little beach of Cala Porto tucked into a cove and boat trips out to the sea caves. It is one of the fastest escapes from the city: direct regional trains from Bari Centrale take roughly twenty-five to forty minutes depending on the service, and they run very frequently through the day.

Just a few minutes further along the same line is Monopoli, a working port town with a handsome old centre, a small cathedral and a string of pretty coves. Because the two sit on the same railway, you can easily combine them into one relaxed, completely car-free day: morning in Polignano, lunch and an afternoon swim in Monopoli, home for dinner in Bari.

Alberobello and the Valle d’Itria

Inland from the coast lies the Valle d’Itria, the valley of the trulli. Alberobello is the headline act, a whole town of conical dry-stone houses that is another UNESCO site. You can reach it by public transport on the FSE regional line (Ferrovie del Sud Est), but it is the slow way round: expect roughly one and a half to two hours, often with a change, so plan the timetable carefully.

The catch is that the real magic of the valley lies in linking its towns together, and that is much harder without wheels. Hilltop Locorotondo, one of the officially recognised most beautiful villages in Italy, elegant Martina Franca with its baroque streets, and laid-back Cisternino are all close to each other but poorly connected to one another by train. If you want to see more than just Alberobello in a day, this is the trip where renting a car or joining an organised tour pays off most. See our guide to renting a car in Puglia if you are weighing it up.

Ostuni, the White City

Ostuni is one of the most photographed towns in Puglia, a tumble of dazzling whitewashed lanes crowning a hill above the olive groves, which is how it earned its nickname the White City. Ostuni sits on the main rail line from Bari and the journey takes roughly an hour. The one thing to know is that the station is down on the plain, a few kilometres below the old town, so you will need a local bus or a taxi to get up the hill. It is a small extra step and well worth it once you are wandering those bright, winding streets.

Trani and Castel del Monte

North of Bari, Trani is a gem and one of the simplest trips of all. Its cathedral, a pale Romanesque church rising right at the water’s edge, is among the most beautiful in the whole country, and the harbour and old Jewish quarter reward a slow afternoon. Trains from Bari take only around twenty-five to thirty-five minutes and run very often, so this is an easy half day or full day with no car needed.

Inland from Trani stands Castel del Monte, the enigmatic octagonal castle built by the emperor Frederick II in the thirteenth century, a UNESCO site and one of Puglia’s most striking sights. This one is trickier without a car. The usual public transport route is a train to Andria (about an hour and ten minutes on the Ferrotramviaria line) and then a seasonal shuttle bus up to the castle, which mainly runs at weekends and holidays outside high summer. If the shuttle timings do not line up, a car or an organised tour makes Castel del Monte far less stressful, and lets you pair it neatly with Trani.

Grotte di Castellana

For something completely different, the Grotte di Castellana are a spectacular system of karst caves, a couple of kilometres of underground caverns, stalactites and the glittering White Cave that ranks among the finest cave complexes in Italy. You can reach the town of Castellana Grotte on the FSE regional line from Bari in about an hour. Tours run to set times and in different lengths, so book ahead and check the schedule, then allow travel time on top. It makes a great half day, and pairs well with Alberobello if you have a car.

Lecce: a long day or an overnight

Deep in the Salento, Lecce is the baroque capital of the south, a golden city of extravagant carved churches, honey-coloured stone and an atmosphere all its own. It is reachable from Bari by fast train in around one and a half to two hours, so it is doable as a single long day if you get an early start. That said, Lecce genuinely deserves more, and if your schedule allows we would nudge you towards staying a night rather than dashing there and back. And once you are there, Lecce makes a superb base for exploring the Salento in its own right: see our guide to day trips from Lecce.

Day trips from Bari at a glance

Day trips from Bari FAQ

Is Matera worth it as a day trip from Bari?

Yes. Matera is one of the most extraordinary places in southern Italy, and with buses running in about an hour it is very easy to reach for the day. Go early, allow a full day to wander the sassi, and stay into the evening if you can, because the caves lit up at dusk are unforgettable.

What is the best day trip from Bari?

For sheer wow factor, Matera. For an effortless, purely car-free day, the coastal pairing of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli is hard to beat. If you want the trulli, Alberobello and the Valle d’Itria are the highlight, though they reward having a car. Honestly, you cannot go wrong, so pick by your interests and how much travel time you want.

Can you do day trips from Bari without a car?

Absolutely. The coastal towns, Trani, Ostuni, Lecce, Matera and even Alberobello and the Grotte di Castellana are all reachable by train or bus. The two trips where a car (or an organised tour) really helps are exploring the wider Valle d’Itria and reaching Castel del Monte, where public transport is patchy. For more ideas see our overview of day trips in Puglia, and if you are still en route, our guide to getting to Puglia and getting around once you are there.

Antonio Marchese · Founder & Puglia local
Raised in the province of Brindisi, 30 years in Puglia. About this site

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