FAQs - Tours

general

  • Our tours are for discerning travellers wanting to immerse themselves in the local culture and lifestyle. Travellers who value authenticity, exclusivity and a sense of community.

  • Tours are designed by Chiara, who pours her passion for her region into each itinerary. She focuses on the lesser-known areas of Puglia and emphasises the connection with the local community through food, culture, and traditions.

    Chiara will lead the tours herself, eager to share her local insights and the places close to her heart with you. She will connect you with the local community and her close network, allowing you to immerse yourself in the true Southern lifestyle. Should unforeseen circumstances arise, a substitute tour leader will be nominated to ensure the same knowledge, experience, and quality are delivered.

  • To ensure every guest enjoys an enriching experience, our tours are intimate and exclusive, catering to groups of 4 to 12 people. This allows for deeper connections, more immersive adventures, and unparalleled access to local insights.

  • Our tours are designed for an adult audience. Should you wish to include a young person in your party, they must be at least 16 years old, and you will be fully responsible for their conduct and well-being. Please note that the legal drinking age in Italy is 18 years old; consequently, individuals under 18 will not be served alcohol at any time during the tour.

  • As the tour includes walking excursions, a reasonable level of fitness is required to comfortably participate and enjoy the experience. Many historic city centres feature cobblestone streets and occasional inclines, which may require extra care while walking.

  • We understand the excitement of visiting new places, and we encourage you to fully immerse yourself in the present moment to truly savour the experience with all your senses.

    If you wish to take photos or videos during our visits to private estates, please ask us beforehand so we can ensure the host's consent.

    As we introduce you to cherished locations, including quaint villages, private estates, and hidden gems, we kindly request that you respect our hosts and the local community by limiting online sharing when needed.

    As locals, we are committed to sustainable tourism practices and strive to avoid contributing to over-tourism. We also deeply value the privacy of our hosts, who often open their estates exclusively for our tours.

  • While our tours warmly welcome all travellers eager to discover Puglia, we believe that tailored itineraries offer travel bloggers and influencers the opportunity to truly maximise their visit. We are enthusiastic about crafting a personalised itinerary that perfectly aligns with your interests and objectives.

    During our tours, we kindly ask guests to be considerate of online sharing, as outlined in our previous answer, to respect the privacy of our hosts and uphold sustainable tourism practices.

accommodations & Transport

  • Curated boutique accommodations are one of our trademarks. Our accommodations include stylish masserie (traditional farms transformed to combine their original charm with modern luxury), aristocratic and noble estates such as castles and palaces, ancient residences of the upper class, and historic monastic and ecclesiastical estates thoughtfully transformed into guest accommodations. Each of these showcases Puglia's past, history, and tradition.

  • Each room will accommodate from a minimum of one guest to a maximum of two.

    Most of our rooms are double (with a queen or king bed). These can be booked for single use, should you travel solo. 

    Twin bedrooms are at times available. Please consider that the most of twin bedrooms in our selected boutique accommodations are composed of a queen or king bed and a sofa bed or a single bed.

  • Usually, you will be staying at 2 or 3 different accommodations during the duration of our tour. Check the itinerary brochure to know the exact number for your tour.

  • We select different accommodations for your stay to enhance your experience. The vast size of Puglia (a 5-hour driving distance from the northern town to the southern end and a surface area of 19,345 square kilometres) would require long driving distances if we were to select only one accommodation as our base to explore the region, which we want to avoid to provide the best experience.

    In addition, staying at different properties allows you to experience the various facets of Puglia. When possible, we try to mix the types of accommodations you stay in (from farmhouses to aristocratic estates) so you can discover different aspects of the regiorn.

  • In most cases, the distances between the locations we visit are between 15 minutes to approximately 1 hour. We design our itineraries trying to ensure that transport times between each location do not exceed 1.5 hours.

Cuisine

  • Overall, Puglia cuisine is focused on carbohydrates such as pasta and bread, a wide variety of vegetables, dairy such as milk and cheese, meat including sheep, lamb and pork, fish, shellfish and molluscs, a variety of desserts (e.g. confectionaries made with almonds and nuts, shortcrust pastries with a flavoured custard etc.) and wine.

  • A significant portion of our tours revolves around traditional food experiences.

    We do our best to cater to everyone’s needs as much as the local cuisine allows. As we want to ensure everyone has a pleasant experience, please get in touch with us to confirm that our partners can cater to your specific dietary needs.

Pricing & Payment

  • For a complete and detailed view of the tour inclusions, please refer to the tour itinerary brochure. 

    A standard tour usually includes:

    • Accommodations;

    • Activities listed on the tour itinerary;

    • Meals listed on the tour itinerary;

    • Pick-up from the Airport indicated on the tour itinerary and drop-off at the first accommodation;

    • Group pick-up from the last accommodation and group drop-off at the Airport indicated on the tour itinerary;

    • City-guided tours as listed on the tour itineraries;

    • Luxury van and driver as per itinerary.

  • The following are not included in any of our tours:

    • Any international airfare or domestic travel to and from the tour start and departure point;

    • Travel Insurance;

    • Activities not indicated on the trip itinerary;

    • Entry to churches, museums and other points of interest not listed on the tour itinerary;

    • Additional hotel charges such as room service, hotel bar tabs and laundry;

    • Food and beverages are not included in our itinerary;

    • Food and beverages consumed in addition to the food and beverages included in the meals provided;

    • Expenses you will incur during your free time;

    • Anything not indicated as included on the itinerary.

  • A 30% deposit per person is required within 7 days (unless otherwise stated) of us accepting your booking.

  • Payment in full must be received no less than 120 days before commencement of your trip. Some trips or particular arrangements may require payment earlier or in additional instalments and this will be advised with the booking confirmation.

Documentation

  • The documentation required to enter Italy varies according to your country of origin:

    • for EU citizens and citizens of countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement, a valid identity card is sufficient as an alternative to a passport;

    • Citizens from non-EU countries may enter Italy with a passport valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the Schengen Area (For your travel convenience, Tales of Puglia advises ensuring your passport has at least six months of validity remaining).

      Source: Ministry of Tourism Official Website https://www.italia.it/en

  • Depending on your country of origin, you may require a visa to enter Italy. You can request a visa from the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence and it will generally be issued after 90 days. To find out which countries require a visa to enter Italy, please visit esteri.it.

    Source: Ministry of Tourism Official Website https://www.italia.it/en

    Citizens from the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand are currently not required to have a visa for stays in Italy of under 90 days for tourism reasons.

    This is likely to change when the new ETIAS system is implemented in Europe. We recommend you regularly check the Italian Minister of Tourism website and the ETIAS website to be up to date for your travel.

  • Yes, you do. It is a condition of your booking that you are adequately insured for the duration of your trip. We recommend comprehensive travel insurance to cover cancellation, medical requirements, luggage, personal property, illness and other unforeseen events, additional expenses and cancellation and rescheduling risks associated with Force Majeure events. The choice of insurer is yours. We strongly suggest you purchase insurance at the time you pay your deposit. This is because cancellation fees are payable from that time.

Before departure

  • A few weeks prior to the tour, Chiara and the tour guests will all meet online. This is an occasion to get to know each other, ask questions, and chat about the tour in more detail.

  • Before departure, we will provide you with the full itinerary, including a detailed schedule, the places we will be visiting, and the accommodations where we will be staying.

    We will also provide recommendations for things to do in your free time, a list of restaurants and cocktail bars, and some readings to help you become familiar with the region.

Private tours and Bespoke Itineraries

  • If you wish to extend your stay in Puglia or explore other regions in Italy, we're here to help make it happen. Contact us, and we will assist you by creating an itinerary that includes our tour and allows you to discover other areas as well.

  • Yes, we can. Whether you would like to replicate the itinerary of one of our existing tours or ask us to create your own tour itinerary, we can craft and lead it for a minimum of 6 guests and a maximum of 12.

Women-focused tours

  • Women often have unique travel preferences and priorities, from safety to shared interests. At Tales of Puglia, our women-focused tours are designed to create a welcoming space where women can connect, explore, grow and uplift one another in a relaxed and authentic setting. 

    We believe in the power of shared experiences, meaningful community, and the joy of traveling in a supportive and inspiring environment.

  • At Tales of Puglia, our women-focused tours are designed to bring together a community of women who seek connection, adventure, and shared experiences in a supportive and uplifting space.

    We warmly welcome all who identify as women as our tours foster meaningful connections.

  • We understand that comfort and privacy are important, and we want all our guests to feel at ease during their journey with us.

    Our women-focused tours include single private rooms as standard. However, if you’re travelling with a friend and would prefer to share a room, we’re happy to accommodate this request wherever availability allows.

  • While these tours are open to all individuals who identify as women, the suppliers and service providers we work with may identify as men, as another gender, or may choose not to use any gender or sexuality label.

Should you have any further questions, please contact us or view our T&Cs.