Attending a Wedding in Puglia: The Complete Guest Travel Guide

Puglia is Italy's best-kept wedding secret — though it won't stay secret much longer. The heel of Italy's boot has everything a destination wedding demands: whitewashed towns, ancient olive groves stretching to the horizon, a coastline with some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean, and a food culture that rivals anywhere in Italy. The accommodation is extraordinary too: converted masserie (fortified farmhouses) and trulli (those iconic cone-roofed stone buildings) offer settings you simply cannot find anywhere else on earth.

For guests, Puglia is more accessible than you might expect — direct flights serve Bari and Brindisi from most major European cities. But the region is large, spread out, and distinctly rural. A little planning goes a long way. This guide covers how to get there, where to stay, how to navigate the region, and what to expect from a Puglian celebration.

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Getting to Puglia

Flying into Bari (BRI)

Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport is Puglia's main gateway, with direct flights from London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Munich, and many other European cities. The airport is compact and efficient — you can be in a taxi within 20 minutes of landing. Bari sits on the Adriatic coast roughly in the middle of Puglia, making it well-positioned for weddings across the region.

From Bari airport, the Itria Valley (Alberobello, Ostuni, Martina Franca, Locorotondo) — where many Puglia weddings take place — is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour by car. The Salento coast (Lecce, Otranto, Gallipoli) is further south, about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Flying into Brindisi (BDS)

Brindisi Airport is smaller but handles direct flights from many European hubs, particularly during the summer season. Brindisi is the better choice if the wedding is in the southern half of Puglia — it's closer to Lecce (30 minutes) and the Salento coast, and about 45 minutes to the Itria Valley from the south. Choose whichever airport has the better flight for your route.

Via Rome or Naples

If you can't find a convenient direct flight, Rome Fiumicino connects to Bari by high-speed train in about 4 hours, and Naples connects in about 3.5 hours. Both routes are served by Trenitalia's Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains, which are comfortable and modern. This option adds time but gives you more flight choices and the possibility of a stopover in Rome or Naples.

For detailed airport guides and booking strategies, see our complete Italy transport guide.

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Where to Stay

Puglia's accommodation is one of its greatest attractions. Nowhere else in Italy — arguably nowhere else in Europe — can you stay in a converted 16th-century fortified farmhouse surrounded by olive groves, or sleep under the cone-shaped stone roof of a trullo that's been standing for 400 years. The region's unique building traditions create accommodation experiences that are genuinely unlike anything else.

Masserie: Puglia's Signature Stays

A masseria is a traditional Puglian fortified farmhouse — originally working agricultural estates, now often converted into hotels, restaurants, or wedding venues (sometimes all three). They range from rustic and simple to world-class luxury properties. Many wedding venues in Puglia are masserie, so there's a good chance the celebration itself will be at one.

If the wedding venue offers guest accommodation, book it immediately. Staying on-site at a masseria — swimming in the pool before the ceremony, walking to dinner through olive groves, breakfasting together the morning after — is an integral part of the Puglia wedding experience.

Expect to pay: €100–€200/night for a well-restored masseria with pool. Premium properties with luxury amenities run €200–€500+/night.

Trulli

The trulli of the Itria Valley — particularly concentrated around Alberobello (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) — are Puglia's most distinctive architectural feature. These small, circular stone buildings with conical roofs were originally agricultural shelters; today, many have been converted into guest accommodation ranging from simple holiday rentals to beautifully designed boutique stays.

Staying in a trullo is a memorable experience, but be aware that they're compact. Original trulli were not designed for modern comfort — ceilings can be low, rooms small, and the thick stone walls that keep them cool in summer also make them dark. The best trullo accommodation has been sensitively restored with modern bathrooms and good beds while retaining the character. Expect to pay: €80–€180/night.

Where to Stay by Wedding Area

• Itria Valley (Alberobello, Ostuni, Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Cisternino): The heart of Puglia's wedding country. Ostuni — the "White City" — is the most popular base, with a wide range of accommodation, excellent restaurants, and a dramatic hilltop old town of whitewashed buildings. Locorotondo is smaller, quieter, and beautifully circular (as its name suggests). Cisternino is the food lover's choice — the local butchers' shops serve grilled meat in the evening that draws people from across the region.
• Lecce: The "Florence of the South" — a baroque masterpiece of a city with an extraordinary concentration of ornate churches, palaces, and piazzas. Lecce is the best base for weddings in the Salento and offers the widest range of accommodation, restaurants, and nightlife in Puglia. €80–€200/night for central hotels and B&Bs.
• Polignano a Mare: A dramatic coastal town built on limestone cliffs above the Adriatic, famous for its sea caves and the cliff-edge restaurant Grotta Palazzese. A spectacular base for weddings on Puglia's central coast. €100–€250/night.
• Monopoli: A working fishing town with a beautiful old port, less touristy than Polignano, and excellent value. A strong choice for coast-based weddings. €70–€150/night.

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Getting Around Puglia

A rental car is strongly recommended. Puglia is a large, spread-out region, and many wedding venues — particularly masserie in the countryside — are not served by public transport. The roads are generally good, flat (Puglia is Italy's flattest region), and far less stressful to drive than the Amalfi Coast or Tuscan hill roads. Parking is readily available in most towns.

Without a car, you're limited to towns with train stations (Bari, Lecce, Ostuni, Martina Franca) and reliant on taxis for the last stretch to rural venues. Taxis in rural Puglia are not abundant — you cannot simply flag one down. Pre-booking is essential.

For the wedding day: even if you have a rental car, arrange a taxi or transfer for the evening. Puglian wedding celebrations run late, the wine and limoncello flow freely, and driving dark country roads after midnight is not advisable.

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What to Wear

Puglian weddings tend toward relaxed elegance — more informal than a Lake Como villa wedding, but still a dressed-up occasion. The setting often influences the tone: a masseria surrounded by olive groves invites a slightly different wardrobe than a rooftop terrace in Ostuni's old town.

For Women

Flowing fabrics work beautifully in Puglia — the light, the landscape, and the warm evenings all suit lighter, more relaxed silhouettes. A midi dress in a breathable fabric is the most versatile choice. Puglia is hot in summer — daytime temperatures regularly exceed 35°C — so comfort matters. Shoes should be flat or low-heeled: masseria courtyards are often gravel or rough stone, and Ostuni's old town is steep cobblestones.

For Men

A lightweight suit — linen, cotton, or a blend — in lighter colours (stone, sand, light blue, light grey) suits the Puglian aesthetic perfectly. A dark wool suit will be punishingly hot. Smart chinos with a blazer can work for more casual celebrations. As always in Italy, shoes matter: clean, polished, appropriate to the occasion.

Essential: sunscreen, sunglasses, and something to cover your shoulders if the ceremony is outdoors. The southern Italian sun is fierce, and there is often little shade at outdoor venues.

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Puglian Wedding Customs

Puglia has some of the strongest food traditions in Italy — and at a Puglian wedding, food takes centre stage in a way that even Tuscan weddings can't quite match. Expect:

• Antipasti that could be a meal: A Puglian wedding antipasto spread is legendary. Burrata, fresh focaccia, local salumi, grilled vegetables, marinated seafood, taralli (savoury biscuits), and local olive oil that's rich enough to drink. Do not fill up here — there are many courses to come.
• Orecchiette: The region's signature pasta — small, ear-shaped, and typically served with cime di rapa (turnip tops) or a slow-cooked meat ragù. At a wedding, it's usually handmade on-site.
• Bomboniere and confetti: Traditional wedding favours with sugared almonds, presented to each guest. A lovely tradition and a keepsake to take home.
• Late nights: Puglian wedding celebrations run late — dancing, music, and food continuing well past midnight. The tradition of the tarantella — a fast, spinning folk dance — often makes an appearance, and guests are expected to join in.
• Gifts: Cash gifts in a sealed envelope (busta) are traditional and preferred. The couple will usually have a designated box or trusted family member to receive them.

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Extending Your Trip

Puglia rewards exploration far beyond the wedding weekend. A few extra days lets you discover a part of Italy that most international visitors haven't yet found.

• Lecce: Italy's most underrated city. The baroque architecture is extraordinary — every church facade, every palazzo, every courtyard is a masterclass in carved limestone. The food scene is excellent and the prices are a fraction of Florence or Rome.
• The Salento coast: South of Lecce, the coastline becomes wild, rocky, and stunningly beautiful. Otranto, with its cathedral mosaics and castle, is the standout. The sea here is Caribbean-clear.
• Matera: Technically in neighbouring Basilicata (about an hour from Bari), this ancient cave city — the Sassi di Matera — is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary places in southern Europe. Cave hotels here are a unique experience.
• Food tours: Puglia produces more olive oil than any other region in Italy. Tours of working olive oil mills, visits to artisan pasta makers, and explorations of Cisternino's famous butcher-shop restaurants are all worthwhile.

Explore our curated collection of Puglia wedding venues — from Valle d'Itria masserie to dramatic coastal estates — to see what draws couples to Italy's south.