Puglia & Matera / Best of Southern Italy
Choose your date:
May 7-14, 2025 – SOLD OUT
October 14-21, 2025 – 4 SPOTS OPEN
Arrive: Bari, Italy
Depart: Bari, Italy
Tour Group Size: 10 guests
8 Days / 7 Nights
$5450/Person (Add $600 supplement for private single room)
Included:
Travel
Complete ground transportation starting and ending in Bari, Italy.
Hotels
Seven nights accommodations, including 4 nights in historic Trulli resort rooms and 2 nights in premium 5 star cave hotel.
If you wish to share a room, we’ll do our best to find you a roommate.
Suites and balcony rooms may be available at extra cost, upon request.
Meals
All breakfasts, 3 dinners, 2 lunches
Workshop
Workshop tuition, including instruction in the field throughout the week and on-screen review where allowed by time and hotel space.
Not Included:
- Airfare
- Trip insurance (recommended)
*Also not included are crowds of tourists, slow moving tour guides and lectures on the history of plague 🙂
Call it a graduate course in Italy. Our tour of Puglia is for adventurers looking for something different and exciting. Located on the heel of the boot along the Adriatic Sea, the Puglia region remains largely undiscovered and holds a rawness and authentic experience for photographers.
PARTNERS ARE WELCOME! The warm climate, the delicious foods and fascinating history of this region make it a rich experience whether you’re photographing or not.
Meet us in Bari. Stay in beautifully restored Trulli houses and visit the Itria Valley with its charming hilltop villages and seascapes.
ACTIVITY LEVEL
This tour requires good fitness, as we’ll walk 2-3 miles per day in and around the towns we visit.
iPHONE FRIENDLY
Whether you’re new to photography or you’re a seasoned pro, this tour is designed to give you the instruction needed and to rock your portfolio. iPhon-ographers are welcome!
Tour Itinerary
We recommend arriving a day or two early to acclimate to the time zone and enjoy the historic city of Bari at your leisure.
Here are some hotel recommendations for your pro-workshop nights:
Hotel Oriente Bari – 4 star (this is hotel we’ll book for you on Day 1 of the workshop. If you book pre-workshop nights here you may need to change rooms on Day 1)
Hotel Boston – 3 star
Grande Albergo delle Nazioni – 5 star
Day 1 | Bari
Arrive by air or train to Bari.
Check in to our hotel in the historic center. At 4:00 meetup for introduction and a walkabout shoot in this lovely seaport city.
Welcome “aperativo” and dinner.
Overnight: Oriente Hotel
Days 2-3 | Hill towns and seascapes
Check in to our own private Masseria and stay in beautifully restored Trulli houses.
Sunrise on the Adriatic Coast and a visit to the seaside town of Polignano a Mare.
Visit fishermen in the tiny harbor of San Vito.
Picturesque harbors and seaside piazzas. We hope you like seafood!
Overnight: Masseria Aprile / Locorotondo
Trulli houses in Alberobello
Day 3-4 | Valle d’Itria
Slowly explore the historic Valle ‘Itria with its famous Trulli houses. Alberobello, Locorotondo, Cisternino and more.
Visit and photograph a small mozzarella producer, olive orchards, wildflowers and wonderful Pugliese cuisine.
Overnight: Masseria Aprile / Locorotondo
Day 5-6 | Matera
Stay in the historic heart of Matera, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
One of the most unique stays you’ll ever have, sleeping in a luxury cave hotel.
Overnight: Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, Matera
Day 7 | Workshop wrap-up
Another wonderful breakfast and restful morning in Matera.
We’ll review images and final editing methods.
Return to Bari mid-day. Book a departure flight after 3:00PM or reserve a hotel in Bari to wind down.
Extension / 4 nights
Lecce and the Ionian Sea Coast
Stay 4 nights in beautiful Lecce (called the Florence of the South).
Day trip to the fishing village of Gallipoli and charming hill towns of the Salento region. Make leisurely stops at unique beaches along the Ionian Coast with opportunities to photograph the unusual outcrops and formations.
Learn about the regional foods and wines of Salento and dine where the locals do for a real taste of Puglia’s coast.
Finish mid-day May 18th in Bari.
Workshop Sessions
On-screen reviews of participant images serve to inspire the group and give us a demonstrate Lightroom editing techniques. As our hotel facility allows, we try to have 3 or 4 short reviews.
In the field, we begin each day with a themed discussion and then allow the rest of the day for individual shooting. Our discussions center around finding more interesting compositions, perspectives and more dynamic light.
Gabriele Angelini
Host / Guide
Gabriele Angelini, professional photographer, publisher and licensed guide, will join us on this special tour.
Gabriele has great contacts in Puglia and introduces us to wonderful people and places Americans just can’t find on their own. He also anticipates all our travel needs as a group (i.e., restaurant reservations, ferry tickets, gelato, snacks for your room, etc.). This is your guarantee of a safe and smooth week of learning.
Randy Collier M.Photo., CR
Instructor / Randy Collier
Randy Collier, Master Photographer, Cr., will be the instructor for this tour. Randy has over 35 years experience as a professional photographer and gallery owner. He’s instructed with Italy Workshops for more than a dozen years. Randy is known for his kind, patient method of teaching and his deep knowledge of photography always draw rave reviews and returning guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Camera Should I Bring?
Any camera is acceptable, including smartphones. Automation for the beginner can make the trip fun and stress-free and, at times, increase creativity.
Should I Bring a Computer
Participants who are very comfortable with their computer are encouraged to bring it along. Editing your images during the week can enhance your learning experience. We currently use Adobe Lightroom CC for our on-screen reviews sessions. You will learn new LR editing methods and workflow shortcuts during classroom reviews and critique. Even if you’ve used Lightroom, we highly recommend brushing up before the workshop by watching the free tutorials available on Adobe.com.
If you are not fluent downloading and managing digital images, you might consider leaving the computer behind and just focusing on camera work. You can still submit images daily for review, and perhaps find more time to learn about your camera and develop a discerning eye. (Not to mention sleep happily while others are editing into the night)
Observer Participants may be beginner photographers, attending all instruction and field trips, but not required to submit photos for critique. This is a fun way to learn without pressure. You’ll still photograph the same things and we’ll still want to review your work on the back of your camera and offer individual instruction in the field.
All Skill Levels Are Welcome
Beginner and Intermediate Photographers
We enjoy helping you master those buttons and menus on your camera! Short, daily field lessons will tackle one technique at time. Further individual attention in the field helps you lock in the concepts.
Any camera is welcome (yes, even smartphones!).
Non-photographer partners are welcome to sit in on all discussions and participate at their own level of interest. (Beginners often make some of the best images we see!)
Advanced Photographers
As an advanced photographer you’ll be encouraged to:
- Build your portfolio, adding strong images every single day of the trip.
- Focus on style development, lighting and composition.
- Work in “concentrations” to produce a collection of work suitable for a gallery showing or book project.
You will return home with a body of work suitable for a gallery showing or book project that will express your personal style, as opposed to a random collection of travel photos.
Puglia Photo Tour Reviews
