Here’s a good way for first-time travelers to Puglia to enjoy an overview of the region’s historic and gastronomic highlights with the convenience of a group tour operated by a well-established company. Rick Steves’ popular Europe Through The Back Door 2009 tour program (www.ricksteves.com) features a shoulder-season itinerary that includes several stops in Puglia. The company’s “Best of South Italy in 13 Days” tour advertises that “We’ll meander through untouristed country, where the espresso pours thick and the mozzarella is fresh from the buffalo…” The land-only itinerary is scheduled to begin in Rome on April 13, May 11, May 18, June 8, Sept. 7, Sept. 14 and Oct. 12, making its way through Puglia and Basilicata and ending in Naples. The Puglia portion of the tour starts with an evening arrival in “seaside Vieste (in photo above) on the rugged Gargano Peninsula, one of the most beautiful areas of Southern Italy.” The group spends two nights in Vieste, including “a cruise (weather permitting) along the dramatic Gargano coast, admiring the hidden coves, sheer limestone cliffs, coastal rock formations and caves that make this dramatic coastline deservedly famous.” The next stop is “Alberobello, where cone-shaped, stone trulli houses await our exploration.” The tour is priced at $3,395 (plus air) per person and is limited to 24 to 28 travelers. For more information, see www.ricksteves.com.

Photo copyright © Fototeca ENIT/Vito Arcomano