Transmurgiana: cycling in the heart of Apulia! (3 days Guided)

Guided Bike trip

Every Friday on April, May, June, September, October (in March and November on demand).
3 days
A partire da:
380,00 

Only with us, you can cycle through the Alta Murgia National Park (Puglia), the only pseudo-steppe in the Italian mainland and aspiring UNESCO Global GeoPark!

  • Immerse yourself in the wilderness of  that Alta Murgia National Park
  • Meet the locals
  • Learn to cook Italian food
  • Discover an unconventional, amazing Puglia, far from the usual itineraries

Fill your eyes with the dazzling colors of the blooms and let yourself be inebriated by the sweet scents of the thousands of spontaneous plants… if you love nature, undiscovered itineraries and dreamy natural landscapes, this is the trip for you!!!

 

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Features of the track

Road surface: you can choose whether you want to experience the 3-day guided Transmurgiana on the dirt route with an Electric Mountain Bike (E-MTB)  or on mainly asphalt roads with very little traffic that can be pedaled comfortably with a Hybrid Bike (ROAD).

Our guided tours start on Fridays from April until the end of October.

When choosing the departure date from the booking form, check if MTB or ROAD is indicated next to the date, to choose the type of route you like best!

Length of daily itineraries: 50 km

Ask for an e-bike.

Technical organization: AuthenticPugliaTours.
For travel terms & conditions click here.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE GUIDED VERSION:

  • 2 overnights1 in Glamping bell tent and 1 in Agriturismo.
  • 1 cooking class using a camping kitchen.
  • The food shopping for the cooking class
  • 1 picnic and 2 typical products tastings.
  •  Nature guide as Tour Leader for the whole trip (AIGAE certified).
  •  Second Guide following (from 11 participants upwards).
  • Luggage transfer (you will cycle without your luggage and you will find them at the accommodation).
  • Guided tours: Underground Gravina in Puglia, Castel del Monte from the outside. During the trip, the guide will tell you all about the area.

The Guided  version of Transmurgiana will be confirmed upon reaching the minimum number of 10 people booking

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED IN THE GUIDED VERSION:

  • Anything not explicitly specified in the “what’s included” section

OPTIONS:

  • HYBRID BIKE RENTAL: € 50
  • E-BIKE RENTAL€ 70
  • PANNIER RENTAL:  € 25,00 (each)
  • HELMET RENTAL: € 10,00
  • Single room supplement: € 30,00 per night

• FIRST DAY OVERNIGHT IN BARI OR MATERA (€ 50 more on the travel fee, in a double or triple room)
• ADDITIONAL FINAL OVERNIGHT IN RUVO DI PUGLIA OR TRANI (€ 50 more on the travel fee, in a double or triple room)

If you are interested in one or all the options, specify it in the SPECIAL REQUEST section, in the registration form, accessible by clicking on BOOK NOW!

WHAT TO DO IN THE OPTIONAL DAY in Bari or Matera
Independent arrival in Matera (you can easily take a train from Bari that will take you to Matera in 1 hour and a half), or you can decide to spend the first night in Bari.
Accommodation and relax. If you want you can ask us for a guided tour of the Sassi or of the Bari historic center
MATERA: Did you know that Matera is one of the oldest cities in the world? It has been constantly inhabited from prehistoric times to the present day. Today this small center of Basilicata region is rich in cultural ferment and, despite the world media prominence derived by the Hollywood productions that have chosen it as a location, it remains a sincere city, inhabited by simple people who know how to welcome visitors with incredible generosity.

BARI: Walking around the historic center of Bari you will immediately connect with the “Apulian”, their ways of doing things and gesturing their gastronomic habits, and the historic charm of their origins.

Every Friday on April, May, June, September, October (in March and November on demand).

DAY 1
Gravina in Puglia – Altamura

Meeting with the guide at the Gravina in Puglia station, bike delivery and… let’s go!

Our travel menu today proposes the first course to lick your mustache:

  • we will ride our bikes towards the base camp, set up at the Fattoria della Mandorla, they are the first vegan almond-based cheeses producers worldwide;
  • we will discover the fascinating city of Gravina in Puglia and its underground city (La Gravina Sotterranea), and then we will start our food shopping in town;
  • we will jump to the city of Altamura, one of the most important centers of the National Park, with its imposing Apulian Roman Cathedral built by Emperor Federico II. The historic center is made up of an intricate maze of alleys and “claustri” (small squares);
  • we will visit the craft workshop of our partner “Pecore Attive” where we will discover the secrets of sheep wool processing;
  • we will continue our shopping at one of the many ovens known all over the world for the famous DOP Altamura bread production;
  • Leaving the urban center we will continue towards the Pulo di Altamura, one of the most important geosites of the National Park. You may be wondering: what is Pulo? When you see it, you will immediately think of the huge crater of a meteorite, but no! We don’t anticipate anything, you will enjoy the discovery!
  • Pic nic looking this panoramic place;
  • in the afternoon we will arrive at the campsite;
  • We will prepare the dinner with the camping kitchens, using the ingredients purchased along the way; of course, you will be guided by a food and wine expert, it will be a perfect cooking class, but in nature!

Technical details on the first day’s ride.
Distance 43.37 km
Positive difference in height 390 m
Positive difference in height: 552 meters
Overnight: Glamping bell tent (equipped bed with sheets, blankets and towels included)

DAY 2
Altamura – Poggiorsini

On this day the second course of the travel menu includes:

  • visit to our Partners in Masseria La Calcara, where we will take our packed lunch based on local products and we will let you explain how the “sheep knots” are prepared (delicious intertwined mozzarella);
  • riding towards the “little brother” of the Pulo di Altamura: The Pulicchio of Gravina, on a super wild itinerary! Arrived on the edge of the Murgia plateau, we will descend into a wooded canyon, into the Bradano Valley, to reach the little town of Poggiorsini;
  • In Poggiorsini we will meet a beer producer and we will taste the craft beer of “Birrificio degli Ostuni”;
  • Later we will move towards the “invisible” Castle of the Garagnone; why invisible? You will be in a mystical and ancient place. Follow our story you will see what is no longer there…

The next step of the ride will be the Agriturismo Coppa, where we will have dinner and spend the night.

Technical details on the second-day ride.
Length: 80 km
Positive difference in height: 715 meters

DAY 3
Castel del Monte – Ruvo di Puglia

The third course of the travel menu includes a ride on the First Cycle Route of the National Park, visiting an ancient necropolis and the most famous manor in Puglia: Castel del Monte, UNESCO site.

Optionally if the group wishes we can do 25 km more to visit the Bauxite Mines.

From the Castle we will move downhill through the countryside, between vineyards and orchards, arriving to the city of Ruvo di Puglia, where we will stop for a wine tasting in the vineyard to conclude the Transmurgiana with a final food&wine tasting. From Ruvo you can take a direct train to the Bari airport or to Bari Central Station.

Those who want can option an additional overnight stay in the beautiful city of Ruvo di Puglia or continue the ride independently to the coast, reach the city of Trani and spend there the overnight. (Trani is very well connected with Bari).

Technical details on the third-day ride.
Length: 52 km
Positive difference in height: 310 meters

Guided Bike trip

Every Friday on April, May, June, September, October (in March and November on demand).
3 days
A partire da:
380,00 

Fill in the fields in the form and submit your request.