Bari: Bike tour with pasta making & local lunch

Summary

Cycle Bari’s winding streets and share homemade pasta with locals

You’ll pedal through Bari’s lively old town with a local guide, explore historic sites like Swabian Castle and Basilica San Nicola, then learn to make orecchiette pasta in a real family kitchen. Taste your own creation over lunch with wine — an experience that feels more like visiting friends than taking a tour.

What’s the experience like?

We started right in the heart of Bari — I could hear someone arguing gently in dialect near Piazza del Ferrarese as we picked out our bikes. Our guide, Marco, had this way of waving at everyone like he’d known them forever. The air smelled faintly salty from the sea, mixed with coffee drifting out of a bar. We set off, weaving through alleys so narrow my handlebars nearly brushed the walls. At one point, a little kid darted past chasing a ball; his grandmother shouted after him but didn’t sound too worried.

I didn’t expect to feel so much history under my wheels — literally. Marco stopped us by a patch of ancient stones poking through the pavement (he said it was part of the old Via Appia–Traiana), and then pointed up at the Swabian Castle’s chunky towers. He told us stories about Norman kings and how the castle once guarded the city from pirates. I tried to imagine what it must’ve sounded like back then, but honestly all I could hear was someone frying onions nearby. The Basilica San Nicola was next — cool and echoey inside, with flickering candles and people crossing themselves quickly before heading out again.

The best bit? We parked our bikes outside a tiny doorway where Nonna Maria greeted us like we were cousins she hadn’t seen in ages. Her kitchen smelled like flour and tomato sauce — she showed us how to roll orecchiette with just our thumbs (mine looked more like little hats than ears). She laughed when I dropped one on the floor — “It happens,” she shrugged, handing me another piece of dough. Lunch was simple: our own pasta tossed with sauce, a glass of local red wine, bread that crackled when you tore it open. There was this moment where everyone went quiet except for forks scraping plates — I still think about that.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Bari Historic Sites Tour

• Visit Basilica of Saint Nicholas
• Explore Bari Cathedral and Succorpo
• Tour Swabian Castle
• Walk through Piazza Ferrarese
• See Piazza Mercantile and Palazzo Sedile

Top questions

Is this Bari bike tour suitable for beginners?

Yes, it’s suitable for all fitness levels and includes specialized infant seats if needed.

Does the tour include pasta making with locals?

Yes, you’ll learn to make pasta in a local home and enjoy it for lunch.

What sites do we visit during the bike tour?

You’ll see Piazza del Ferrarese, Swabian Castle, Basilica San Nicola, and parts of the old town.

Are bikes and helmets provided on this day trip?

Yes, bicycles and helmets are included for all participants.

Is lunch included on this Bari bike tour?

Yes, you’ll eat homemade pasta (that you prepare) plus wine in a family setting.

Can infants or small children join this experience?

Yes, infants can ride in prams or specialized seats available on request.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?

The experience takes place in all weather conditions.

What’s included

Your day includes use of bicycle and helmet throughout Bari’s old town, luggage storage if you need it, hands-on pasta making with a local host in her home kitchen, plus tasting your own fresh pasta over lunch with red wine before heading back into the city streets together.