Full-day Gallipoli tour from Lecce: Beaches, wine, baroque towns

Seven hours crossing the Salento peninsula: baroque churches, a tarantula legend, and the Ionian Sea

A full-day guided tour from Lecce to Gallipoli, Galatina and the Ionian coast, with an air-conditioned vehicle, a live guide in English or Italian, and independent time to visit baroque basilicas, swim at Rivabella beach and walk Gallipoli's narrow streets. Wine tasting at a local cellar is optional (€30–40 per person, closed Sundays). If you skip it or it's unavailable, the time goes to beaches or Nardò's historic center instead.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Salento towns and coast

• Transfer from Lecce to Galatina
• Visit Baroque church of San Pietro
• See chapel of San Paolo and well
• Taste local pastries, including Pasticciotto
• Walk through Galatina old town
• Visit Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
• Optional wine tasting in Nardò winery
• Or visit Nardò historic center
• Transfer along Ionian coast via Santa Maria al Bagno
• Stop at Rivabella beach for swimming
• Free time in Gallipoli historic center
• Walk castle walls and enjoy local food

The experience

The route starts with a 30-minute transfer to Galatina, where you'll have free time to explore the late Romanesque Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, built in 1390 and filled with frescoes from the Giotto school: the second-richest cycle of its kind in Italy after the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi. Nearby stands the small chapel of San Paolo, built over a well that local tradition credits with healing people bitten by the tarantula spider. The town's connection to this legend gave rise to the folk dance Pizzica. You can also stop at one of Galatina's pasticcerie to taste the Pasticciotto, a local pastry that has been made there for generations.

The tour then heads toward the Ionian coast, passing Santa Maria al Bagno (a beach town with restaurants overlooking the sea), and the four towers built in Aragonese times to guard a freshwater source. A stop at Rivabella beach puts you in a pine forest where you can reach both a free beach and private lidos. Bring a swimsuit and towels if you want to swim. After that comes Gallipoli itself, the "Ionian pearl," split between a modern city and a historic center on a small island connected by a bridge ending at the oldest Greek fountain in Italy. You'll have free time to walk the narrow streets lined with local craft shops, baroque churches and aristocratic palaces, or sit by the sea with a drink or a Puccia sandwich filled with seafood.

Wine tasting is optional and happens at one of the region's important cellars in Nardò, where you choose between three, four or five glasses paired with appetizers, cheese or cold cuts (€30–40 per person, advance booking required, closed Sundays and subject to availability). If you don't do the tasting or the cellar is unavailable, those hours shift to extra time at the beaches, Nardò's medieval center with its 11th-century cathedral and baroque buildings, or wherever you prefer. The tour is private to your group with a flexible schedule, and the vehicle is air-conditioned.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle.
• live guide in English or Italian.
• pickup from Lecce.
• independent visits to Galatina's Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and the chapel of San Paolo.
• free time at Rivabella beach.
• free time to explore Gallipoli's historic center.
• wine tasting optional at a local cellar (€30–40 per person, advance booking required, closed Sundays).

Options for this experience

2 options

Available in English and Italian10:00Pickup is included

Italian-language tour10:30A guide who speaks Italian accompanies you and can converse in other languages through an online translator. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesSundayDepartures at 10:00 and 10:30

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (20 and older) · Youth (12 to 19 years) · Under 12: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by A casa delle Salentine

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a private vehicle to set your own pace across Salento's towns and coast. Skip the winery stop to swim or explore Nardò instead of Gallipoli.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

In English, at 10:00. In Italian, at 10:00 and 10:30.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 19 years). Under 12: they can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the drive from Lecce to Galatina?

The transfer takes 30 minutes. You'll stop near the main square so you can visit the Basilica of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and the chapel of San Paolo on your own.

What is the Tarantismo tradition in Galatina?

Galatina is known for the legend of a tarantula spider whose bite was said to be healed by a well in the chapel of San Paolo. This connection gave rise to esoteric ceremonies called Tarantismo and inspired the local folk dance Pizzica.

Can I swim during this tour?

Yes. You'll stop at Rivabella beach in a pine forest where you can access both a free beach and private lidos. Bring your swimsuit and towels if you want to go in the water.

What happens if I don't want the wine tasting?

If you skip the optional tasting or the winery is closed (it's shut on Sundays), the tour spends that time at the beaches, exploring Nardò's historic center with its medieval castle and baroque churches, or at another stop you prefer.

What can I do in Gallipoli's historic center?

Gallipoli's old town sits on a small island and is connected to the mainland by a bridge ending at the oldest Greek fountain in Italy. You'll have free time to walk narrow streets with local handicraft shops and baroque churches, sit on terraces by the sea, or try the Puccia sandwich, a local specialty filled with seafood.

Is lunch included in the tour?

Lunch is not included, but you'll pass Santa Maria al Bagno, a beach town with restaurants by the sea where you can stop to eat, and Gallipoli has cafés and food shops throughout the historic center.