How difficult is this tour?

Four riding days between 42 and 75 km, with 390 to 550 metres of climbing per stage on the published stage figures. The terrain is plateau rather than mountain: long gradual rises rather than steep ramps. Riders who cycle regularly manage it comfortably, and an e-bike is available if you would rather take the effort out of the climbs.

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts in Bari and finishes in Matera. The bike is delivered in Bari on day 2 and collected in Matera on day 5.

How do I reach Bari and get home from Matera?

Bari has an international airport with rail and bus links into the city. From Matera there are bus connections to Bari airport and to the railway network. Transfers are not included in the tour price but can be arranged on request.

Is the bike included in the price?

Yes. A trekking or gravel bike is included, together with helmet, lock, pannier bag, water bottle and repair kit. An e-bike is available for a supplement, as is a road bike.

What accommodation is used?

Two levels are available: B&Bs and 3-star hotels, or 4-star and 5-star hotels. All five nights include breakfast.

Is my luggage moved for me?

Yes. Your luggage is transferred from hotel to hotel each day, so you ride with only what you want on the bike.

You will receive access to the Roadbook for Discovery navigation app with the routes loaded, plus route notes. Telephone assistance from the local partner is available while you are riding.

When is the best time to ride this route?

Spring and early autumn give the most comfortable temperatures on the plateau. Midsummer on the Murgia is hot and exposed, with little shade between towns.

Alta Murgia Bike Tour: Bari to Matera

Alta Murgia, Puglia and Matera (Basilicata)

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from€825

Trekking bikeGravel BikeE-bikeRoad Bike6 days / 5 nights214 km4/5Medium-EasyLinear

Short Description

Between the Adriatic and the ravines of Basilicata lies a plateau most people cross without stopping. This short self-guided tour takes you straight into it. You will leave the sea behind at Bari, ride the cathedral towns of the coast as far as Trani, and then turn inland and climb onto the Alta Murgia, where pasture, olive groves and bare limestone stretch out under an enormous sky. The days that follow are the heart of the trip. You will reach Castel del Monte, the octagonal fortress that Frederick II set down alone on the plateau, and sleep within sight of it. You will cross the national park to Gravina in Puglia, a town balanced on the lip of its own ravine, honeycombed with caves that people lived in for centuries. You will climb to Altamura for its bread, then drop down into Matera and its Sassi. Four riding days, five nights, no repetition. Your luggage travels ahead of you, the routes are loaded on the navigation app, and the bike is yours for the week. It is the inland half of Puglia and Basilicata, ridden end to end, without the coastal miles you may already know.

Tour Program

Day 1: Bari - Arrival
You will arrive in Bari and settle into the city. The old town repays an afternoon on foot: the Basilica of San Nicola, the cathedral, and some of the finest Apulian Romanesque anywhere along these streets. Overnight stay in Bari.

Day 2: Bari - Trani (75 km; +390 m)
After the bike fitting and the briefing you will head out along a run of cathedral towns. Bitonto, Terlizzi and Ruvo di Puglia follow one another inland from the coast, each with its own Romanesque church. The day ends at Trani, on the water, where the cathedral stands almost in the sea and its bronze door carries thirty-two biblical panels. Overnight stay in Trani.

Day 3: Trani - Castel del Monte (47 km; +550 m)
You will turn inland through Andria and begin the climb onto the Alta Murgia National Park. Pasture gives way to olive, then to bare rock. At the top of the day stands Castel del Monte, the octagon Frederick II built alone on the plateau in the thirteenth century, visible for miles before you reach it. Overnight stay near Castel del Monte.

Day 4: Castel del Monte - Gravina in Puglia (50 km; +540 m)
A full day on the Murgia. Grassland broken by white rock, woods that change colour with the season, and old irrigation channels now running through cultivated fields. Gravina sits above its own ravine at the end of it, honeycombed with caves that were lived in for centuries. Overnight stay in Gravina in Puglia.

Day 5: Gravina in Puglia - Matera (42 km; +530 m)
You will climb to Altamura on its spur above the plateau, where the bread and the focaccia are worth the detour, then drop down into Matera. Your bike will be collected on arrival. The Sassi, carved into the rock and lived in for thousands of years, are yours for the evening. Overnight stay in Matera.

Day 6: Matera - Departure
Breakfast and end of services.

Tour details

LinearSelfguidedSolo travelersCouplesMinimum 1 personMinimum age 16 years

✅ What is included in the trip?

🏨 Overnight stay and breakfast
💼 Luggage transfer
📲 GPS or navigation APP
📞 Local telephone assistance 7/7
🧍‍♂️ Welcome briefing
🚲 Bike Rental
👜 Waterproof bike bag
💧Biodegradable water bottle

❌ What is not included?

🚎 Transfers not listed as Included
✈️ Journey to/from the starting point
🍽️ Meals and drinks not listed as Included
🖼️ Entrance fees and extras not listed
🛡️ Travel insurance
🌎 Tourist taxes

🙋 Common questions

How difficult is this tour?
Four riding days between 42 and 75 km, with 390 to 550 metres of climbing per stage on the published stage figures. The terrain is plateau rather than mountain: long gradual rises rather than steep ramps. Riders who cycle regularly manage it comfortably, and an e-bike is available if you would rather take the effort out of the climbs.
Where does the tour start and finish?
It starts in Bari and finishes in Matera. The bike is delivered in Bari on day 2 and collected in Matera on day 5.
How do I reach Bari and get home from Matera?
Bari has an international airport with rail and bus links into the city. From Matera there are bus connections to Bari airport and to the railway network. Transfers are not included in the tour price but can be arranged on request.
Is the bike included in the price?
Yes. A trekking or gravel bike is included, together with helmet, lock, pannier bag, water bottle and repair kit. An e-bike is available for a supplement, as is a road bike.
What accommodation is used?
Two levels are available: B&Bs and 3-star hotels, or 4-star and 5-star hotels. All five nights include breakfast.
Is my luggage moved for me?
Yes. Your luggage is transferred from hotel to hotel each day, so you ride with only what you want on the bike.
How do I navigate?
You will receive access to the Roadbook for Discovery navigation app with the routes loaded, plus route notes. Telephone assistance from the local partner is available while you are riding.
When is the best time to ride this route?
Spring and early autumn give the most comfortable temperatures on the plateau. Midsummer on the Murgia is hot and exposed, with little shade between towns.

📋💸 Cancellation fees

CANCELLATION PENALTIES

Article 10 of the General terms and conditions

• up to 30 days before departure - 10 % of the price

• 29 to 20 days before departure - 30 % of the price

• 19 to 10 days before departure - 50 % of the price

• 9 to 3 days before departure - 80 % of the price

• after this date - 100 % of the price

after departure - 100 % of the price.

The reference is to businnes days, excluded Saturday, public holidays, departure day and the Day in which the cancellation is communicated.

These conditions don’t apply to all the Services for which a different discipline of the penaltys is communicated during the preventive or confirmation phase. These services refer to particular plane tickets (special fares, instant purchase, low cost, etc…), services for particular events or Periode of time, frieses, luxury Resorts, etc…

For the previously made up groups the cancellation penalties will be carried out during the preventive phase and/or at the Moment of the travel confirmation.

No refund is provided in case travellers decide to interrupt their holiday or the stay already started.

Starting from

€825/ person

or €875

Available

21 Sept 2026 – 11 Oct 2026

Departures

Every day of the week

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Organized by

Apulia Bike Tours

This tour is provided by Apulia Bike Tours. Life on a Bike acts as an intermediary platform connecting you with independent tour operators. Learn more