Italy · Heritage Walks

7-Hour Salento and Gallipoli Tour with Byzantine Heritage

7 Hours Round trip from 73010 Soleto Moderate pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Visit the Byzantine St. Stephen Church in Soleto
02 Admire St. Catherine Basilica and its stunning fresco cycle
03 Discover St. Paul Chapel and the story of the Tarantate
04 Explore the island of Gallipoli and its historic centre

Many visitors come to Salento to visit Lecce and its beautiful beaches, but this part of Italy is so much more. Discover the many traces of Byzantine culture in the amazing St. Stephen Church in Soleto, an extraordinary witness to the Greek background of this part of Apulia and its unique small historic centre. The visit to St. Catherine Basilica will amaze you, with its stunning fresco cycle second only to the one in Assisi. You will also hear about the famous "Taranta" dance before exploring Gallipoli and its island, known as "the pearl on the Ionian coast."

We will explore the beautiful small Church of St. Stephen, full of Byzantine frescoes, the Orsini Steeple, and the beautiful narrow streets of the historic centre.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Hours

Tour type Shared

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Not included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Lecce, Gallipoli

Languages English, French

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Soleto, Galatina and Gallipoli Discovery

The tour begins with a visit to Soleto. We will explore the beautiful small Church of St. Stephen, full of Byzantine frescoes, the Orsini Steeple, and the beautiful narrow streets of the historic centre.
Then we head by car to Galatina and stop at Pasticceria Ascalone, where the Pasticciotto cake was invented.
Enjoy a guided tour of the beauties of Galatina and its wonderful historic centre, where St. Catherine Basilica is located - second only to the one in Assisi because of its frescoes from the 13th century - along with St. Paul Chapel, famous for the phenomenon of the Tarantate, and the Mother Church.
There will be a lunch break by the sea before visiting Gallipoli in the afternoon.
Take a walking tour through the narrow, winding streets of the historic centre of this seaside town, situated on a rock in the sea and filled with wonderful churches such as St. Agatha, Purity, and St. Francis, as well as monuments in the "Gallipolino" Baroque style.