Things to do in Bari
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bari
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring is a best window: long light, green countryside, best cycling and below summer prices.
Best beach plus city balance: warm sea, full lidos and boats, longest days, crowds still below August.
Hottest, fullest and priciest. Sightsee before 11am and after 5pm and book everything.
Connoisseur window: warmest sea in September, then golden light, harvest food and the Petruzzelli season returns.
City break Bari, not beach Bari. Boats stop, prices are lowest and the opera season is on.
What's on
- Festa di San Nicola 7-9 May
Historical cortege, the saint taken to sea and returned by flotilla, fireworks and street food in Vecchia.
- Ferragosto 15 August
Peak holiday: beach clubs sell out and some city businesses then close.
- Feast of St Nicholas 6 December
Dawn Masses, pilgrim hot chocolate breakfast, illuminations and Christmas lights.
Best things to do in Bari
Bari Vecchia
Get lost in the lived in old town lanes, courtyards and shrines, best early and again in the evening.
Basilica di San Nicola
Apulian Romanesque basilica holding the tomb of St Nicholas, where Catholic and Orthodox pilgrims pray side by side.
Strada delle Orecchiette
Watch women roll orecchiette by hand outside their homes and buy a bag to take home.
Bari street food walking tour
Guided old town tasting route linking focaccia, fried snacks, panzerotto, octopus sandwich and gelato to the sights.
Bari orecchiette cooking class
Hands on class for orecchiette technique, learned by thumb drag and correction, ending with the meal you made.
Teatro Petruzzelli
Lavish rebuilt opera house in Murat for opera, ballet and concerts, with a dressed up pre show passeggiata.
Castello Svevo di Bari
Norman and Frederick II fortress at the old town edge, valued for its walls, courtyards and setting.
Lungomare Nazario Sauro
Monumental seafront promenade past grand palazzi, at its best on the golden hour walk Bari itself takes.
Where to stay in Bari
Murat
first trip, all-round base
Elegant grid south of the old town, walkable to Vecchia and best for station day trips.
Bari Vecchia
atmosphere, short stays without a car
Stay among the lanes and pasta makers with every sight walkable, but expect noise and stairs.
Lungomare and Madonnella
sea views, light sleepers and families
Grand seafront rooms and the promenade outside, quieter at night than the old town.
Carrassi
budget base
Better value bed and breakfasts and real neighbourhood shops south of the station.
Palese
early flights and late arrivals only
Airport suburb with small hotels and a short rail ride to Centrale, not a sightseeing base.
Think twice about
- San Paolo
Distant estate district with no tourist infrastructure and petty crime concentrated there. Nothing to walk to at night.
- San Pio-Enziteto
Distant residential district with no tourist infrastructure and no reason for a visitor to base there.
- Japigia
Outer suburb far from the centre where safety guides advise caution. No tourist base there.
- Libertà
Daytime fine residential streets but quieter and less lit at night. Cheap listings there trade the saving for the late walk.
Best restaurants in Bari
La Bul
Bari's most serious tasting menu, Puglian ingredients with haute cuisine technique and strong wine pairings.
Ristorante Biancofiore
Polished seafood fine dining by the old town entrance, from crudo to fresh pasta in an open kitchen room.
Al Pescatore
Famous seafood trattoria by the castle for crudo, sea urchin linguine, fritto misto and whole fish.
Al Sorso Preferito
Birthplace of spaghetti all'assassina, charred in a cast iron pan with tomato broth and chilli.
La Tana del Polpo
Family run old town trattoria for octopus, above all the generous octopus sandwich and octopus assassina.
Antica Osteria Vini e Cucina
Generational old town osteria for home cooking, the place to order riso, patate e cozze tiella.
Panificio Fiore
Historic old town bakery and the focaccia barese benchmark, thick, golden and eaten warm by the slab.
Panificio Santa Rita
The other half of the focaccia argument, crisp outside and soft inside, worth trying on a second morning.
Outdoor things to do in Bari
Polignano a Mare boat tour
Small boat through sea caves with a swim stop and aperitivo, the best way to see the cliff town from the water.
Alberobello and Matera day tour from Bari
One long coach day tasting two UNESCO places, trulli in Alberobello and the Sassi cave city in Matera.
Alberobello, Monopoli and Polignano by train
Independent train circuit for the trulli town and two coast towns, with Monopoli the underrated harbour stop.
Sassi di Matera
Full day in the cave districts with a cave house, a rock church and dusk lights across the Sassi.
Grotte di Castellana
Vast cave system with the Grave chasm and White Cave, cool at midday and reliable in wet weather.
Valle d'Itria e-bike tour
Guided e-bike lanes between white villages past trulli and olive groves, with coffee and a masseria lunch.
San Domenico Golf
Seaside 18 hole course among ancient olives beside Borgo Egnazia, the nearest serious golf to Bari.
Acaya Golf Club
Second 18 hole resort course near Lecce, worth it only if touring south rather than as a Bari day trip.
Best hotels in Bari
Bra Hotel
Design boutique luxury in central Murat with contemporary rooms and a service led feel for couples.
Hotel Boston
Plain, well located central 3 star for Via Sparano and the station at a sensible Murat price.
Hotel Cristal
Functional station edge hotel chosen for price and train access rather than charm.
Hotel Excelsior Bari
Functional station edge hotel chosen for price and train access rather than charm.
JR Hotels Bari Grande Albergo delle Nazioni
Historic grand hotel on the seafront with sea views, rooftop pool and grande dame setting.
Mercure Villa Romanazzi Carducci
Garden resort style Mercure with pool and parking, the family and driver friendly mid range pick.
The Nicolaus Hotel
Large modern 4 star with gym and parking, good value for car based tours rather than old town evenings.
Palazzo Calò
Apartment stays inside a restored old town palazzo with kitchens and full Vecchia atmosphere.
Is Bari expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €75 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €155 a person |
| Splurge | €310 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Bari street food walking tour: a few days ahead
- Bari orecchiette cooking class: weeks ahead
- Teatro Petruzzelli: months ahead
- Polignano a Mare boat tour: a few days ahead
- Alberobello and Matera day tour from Bari: weeks ahead
- Grotte di Castellana: a few days ahead
- Torre Quetta: a few days ahead
- La Bul: weeks ahead
- Months ahead: Petruzzelli best seats and accommodation for the May and December San Nicola feasts and Ferragosto week.
- A week ahead in high season: cooking classes, the Alberobello and Matera bus, Polignano boats and La Bul and Biancofiore weekend dinners.
- A few days ahead: street food tours, weekend tables at Al Pescatore and La Tana del Polpo and Castellana cave slots in summer.
- No booking needed: churches, bakeries, Mastro Ciccio, Gentile, city beaches and regional trains.
Is Bari safe?
- Pickpockets work crowds, markets and station transport. Use a cross body zipped bag and keep wallets in a front pocket.
- In Vecchia after 11pm stick to lit, populated streets rather than deserted back alleys.
- Around the station after dark walk purposefully and take a taxi for more than a short walk.
- Use guarded parking in Matera, Alberobello and at beaches. Never leave anything visible in the car.
- Swim where locals swim and respect rough sea boat cancellations. Emergency number in Italy is 112.
Bari travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Grotta Palazzese restaurant in Polignano charges luxury prices for the cave. See the cave free from a boat and dine in Bari.
- Lama Monachile at noon in August is towel to towel. Go before 9am or swim from a boat.
- Front row restaurants on Piazza Mercantile and Piazza del Ferrarese charge premium prices. Drink there, dine two streets away.
- Tours promising Alberobello, Ostuni, Lecce and Polignano in one day sell bus windows. Good formats do two places properly.
- Pane e Pomodoro is a good free city beach, not brochure Puglia. Pay for a lido or take the train south for that.
- Crudo and whole fish are priced by weight. Ask the price when ordering to avoid bill shock.
- On cruise days Vecchia clogs from about 10am to 3pm. Do Murat and a long lunch then, and Vecchia early and late.
Getting around Bari: public transport and more
- Airport rail to Centrale takes about 20 minutes and is the default move. Taxi is about 25 to 30 euros, confirm the fare first.
- Walk the centre. Vecchia, Murat and the Lungomare are a 30 minute end to end city.
- Use Trenitalia for Polignano, Monopoli, Lecce and Trani and Ferrovie del Sud Est for Alberobello and Castellana. Validate paper tickets.
- Do not rent a car for Bari itself. Vecchia is a restricted zone with automatic fines and beach car parks are break in spots.
- Ride hail coverage is limited. Pre book a licensed taxi through your hotel for late nights.
Who Bari suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Bari your trip
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