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Visit Bari: your guide to Bari, Italy

Old town alleys, seafront walks, focaccia and day trips across Puglia: everything you need to plan your stay in Bari.

Bari is the capital of Puglia, the region that forms the heel of Italy’s boot. It is a working port city of around 300,000 people on the Adriatic Sea, with an international airport and a central station that connects it to the rest of the region. Many travellers pass through on their way to the trulli of Alberobello or the Sassi of Matera. The ones who stay a few days usually find it hard to leave.

This Bari travel guide is written by people who live and work in the city. It gives you a quick, honest overview and points you to the local businesses we know.

What Bari is like

Bari has two very different hearts that sit side by side.

  • Bari Vecchia, the old town, is a tight maze of white stone alleys, churches and courtyards on a small peninsula. Neighbours still chat from their doorsteps, and pasta dries on trays in the street. This is where you will find the Basilica of San Nicola, the Cathedral of San Sabino and the Swabian castle.
  • Murat, the 19th-century grid next door, is the modern centre. It has long straight streets, shops, cafĂ©s, the Teatro Petruzzelli and the pedestrian Via Sparano.

Tying them together is the lungomare, a long seafront promenade where the whole city goes for an evening walk.

Why visit Bari

  • Food. Bari is one of the best street food cities in Italy: focaccia barese, panzerotti, sgagliozze (fried polenta) and very fresh raw seafood.
  • A living old town. Bari Vecchia is not a museum. People really live here, and that is its charm.
  • A base for Puglia. Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Alberobello, Matera and the Castellana Caves can all be visited as day trips.
  • Easy logistics. The airport is close to the city, and the main sights are walkable from the centre.
  • Sea all year. Even in winter you can walk along the water and eat by the port.

Our English guides

Start with the guide that fits your trip:

  • Things to do in Bari: the old town, the Basilica of San Nicola, the castle, the seafront, the orecchiette ladies and the beaches.
  • Where to eat in Bari: what to order and our partner restaurants, bakeries and cafĂ©s.
  • Where to stay in Bari: which neighbourhood to choose and partner hotels, B&Bs and apartments.
  • Shopping in Bari: the main shopping streets and where to buy ceramics, olive oil, wine and local crafts.
  • Day trips from Bari: Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, Matera, Monopoli, Ostuni and the Valle d’Itria.

Browse our full listings

Each guide links to our full directories. These are the complete lists of places we work with:

How this site works

Visita Bari is an Italian website, run in Bari by MEV Srls. These English pages give you a starting point. The listings and the events calendar are written in Italian.

To read them in English, use the language selector at the bottom left of the screen. It translates the listings, the partner cards and the events calendar automatically, so you can switch the whole site into your language.

In the listing pages you can also use filters to narrow your search. For example, you can show only places that are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, pet-friendly or family-friendly. Each partner card shows the address, the main features and links to the business’s own website or social channels.

A practical note: opening hours, prices and timetables change, especially with the seasons. Always check them directly with the business or the transport operator before you go.

Quick tips for your first day

  • Walk from the Teatro Petruzzelli along Corso Vittorio Emanuele to Piazza del Ferrarese, then lose yourself in Bari Vecchia.
  • Have a slice of focaccia in the old town for a mid-morning snack.
  • Visit the Basilica of San Nicola, then walk down to the Arco Basso area to see fresh orecchiette being made.
  • Finish at sunset on the seafront, then go to dinner.

Enjoy Bari. If you are planning your stay, a good next step is our guide to the best things to do in Bari.

Read our latest Bari guides

All our English articles are collected in the Bari Travel Guide section.