1800 407 1970

discover & work in

Italy

Countries Visited

Italy

Places Visited

Rome and Polignano a Mare

Suggested Duration

14 Days

Best of Italy Workation Package: Rome and Polignano a Mare

Ancient ruins and a shimmering coastline are easy to view and visit during your 14-day Italy Workation that takes you to Rome and Polignano a Mare. The balance between work and life will become simple, easy, and enjoyable as you enjoy the surrounding atmosphere with bright new experiences. 

Highlights

What’s included

Accommodation with appraised working amenities
Great working wifi
Restaurants and activities that are vetted and recommended by locals
Guided tours
Tickets to museums when touring
Airport Transfers
Local knowledge and suggestions

Customizable itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Rome is the Eternal City, known for its fantastic historical layers that span the cobblestone streets, bordering architecture, and even the catacombs creating a labyrinth beneath the city grounds. When you land at the airport, a Workation representative will be waiting to greet you and lead you to your accommodations pre-screened for the amenities you need for a successful Workation experience. 

You may have time to enjoy your neighborhood after settling into your new space. You can get to know Rome by understanding the character of your district. If in Monti, you can find great connections to art and the bohemian charm of the cafes. The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is a treasure chest of classical art pieces overlooked by travelers. If you have the energy to visit, you can see the 2nd-century BCE Greek bronze of the Boxer. 

Focus:
Walk the neighborhood of your accommodation and just notice the different feeling you have between your place in Rome and your neighborhood back home.  

Suggestion:
Enjoy the city by finding a food that represents the culture and history of Rome. Try cacio e pepe or suppli for a taste of Rome and Italy.

Create a specific ritual that will help you ease into the work day each morning as you start your Workation experience. By instituting a ritual and routine that help you focus and step away from projects at the end of the day, you are creating systems for a better work-life balance and healthier approach to a consistent work schedule. 

After you step away from work, you can choose the museum you wish to visit. See the Boxer, visit Capitoline Hill, or head to the underrated Centrale Montemartini. The museum is actually Rome’s first public electrical power plant, making an incredible contrast between the ancient sculptures within the glass windows surrounded by large machinery. 

Focus:
Visit the Capitoline Museums and imagine how the artifacts would have looked when decorating Rome. Where do you think they’d stand and why?

Suggestion:
Don’t miss the view of the ancient city from the top of the hill.  

Continue with your new ritual and get started with your workday. Perhaps you start with a cup of espresso or enjoy eating a pastry at a cafe while Romans head to work. It can immerse you in a sense of the city and make you feel part of life as opposed to a visitor. 

At the end of work, you can visit Vatican City with a guide to experience the fantastic production and display of art both inside St. Peter’s Basilica and the museums. Follow your guide through the grand exhibits that show artifacts from ancient Egypt to Rome, spanning thousands of years. Inside the Raphael Rooms, you can see the sensational fresco of “School of Athens,” which features philosophers during the height of the Greek city-state with hidden images of the artist’s contemporaries such as da Vinci and Michelangelo. 

Focus:
Make a to-do list of things you would like to see at the Vatican. How many items are on your list? During the tour, do you notice things you didn’t know were in the museum?

Suggestion:
If you have the opportunity to view Michelangelo’s Pietá in St. Peter’s Basilica, you can witness the details of this design closely.

The history of Rome is extensive and captures the imaginations of travelers from around the world interested in seeing the feats of the past empire that stand today. After work, you can meet a guide at the Colosseum for a more immersive experience. The walls are staggering standing 157 feet tall and once inside, you can hear the impressive acoustics of the giant amphitheater. 

At the Roman Forum, you guide can explain the importance of the area as the heart of civic and political life, as well as explain the past of the ruins, including the Basilica of Constantine. The three remaining vaulted arches tower high above the surrounding archeological spark and date back to the 4th century CE. You can see how the architectural style eventually contributed to the designs of later churches.  

Focus:
Step outside of your norm by visiting a shop that does not fit your usual pattern. How do you feel inside the shop? Did you try something on?  

Suggestion:
Compare the engineering feats of the Roman ruins with the designs, and features of the buildings from the Middle Ages.

After work, you can once more explore the beauty of Rome by meeting with a guide to view the Renaissance and Baroque monuments scattered around the historic center. The iconic Trevi Fountain was built in the 17th century and remains a masterpiece that symbolizes the beauty of Rome. 

As the largest fountain in the city, it originally served as a water supply from an aqueduct The striking figure of Oceanus stands at the center of the swirling horses, tritons, and shells as coins glint in the clear water. At the Spanish Steps, you can enjoy the atmosphere of the lively piazza as the marble stairs and landings connect the Piazza di Spagna to the lower fountain of the Barcaccia and the elegant avenue of Via Condotti. 

Focus:
Use the Feynman Technique to learn about the fountains in Piazza Navona. Choose the fountain, act as though you are teaching information to a toddler. Identify the gaps. Review the concept or information, and simplify. 

Suggestion:
Visit the paper stores that surround the piazza. Enjoy the antique feel of the stores and the quality of the paper, journals, and pens.

After the workday and to start the weekend, you can enjoy the perfect delicious connection to Rome with a food tour. Your guide will be an expert of the traditional flavors of the city and the distinct dishes of each neighborhood. 

Part walking tour, part culinary discovery you can enjoy the smells of pecorino cheese before sampling a slice from a local cheese shop. You can always remember the salty and crumbly texture of the cheese before you visit a neighboring trattoria to try a customary supplí, a fried rice ball often filled with tomato sauce or stuffed with cheese and seasoned with pepper for a typical cacio e pepe Roman flavor.  

Focus:
Close your eyes when taking your first bite. Then close your eyes when taking your second bite. Did the flavors change?  Were you able to concentrate differently?

Suggestion:
Don’t just concentrate on the food but enjoy the walk through the neighborhoods and city with a new focus and perspective.

If you have time before your flight to Puglia, you can visit the Baths of Diocletian for one last view of Rome’s mixture of contemporary life and ancient history. The baths were completed in the early 4th century CE and cover over 32 acres creating a huge open-air museum. Your Workation representative will meet you at your accommodations with plenty of time to reach the airport for your flight. 

Once at the airport in Bari, you will continue to Polignano a Mare with your Workation representative to find your pre-screened accommodations with the amenities you need to enjoy your time in the coastal city. The town overlooks a craggy ravine to the west and the crashing waves of the Adriatic Sea on the eastern cliffs creating an elaborate and historical atmosphere. 

Focus:
Enjoy a walking tour of the city. What do you hear? What do you smell? Does it sound, smell, and feel the same as Rome? Write it down and see if you remember the feeling of Rome and how it compares. 

Suggestion:
Don’t miss the beach and active cliff divers who are often plunging into the sea on the edge of town.

With a full day away from work, you can enjoy the entire Puglia Peninsula with a guide to take you to the most exciting and historic towns. In the town of Ostuni, you can feel like you are in a maze bordered by narrow white streets. The cobblestones and staircases lead to fantastic panoramas over the town’s terraces and surrounding landscape. 

Artisans’ shops and cozy cafes create a welcoming atmosphere in the historic city center accompanied by the smell of olive trees and fresh espresso. In Lecce, you can feel the grand Baroque atmosphere still present in the 17th-century architecture. The Basilica di Santa Croce has an incredible facade decorated with interesting wildlife such as sheep, dodos, and fantastical beasts.

Focus:
View the animals decorating the cathedral in Lecce. Memorize the details of two animals as best you can. What do you smell around you? Sit down for a coffee or pastry and try to draw the animals you memorized. Think of the smell you captured. Does it help you capture the details? It doesn’t matter how well you draw and is instead about remembering the details of the moment. 

Suggestion:
If you have time, also visit Ostuni to enjoy the views of the water and white-sand beaches

You will have your ritual in place to get started with work in the new place. If you need a break, you can walk along the cliffs and enjoy the sound of crashing waves or visit the seaside cafes for a pastry and espresso. At the end of the day, you will have an introduction to the authentic production of olive oil in the region that produces more of the product than any other region in Italy. 

You can meet with a local producer on their farm and notice the fragrant smell of the trees. You can learn about the different varieties of oil, what makes them more flavorful, and see how each oil is made from pressed olives. At the end of the tour, you can sample a number of olive oils to learn about how to find the different layers of notes. 

Focus:
Memorize your surroundings, what you see, smell, and touch. Then taste the olive oil. Does it affect how you interact with your surroundings?

Suggestion:
There are different grades and flavors of olive oil, similar to wine. Find out which one you like the best. 

After work, you will have time to visit the unique features of Castel del Monte. Known for its geometrical symmetry, the UNESCO World Heritage site was built in the 13th century CE. Designed and built on the highest hill of the Western Murgia, you can experience the sense of grandeur before you even arrive at the entrance. 

The unforgettable shape consists of a collection of enigmatic octagonal towers. Exploring the castle interior further demonstrates the unique design features with a floorplan that circles the courtyard. The mullioned windows add a touch of Gothic opulence to the exterior while marbles, mosaics, and carvings demonstrate the wealth of the emperor during the castle’s construction.  

Focus:
View the geometric perfection of Castel del Monte. Listen to the theories of why it was built in this shape. What stories can you create and connect to the castle? 

Suggestion:
Try to wander down as many of the 16 trapezoidal halls as possible.

After work, you can explore the storybook atmosphere of Alberobello. The town spreads across the center of a valley amid thriving olive trees and sprawling vineyards. Once you arrive, white homes with cone shapes populate the streets.

The homes are called trulli, and are often compared to the homes of fairies. Walk through the neighborhoods for a sense of contemporary life among the antique architectural features that helped locals keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter. At trullo Sovrano, you can view the larges trullo style home in town with a conical dome reaching more than 45 feet tall.  

Focus:
Standa top the tallest hill in Alberobello and look down on the unique houses. What does the town look like? What stories can you create about the town? 

 

Suggestion:
Enjoy the view. What colors do you see? How many different colors are there? Do the colors affect how you view Alberobello 

After work, you can take a stroll along the water once more or participate in the ritual you’ve created to separate work time from the end of the day. You will meet a local chef in the afternoon to learn how to make traditional dishes of Polignano a mare and the Puglia region. 

You can find inspiration across the city with restaurants specializing in local seafood and bubbling focaccias. Your chef will guide through crafting a starter, main dish, and dessert with a focus on local flavors and ingredients. You may make a dish like eggplant parmigiana, rice with potatoes and mussels, or a coffee with sugar, lemon zest, cream, and amaretto. 

Focus:
Taste authentic Puglian cuisine. Notice your surroundings. Where are you eating it? What do you hear, see, and smell? Does the food taste different from what you’ve been eating since arriving in the region? Do the sensory details enhance or detract from the taste? 

Suggestion:
Find the right gelateria for you with the flavors you enjoy and sit by the water enjoying the view, the texture, and the taste.

After your last day of work in Polignano a Mare, you can enjoy the remainder of your time how you want. During the season, visit the Lama Monachile beach. The shoreline can only be reached by boat making it less crowded and more scenic than other beaches. Surrounded by cliffs, crystal-clear water, and a vibrant beach going atmosphere, it’s a great place to relax at the end of the day. 

If the day doesn’t have the best beach weather, you can visit Palazzo dell’Orologio, a 17th-century palace and museum that features one of the tallest clock towers in the entire region. As you visit the palace, you can search for the walls and doors throughout the city decorated with lines from poems that pop out of the whitewashed walls. 

Focus:
Visit the statue of Domenico Modugno and listen to his famous song “Volare.” Stare out at the sea and enjoy the music. 

Suggestion:
Take your time in the evening to enjoy the atmosphere and flavor of the city how you want. 

Depending on the time of your flight, the morning could be yours to enjoy the city. Take a walk down the narrow streets. Enter a shop you hadn’t yet visited. Try a pastry you were interested in but haven’t yet tried. Or you could walk past the cliffs one more time to enjoy the incredible view of the Adriatic Sea. Your Workation representative will meet you in the city for your transfer to the airport.

Focus:
Embrace the morning with an espresso. Drink it slowly. What are the specific aromas and tastes you find in the drink? Where are you drinking it? What are you surrounded by? These details will help you remember this moment. 

Suggestion:
The closest airport to Polignano a Mare is in Bari, which is approximately 25 miles away. The airport isn’t very large and you will need a connecting flight when traveling from the US. 

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