How to visit Alberobello with kids: all you need to know
How to visit Alberobello, a stunning UNESCO world heritage site in the South of Italy famous for its unique, hobbit-house looking ‘trulli’.
Some towns seem to be built just to resemble a fairy village and no town looks more magical than Alberobello, Italy.
Set in the middle of the Apulian countryside, a land of olive groves and sun-drenched hills, Alberobello is famous for a distinctive type of dwelling called ‘trulli’ and gained notoriety in recent years thanks to its Instagram-ready appearance and its recognition as UNESCO world heritage site in 1996.
It is a gorgeous little place and despite the now intense tourism presence (see below), one worth adding to your Italian itinerary.
I have visited Alberobello several times, the latest of which with my husband and kids, during a road trip in the South of Italy
These are my top tips for visiting Alberobello and some photos that I hope will make you agree with me when I say that Alberobello is one of the most beautiful places in Italy!
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What is Alberobello famous for?
Alberobello is a small town in Puglia, in the South of Italy, famous for a particular type of building that is unique to the town: il trullo (plural: i trulli).
I trulli are small whitewashed buildings with a circular shape and a distinctive pointy roof made of flat grey bricks.
They date back to the 14th century, are unique to this part of Puglia and have a peculiar history, that has to do with the geological characteristics of this area as well as the history of taxation in the area.
You can read all about trulli and their history here.
Alberobello has the biggest concentration of them as it has several districts of the town entirely made of them!
Is Alberobello worth seeing?
Alberobello is unique, delightful and it is indeed worth seeing.
Alberobello is unique, delightful and it is indeed worth seeing.
Architecture lovers and Unesco enthusiasts will adore its uniqueness, but anyone who likes strolling leisurely in pretty towns and quaint corners will find Alberobello a treat.
It is one of the most beautiful places in Puglia and in Italy in general!
The only reason I may think to skip Albrobello is the crowds.
Due to its popularity, Alberobello gets lots of day trippers, in numbers so high you often get that ‘busy day at Disneyland feeling’.
However, there are ways to mitigate it. This guide will help you discover them!
Where is Alberobello?
Alberobello is in Puglia, the heel of the Italian, boot.
The closest big cities are Taranto, Bari, and Brindisi, all about 1h from Alberobello by car.
The closest international airports are Bari and Brindisi and the closes cruise port is Brindisi.
Nearby places worth of notice are Martina Franca, Locorotondo, Trani, Ostuni and Matera.
How long to visit Alberobello?
You can visit Alberobello in a matter of hours, about half-day.
The prettiest times in the city are the early morning and the evening, when you see the trulli all lit up – they look even more magical at night!
My best tip is to spend the night here and explore the town both in the late afternoon of your first day and the early morning of the second.
This is the time we found the most pleasant as it is the only one when the city is not assaulted by tourism.
I don’t want to sound judgemental as we were tourists ourselves and made up the crowds as much as the next person however, mass tourism is a problem in the city.
Large groups flock to the city and if you visit in the middle of the day, at the same time as anyone else, you basically walk inside a sea of people and see nothing.
Thankfully, the solution is as simple as arriving late and starting early: then, you will have the town for yourself and see it in its true magical nature!
How to get to Alberobello
The easiest way to visit Alberobello is getting there by car and then exploring the town on foot.
Parking is available in several locations in the modern part of the city (mostly play and display) and the trulli are easily reachable on foot.
When we traveled to this area, we rented our car from Avis Car Rental but several providers serve the area with desks at the main airports and cities.
You can compare prices from several companies here.
I know driving in Italy scares many but we found this area easy to tackle and refreshingly traffic-free. You can find my tips for driving in Italy here.
It is also possible to reach Alberobello by train: the official website for trains in the area is this one although I find Omio much easier to use and equally if not more informative.
How to visit Alberobello
The best way to visit Alberobello is to park the car in the part of the historical center open to traffic and then take a stroll.
Alberobello develops over two main areas worth seeing: the Monti district and the Aia Piccola district.
These are the areas with the biggest concentration of trulli and they sit beside each other, separated by a large road/large piazza: Via Indipendenza / Largo Martellotta.
Both areas climb the flanks of small hills so when you go from one to the other you will find yourself going down and then up again.
You can choose whether to take the road of the stairs and in both cases, you will want to be equipped with good shoes!
While not hard as such, especially the stairs can be slippery as they are made of very polished stone: runners or rubber sole shoes are the best choice (you can find my recommended shoes for Italy here)
Best things to see in Alberobello
These are the top things to see in Alberobello, those I recommend you seek out during your stroll.
Trullo Sovrano
The ‘Trullo Sovrano’ (Sovrano= sovereign) is the biggest trullo in Alberobello and one worth seeking out.
It owes its name to its impressive size and the peculiar fact that it has multiple stories, something unique to it.
It sits in the highest part of Alberbello, almost crowning the city and it is outside of the Monti historical district which is actually a plus.
Coming here you will see a slightly different part of town, where ancient trulli mix with more modern houses and where modern Alberobello comes to life.
The Trullo sovrano is now a museum and it is worth visiting as it shows life in the Trulli and teaches about the story of this land.
- Address: Piazza Sacramento, 10/11 – 70011 Alberobello (Bari) ITALIA
- Official site (very slow to load): http://www.trullosovrano.eu/
Chiesa dei Santi Cosma and Damiano (church)
The church of Santi Cosma and Damiano is close to the Trullo Sovrano and a really beautiful place.
I first got a glimpse of it when we arrived after dark and the facade lit up stopped me in my tracks: the carvings are amazing and looked as if they were floating in the air!
You can visit the church in a matter of minutes and what I found most impressive about it was its color, in the typical cream-colored stone of this area, he decorations above its front door as well as its impressive bell towers.
Address: Piazza Antonio Curri, Alberobello
The belvedere
You find the so-called ‘belevedere’, a small piazza overlooking the Monti district at the opposite end of the street from the church.
This is the place in Alberobello from where to take the traditional trulli shot and it is truly pretty but let me tell you: it is packed!
Since it is such a wonderful photo spot (dare I sai ‘instagrammable’?) it is one of the first places large tour groups go to and everyone wants their selfie there, so to see anything you need to literally wait in line (there were 50 people ahead of us!).
Honestly, if this happens when you are in Alberobello, don’t wait. Rather, if you can, come back in the evening after the day-trippers have gone,
Top tip! Rather than being with the crowds at the belvedere, head to the small park just below: the views are similar and there is next to no one!
Aia Piccola
The district of Aia Piccola is one of the cutest in Alberobello.
It lies just beside the belvedere and it is small and blessedly devoid of tourism.
Here you have small meandering streets with trulli everywhere and, unlike Monti (see below) you don’t have shops or restaurants but mostly real homes.
As we walked here, we saw laundry drying in the sun, the voices of tv coming out own trulli windows and cats lounging in the sun: a wonderful taste of real Alberobello life!
The Monti district
The Monti district is the Unesco district of Alberobello, the one with the largest concentration of trulli and the one tourism tends to focus on.
It is a hilly area (‘monti’ means ‘mountains’) and it is closed to car traffic.
Its small streets meander up the hill and are glorious: they are paved in highly polished local stone and framed but many souvenir shops, cafes and small museums.
It is a wonderful place but it has what I can only call a ‘Disneyland feel’ to it.
While gorgeous and historical, tourism has truly transformed it into an ‘attraction’ and you would be excused if you were to feel this was a Disney ‘land’ rather than a real place.
However, I highly recommend you visit: just make sure you also see other bits of the city as in terms of charm, Aia Piccola packs a much more powerful punch.
I ‘trulli gemelli’
Trulli tend to be stand-alone structures so the one trullo that doesn’t, gets a lot of attention.
The in question is actually two trulli, connected like Siamese twins and aptly called ‘twin trulli’!
They are pretty and easy to spot close to the entrance of the Monti district
St Anthony’s church
Trulli were homes but also churches!
At the very top of the Monti district sits the church of St Anthony which is a trullo with a difference.
Much bigger than any other around, it is a trulli-inspired religious building with unique whitewashed towers crowned by the typical conical roofs and beautiful interior!
Fun fact: several leaflets inform you that you can get married in this church but also that the waiting list is long! If you fancy getting married in Alberobello (wouldn’t it be magical?), don’t leave it to the last minute, apparently it very saught after!
Where to stay in Alberobello
Many ancient trulli have now been restored to become house and hotels and I highly recommend staying in one if you can.
We chose the wonderful Trulli Anti Charme and relax which I highly recommend and that we found on Booking. com.
The place is wonderful and the welcome excellent: a bit of a treat but worth every cent!
Booking.comVisiting Alberobello with kids: our experience
We visited Alberobello with kids of primary school age who loved the town.
We stayed in a trullo in the center called ‘Trulli Anti’ and this was a perfect base to explore the town.
This trullo had space for four people, a small kitchen suitable for simple family meals, a fantastic internal courtyard to catch the evening breeze and the option to get bikes to explore the city.
We explored Alberobello in the evening and during the day and we found it pleasant and easy.
In terms of attractions, we found Trullo Sovrano to be worth visiting with kids and so was the trullo church.
However, we felt that the best Alberobello has to offer is the town itself and the peculiarity of its trulli houses.
My recommendation when planning a trip to Alberobello with kids is to embrace this town as sight-seeing opportunity and plan gelato and souvenir shop stops (opportunities abound!) to get the kids going.
While some parts of the town are easy to access with strollers, parts of Alberobello are not stroller friendly: I recommend to walk around, bring a carrier or be prepared to lift the stroller occasionally when the terrain doesn’t allow a smooth ride (monti especially is hard with a stroller).
Restaurants and cafes in Alberobello are kid frindly and mosy of them have outdoor seating so the kids can easily move about if needed.
Alberobello Italy Travel Resources
- Best shoes for Italy – stylish and great for walking
- Best luggage for Italy – all our tried and tested recommendations
- Booking.com – My go-to resource for accommodation (hotels, apartments and specialty lodging) with good deals and excellent cancellation policies
- GetYourGuide: booking platform for attraction tickets and day tours
I hope you found this guide useful and it helped to answer the question: how to visit Alberobello? Safe travels!
Updated May 2023. This post was originally published in 2019 and has now been updates with tips from our personal experience gained on our recent trip to Puglia (2023).
