Looking for advice on where to stay in Bari? Here’s a detailed guide to best arrange your trip as a couple, with family or with friends.
If you are arranging a relaxing holiday in Apulia, one of the most loved regions by holidaymakers from all over the world, your trip will most likely take you to visit its fascinating capital: we are in Bari, one of the liveliest Italian cities, a place which pulses with emotions to discover in a one-day full immersion trip and to experience as a second home to explore the best of this land.
In this complete guide you will find all the most useful information on where to stay in Bari, on the best districts for your stay and how to get around the city easily, as well as a brief reminder on the most extraordinary attractions not to be missed. To enjoy the best of Bari, check out the button below!
Book now your guided visit to Bari with street food tasting❯
Where to stay in Bari
Choosing the right neighborhood and place to stay is one of the most important steps to best organize a holiday full of adventures, emotions and comfort, a choice that can vary so much if you travel as a couple, with family or with friends according to your needs and the specific situations that each type of trip entails.
So let's find out together where to stay in Bari, looking for the best solutions district by district, to best enjoy a city that only recently opened its doors to large-scale international tourism and which, with enthusiasm, continues to grow thanks to the combined passion of its citizens and its many visitors from all over the world.
Do you want to know more about the city? Then you absolutely must check out our complete guides on what to do in Bari and how to experience it like a true barese!
Where to stay in Bari as a couple
If you are looking for the ideal place where to stay in Bari traveling as a couple, our advice is to choose the San Nicola district, better known simply as Bari Vecchia, the legendary historic centre close to the seaside enclosed in the ancient defensive walls. Today it is considered the most genuine tourist area of all of Bari.
In this place the atmosphere is truly magical, full of flavors, sounds, gestures and all the local folklore, a real little world apart that feels so integrated into the new city, yet at the same time still so perfectly authentic. Here you will have the opportunity to stay in a rustic environment with an ancient taste, but without giving up comfort, among picturesque stone-paved alleys adorned with flowers, shops and street art, choosing from a vast offer of many bed & breakfasts and rent apartments.
Visiting Bari Vecchia hand in hand with your sweetheart is a unique and memorable experience, discovering amazing views among its alleys, its monuments and its adorable squares. Speaking of, a fundamental stop is Largo Albicocca, the lovers square where to spend a beautiful evening among lights, music and delicious street food (around here you will find the best focaccia according to Bari's people!).
A valid alternative is the historic and evocative Torre a Mare, a district located outside the urban centre of Bari along the southern coast, the best option especially if you are looking for more luxury accommodation away from the frenzy of the city in the shadow of the 1500’s majestic Torre Pelosa.
Where to stay in Bari with family
If you are looking for the ideal place where to stay in Bari traveling with your family, we advise you to choose the Madonnella district instead, located in the easternmost part of the city centre (the so-called Murattiano), a quiet and relaxing area characterized by wide streets with less traffic than in the centre, many outdoor attractions and many cafés and restaurants.
Madonnella boasts in its typical landscape what is perhaps the most famous postcard of Bari, that is the wonderful seaside promenade with its iconic black street lamps against the picturesque backdrop of Piazza Diaz and Largo Giannella (where a ferris wheel is periodically installed overlooking the sea), as well as the presence of some places of great beauty and aesthetic impact such as the Provincial Art Gallery and Piazza Carabellese.
In addition to its proximity to both the centre of Bari Nuova and the magic of Bari Vecchia, the neighborhood also allows you to easily reach the green area of Parco Perotti and the main beaches of Bari, so Torre Quetta and above all the legendary Pane e Pomodoro, offering the whole family the chance to have fun outside fully experiencing all the possibilities of Bari!
In this neighborhood you can choose your accommodation from a wide range of rent apartments and city hotels.
Where to stay in Bari with friends
Finally, if you are looking for the ideal place where to stay in Bari traveling with friends, we advise you to choose the Murat and/or Umbertino districts in the very modern centre of Bari, known simply as Murattiano, thus the whole area commonly called Bari Nuova (in contrast to Bari Vecchia, just adjacent), the beating heart of culture and art, yet also of entertainment and nightlife here in Bari.
The dynamic and lively atmosphere of this area is perfect for having fun in the company of friends, discovering the charm and beauty of the city's art nouveau historic buildings (Teatro Petruzzelli and Palazzo Mincuzzi stand out), the shopping and luxury streets and all the clubs and cafés around, the perfect mix to experience the best of Bari plenty of enthusiasm both at day and at night.
Here you will find a vast choice of rent apartments, bed & breakfasts and hotels suitable for all needs and above all all budgets, with the possibility of staying right next to the most beautiful attractions of the city, easily reachable on foot or thanks to public transport.
In the southernmost part of the neighborhood, in Piazza Moro, there is also the Bari Central Station: this will be your logistical point of reference for moving throughout the city by bus or taking the next train to discover other wonderful places in Apulia, such as Giovinazzo, Trani, Polignano a Mare, Ostuni and Alberobello.
Are you looking for other interesting ideas? Read our article dedicated to one day trips from Bari to discover the best places to visit starting from the apulian capital!
How to get to the centre of Bari from the airport
Speaking of transport, let's now check out how to easily reach the centre of Bari starting from the airport Bari-Palese Karol Wojtyla, located in the westernmost peripheral area of the city.
Luckily for you, here in Bari the airport and the central station have excellent direct connections that allow you to easily reach the city centre in about 30/40 minutes. You can choose to travel by bus (Line 16) or by a direct regional train.
Are you planning to rent a car to move around more freely on your trip to Bari discovering Apulia? Excellent! You can easily reach the city centre starting from the airport by car, taking the SS 16 and then continuing straight on Via Napoli: at this point you will find yourself in the heart of Bari, from which you can easily reach your destination in the city!
5 unmissable things to see in Bari
We conclude this guide on where to stay in Bari traveling as a couple, with family or with friends with a list of 5 absolutely unmissable attractions for a tourist arriving in Bari (one of the best apulian destinations in 2024!) for the first time, regardless of how and with whom he/she travels. Let's discover them together!
1) Basilica and Crypt of San Nicola, a place that certainly cannot be missed on a travel itinerary in Bari to discover the historic centre, a very important place for believers but also for those who, beyond faith, appreciate its immense historical and cultural relevance and incredible mystical charm. Do you want to visit it with a guided tour? Then take a look at the button you will find at the bottom of this paragraph!
2) Cathedral of San Sabino, let’s remain in Bari Vecchia, in the warm Piazza dell'Odegitria, to visit this wonderful medieval church, guardian of the city panorama from the height of its 70 meter bell tower and of some fascinating archaeological treasures in its basement.
3) Castello Svevo-Normanno, the ancient and majestic city fortress located in Piazza Federico II di Svevia, the meeting point between Bari Vecchia and Bari Nuova, a colossus of stone and history which today hosts numerous artistic and cultural exhibitions; right in front of the castle there’s the famous Via dell'Arco Basso, or Via delle Orecchiette, the most folkloric place in the whole city where you can meet the most local ladies of Bari!
4) Art nouveau buildings in Murattiano, a short walk is a must to discover the most iconic buildings which for a century so far have characterized the unique and fascinating aesthetics of the modern centre of Bari, among which Teatro Petruzzelli, Palazzo dell'Acquedotto, Banca d’Italia, Chamber of Commerce (these four are placed literally one next to each other, between Corso Cavour and Via Cognetti) and not far away Palazzo Mincuzzi (on Via Sparano, the shopping and leisure street) and Teatro Margherita (overlooking the seaside near Piazza del Ferrarese).
5) Bari seafront promenade, last but not least, a cult place for both citizens and tourists, the most authentic icon of Bari which has made the city famous throughout the world (it is the longest seaside promenade in Europe!) with its seemingly endless trail of street lamps that illuminate one of the most extraordinary landscapes of the Mediterranean in the evening; among the most picturesque points of the promenade walk we suggest you keep in mind Fortino Sant'Antonio, Molo San Nicola and Piazza Diaz!
Book now your guided visit to Basilica di San Nicola❯
