How much does it cost?

From £1,399 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $1,890 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is train travel included?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes standard-class rail travel from Fasano to Lecce and from the Torre Canne area to Bari, both there and back, alongside all coach travel on the tour.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes, a UK Tour Manager travels with the group from start to finish.

All seven nights are spent at the GranSerena Hotel in Torre Canne, a 4-star, all-inclusive property with a private beach and thermal pools.

Which trains are used?

Standard-class trains run from Fasano to Lecce on day 3 and from the Torre Canne area to Bari on day 5, both there and back.

What is not included?

Meals and drinks away from the hotel, and flight upgrades, are not included in the price.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Explore Puglia

Escorted 8-day Puglia holiday from one coastal hotel with rail day trips

Great Rail Journeys runs this 8-day, 7-night escorted holiday through Puglia in southern Italy, flying travellers from London Gatwick direct to Bari before settling them into one hotel for the entire stay, the all-inclusive GranSerena Hotel on the beach at Torre Canne. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout, and days alternate between hotel-based relaxation and guided excursions. Two of the outings run by train, to Lecce on day 3 for a Baroque city tour and a Leccese coffee, and to Bari on day 5 to see the Basilica di San Nicola and a Swabian Castle. Coach trips reach the hilltop towns of Locorotondo and Martina Franca, the sassi cave dwellings of Matera, and the trulli houses of Alberobello. With one hotel base for all seven nights and meals and drinks covered there, this suits travellers who want a low-effort trip built around included food and guided access to Puglia's UNESCO sites.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £100 since 4 Jul, to £1,399.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Meals and drinks taken away from the Torre Canne hotel are not included; the operator's exclusions list covers only meals and drinks eaten en route.
Day 4 is a free day at leisure; the optional trip to Monopoli is not guided and requires arranging your own taxi or shuttle bus.
The evidence for this tour does not list current departure dates; confirm availability with the operator before booking.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Torre Canne
Flying south to Italy's Adriatic coast
Fly direct to Bari and transfer to the beachfront hotel in Torre Canne, with a welcome drink and dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2overnight: Torre Canne
Exploring Puglia's charming towns
Visit the circular town of Locorotondo and nearby Martina Franca with its Baroque St Martin's Basilica.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Torre Canne
Discovering the historic city of Lecce
Train to Lecce for a guided tour of the 'Florence of the South', including Piazza del Duomo and a Leccese coffee tasting.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4overnight: Torre Canne
A free day to enjoy the laid-back Puglian atmosphere
Day at leisure at the hotel, with the option to visit Monopoli's Old Port and Baroque cathedral.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5railovernight: Torre Canne
Touring the port city of Bari
Train to Bari for a guided tour of the old town including the Basilica di San Nicola and a Swabian Castle.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6overnight: Torre Canne
A day trip to see Matera and its sassi houses
Coach to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Matera for a guided tour of its sassi cave dwellings.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7overnight: Torre Canne
Viewing the trulli houses of Alberobello
Coach to Alberobello to see its UNESCO-listed cone-shaped trulli houses.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8
Homeward bound
Transfer to Bari airport for the return flight to London Gatwick or Manchester.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2A visit to the hilltop town of Locorotondo, known for its sparkling spumante wine, followed by Martina Franca's Baroque St Martin's Basilica.
Day 3A train from Fasano to Lecce for a guided tour of the Baroque city dubbed 'the Florence of the South,' ending with a Leccese coffee and pasticciotto pastry at a traditional cafe.
Day 5A train to Bari for a guided tour of the old town, taking in the 11th-century Basilica di San Nicola and a Swabian Castle.
Day 6A coach excursion to Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site of sassi cave dwellings inhabited until the 1950s and featured in the James Bond film 'No Time to Die.'
Day 7A coach trip to Alberobello to see its UNESCO-listed limestone trulli houses, built without mortar since the 14th century so they could be quickly dismantled to evade tax collectors.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
7 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Return flights from London Gatwick to Bari
Breakfast, lunch & dinner each day in Torre Canne
Unlimited drinks package each day between 10am-10pm in Torre Canne (exclusions apply)
Unlimited consumption of a selection of sweet & savoury snacks between 10am-10pm in Torre Canne
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Meals & drinks enroute
Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,399 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $1,890 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is train travel included?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes standard-class rail travel from Fasano to Lecce and from the Torre Canne area to Bari, both there and back, alongside all coach travel on the tour.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes, a UK Tour Manager travels with the group from start to finish.
What hotel is used?: All seven nights are spent at the GranSerena Hotel in Torre Canne, a 4-star, all-inclusive property with a private beach and thermal pools.
Which trains are used?: Standard-class trains run from Fasano to Lecce on day 3 and from the Torre Canne area to Bari on day 5, both there and back.
What is not included?: Meals and drinks away from the hotel, and flight upgrades, are not included in the price.