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PTG Tours · Escorted tour

Vintage Puglia (Italy)

Ten days in Southern Italy by regional train, Bari and Lecce

Illustration of Vintage Puglia (Italy)

PTG Tours runs a 10-day escorted tour of Puglia, a Southern Italian region that forms the heel of the boot. The tour is split between two 4-star hotels opposite railway stations: five nights in Bari and four in Lecce. The itinerary uses four regional railways to reach UNESCO sites including Matera's Sassi (stone houses carved into limestone), the 13th-century fortress of Castel del Monte, and the whitewashed Trulli houses of Alberobello. Days include guided walks through medieval and baroque city centres, visits to cathedrals and museums, and optional train excursions along the coast. A highlight is the narrow-gauge Ferrovie Appulo Lucane train to Matera, and later, FSE local services to Gallipoli on the Ionian coast and Otranto on the Adriatic. The tour manager, Andrea, accompanies the group throughout. Meals and all train journeys are included, and there is time for free exploration, particularly on Day 8 in Lecce. This trip suits repeat rail travellers interested in regional railways, history buffs exploring medieval and baroque architecture, and food-and-wine enthusiasts keen to taste local specialities.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure listed: 12 April 2026 at GBP 1,850. Confirm availability and current pricing with PTG Tours.
  • Single supplement at main hotels is GBP 450, which is nearly 40% of the base price; book early or seek a travel companion.
  • The itinerary includes a free day on Day 8 in Lecce; the train option to Gagliano and Santa Maria di Leuca is described as 'for train enthusiasts' and may depend on FSE timetables.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Bari

    Arrival in Bari

    Flights from London airports to Bari, then a train transfer to Bari, where the group stays for the next 5 nights in the 4-star Hotel TBA, opposite the railway station. Welcome dinner.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Bari

    Bari old town

    Guided walk around the medieval city centre of Bari, the region's capital and the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy, including the tangled streets of Bari Vecchia and the Basilica di San Nicola (Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, built 1087-1197). Free afternoon, with the option of a Ferrotranviaria train north of Bari.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Bari

    Castel del Monte and Trani

    Ferrotranviaria train to Ruvo or Andria, then a shuttle bus to Castel del Monte, a 13th-century UNESCO World Heritage octagonal citadel built by Frederick II. On to Trani by bus for a guided visit to its seafront cathedral. Return to Bari by local train.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Bari

    Matera

    Ferrovie Appulo Lucane (FAL) train to Matera, a UNESCO site, for a guided tour of the old town and its 'Sassi' (stone) houses dug into the limestone (setting for Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ'). Lunch break and free time before the train back to Bari.

  5. Day 5overnight: Bari

    Alberobello and Taranto

    Ferrovie del Sud Est (FSE) line to Alberobello, famous for its UNESCO-listed conical-roofed Trulli houses, with time for lunch. Return to Bari via Taranto for a quick stroll in the old town.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Lecce

    Travel to Lecce

    FS train south to Lecce in the Salento Peninsula, travelling along the east coast via Brindisi. Check-in at the hotel opposite Lecce railway station, home for the next 4 nights. Lunch break, then a 2-hour guided tour of Lecce's baroque old city centre, including the Piazza del Duomo and its 12th-century cathedral.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Lecce

    Tuglie and Gallipoli

    FSE local service to Tuglie to visit the Museum of Rural Life, set in the gardens of a 17th-century ducal palace, with a tasting of local foods. Local train in the afternoon to the west coast at Gallipoli, an old town on a limestone island linked to the mainland by a 16th-century bridge.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Lecce

    Gagliano and Santa Maria di Leuca

    Free day in Lecce, or for train enthusiasts an FSE ride to Gagliano, the southernmost station on the heel of Italy, followed by a chartered bus to Santa Maria di Leuca, with its lighthouse and the De Finibus Terrae sanctuary marking the 'end of the land'.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Lecce

    Otranto

    FSE local service via Maglie to Otranto, the easternmost Italian town, to see its cathedral (consecrated 1088) and Aragonese Castle, with views to Albania across the Strait of Otranto in clear weather. Return by train or private bus depending on timetable, then an afternoon visit to the local railway museum. Farewell dinner in Lecce.

  10. Day 10

    Departure

    Coach transfer to Brindisi/Bari airport for flights back to the UK.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Guided walk through Bari Vecchia, the medieval quarter with tangled streets and the Basilica di San Nicola built 1087-1197
  • Day 3Ferrotranviaria train to Andria, then shuttle to Castel del Monte, the 13th-century octagonal UNESCO fortress of Frederick II
  • Day 4Ferrovie Appulo Lucane narrow-gauge train to Matera for a guided tour of the UNESCO-listed Sassi stone houses carved into limestone
  • Day 7FSE local train to Tuglie for a tasting of local foods in the gardens of a 17th-century ducal palace, then afternoon train to Gallipoli on the west coast
  • Day 9FSE service to Otranto, Italy's easternmost town, to see the cathedral and Aragonese Castle with views to Albania across the strait

Included

  • All travel and excursions as outlined in the itinerary
  • Accommodation as detailed
  • Meals as shown in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, D = Dinner)
  • Services of our tour manager

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
Yes, all train journeys and excursions as outlined are included, as well as accommodation, meals (breakfast and dinner as shown), and the tour manager's services.
Which trains does the tour use?
The itinerary uses Ferrotranviaria (to Andria and Trani), Ferrovie Appulo Lucane narrow-gauge to Matera, Ferrovie del Sud Est to Alberobello, Taranto, Gallipoli, and Otranto, and Trenitalia from Bari to Lecce via Brindisi.
What is the accommodation?
Two 4-star hotels, both opposite railway stations: Hotel TBA in Bari for 5 nights, and Hotel TBA in Lecce for 4 nights. A single supplement of GBP 450 is available.
How is the tour guided?
PTG Tours provides a tour manager throughout (Andrea, based in Milan). Most destinations include guided walks of the city centres; some days, such as Day 8, offer free time in Lecce or optional train excursions.
How much walking is involved?
Guided walks cover medieval and baroque city centres, with stairs in old towns. Most days involve city exploration and luggage handling between stations, but no long hikes or strenuous activity.
What is not included in the price?
Flights are not included in the from-price, though PTG can arrange them from UK airports (Manchester and Heathrow via Rome incur a routing surcharge). An overland rail option from London St Pancras is also available.

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