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Puglia All Inclusive

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4.3 stars(171 reviews)
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Uncover labyrinthine ports, white-washed villages and ancient dwellings

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8 days From £999 £899 per person
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2023 Tour code: 23PUF

About the tour

Set in the unspoilt 'heel' of Italy, Puglia is a glorious region of labyrinthine ports, white-washed villages and ancient dwellings. Discover striking Baroque cities and soak up the captivating culture of this unique destination on this wonderful all-inclusive holiday.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London & Bari

Meet at London Gatwick for your flight to Bari. On arrival, transfer to your hotel close to Polignano a Mare. Puglia is known as the wine cellar of Italy and is made up of picture-perfect landscapes of lush vineyards and olive groves. The region's rugged coastline is home to charming, secluded beaches which reflect an unhurried and relaxed way of life.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Locorotondo & Polignano a Mare

Discover the beautiful village of Locorotondo, which has lovely views across the surrounding valley, before continuing to Martina Franca. With its stunning Old Town, you'll see extravagant Baroque architecture at every turn as you enjoy free time to look around. Return to Polignano a Mare for lunch, followed by free time to make the most of your wonderful surroundings. The beautiful town is perched on top of a limestone cliff overlooking the sparkling blue ocean.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 - Lecce

Visit Lecce, a city known for its Baroque, Renaissance and Romanesque buildings, attractive squares and leafy lanes. Take the train from Polignano a Mare for a scenic journey along the coast, passing white-washed villages and dense olive groves. In Lecce, a walking tour introduces you to the Piazza del Duomo, the impressive main square overlooked by the cathedral and its bell tower, and the quaint Old Town. To round off your tour, enjoy a local flavour of Leccese coffee and pastry. With a free afternoon, you could visit the Roman amphitheatre - an archaeological treasure where mighty gladiator tournaments were once held.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Alberobello

Travel to Alberobello, a charming town famous for its UNESCO-listed trulli - curious cone-shaped houses. These unusual and historic homes are a must-see in Puglia. Originally built without mortar, so they could be quickly dismantled and easily rebuilt - which allowed occupants to evade tax collectors - trulli houses are now emblematic of the region. Free time to explore allows you to step back in time to an almost forgotten era of Italy, admiring the white-washed stone houses which spread out towards the surrounding hillsides. Later, return to Polignano a Mare to spend the rest of your day at leisure.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Bari

Head to Bari, Puglia's capital and a city overflowing with cultural charms. Discover the gorgeous Old Town, tucked on a headland edging into the Adriatic Sea, on a guided tour. Home to the city's 11th-century church, the Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola, and a Swabian Castle, as well as some stunning grand piazzas, you're transported back in time as you hear stories of this old port city. Afterwards, continue sightseeing at your own pace. Maybe sample the city's thriving street food or relax in a stylish bar for a glass of local wine.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Matera

Uncover remote Matera, a fascinating town set in a small canyon. Matera is best known for its 'sassi' - a complex of ancient caves used as dwellings since the Palaeolithic era. Inhabited until as recently as the 1950s, they're UNESCO-listed and many have been adapted into houses, hotels and restaurants. Enjoy a guided tour of the sassi before a free afternoon. You could stop off at one of the cave churches, carved out by monks and decorated with Byzantine rock murals.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 - Polignano a Mare

Enjoy a day free to relax at the hotel. You might like to head to the hotel's private beach and spend a tranquil day soaking up the Italian sunshine. Or make your way to Polignano a Mare itself, where you could wander through the winding streets, watching the world go by from a pavement café while trying some local cuisine. Alternatively, you could visit more of the prehistoric caves that dot the coastline.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - Bari & home

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to London Gatwick or local airport.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We will write to you around 10 weeks before your departure date with the precise meeting times for your tour group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Pietrablu Resort and Spa, Polignano a Mare

Pietrablu Resort and Spa, Polignano a Mare

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Reviews

4.3 stars4.3 / 5 · 171 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (78)
  2. 4 stars
    (68)
  3. 3 stars
    (21)
  4. 2 stars
    (2)
  5. 1 star
    (2)

Andy

4 stars

Submitted 09 Nov 2022

A thoroughly enjoyable holiday. The resort was a little further from the town than we had anticipated, but to be honest we had no real need to leave the resort except on the organised tours. The food was plentiful and of good quality and choices. Staff were efficient and friendly. Trips provided very interesting insight into the history and culture of this part of Italy. Would recommend.

Collected by Trustpilot

John Bainbridge

3 stars

Submitted 09 Nov 2022

Our recent experience on the Puglia could have been much better. The complex was very good in that the grounds were beautiful & well kept, nice pool & great to have the free shuttle bus & our room was really nice. Great staff on reception & those cleaning rooms. The restaurant though was very disappointing - more like a school canteen and the size of our tour party at 40 was much too large and we were crammed onto 4 tables of 10 with no elbow room.The food also left something to be desired. Fine if you wanted salads or any other cold food, but food that was meant to be hot wasn't & then was served on cold plates. On pointing this out to our tour rep I was told " This lady doesn't realise that Italians eat their food cold!" They certainly do not and after some 23 trips, at least to Italy including staying with an Italian family, I think I should know. What happened to "the customer is always right"?. Because the size of the tour party trips out were not easy for our tour manager to control and it would have been easier if she had spoken Italian so that she was able to talk to coach drivers, etc. The trips could have been better organised with later starts & in many cases shortened. People are on holiday and having to breakfast at 7.00 in order to be on a coach at 8.00 could be looked into. All in all it was disappointing. Doubtful we would choose Rail Discoveries again.

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M Garratt

5 stars

Submitted 07 Nov 2022

An excellent holiday.

Collected by Trustpilot

C Mercer

3 stars

Submitted 06 Nov 2022

Whilst the food and staff at the hotel were good, the location of the hotel was not. Trying to go for a walk was difficult due to motorways, and the "beach" was the only option available. We should have been near, or in, a town. Also, the lack of wifi in most rooms, including mine, was completely unacceptable, and my room was rather dark and bleak. DO NOT USE THIS HOTEL AGAIN!!

Collected by Trustpilot

Brian Cox

5 stars

Submitted 05 Nov 2022

A really well put together holiday. Tour manager's attention to detail was fantastic. Lovely hotel, so clean, beautiful grounds and facilities. Good tours to a varied selection of places, plus a day to do your own thing with the help of the tour manager again. All abilities catered for. I would highly recommend this holiday.

Collected by Trustpilot

John Davis

5 stars

Submitted 05 Nov 2022

A superb tour encompassing fascinating history and lovely food and wine, all made to run smoothly and enjoyably, by our superb tour manager Judith.

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Puglia All Inclusive

Uncover labyrinthine ports, white-washed villages and ancient dwellings

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