Best of Puglia & Eternal Rome

Your Italian vacation begins today as you land in the capital, Rome. Filled with treasures from the Roman Empire and more modern wonders, Rome is one of the world's great cities.

After making your own way to our central hotel, a short distance from the station, you may like to step into the vibrant city streets to soak up the atmosphere, people watch with a glass of Italian wine in an al fresco bar, or savor panoramic views of Rome from the hotel's roof terrace.

This evening, you can meet the Tour Manager and rest of the traveling group as we gather to enjoy a three-course dinner at our hotel. Overnight Rome.

• Dinner

Waking in Rome, we discover its most famous sights on a three-hour guided tour after breakfast. Our walking tour begins outside the magnificent Colosseum where we view the amphitheater's exterior. The route continues past other ancient sites, including the Roman Forum and the Pantheon. Make a wish in the Trevi Fountain before our tour concludes in Piazza Navona, where you're free to experience Rome's beauty at your own pace for the rest of the day.

Around 15 minutes' walk from Piazza Navona are the renowned Spanish Steps. Walk up the steps to reach Pincian Hill and Villa Borghese public park, where you can relax in landscaped gardens or admire impressive art and sculpture in the Borghese Gallery. Just across the historic Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II, which spans the River Tiber, is St. Peter's Square and the Vatican. If you'd like to visit the Vatican, we recommend booking ahead online.

Rome offers an endless array of eateries, many al fresco, where you can enjoy a fresh pasta dish or a slice of crispy pizza al taglio with a glass of wine, and watch the world go by.

• Breakfast

Leaving Rome this morning, we set off on a scenic First Class rail journey to the unspoiled southern heel of Italy. Our route takes us directly south, then east along the Adriatic coastline to the coastal city of Lecce. From here, we transfer by coach to the west coast, or "inner heel" of Puglia, to the relaxed fishing town of Santa Maria al Bagno and our seafront hotel overlooking the azure Ionian Sea.

We check in for the next four nights in this beautiful environment, a peaceful contrast to the buzzing streets of Rome. There's free time to get to know our surroundings - perhaps take a refreshing swim in one of the hotel pools, visit the private beach or spend some time on the sun terrace which overlooks the sea. There's also a pleasant walk along the promenade from our hotel to the town.

This evening, we gather for a welcome drink followed by a buffet dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we transfer by coach to the historic town of Lecce for a guided sightseeing tour. With its Baroque Old Town, Lecce has been dubbed the "Florence of the South," and the city's alleyways are captivating to wander through. We visit the Chiesa di Santa Croce, with its intricately carved rose window, and the Piazza del Duomo, the main square, in the shadow of Lecce's cathedral. Our guided tour ends in a traditional café, where we sample a Leccese coffee, made with almond milk and poured over ice, served with "pasticciotto" - a southern Puglian pastry filled with custard or ricotta.

You are then free to explore the town independently. You could visit the Roman amphitheater, a partially buried archaeological treasure which was excavated in 1938, below the ground level of the Piazza Sant'Oronzo. The streets are lined with cafés, bars and restaurants, as well as shops offering local produce such as olive oil, wine and ceramics.

We return to Santa Maria al Bagno by coach in the afternoon, with time to relax before dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

With a full day at leisure, you're free to explore the peaceful fishing village of Santa Maria al Bagno or to simply soak up the peaceful atmosphere and enjoy our hotel's excellent facilities, sea views and small private beach.

The idyllic town offers a rocky coastline, inviting swimming bays and sandy beaches and, while it buzzes with tourists at the height of summer, still retains its nostalgic charm. The traditional town center is just a short walk along the promenade from our hotel, and seafront cafés and restaurants are dotted around the bay.

Above the old town is the distinctive "Tower of the Galatena River," a set of four medieval fortress towers known locally simply as "the four columns." During World War Two, the town was the site of a "displaced persons camp," and a small museum tells the moving story of refugees who were given temporary homes in Santa Maria al Bagno and how they were welcomed by the local population. When you're ready for dinner, there are several highly rated restaurants to choose from, some overlooking Santa Maria's turquoise bay.

• Breakfast

After breakfast this morning, we board a coach for a full day of sightseeing. Our first destination is one of Puglia's hidden gems, Galatina, a beautifully preserved Baroque town away from the well-worn tourist track. With some free time in this laid-back, friendly town you could visit the Basilica di Santa Caterina, where entry is free, and see its exquisite frescoes or enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and a refreshing drink in the piazza.

Our tour continues to the characterful town of Gallipoli, known for its fortified historical center. Set on a narrow promontory which stretches out into the Ionian Sea, this ancient fishing town is surrounded by water on all sides. With free time to explore independently, you might like to visit the 13th-century castle or find an atmospheric seafront café to enjoy lunch beside the colorful port.

In the afternoon we head back to our hotel in Santa Maria al Bagno where we dine this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our day starts with a transfer to Lecce to board a train to Fasano. From here, we take a guided coach excursion to the unique whitewashed town of Alberobello. This UNESCO World Heritage town is packed with hundreds of cone-shaped, limestone houses known as trulli. First built in the 14th century, the houses were constructed from small stones and designed to be easily dismantled to avoid taxes.

There's some time to look around before meeting our friendly local guide, Mimmo Palmisano, who hosts a traditional lunch in his family's restaurant before a fascinating guided tour. We then continue to the hilltop town of Locorotondo, where we are free to wander the labyrinthine streets of the historic center. Known for its sparkling Spumante wine, Locorotondo is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and trulli settlements.

After time to explore, we transfer to our next base, a stunningly renovated masseria - 18th-century farmhouse- in the Puglian countryside near Mesagne. Checking in for three nights, we enjoy a refreshing welcome drink before sitting down to dinner at our hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A coach transfer takes us to the historic port city of Brindisi after breakfast this morning. At the end of the ancient Via Appia, its natural harbor has shaped the city's fortunes for centuries. Today, it attracts visitors with its palm-lined promenades, Roman columns perched beside the water and a compact Old Town where cafés spill onto small squares. Enjoy time at leisure to visit the Romanesque cathedral or uncover historic palazzos on timeless streets.

This afternoon, we continue to Mesagne, a smaller town of white stone. Its historic center is a labyrinth of narrow lanes that open to reveal a Norman castle and an attractive main square. There's time to explore independently, perhaps stopping off at a wine bar to sample local varieties.

Returning to our hotel this afternoon, there is time to unwind - you could lounge by the pool, enjoy a game at the tennis courts, stroll the lush grounds or indulge in a wellness treatment at the spa. However you spend your free time, we reconvene for dinner together at the hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Ahead of us today is one of the highlights of our tour - an excursion to the rugged hilltop town of Matera in Basilicata, a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its ancient sassi cave dwellings. This evocative town has been favored among directors as a film location over the decades. Director Pier Paolo Pasolini set the story of Jesus' life here in his 1964 classic The Gospel According to St. Matthew and the James Bond movie No Time to Die was also filmed here.

Our guided tour takes us through the maze of winding streets and fascinating Paleolithic-era abodes, some of which were inhabited until as recently as the 1950s, and we enter one of the sassi caves. You're then free over lunch to explore this incredible location at your own pace. Matera has flourished in recent years - it was European Capital of Culture in 2019 - and there are many boutiques, craft shops, bars and cafés to discover.

We return to our spa hotel near Mesagne for our last night on the Adriatic coast, gathering for a final dinner together this evening in our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This tour of unspoiled Puglia and Basilicata in Italy's southern heel began in the timeless city of Rome, where we toured the most iconic sights. In contrast to the buzz of the capital, we then stayed in two idyllic bases - Santa Maria al Bagno on the Ionian Sea and rural Mesagne. The region's unique architecture has been encountered in Matera and Alberobello, while hidden gems have been explored in Galatina, Gallipoli and Lecce.

After breakfast this morning, you can begin your journey home or continue exploring Italy independently.

• Breakfast