A packaging apparatus for articles to be packaged includes: a transport system having a transport direction for the articles to be packaged and a plurality of rigid transport elements pulled in a sequence and extend transversely to the transport direction, each one having a plurality of seats defining a predefined pattern; a packaging station, arranged along the transport direction transport, having a stationary support structure and a packaging system with a plurality of operating devices each one being arranged in a predetermined position with respect to the other operating devices, each of the operating devices able to carry out a packaging operation on a corresponding article to be packaged at the transit of the respective transport element near the packaging station; and a movement mechanism, integral with the support structure, rigidly moving at least a part of the operating devices with respect to corresponding seats of a single transport element.