This seven-day journey takes us from coast to coast focusing on the exquisite food and wine of not one, but two incredible southern regions. This southern Italy food tour brings you into contact with local food aficionados and experts. You’ll enjoy hands-on cooking classes, visits to olive groves, and wine tastings in charming medieval villages. Highlights include cooking with a local celebrity chef, a private tour of the Amaro Lucano Museum with a mixology class, and dinner in the stunning city of Matera.
Over seven days, you’ll savor Calabria’s most renowned food and wine, forging heartfelt connections with small-scale producers. The daily cascade of free-flowing wine and evening group aperitivi on this Calabria and Basilicata vacation package will kindle a camaraderie that only a shared passion for food and culture can foster.
Cooking alongside locals, engaging with farmers who nurture the land, and exchanging stories with fellow travelers, you’ll find yourself enamored with the unparalleled charm of Calabria and Basilicata. This region beckons you into a love affair that lingers long past this journey through its traditions and the ruby-red nectar of its vineyards. The Italian saying “Buon appetito” perfectly encapsulates the spirit of our quest for the quintessential flavors of Calabria and Basilicata.
If you have any questions about this itinerary, please get in touch. Meanwhile, if you feel you need a more tailor-made experience, explore our Custom Tours of Italy option.
Accommodations and Transportation:
Meals:
** There is a lot of food included in this itinerary; travelers rarely have the appetite for dinners or “on their own” meals.
Group Excursions and Experiences:
We will meet you at the Lamezia Terme Airport in time for the group transfer at 10:00AM, or – if you are able to take our advice and arrive a day early, we’ll pick you up directly at your airport hotel.
Our first stop is at a local winery where you’ll dive into the wonderful world of Calabrian wine with a wine tasting lunch extravaganza. You’ll feast on Calabrian specialties, including salami, sopprassata, pecorino cheese, vegetables, baked appetizers, and more.
Following lunch, we will transfer to Fiumefreddo Bruzio, named one of Italy’s “Most Beautiful Hamlets.” We’ll check into our hotel and in the evening, will meet up for a Welcome to Calabria aperitivo.
Overnight Fiumefreddo Bruzio.
This morning, we’ll sleep in and have some leisurely time in this beautiful medieval village, then we’ll regroup to explore this enchanting borgo with its ancient castle, impressive noble residences, and charming piazzas that overlook the Tyrrhenian sea. You’ll stop at one of our favorite restaurants in Fiumefreddo Bruzio, tucked away in the maze-like streets of the town, where you’ll push up your sleeves for your first hands-on cooking class. You’ll sample delicious tastings made with local ingredients from small producers which are guaranteed to be IGP, DOP, and/or Slow Food certified, and environmentally sustainable.
We’ll have an afternoon break, then will drive out of town to a multi-generational family business dating back to 1910 which is praised for its high-quality signature sweets made with figs. We will learn how figs are used to create some of Calabria’s most treasured sweets including the much-loved Crocette, named for its cross shape. After sampling some of these delicious treats, we will return to our hotel.
Overnight Fiumefreddo Bruzio.
Today you will meet my friend, Lucia, for a visit to her family’s olive grove. You’ll learn about their commercial production (and awards!), and see how they integrate their family’s dairy farm into the oil business.
You’ll learn how to tell good olive oil from the fakes, then will have a picnic-style lunch on-site, complete with local specialties and of course – their olive oil. After lunch, you’ll return to your hotel.
Overnight Fiumefreddo Bruzio.
This morning, we will check out of our Fiumefreddo Bruzio hotel and head to a nearby company that has mastered the perfect summer drink with an unmistakable taste of clementines from the Piana di Sibari. This brand was created precisely to enhance the local product that is famous throughout the world for its organoleptic qualities. Without any preservatives, colorings or gluten, this Calabrian product is for everyone.
From there, we will learn about another local specialty – Sibari rice. This rice is among the best rice varieties in Italy and known for its unique characteristics. Immersed in an area known since antiquity for the fertility of its fields and the healthiness of its thermal springs, it is no coincidence that this land produces what is known as “White Gold of Calabria.”
Next, we will check into our hotel in Bernalda, an unmissable stop for anyone visiting Basilicata. You will love getting to experience this charming medieval village.
Overnight Bernalda.
This morning, we’ll meet Mariangela, a local celebrity chef, for a walk through Bernalda to visit her favorite places. We’ll mingle with the locals and stop in her preferred cheese shop and the local vegetable market to gather up all the fresh and delicious ingredients for our special meal.
Then, we’ll return to the borgo and split into groups and make a collective lunch. Following our feast, you’ll have time to rest, relax, and enjoy the town of Bernalda.
Overnight Bernalda.
This morning, we’ll visit the Amaro Lucano Museum for a private guided tour of this unique interactive museum. After we’ve learned a bit about this popular amaro, we’ll enjoy a mixology class with a local barman who will let us in on some of his secrets for creating the perfect cocktail which we’ll get to make, and of course sample!
We’ll have a light lunch, then will return to the hotel for a break. You’ll have time to rest, pack, or explore the town, then we’ll reconvene for a farewell dinner in gorgeous Matera.
Overnight Bernalda.
You’ll have breakfast, then at 8:00AM, the group transfer will depart for the Bari airport.
Arrivederci bella Italia!
Group airport transfers are included at the scheduled times. Travelers arriving outside these times should inquire about private transfers.
We love private tours and can often include extra fun elements that aren’t available to individual travelers. If you’d like a bilingual escort or driver, just let us know. We’ll be happy to plan your custom vacation accordingly.
This is a great question because there is sometimes overlap amongst the three which leads to confusion. To keep it quick though, a travel consultant is a local expert, meaning she only focuses on a specific part of the world, in some cases one country, in other cases (like mine) part of one country. This person usually lives (or has lived for an extended amount of time) in the place she consults on and has an intimate knowledge of the area.
A travel agent is similar in that she helps her clients put their trips together. A travel agent can specialize in a country but oftentimes hasn’t lived there and/or may not have traveled to all of the places her clients are going. A travel agent can search for and book flights and cruises that travel consultants can’t or choose not to book.
I often work with travel agents who want to ensure they are offering the best service to their clients. The travel agent will contact me and together we’ll put the Calabria/southern Italy section of their client’s vacation together.
A tour operator packages trip elements into travel packages that they either sell directly or through travel agents. Some travel consultants (like me) are registered as a tour operator for legal business purposes.
When you book a custom vacation, there is more going into your trip than simply recommending a hotel or a cooking class. I am invested in my clients’ trips and I work with them to choose the right base locations, to map out their ideal route and to ensure the hotels, guides, excursions and activities are right for them.
It’s been estimated the average person spends 100 hours researching, planning and booking a vacation. My clients either don’t have this kind of time to devote to planning their trip or they want to ensure they are making the right decisions for their vacation.
Besides the fact that I’m being paid by my clients to plan their trips, I choose not to accept commissions from hotels, car companies, chefs or other vendors because I don’t like the potential conflict of interest. If I don’t accept commission from anyone, then my clients know I always have their best interest in mind.
I don’t – but I can either coordinate with your travel agent, recommend an agent to you for group travel or tell you about the airlines I personally choose when I’m traveling.
