Day One - (Welcome to Basilicata)

Arrival: Bari Airport to Your Accommodation

Provided Meals: Dinner

You will be met by your hosts at Bari Airport and will travel for an hour to the traditional farmhouse, situated in the gorgeous countryside near Matera. Upon arrival, you'll be warmly welcomed with an aperitivo and dinner in the evening, before settling into what will be your new Italian home for the next seven nights.

Day Two - (A Day in Matera, Europe's 2019 European Capital of Culture)

Guided tour of the Sassi di Matera (Rock-cut dwellings thought to be continuously inhabited for at least 9,000 years!) Matera

Provided Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

We start the day with a fresh breakfast, including homemade Italian cakes and Marisa’s homemade marmalade and jams. Other types of breakfasts will be available throughout the week - guests just need to ask! After breakfast, we take a short trip to the ancient city of Matera, where you will meet your English-speaking tour guide and spend the morning exploring the breathtaking Sassi di Matera. For lunch, we will offer you some scrumptious recommendations in Matera, and after eating and relaxing, you'll have some free time to explore this unique city. In the late afternoon, we’ll return to the farmhouse for a traditional home-cooked dinner.

Day Three- (A Day with the Local Lucani!)

Fresh Mozzarella Workshop and a Day on the Farm.

Provided Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll welcome our good friend Antonio to the farm who will demonstrate the fine art of making mozzarella and fresh Southern Italian cheeses. Antonio is a ‘Casro’ (cheesemaker), with over 40 years of experience. He’ll guide you through this special demonstration, learning all the secrets to creating this famous culinary delight. Then it will be time for a traditional family lunch and a siesta. The agriturismo offers one of the best places to do this in Southern Italy. Guests can take a snooze or enjoy the terrace with a glass of wine. You can also join your hosts and their faithful canines on a leisurely walk around their WWF-protected nature reserve. And if the weather's warm you can also take a dip in the property's amazing pool! In the evening, there will be the opportunity to head back into Matera to see the city at night. You can check out one of Matera's many beautiful cave bars, or you can take an evening stroll through the beautiful Sassi.

Day Four - (A Day in the Mountains)

Dolomiti Lucane (the Dolomites of the South), Castelmezzano

Provided Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, we head off to the Dolomiti Lucane - the Dolomite mountains of the South. Here we will visit one of the most beautiful mountain towns in all of Italy - Castelmezzano. You can have a leisurely morning passeggiata here, meet the locals, and enjoy the stunning views. For lunch, we’ll meet our good friend Daniele at his lovely mountain town restaurant, where he'll prepare a delicious treat of local products and wine for us. In the afternoon, we’ll return to the agriturismo and take a nice siesta, before enjoying more traditional food from the Mamma of the family, Marisa.

Day Five - (A Day in Puglia on the Adriatic Sea - The picturesque seaside town of Polignano a Mare)

Polignano a Mare

Provided Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

After breakfast, we’ll take a short trip over the border into Puglia to visit the famous and charming seaside town of Polignano a Mare. After a visit to the beach and a famous statue of a famous son of Polignano, we’ll recommend a few special places where you can try some amazing fresh seafood lunches and local delicacies, with a glass or two of nice wine. In the afternoon, you'll have an opportunity to explore the old town of Polignano a Mare and perhaps do a spot of shopping and exploring, before returning to the farmhouse for a restful evening.

Day Six - (Return to Puglia - Alberobello's Trulli and the Charming Village of Locorotondo)

Trulli - Alberobello - Locorotondo

Provided Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

After breakfast, we'll head back into the neighbouring region of Puglia and visit one of the region's most famous towns, Alberobello - the home of the famous Trulli houses! After exploring these strange conical-shaped homes, we'll recommend a few spots for a good traditional lunch. When we're ready, we'll then head off to another gorgeous hilltop Pugliese town called Locorotondo. The day will conclude with a dinner of even more culinary delights created by chef Marisa at the farmhouse!

Day Seven – (A Day with the Lucani)

Fresh Pasta Workshop

Provided Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, you will get the chance to learn how to make typical Southern pasta like orecchiette and cavatelli. This fun-filled, hands-on lesson might be harder than it looks, but it’s certainly a unique experience! Following our final traditional lunch together, you can enjoy your last Italian siesta amongst the tranquillity of this beautiful Southern Italian setting and savour every last moment of your trip with us. A light dinner, or 'apericena', will be served in the evening and there will be one final opportunity to say 'goodbye' to the city of Matera for those who wish to venture out again.

Day Eight – (Farewell day)

Provided Meals: Breakfast

After our final breakfast together, it will be time to say fond farewells to your tour hosts and family, and you will be taken back to Bari Airport with a host of very special memories of the real Italy. Memories that you will undoubtedly be able to treasure forever!