Puglia Walking Tour - Olives and Vineyards Surrounded by Sea
Puglia (or Apulia in English), the “heel” of Italy, is a long, narrow peninsula bordered by two seas, the Ionian and Adriatic, giving it the longest coastline in the Italian peninsula. It is a land where the traces of ancient peoples can be seen in innumerable ways; from the crumbling stone towers that grace the coastline, to the lovely traditional “trulli” stone huts, to time-honored vineyards of ancient olive trees. Puglia is the least mountainous region in Italy, and the central plain now produces wonderful agricultural products, including tomatoes, greens, olives, eggplants, artichokes, almonds and citrus. Agriculture and proximity to the sea result in a land with many rich culinary traditions to discover along the way.
Join Kathy and Vernon of Italiaoutdoors Food and Wine on an intimate walking tour of Puglia, as we experience the history, indiginous wines, and traditional cuisine. Puglia offers a lot of flexibilty to adapt your tour for your group - options for cycling as well as walking, multiple cooking classes, winery visits, producer visits, city stays or rural hikes.
Why explore the region with us? Our owners, Kathy and Vernon, personally research and design your tour. Vernon is trained mountain guide with degrees in literature and Italian history - he leads the daily walks that reveal both the best scenic vistas of this area along with its fascinating historical footprint. Kathy is a trained chef and Italian Wine Professional, and she crafts a culinary footprint to complement.
Our tours are never outsourced to hired guides; Vernon and Kathy will personally lead your tour. Our goal is to give you the best of both worlds - the knowledge base, planning and safety of a guided tour with the freedom to explore, be spontaneous, and ability to relax the pace that comes with independent travel.
Our seven day/six night Puglia adventure in Italy:
2022 Tour Dates: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to add your preferred dates.
$4400 to $5295 USD per person, double occupancy. The higher price includes high end boutique hotels and Cru wines. Other price points are available.
We customize the week for the activity level and interests of your group, from fitness walks to more casual strolls, cooking classes and winery visits. Pick your dates and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!
Highlights of our Puglia walking tours:
- Spending a full week exploring Puglia, soaking in the sunshine and enjoying coastline, vineyards and olive orchards all in one region.
- One or two nights in Lecce, the “Florence of the south”, known for its splendid baroque architecture.
- A night or two in Alberobello, a UNESCO heritage site, home to the traditional “trulli” stone huts with their unique conical roofs.
- Overnight at a small family owned Masseria, where we can relax by the pool, enjoy their farm-to-table restaurant, partake in another cooking class, or experience cheese and olive oil tasting.
- Daily tastings of the very local foods and wines.
- Visits to Puglia’s picturesque whitewashed hill towns overlooking the sea, like Ostuni and Otranto.
- The cuisine of Puglia - the freshest of seafoods, orecchiette pasta, burrata cheese, cicoria e fave (chicory with fava beans), bread from Altamura.
- A private winery tour and tasting, to learn firsthand about the indiginous wines of Puglia, home to Primitivo and Negroamaro.
- A hands-on cooking class (or two) with a local chef who will teach us the secrets behind traditional Puglian dishes like orecchiette.
Our tour includes:
- 6 nights accommodations at 3 star or better hotels
- All ground transfers
- All breakfasts, snacks on the road as we bike, 3 dinners; the dinners include local wines
- Daily guided walks
- Hands on cooking class
- Daily food and wine tastings
- All tips, gratuities, and local taxes
- Any entry fees to museums, villas, other venues we may visit
- Services of Vernon and Kathy throughout the trip
To receive a detailed itinerary and personalized quote, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We personally work with each and every guest to answer all questions, and make sure our trip is customized to your abilities and preferences. We're also happy just to chat, and hear how you would like to travel.
* Single supplement of $300