Join Limitless Planet and your host, Robert “Bob” Colosimo, the food and travel aficionado, for a tasting tour through Apulia, Italy!

Apulia is an exceptional destination that should be on every traveler's bucket list. Located in the southern region of Italy, Apulia's coastline is a sight to behold with its clear blue waters, sandy beaches, and impressive cliffs. The charming towns and cities, such as Lecce, Alberobello, Gallipoli, and Ostuni, have a rich history and culture to explore. You'll be treated to mouth-watering cuisine and warm hospitality from the locals. Whether you're after a cultural adventure or a relaxing beach vacation, Apulia has something for everyone. Don't miss out on the opportunity to experience this beautiful region of Italy.

 Depart your hometown and head to Italy. 

 Welcome to Apulia! Arrive at Bari airport and meet with your driver and private transfer to Polignano area. Check-in and have some time at your disposal to relax.

Welcome dinner in the hotel.

Meals: Welcome dinner, beverages included

Overnight: Borgo Canonica, Cisternino 

After breakfast, depart to the Murge area. Discover the ancient tradition of fresh pasta. The local chef will welcome you in a typical Apulian Masseria, among the centenary olive trees. They will be your guide for a culinary journey from the creation of traditional homemade pasta such as "orecchiette" and "cavatelli". Homemade pasta with meatballs in tomato sauce is one of the classic recipes of our territory and preparing it takes time and passion. The guided tour of Ostuni will take you to know the “White town”, with all the houses painted with white lime. It is one of the most important places to visit in Puglia with its enchanting historic center, cathedral and landscape on the Itria valley. 

Dinner and evening at leisure. 

Meals: Breakfast and lunch, beverages included

Overnight: Borgo Canonica, Cisternino 

Are you a lover of Burrata mozzarella and cheese made in Puglia? Would you like to learn how to make typical products like burrata and mozzarella with your own hands? Today you will learn how to make it!! You will discover, together with a guided tour, how a typical Apulian farmhouse runs and what craft activities take place there inside its ancient walls and the life of countryside. 

After the guided tour, in which you will also see the production workshop of the cheese factory of the farm, the time will come to try their tasty pugliese dairy products: mozzarella and burrata. The tour will end with a rich picnic of dairy products under the trees. Then a private walking tour of Alberobello. You will discover the origins of the city, its links with the feudal lords of Conversano and its evolution over the centuries. The guided tour of the Trulli of Alberobello will let you to discover the reason of the birth of these curious dwellings and the different forms present in the Apulian territory.

Dinner and evening at leisure. 

Breakfast and light picnic lunch 

Overnight: Borgo Canonica, Cisternino 

After breakfast and check out, you will be headed to Lecce. Stop in Grottaglie. 

The ceramic quarter (quartiere delle ceramiche) in Grottaglie is well worth a leisurely explore, even if you are not in the market for any pottery. There is a massive variety of ceramic products available covering the full spectrum of taste and style. The town is famous for two different designs. The first are "pumi" bud shaped pieces available in either 2D or 3D formats, the symbol of Pomona the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance. The pumi represent fertility, the birth and growth of family and a fruitful / prosperous future and are often given as presents when a couple gets married, buys their first home, or has a child. The second famous design, are statues of bearded ladies which refer to a local, medieval love story of a groom who was prepared to risk his life to protect his new bride. 

You will have a workshop in a laboratory for around 1 hour. During the trip, you will visit a vineyard with cellars in Manduria area, land of Primitivo DOC wine. There, you will taste their excellent wines. In 20 minutes, you’ll reach the most ancient winery in Manduria. There, you will visit their peasants’ museum and have a traditional lunch paired with their prize-winning wines. Check-in at your hotel in Lecce.

Dinner and evening at leisure. 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and wine tastings

Overnight: Patria Palace Hotel, Lecce 

Meet your guide at your hotel and discover this amazing city. Lecce is known as “The Florence of the South”, due to the heavy presence of rich Baroque architecture. Strolling the streets of Lecce is akin to a walk-through history. First conquered by the Romans in 3rd century B.C., this lively city was ruled by more than a few who saw it’s worth. Churches and grand structures display many different influential periods of art, and architecture- the most extravagant being the church of Santa Croce. It’s not all ancient-or even not so-ancient-history in Lecce. 

During a papier-mâchè class, you will learn the elaborate but satisfactory process of creating papier-mâché handmade works, related to the Salentine tradition. A skillful artisan will explain and show the different phases of the production, which is still carried out according to the ancient tradition handed down from generation to generation. With the help of craftspeople and raw materials like paper, straw, flour glue and water, you will learn to make traditional arts and create a little handmade work to take home with you!

Afternoon at leisure before enjoying dinner at a local restaurant. 

Breakfast and dinner, beverages included

Overnight: Patria Palace Hotel, Lecce 

Your driver will take you to the scenic seaside town of Otranto, where an English-speaking guide will lead you through the historic old quarter. Spend some time at the Aragonese Castle and the Church of Saint Peter. Otranto is the door to the East. For centuries, it was an outpost of the Byzantine Empire on Apulian soil, as well as the cultural and artistic center of the entire region. Otranto is brightened by the sun reflecting off the turquoise blue water of its harbor onto the bare rocks upon which this small city is built.

Puglia has a rich and complex history that has influenced its cuisine and the production of typical products. The region’s historical roots intertwine with cultural influences from various civilizations, such as the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs. Enjoy lunch with typical local food. 

After lunch, learn all about southern Italy’s famous Lecce Stone and enjoy a workshop with a famous artist. Lecce stone is characterized by its easy workability and was used as building material for the city’s beautiful baroque architecture. 

On our tour, you will immerse yourselves fully in the authentic local art culture of Lecce, getting the chance to meet a local sculpture master, renowned for his skills in manipulating this famous stone. You’ll visit his workshop in the countryside, just outside Lecce, and enjoy a fun hands-on experience learning how to carve it.

Dinner and evening at leisure. 

Meals: Breakfast   

Overnight: Patria Palace Hotel, Lecce

After your breakfast, check-out and depart towards Matera. You will have a stop in Altamura. It is an interesting little charming city located inland on the way to Matera. It is famous for the Altamura Man, the perfectly preserved 400,000-year-old skeleton of a pre-Neanderthal hominid discovered in a limestone cave near the town. 

But it is renowned worldwide for its flavorful bread. You will visit an ancient bakery where they’ll show you how to make a tasty bread and you’ll have a light lunch with local delicious focaccia. After lunch, you’ll reach Matera, the town of Sassi. 

You will have your time at leisure in Matera.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Overnight: Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civata, Matera  

After your delicious breakfast, meet your local guide for a walking tour through the characteristic districts of the Sassi. You will start with a historical introduction, analyzing the different stages of the urban development of Matera. The itinerary is punctuated by numerous stops: you will visit key points of interest including rock churches, cave houses, water collection systems, and cellars dug in caves. The town has an incredible history and a deep sense of spirituality and authenticity. 

During your guided tour, you will visit the Casa Grotta, a small museum that recreates the atmosphere of a typical sasso dwelling, to fully understand how people used to live in the Sassi. An Italian aperitivo at sunset in an elegant and gourmet restaurant with a superb view over the evocative Sassi will be the reward of this intense day. 

Return to your hotel and have your evening at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast 

Overnight: Palazzo Del Duca, Matera

The Basilicata Region boasts, among other things, a variety of grazing lands, olive groves, vineyards and other crops of first quality, in which the final result is a rich offer of typical dishes revealing their genuineness and goodness through their scents and flavors.

Located in Basilicata’s north-eastern side, this volcanic region was one of the favorite places of the emperor Frederick II, who chose it to practice his beloved falconry. The gentle, multi-colored hills of the area are the perfect habitat for the vineyards which produce the Aglianicodel Vulture DOC red wine. The area is also rich in incredible natural and artistic treasures such as immense forests, volcanic lakes ,ancient ruins, abbeys, castles, and museums. 

The winery is located in Rioneroin Vulture. You will enjoy a fantastic journey through the ancient tradition of winemaking. Here you can taste and enjoy the great wine produced, coming from the excellent grapes that are cultivated in fields rich in mineral water. The team of this winery will guide you through the production, preservation, and final result of their treasured wine. After a tour of the historic cellars, you can enjoy the wine with a light lunch made from products that come from local farms. 

After enjoying lunch you will transfer to Venosa,  the birthplace of the Latin poet Horatio, the author of Carpe Diem. Enjoy a visit to the Archaeological Park, Abbazia della Trinità whose architecture shows Roman, Longobard, and Norman influences Finally, you will see the Incompiuta ruins of a larger Abbey built in the XII century that has remained unfinished. 

After a full day of wine and sightseeing you will travel back to your hotel and enjoy an intimate farewell dinner experience! 

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Overnight: Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civata, Matera 

After breakfast at your hotel, it’s time to say goodbye to this special place. You’ll travel by bus back to the Bari airport, where you can continue your travels to make your way home. We know you’ll take with you the wonderful memories of your experience in Italy!