Custom Tour of Puglia and Emilia Romagna

Day One –

• Transfer from Bari Airport to the masseria, your accommodation for the week.
• Take some time to settle in and relax.
• Get to know the family, and enjoy an aperitivo with them before dinner.
• Overnight.

Day Two –

• Following breakfast, visit a cheese factory for a live demonstration of how to make mozzarella and burrata, and enjoy a tasting of this wonderful cheese.
• Next, visit an ancient oil mill in the Ostuni area to learn about this “green gold.”

• After, take a walk through the old town’s small alleys, then enjoy an aperitivo overlooking the sea.
• Return to the masseria for your first hands-on cooking class, which will focus on fresh and filled pasta and the local glory – focaccia.
• Dinner to follow based on your efforts.
• Overnight.

Day Three –

• Breakfast.
• In the morning, take part in your next cooking class to learn about traditional pizza
and other local specialties like panzerotti, friselle, and taralli.
• Lunch to follow based on your efforts.
• After lunch, visit a local winery for a wine tasting, then head to the picturesque town
of Polignano a Mare to admire the impressive panoramas from the seaside terraces.
Perhaps indulge in a gelato while there.
• From there take a very picturesque drive through Itria Valley to visit Alberobello, the
UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its fairytale trulli. While there, experience a
guided visit of the site.
• Finish your day with a wonderful dinner al fornello, where you’ll be served various cuts
of meats from the local butcher. This is a very Pugliese experience!
• Overnight.

Day Four –

• Breakfast and morning at leisure.
• In the afternoon, head to the capital city of Bari to explore the old town. This guided
walk will take you to remarkable historical attractions — such as the beautiful St. Nicola’s Basilica, home to Saint Nicolas, a beloved saint and father of the Santa Claus legend — as well as the seaside promenade and busy pedestrian shopping area.
• For lunch explore the local street food scene, including raw fish at the seafood market, and street food such as focaccia, sgagliozze, and popizze.
• Drive south to Monopoli, an enchanting harbor town to explore its cobble-stone alleys and seafront. And yes, another chance for a gelato!
• Return to the masseria to participate in a cooking class that focuses on fish and classical seafood dishes, from linguine to octopus, in a Mediterranean style, as well as vegetable dishes.
• Dinner based on your efforts.
• Overnight.

Day Five –

• Following breakfast, depart for an excursion to Locorotondo, a beautiful town in the Itria valley, and visit their local market, where you’ll enjoy an apertivo like the locals.
• Transfer to a renowned factory to taste the local cold cut, capocollo.
• Return to the masseria for your final cooking class, where you’ll discover the tricks of
Pugliese desserts and cakes, such as biscotti, and Italian limoncello.
• Farewell dinner to follow based on your efforts.
• Overnight.

Day Six –

• Breakfast and check out. Transfer to Bari train station.
• Transfer from Bologna train station to your hotel in Bologna. Check in, then time to
explore a bit on your own before a welcome dinner with a typical 3-course menu
(wine included), within walking distance of your hotel.
• Overnight.

Day Seven –

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Next, a 3-hour guided food walking tour of Bologna, searching for its two souls – “The Fat and The Learned” –in all the art and food of this quintessential town.
• After a quick look at the sfogline rolling out pasta stripes in their shops, our Bologna expert guide will take you to the locals’ favorite spots in the Quadrilatero, the historical food market district full of irresistible temptations: formaggio bianco, tortellinis, lasagne, parmesan, mortadella… all of which ready to land in your mouth together with nice and long sips of local wine!
• And to make it a real treat and an all-round experience, you’ll also get an insider-view of the most iconic corners and monuments of the town, from Piazza Maggiore, to the Neptune Statue and the world-famous UNESCO-Porticoes.
• Rest of day at leisure.

Day Eight –

• Breakfast at the hotel. Meet our driver at your hotel in Bologna and head on to the Food Valley of Italy!
• Head to Parma and meet your guide, then visit an authentic producer of Parmigiano- Reggiano PDO: you’ll discover how the King of all cheeses has been literally made by hand in the same way since the Benedictine monks invented it 10 centuries ago! From the curdling into the typical copper heaters to the salting and the final ageing in the so- called wheel cathedrals, you will be a privileged witness of almost all the steps of production of this out-and-out food icon. Tasting at the end.
• Picture-stop at the medieval fortified village of Torrechiara dominated by its breathtaking castle: one of the most spectacular among the manors included in the Italian network called Castles of the Duchy.
• Guided visit with final tasting at one of the local family-run ham factories producing the mythical Prosciutto di Parma PDO: you will get to know why the best ham can only be made in the hills of Parma, where the marino wind blows from the Ligurian Sea through the river valley.
• Full lunch based on the typical products of the area: Parmigiano, Prosciutto as well as other kind of local cold cuts, a typical stuffed pasta dish (tortelli di Parma), homemade cakes, all paired up with local wines like Lambrusco and Malvasia!
• Guided visit at a traditional Acetaia to catch the secrets of PDO Traditional Balsamic Vinegar: in particular, you will get to know why the balsamico made upon the traditional method is the one and only “black gold”, not to be confused with the imitations available in most of the delis and stores around the world.
• Head back to Bologna around 4:30PM.
• Time at leisure before your farewell dinner within walking distance of your hotel, 3 courses, wine included.

Day Nine –

• Breakfast and departure transfer to the Bologna airport.