La Cucina: Puglia
October 19-25, 2026
$5,200/person
Optional Add-ons:
+ 3 nights pre-trip: Matera ($1500/person)
+ 3 nights post-trip: Lecce ($2000/person)
Spend a week immersing yourself into life in the Italian countryside! Your days in Puglia will be filled with excursions to the nearby seaside, olive groves, wineries and towns, while also learning the culinary specialties of the region through hands-on experiences.
Whether learning about ingredients or executing new skills like pasta-making or bread baking, you will gain a deep understanding of the wines, oils, foods, and techniques, leaving as an expert in Pugliese cuisine. Not to mention, you will be so enchanted with life in the masseria and the family who runs it that you won't want to leave!
New for this tour, we have included options to add on days to your tour! Choose to arrive early and explore the ancient cave town of Matera with us, or stay on in Puglia after the tour to explore Lecce.
Keep scrolling to see Trip Highlights and specifics on pricing, how to book, and what's included! Contact us with any questions.
Masseria Salamina
Your 7 days during La Cucina: Puglia will be spent at Masseria Salamina, a 17th-century castle set among olive and almond trees but just a short distance from the crystal water of the Adriatic. We'll enjoy cooking classes in the outdoor kitchen and dine under the twinkling lights in the courtyard in between excursions to explore all that Puglia has to offer!
OPTIONAL ADD-ON DESTINATIONS (see below for pricing details):
MATERA (3 nights, pre-trip)- The "City of Caves," Matera is one of Italy's most interesting destinations, well deserving of the "European Capital of Culture" designation in 2019.
LECCE (3 nights, post-trip) - Known as "The Florence of the South" for its incredible Baroque architecture, intricate stone carvings, and vibrant street life, Lecce embodies the essence of Southern Italian charm.
Double occupancy: $5200/person
Single supplement: $850
Matera add-on: $1,500/person (single supplement: $150)
Lecce add-on: $2,000/person (single supplement: $300)
Deposit of $2,500/person is due upon booking to reserve your spot, along with a signed & completed registration form. Booking is not considered confirmed until deposit has been received.
Payments can be made by check (made out to Curata Travel) and mailed to: Curata Travel, 245 N. Main Street, Spring Grove, PA 17362.
Credit cards are accepted with a 3.6% fee.
Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure.
Pricing includes:
- Six nights hotel accommodations at Masseria Salamina (add-ons would be 3 nights in Matera and/or 3 nights in Lecce)
- All planned excursions & classes, including visits to artisanal producers and a hands-on cooking class.
- Meals included: daily breakfasts at our accommodations and most lunches & dinners. We curate each menu to focus on traditional regional specialties, accompanied by local wines.
- Experienced tour leaders and local guides
- Private motorcoach transportation throughout the tour
- Airport transfers on specified arrival/departure days/times. We include one group transfer for your arrival and departure at specified times. Any additional transfer will be at your own cost.
Not included:
- Airfare
- Gratuity for driver and tour leaders, at your discretion
- Any spending during free time, personal purchases, extraneous hotel charges (minibar, laundry service, etc.) and any alcoholic beverages not included with meals.
Each member of the tour will be responsible for booking their own flight in & out of Bari (airport code: BRI). Flights are not included in the tour cost.
For La Cucina: Puglia you will be picked up at the Bari airport on October 19 at 12:00p.m., then dropped off at the same airport on October 25 by 9a.m.
(For Matera add-on, pickup will be at the Bari airport on October 16, and for the Lecce add-on, dropoff will be at the Bari airport on October 28.)
One group transfer will be provided, any additional private transfers would be at your own cost.
We strongly recommend looking into flight costs (try Google Flights) and trip insurance before booking your spot or see our tips for booking flights! These are important factors to consider as you budget for the trip.
A few items of note for some of the destinations and the trip as a whole to help set expectations and better prepare you for the trip. Some of the expectations are outlined in our Traveler Guidebook and the Terms & Conditions form that you will use to register (see specifically the Traveler Code and Traveler Expectations sections), but to reiterate some as they specifically relate to this La Cucina: Puglia itinerary.
Cuisine - As hopefully most of you know, our tours focus heavily on the culinary specialities of each region and town we visit. So when we arrange a lunch/dinner or culinary experience, we are working with those restaurants to plan menus in advance that highlight the seasonal produce, and dishes that reflect the region we’re in. We will be collecting some of this information at a later date from you, but if there are food allergies we need to be aware of, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate them. If there are entire categories of food that you just don’t eat (and are not willing to try), this might not be the tour for you!
Terrain/Mobility: As you'll find throughout Italy, walkways are often made up of cobblestones and limestone paving. Good walking shoes, being sure on your feet, and staying alert are all key to getting around! You should be able to get on & off the bus (and any boating excursions) without assistance.
Excursions: With all of our excursions, you are not forced to participate if something like this is not your ’thing.’ You always have the option to stay behind and enjoy some free time on your own (please note, as mentioned in the Terms & Conditions, there is no compensation or refund for any portion of the tour or excursion you do not participate in).