Coast to Coast with Chef Taylor Mason
Calabria, Matera, Puglia
SOLD OUT!
April 22-May 1, 2025
Price: $5,999/person
A new twist on our popular Due Coste "Coast to Coast" tour, led by James Beard-nominated Chef Taylor Mason of Lancaster PA’s LUCA and Pizzeria LUCA!
On your tour, you’ll travel alongside Chef Taylor to experience the amazing culinary specialities of these regions, visiting various food artisans, wineries, producers, and of course - enjoying some delicious meals! Starting on the coast of Calabria, passing through the ancient cave town of Matera in Basilicata, and ending on the coast again in Puglia, this tour truly takes you off the beaten path!
These areas are home to the Calabrian peperoncino, spicy 'Nduja, some of the best olive oil in the country (the region of Puglia has over 60 million olive trees!), burrata, incredible wines, and the cucina povera of this area! And Matera itself just has to be seen to be believed, with a history of continuous occupation dating back to the Paleolithic period!
Keep scrolling to see Trip Highlights and specifics on pricing, how to book, and what's included! Contact us with any questions.
About Chef Taylor Mason
Chef Taylor is the chef and owner of Lancaster, PA restaurants, LUCA and Pizzeria LUCA. LUCA focuses on the traditions of Italy while being rooted in the heritage of Lancaster, as a farm-driven kitchen with locally sourced vegetables and meats, as well as handmade pasta. They are committed to acquiring fresh local ingredients and establishing relationships with farmers and artisans.
Join us and see for yourself why Chef Taylor was named as a semifinalists for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chefs in America Award in 2020!
Itinerary
These 10 days will take you from the Western coast of Italy to the East, and give you the opportunity to dip a toe in the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas!
TROPEA (3 nights) – with nicknames like "Italy’s Most Beautiful Village" and "Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea," this is a town you don't want to miss;
MATERA (3 nights) – the "City of Caves," Matera is one of Italy's most interesting destinations, well deserving of the "European Capital of Culture" designation in 2019.
FASANO (3 nights) – we will finish the trip in a masseria in the small town of Pezze di Greco in Fasano. Cooking classes, pool time, and visits to nearby Alberobello and Polignano a Mare will round out our final leg of the trip!
Tour Highlights
Explore the ancient cave town of Matera - a city that makes Rome (at 3,000 years old) look 'new' (Matera is 5,000 years older!!).
Enjoy the unique opportunity to travel alongside a professional chef and take advantage of his culinary knowledge and love of Italian cuisine.
Visit an artisan 'nduja producer in Calabria to learn about this fiery salume that's gaining popularity amongst American chefs!
Learn the techniques of a professional olive oil tasting, and experience a sampling amongst the centuries-old olive trees.
We'll take advantage of our masseria's outdoor kitchen and culinary garden to create some fresh pasta and focaccia masterpieces in our cooking class!
Double occupancy: $5,999/ person
Single supplement: $750
Deposit of $2,000/person is due upon booking to reserve your spot, along with a signed & completed Terms & Conditions. 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:
- Nine nights of hotel accommodations (3 nights in Tropea, 3 nights in Matera, 3 nights in Pezze di Greco)
- 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 flights, which are not included in the tour cost.
You will be picked up at the Lamezia Terme (SUF) airport on April 22 at 12:00p.m., then dropped off at the Bari (BRI) airport on May 1 by 9:00a.m.
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 tour's itinerary.
Cusine - 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, dishes that reflect the region we’re in (as this is a "Coast to Coast" tour, you can expect seafood to be highlighted), and so on. 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
Matera - Matera in particular may be challenging for those with mobility issues. The town itself is difficult to describe unless you’ve been there, but this fly-through video gives you a glimpse into the Sassi (the old town, where we will be staying). It is an ancient cave town where dwellings/shops/hotels are all built one on top of each other, and not necessarily in a linear way. Therefore everything is connected via flights of stairs, winding alleys, etc. all built out of stone. This results in some uneven surfaces w/ few hand rails to be found. The tufa stone can also be somewhat slick, especially during the dry summer months when there is a lot of dust. Good walking shoes, being sure on your feet, and staying alert are all key!
Excursions: With all of our excursions, you are not forced to participate if something like this is not your ’thing.’ If you get seasick or hate being on the water (or as mentioned in the Terrain section above, have issues with stairs), 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).