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- A Culinary Quest in Vasto Cooking Vacation in Italy
A Culinary Vacation in Vasto
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Authentic Italian Cooking Vacations
The city of Vasto is one of Abruzzo’s many charming towns. It’s center is perched high on the hillside overlooking the Adriatic sea, and slopes downward to the coast, where fishermen have been harvesting from their wood “trabocchi” structures for centuries. Like much of this richly historical land, Vasto has roots that can be traced back millennia. During the Roman Empire is was a flourishing town known as Histonium, whose remains can be seen in the ruins, mosaics, and statuary that survive. During the medieval period it passed into the hands of a local lord who built the town walls, tower, and castle that make the city so distinctive. During the Spanish rule of southern Italy in the early 18th century, Vasto was again a vibrant and important town on Italy’s eastern coast. Today it is known for its pristine beaches, its centuries of history, and charming historical center, which features a number of interesting and important churches and buildings.
Abruzzo is where the seaside meets the mountains, and that is true also in its gastronomy. Local regional specialties range from wonderful pastas to the meats and cheese produced in the lush mountainous interior, to the fresh seafood fished from the Adriatic. You will have the chance to enjoy all of these and more during your cooking classes., which will be with different chefs and will feature local pastas and sauces, seafood recipes, and a wonderful pizza-making class.
In addition to the weeks taking place in Vasto, you can also choose a special 10-night itinerary that takes you from Abruzzo south to Puglia and Matera, a special 6-night itinerary in nearby Le Marche, or even a 7-night tour of Sicily.
Highlights of your Italian Cooking Vacation in Abruzzo
Depending on the specific week, enjoy 1 to 3 hands-on cooking classes based on the season, among which you might find:
- homemade pastas and sauces
- homemade pizza, ‘bruschette,’ and tiramisù
Itinerary
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Day One
- Arrival at Rome airport on your own. Meet the group transfer at 12:30 pm, and transfer to the ancient Roman town of Vasto, located right on the Adriatic Coast. Check in to your accommodations and time to relax.
- Welcome dinner tonight in the center of town.
- Overnight.
Day Two
- Breakfast, followed by a morning market visit and cooking class focussing on homemade pastas and sauces based on seasonal ingredients.
- Lunch to follow based on your efforts.
- In the afternoon, explore the beautiful Loggia Amblingh, a promenade that overlooks the crescent-shaped coastline near Vasto. You will also explore the town’s medieval castle, towers, and alleyways, as well as the Cathedral and the town’s main piazza, named for the poet Gabriele Rossetti.
- Time to explore the local artisan shops.
- Dinner tonight is on your own (most travelers prefer to get something light after the big family lunch.)
- Overnight.
Day Three
- After breakfast head to the marvelous Abruzzo mountains and national parks. On the way to the town of Scanno, stop and visit the enchanting 11th-century Hermitage of San Domenico on the lake of San Domenico.
- Next, enjoy an easy and scenic walk along the heart-shaped Lake Scanno.
- Lunch today is a picnic based on local products (weather permitting).
- Next discover Scanno, one of the most beautiful Italian villages, with its fabulous alleys, churches, and artisans boutiques. Maybe stop for a refreshing gelato and a visit of an artisanal jewelry shop where they make the “Presentosa,” a traditional, highly decorative type of pendant from Abruzzo that dates back to the 18th Century.
- Dinner tonight is in a traditional restaurant in Vasto.
- Overnight.
Day Four
- Breakfast, and then off to the coast! Visit the Punta Aderci Nature Reserve, one of the 10 most beautiful Italian beaches.
- Weather permitting, you will enjoy a fishing demonstration on a “trabocco,” a typical Abruzzese fishing platform. Your host will show you how fishermen have been fishing from the trabocchi for centuries, and you will enjoy a seafood lunch on the sea.
- In the afternoon, free time to explore on your own, to shop, or to relax in town.
- Overnight.
- Dinner tonight is on your own.
- Overnight.
Day Five
- Breakfast and then head to a local farm where friends Dino and Pina will show you the art of farming. You can even milk a sheep or cow if you’d like!
- Learn to make the Abruzzese bread called “pizza scima” (stupid pizza), a pizza made without yeast, and after collecting some organic wine from their winery, enjoy an aperitif including a tasting of their cheeses, salami, and extra virgin olive oil. Almost everything you’ll eat this morning is produced on the farm.
- Next learn how to make cheese, and collect vegetables from the garden for your farm to table lunch.
- In the afternoon, visit the beautiful Roccascalegna Castle, known as “the castle in the sky.”
- Dinner on your own tonight (if you are still hungry after the farm lunch).
Day Six
- After breakfast, visit a family-run olive farm that has been producing top-quality olive oil for 3 generations. Your host Giovanni will share the secrets of this wonderful gastronomic product.
- Next, visit an award-winning winery that sits between the mountains and a marine park, and enjoy a wine tasting lunch with pairings of local products such as cheese and salami.
- In the afternoon, a bit of free time to pack or do any last minute shopping.
- This evening, enjoy a farewell party with your new friends. You can help prepare homemade pizza, as well as traditional bruschette and tiramisù. Dinner to follow.
- Overnight.
Day Seven
- Breakfast and group transfer to Rome’s Fiumicino airport (please plan on an afternoon flight, as you will arrive at the airport around 12:30 pm).
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Day 1
- Rome Fiumicino airport pick up at 11:30 am, transfer to Sulmona, the town of the Roman poet Ovid, the most illustrious son of Sulmona (click hereto discover more about Sulmona)
- Get to know your local guide and Italia Sweet Italia founder Fabrizio and learn more about this 12-day Italian cultural vacation.
- Check in, relax and enjoy a welcome dinner at Hotel Ovidius in the heart of Sulmona
Day 2
- After a leisurely traditional breakfast made of freshly baked bread, whole fruit country-style preserves, cake, pastries, coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juice:
- Visit the Confetti (sugar-coated almonds) Museum, where you can see a wide display of old-fashioned confectionery machines and equipment, memorabilia and precious, rare objects relating to the ancient Sulmonese art of confectionary.
- After confetti tasting, we’ll discover Sulmona and see the Medieval aqueduct on Piazza Garibaldi and the Church of Santa Maria Annunziata with its majestic bell tower.
- We’ll have a traditional lunch in the centre of Sulmona
- We know that not every minute of your time needs to be packed with organized events; you will also be able to explore on your own and actually live like an Italian.
- So today you’ll have a free afternoon for your own activities, which could include visiting Sulmona’s museums and art galleries, taking part in some extra activities/excursions, having a SPAexperience in the Hotel wellness center (must be booked in advance) or just do some time shopping, visiting artisans or taking a walk in the “piazza” to enjoy the relaxing Sulmona atmosphere.
- In the evening, you may experience dinner on your ownin one of the many restaurants of Sulmona.
Day 3
- After checking out, we’ll drive across the wonderful Abruzzo mountains and National Parks to the ancient Roman town of Vasto on the Adriatic Coast, where you will be staying for the next 3 nights.
- On the way to Vasto, we’ll visit the enchanting Hermitage of San Domenico in Villalago and the village of Scanno (one of the most beautiful villages of Italy) in the mountains with its fabulous alleys, churches, landscapes and artisans’ boutiques.
- Lunch in a traditional restaurant in Scanno
- We’ll also visit an artisanal jewelry shop where they make the “Presentosa”, a famous traditional jewel from Abruzzo, a very ancient piece of art which dates back to the 18th century.
- Transfer to Vasto, check in at Hotel in the historical downtown.
- Group dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto.
Day 4
- We’ll walk and visit Vasto’s colorful market to get seasonal products. Here you’ll have the possibility to practice a little bit of Italian even if you don’t speak any of it
- Next, we’ll drive to the beautiful countryside of Vasto where we’ll meet Fabrizio’s family to have an exclusive cooking class with them and we’ll learn how easy it is to make fresh pasta and we’ll be introduced to Abruzzo sauces.
- An example of a menu based on Fabrizio’s family recipes, includes Bread with meat sauce, Pasta alla chitarra with meat sauce, polpette (meatballs) and Tarallucci (typical biscuits from Abruzzo)
- Lunch on the scrumptious dishes that we prepared in the morning, while enjoying the relaxing family atmosphere
- After a short break to relax, in the afternoon we’ll go on a guided visit of Vasto’s historic center. We’ll explore Loggia Amblingh, a promenade overlooking the fascinating crescent-shaped coastline, the old town with its medieval Castle, charming lanes, a tower, the Cathedral and Piazza Rossetti, dedicated to Gabriele Rossetti, a poet from the town and father of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood .
- In the evening you may have dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants of Vasto. After the big family lunch, based on our many years of experience, we know that nobody is looking for a rich dinner, so our travelers usually enjoy spending time like a local trying a simple aperitif, a gelato or a pizza.
Day 5
- After breakfast, we’ll explore the famous Trabocchi coast. We’ll start with a short and easy walk inside Punta Aderci Nature Reserve, from where you can also admire snow-capped mountains at certain times of the year
- Next, we’ll visit an award-winning winery that sits between a marine park and the mountains. We’ll sample wine tasting and lunch with pairings from local cheeses and salami and a tour of the vineyard and cellars organized by winemakers Emanuele and Nicola.
- After lunch in the winery and a short break at the hotel, we’ll drive to the little hilltop village of Lentella at Ettore’s “Fattoria d’Arte” (Art farm)
- Surrounded by an amazing landscape with a stunning view of the sea, mountains, hills, and small towns, you can enjoy an easy walk and an artistic experience with Ettore, who will let you create your own Abruzzo souvenir (a postcard made with natural colors produced on site by mixing leaves and flowers that you can pick on Ettore’s property)
- We’ll have an aperitif and a traditional dinner with Ettore and his wife Barbara.
Day 6
- After breakfast, immersed in the nature and surrounded by amazing sceneries, we’ll drive inland to explore Abruzzo’s enchanting castle in the sky in the charming village of Roccascalegna, ranked by Condé Naste Traveler as one of the 9 Most Beautiful Hilltop Towns in Italy
- Next, we’ll visit a trabocco (the symbol of the area), mostly built with acacia wood and railway iron sleepers.
- Weather permitting, Rinaldo our host will show us how to fish from it and the secrets and history behind Abruzzo’s unique fishing platforms.
- His wife Maria will prepare fish from the Adriatic Sea for us
- Free afternoon for your own activities, which could include going to one of the many beaches, visiting Vasto’s museums and art galleries, taking part in some extra activities/excursions, or just doing some shopping, visiting artisans or having a walk in the “piazza” to enjoy the relaxing Vasto ambiance.
- In the evening, you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants of Vasto
Day 7
- After checking out, we’ll move to Puglia where we’ll meet the local guide Katia and we’ll have a guided visit of the beautiful town of Trani: the little fishing port, the Church of the Templar Knights, and the historical district.
- Free time and lunch on your own in one of the many restaurants of Trani
- Transfer to Conversano and check in at Hotel Corte Altavilla in the historical downtown (possibility to have a SPA experience in their wellness center to book in advance)
- Guided walking tour in Conversano: ancient town with its medieval Castle and Romanesque cathedral
- Welcome to Puglia group dinner in a traditional restaurant in the heart of Conversano.
Day 8
- After breakfast we’ll drive to Bari, the capital city of Puglia. We’ll have a guided tour to discover San Nicola’s church and the city center called Bari Vecchia (Old Bari) where you can meet local ladies making fresh pasta in the middle of enchanting streets, and where you can taste some of the local specialties.
- We’ll drive to Polignano a mare to enjoy a traditional lunch and to discover its wonderful sea views and charming alleys.
- After the lunch in Polignano, based on our many years of experience, we know that nobody is looking for a rich dinner, so our travelers usually enjoy spending time like a local trying a simple aperitif, a gelato or a pizza.
Day 9
- After breakfast we’ll move to an ancient masseria (typical Apulian farmhouse) in Monopoli and cooking class with traditional recipes such as orecchiette pasta, melanzane alla parmigiana (eggplant parmigiana) and Almond sweets (a typical Apulian dessert)
- Lunch will consist of scrumptious dishes that have been prepared in the morning.
- Next, we’ll have a guided tour of Monopoli, an enchanting seaside town with a lot of history, surprising corners, and fascinating alleys.
- Dinner at your leisure in one of the many restaurants of Conversano
Day 10
- After breakfast, we’ll drive south to visit an ancient olive oil mill where we’ll have an extra virgin olive oil tasting.
- Next, we’ll explore the charming village of Locorotondo, whose name derives from the Latin Locus Rotundus and literally means “round place” recalling the circular shape, which is repeated on several rings between suggestive alleys and streets.
- Next, we’ll move to the UNESCO site of Alberobello to enjoy a traditional lunch in this unique town.
- Next, we’ll have a guided tour and walk among the trulli
- Dinner at your leisure in one of the many restaurants of Conversano
Day 11
- After breakfast, we’ll drive to spectacular Matera in the Basilicata Region.
- Next, we’ll have a guided tour of the Unesco site of “the Sassi” (cave houses and rocky churches where time seems to stop)
- After some free time to explore Matera by yourself or to relax, we’ll have a Focaccia and bread tasting with a light lunch in a traditional bakery in Matera.
- Next, we’ll come back to your Hotel in Conversano
- You will have more free time to relax and pack or do last minute shopping, before we enjoy a farewell dinner at Hotel Corte Altavilla
Day 12
- After breakfast departure (normally at 09:00) for Bari airport or your next destination (45 minutes driving from Hotel to Bari airport and 40 minutes to Bari train station)
Trip Details
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Included in the 6-Night Abruzzo Culinary Tour
Accommodations6 nights accommodation in 3* hotel in Vasto
Food & Beverages- Daily breakfast
- Daily lunches and some dinners (specific number varies week to week, please inquire)
- Local wine included with all included meals
Classes & InstructorsDepending on the specific week, enjoy 1 to 3 hands-on cooking classes based on the season, among which you might find:
- homemade pastas and sauces
- homemade pizza, ‘bruschette,’ and tiramisù
ExcursionsExcursions vary by week and by season, but may include among the following:
- A tour of Vasto with its promenade, castle, towers, cathedral, and piazza
- A visit of a traditional ‘trabocco’ fishing platform (weather permitting)
- A visit of the abby of San Giovanni in Venere
- A seasonal excursion on day 4 (truffle hunt, visit to national park, etc.)
- Dairy farm visit with cheese making
- Roccascalegna Castle, the ‘castle in the sky’
- Olive farm visit and winery visit with tastings
Transfer Details- Group arrival transfer from Rome FCO airport at 2:30pm, and departure transfers to Rome FCO Airport with arrival around 12:30 pm (please plan on an afternoon flight, or on staying an extra day in Rome).
- Please note that for the 10-night Abruzzo and Puglia tour the return transfer is to the Bari airport or train station.
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Included in the 11-Night Abruzzo and Puglia Culinary Vacation
Accommodations- 2 nights in Sulmona (Abruzzo) at the Hotel Ovidius
- 4 nights in Vasto (Abruzzo) at the Hotel San Marco or Hotel dei 7
- 5 nights in Conversano (Puglia) at the Hotel Corte Altavilla
Food & Beverages- Daily breakfast
- 8 lunches
- 5 dinners
- Wine with all included meals
Classes & InstructorsYou will have 2 hands-on cooking classes during your stay. One will feature traditional Abruzzese dishes, the other will feature traditional Apulian fare.
Excursions- Guided visit of Sulmona
- Wine tastings and olive oil tastings
- Guided tour of Vasto
- Market visit
- Art experience in Lentella
- Visit of Punta Aderci Nature Riserve
- Trabocco fishing demonstration
- Guided visits of Trani and Conversano
- Tour of Monopoli
- Visit to Locorotondo and Alberobello
- Guided visit of Bari
- Tastings as per the itinerary
- Visit of Polignano
- Guided visit of Matera in Basilicata
Transfer Details- Group arrival transfer from Rome FCO airport at 2:30pm, and departure transfers to Rome FCO Airport with arrival around 12:30 pm (please plan on an afternoon flight, or on staying an extra day in Rome).
- Please note that for the 10-night Abruzzo and Puglia tour the return transfer is to the Bari airport or train station.
Accommodation Information
Most weeks in Vasto will have accommodations at the centrally located , 3* Hotel dei 7, which has been recently renovated and is located next to the panoramic Belvedere San Michele. It affords views over the gulf and easy access to a tree-lined public garden as well as the historical center. The rooms are basic but newly redone and offer air conditioning as well as en suite bathrooms with hair dryers.
Double bedroom at Hotel dei 7 in Vasto, Italy.
Your accommodations for your culinary vacation in Italy at Hotel dei 7.
Double bedroom at Hotel dei 7 in Vasto, Italy.
Exterior of the hotel in Vasto that is your home for your culinary vacation in Italy.
Lobby of the Hotel dei 7 in Vasto.
Hotel dei 7 in Vasto, breakfast room.
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You can also choose to upgrade to a lovely boutique residence located in the heart of Vasto. Originally an 18th-century mansion, it has been renovated into an upscale B&B with 5 bedrooms, located on the Amblingh promenade. (If unavailable an comparable accommodation will be proposed.)
Bathroom the Residenza in Vasto during your culinary tour of Italy
Double room the Residenza in Vasto during your culinary tour of Italy
Hallway the Residenza during your culinary tour of Italy
Bedroom at the Residenza during your culinary tour of Italy
Double bedroom during your cooking vacation in Italy
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Please note for the following itineraries you stay alternate accommodations (inquire for details):
Abruzzo, Puglia, Matera
- 2 nights in Sulmona (Abruzzo) at the Hotel Ovidius
- 4 nights in Vasto (Abruzzo) at the Hotel San Marco or Hotel dei 7
- 5 nights in Conversano (Puglia) at the Hotel Corte Altavilla
Abruzzo Culinary Vacation Pricing & Tour Dates
Find pricing and dates for our Italian culinary tours below, and contact us for availability or to plan your trip.
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(excluding Christmas and Olive harvest weeks)
6-Night Culinary Weeks Sample* Pricing
See moreUS$2395 per person based on double occupancy
*Pricing can vary slightly by week depending on the itinerary – please inquire.
Please inquire with specific dates for detailed itinerary.
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!Upgraded accommodations: please inquire.
No single occupancy supplement (unless you select upgraded accommodation).
(Oct 26-Nov 1, 2025; Dec 14-20, 2025Christmas Traditions Week and Olive Harvest Week Pricing
See moreUS$2065 per person based on double occupancy
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!Upgraded accommodations: please inquire.
No single occupancy supplement (unless you select upgraded accommodation).
Vasto Abruzzo Cooking Vacation Tour Dates
See moreOur Italian culinary vacations in Vasto are available select weeks. Other weeks are also available on request – please inquire.
2025
April 17-23 – Easter Experience
April 28-May 3
May 25-31
June 29-July 5 – Truffle week
September 7-13
September 14-20
September 28-October 4 – Grape Harvest
October 26-November 1 – Olive Harvest
December 14-20 – Christmastime
Please note that a special 7-night itinerary in Sicily is also available May 18-25 and October 19-26, 2025. Please inquire for details and pricing. -
11-Night Abruzzo and Puglia Culinary Tour Pricing
See moreUS$4300 per person based on double occupancy
- Add US$310 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!Abruzzo and Puglia 11-Night Tour Dates
See moreOur Italian culinary vacations in Abruzzo and Puglia are available select weeks.
2025
April 6-17
May 11-22
June 8-19
September 21-October 2
October 5-16
November 9-20
