Itinerary
- Day 1
Rome to Vasto
Your driver picks you up at Rome Fiumicino at 2:30 pm and heads into the Abruzzo mountains, driving toward the coast. The route takes you through scenic mountain passes before arriving in Vasto, a small coastal town where Hotel dei 7 will be your home for the next several days. After checking in, your guide meets the group and takes you to a traditional restaurant in town for a welcome dinner to kick things off.
- Start point
- Roma, Roma, Italy (Airport pick up, 14:30)
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome group dinner at a traditional restaurant in the heart of Vasto)
Included Activities
- Airport pickup and transfer to Vasto
- Welcome group dinner at a traditional restaurant
Landmarks Rome Fiumicino Airport Vasto 
- Day 2
Vasto
Start the morning with a traditional Italian breakfast, then head to Vasto's colorful market to see what's in season locally. From there, you'll go to Fabrizio's family home for a cooking class where you'll learn to make fresh pasta and regional Abruzzo sauces from scratch. After lunch featuring the dishes you prepared, the afternoon is for wandering Vasto's historic center, which includes a medieval castle, a cathedral, narrow streets, and Piazza Rossetti. You'll also meet some local artisans and artists. Dinner is on your own this evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Traditional breakfast made of freshly baked bread, whole fruit country-style preserves, cake, pastries, coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juice), Lunch (Lunch with scrumptious dishes prepared in the morning cooking class - example menu includes Bread with meat sauce, Pasta alla chitarra with meat sauce and polpette, Cavatelli with vegetables and Tarallucci)
Included Activities
- Visit Vasto's traditional market
- Exclusive cooking class with Fabrizio's family - fresh pasta and Abruzzo sauces
- Lunch with prepared dishes
- Explore Vasto historic center - Loggia Amblingh, medieval Castle, Cathedral, Piazza Rossetti
- Meet local artisans and artists
Optional Activities
- Dinner at restaurants in Vasto - simple options like aperitif, gelato, or pizza
Landmarks Vasto Market Loggia Amblingh Vasto Medieval Castle Vasto Cathedral Piazza Rossetti 
- Day 3
Lentella - Trabocchi Coast
After breakfast, drive inland to Lentella, a hilltop village where Ettore runs an art farm. Here you'll create your own sculpture or postcard using natural materials available on site. You'll have an aperitif and then lunch with Ettore and his wife Barbara, enjoying traditional food in a relaxed setting. In the afternoon, head back toward the coast along the Trabocchi coastline, which is famous for its traditional fishing platforms. Stop at one to learn about local fishing techniques from Rinaldo, a fishing host, and try some fresh seafood with an aperitif. Dinner is on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Traditional lunch with Ettore and his wife Barbara), Snack (Seafood aperitif at trabocco fishing platform)
Included Activities
- Drive to hilltop village of Lentella
- Artistic experience with Ettore - create Christmas gift sculpture or postcard with natural materials
- Aperitif and traditional lunch with Ettore and Barbara
- Drive along Trabocchi coast
- Visit trabocco fishing platform - fishing demonstration
- Learn history and secrets of Abruzzo's unique fishing platforms
- Seafood aperitif at trabocco
Optional Activities
- Dinner at restaurants in Vasto
Landmarks Lentella Trabocchi Coast Trabocco Fishing Platform - Day 4
Vasto
Take your time over breakfast, then drive out to Fabrizio's family farmhouse for another cooking class, this one focusing on traditional Christmas dishes. You'll learn to make Pallotte casce e ove, Cannelloni with ricotta and spinach, Baccalà, and Scrippelle dessert, then sit down to lunch in a relaxed family atmosphere. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore Vasto however you like, whether that means hitting the beach, checking out museums or galleries, or just soaking in the town's vibe. Dinner is on your own.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch with prepared traditional Christmas dishes - example menu includes Pallotte casce e ove, Cannelloni with ricotta cheese and spinach, Baccalà, and Scrippelle)
Included Activities
- Cooking class with Fabrizio's family - traditional Christmas dishes
- Lunch with prepared Christmas dishes in family atmosphere
Optional Activities
- Visit Vasto beaches
- Visit Vasto museums and art galleries
- Additional excursions or activities
- Shopping at artisans
- Walk in town plaza
- Dinner at restaurants in Vasto
Landmarks Vasto - Day 5
Roccascalegna
After breakfast, head to a farmhouse where Pina and Berardino focus on slow food traditions. You might help milk sheep or cows, learn to make pizza scima (a yeast-free pizza), and taste the farm's homemade wines, cheeses, and olive oil. There's also a lesson on making ricotta cheese from scratch. After picking fresh vegetables from the garden, lunch is a farm-to-table meal using mostly what the farm produces. Later in the afternoon, drive inland to Roccascalegna, a hilltop village with a castle that ranks among Italy's 9 most beautiful. An aperitif or dinner is on your own this evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Snack (Aperitif with tasting of farm production - cheeses, salami and extra virgin olive oil), Lunch (Farm-to-table lunch with mostly farm-produced ingredients - wheat-based breads and pasta, eggs, organic extra virgin olive oil, wines, cheeses, salami, and vegetables)
Included Activities
- Slow food experience at farmhouse - milk sheep or cow
- Learn to make pizza scima - yeast-free pizza
- Aperitif with farm production tasting - cheeses, salami, extra virgin olive oil
- Learn ricotta cheese preparation
- Collect organic vegetables from garden
- Farm-to-table lunch with farm-produced ingredients
- Drive to Roccascalegna hilltop village
- Explore Roccascalegna castle
Optional Activities
- Dinner or aperitif at restaurants and wine bars in Vasto
Landmarks Roccascalegna Roccascalegna Castle 
- Day 6
Vasto
Begin with breakfast, then visit an olive grove run by Giovanni's family for three generations, where they produce DOP olive oils. You'll learn how olive oil gets made and taste several varieties. Next, travel to an award-winning winery situated between a marine park and mountains, where Emanuele and Nicola will guide you through a tasting paired with local cheeses and salami, plus a vineyard and cellar tour. After lunch, you'll have free time to relax. By evening, you'll either join a farewell party with Fabrizio's family featuring Abruzzo wines and food, or help prepare tiramisu and different pizzas including Margherita and local varieties with ventricina salami. The night wraps up with a final dinner together as an Italian family.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at winery with wine pairings and local cheeses and salami), Dinner (Final family dinner in Abruzzo countryside with Fabrizio's family enjoying Abruzzo wines and food, or participating in tiramisu and pizza preparation)
Included Activities
- Visit olive grove - three generations family business producing DOP oils
- Olive oil tasting
- Visit award-winning winery
- Wine tasting with local cheese and salami pairings
- Tour of vineyard and cellars
- Lunch with wine pairings at winery
- Farewell party with Fabrizio's family
- Learn to make tiramisu and various pizzas including Margherita and local varieties
- Final family dinner in Abruzzo countryside
Landmarks Olive Grove - Giovanni's Family Farm Award-Winning Winery - Day 7
Vasto to Rome
Have breakfast and then depart for Rome Fiumicino Airport, which is about 3.5 hours away by car. Book an afternoon flight so you'll have time for the drive without rushing through the morning.
- End point
- Roma, Roma, Italy (Rome)
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Transfer to Rome Fiumicino Airport
Landmarks Rome Fiumicino Airport
