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A Taste of Abruzzo, Central Italy and the Adriatic Coast

(An extraordinary tour of Abruzzi, the Apennines and the Adriatic Coast)

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Companion Travels Free Offer Ends on November 30th.. Book Now!
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Limited Time 50% Off Sale!
Priced From
$2,249 USD *
regular price: $4,498
(Price Per Person, Double Occupancy)
* Plus taxes. Tours sold on an availability basis.
7 days | 6 nights

An Edible Destinations Premium Series Tour
From the Heart of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea

Companion Travels Free Sale Sale (AKA 50% Off)
Abruzzo, Italy, is known for its diverse and delicious culinary seasons that showcase the region's rich food culture. In this special series, Abruzzo's culinary seasons reflect the region's commitment to using locally sourced ingredients and traditional cooking methods, making it a gastronomic delight for visitors and a source of pride for its residents. Learning how to cook Italian food is a secret dream for many people. During this cooking holiday you will have the opportunity to learn the recipes of traditional Italian and Abruzzese cuisine, from homemade pasta and gnocchi to desserts and other culinary delights. These dishes come from the oldest and most authentic recipes handed down from family to family. You will have the opportunity to visit the traditional fishing huts called Trabocco constructed along the coastline. You'll hear the silence of Old Abruzzi, you will get lost among its colors and you will remember its flavors for years to come. It will be difficult to forget the breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso - the highest mountains of central Italy – from the reserves and the natural parks to the countryside and its medieval village
Small Group Friendly

Special Bonus if Booked by November 30th!
(Save Over $2,200 Per Person + Bonus)
(Very Limited Time Pricing)
1-800-390-3292

Itinerary Accommodations Map FAQ Testimonials
VACATION HIGHLIGHTS
Please note: Tour inclusions can change depending upon seasonality and weather conditions.
6 Nights Palazzo Accommodations
6 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 6 Dinners
Round-Trip Rome Airport Transfers
Olive Mill Tour & Pasta Cooking Class
Sommelier's Wine Pairing Class
Vasto Tour & Trabocco Fishing Houses
Peasant Food & Biscotti Baking Class
Visit to Agnone and Bell Foundry
Cheese Making and Porchetta
Pizza Making Farewell Dinner Class
While our tours are designed as soft adventure experiences, walking, climbing stairs, and in rare cases mild hiking may be required. If you have mobility issues, you should speak with one of our culinary travel specialists to determine if this tour is appropriate for your situation.
AVAILABLE DATES
This tour runs weekly throughout the season between late March and early November.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
Please note: Actual itineraries are subject to change due to seasonality.
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Day 1
Round-Trip Rome to Abruzzo Transfers | Welcome Dinner
You will be greeted at the Rome International Airport, then traverse the Apennine Mountains as you journey through Lazio and Abruzzo on your way to the Palazzo. After you have settled in, you will all meet for cocktails and a briefing of the tour. A welcome dinner will follow, where you will enjoy a multi-course meal in the town of Carunchio.
Day 2
All Meals | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Our premier tours such as A Taste of Abruzzo Culinary Vacation include a full breakfast buffet, lunch with wine and dinner with wine each day. Your time in Abruzzo will be filled with exciting excursions and activities, with the tastes of this region of Italy being a highlight of your stay.
Olive Mill Tour, Demonstrations & Tastings | Hands-On Cooking Class
Your morning will start as always with a delicious Italian breakfast, after which you will head out for a visit to an award-winning Olive Press, to learn sampling techniques on how to taste a variety of olive oils. You will walk through the olive grove, learn how the olives are picked, and then see how they are processed to obtain the extra virgin cold press olive oil. After a short break, you will join in your first hands-on cooking class, to explore the basic ingredients of Abruzzo cuisine. You will create one of the delicious appetizers that highlights the region, a main course based on vegetables, and a delightful dessert. The theme for this class is quick and healthy homemade meals, recipes, and techniques you will be able to implement at home. Everyone will dine on these tasty creations in traditional Italian style, slowly and in good company!
Day 3
All Meals | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Our premier tours such as A Taste of Abruzzo Culinary Vacation include a full breakfast buffet, lunch with wine and dinner with wine each day. Your time in Abruzzo will be filled with exciting excursions and activities, with the tastes of this region of Italy being a highlight of your stay.
Homemade Pasta Extravaganza | Wine Pairing Class | Sommelier
This morning you will learn how much fun and utterly delicious making pasta at home can be, in a variety of colors and shapes. Experienced chefs will teach you all the tricks so that it turns out great every time. The type of pasta you make in this lesson will be dependent upon seasonality, ensuring that the freshest ingredients are used in the preparation of the chosen pasta dish. After lunching on your creations and taking a short break, it is time for a wine pairing class. You will be sampling more than a few great Abruzzo wines, then learn how to pair them all with food and wine – led by the Palazzo's own sommelier.
Day 4
All Meals | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Our premier tours such as A Taste of Abruzzo Culinary Vacation include a full breakfast buffet, lunch with wine and dinner with wine each day. Your time in Abruzzo will be filled with exciting excursions and activities, with the tastes of this region of Italy being a highlight of your stay.
Vasto Excursion | Trabocco Fishing House | Taste of the Adriatic Lunch
Enjoy a trip to the Adriatic Coast for a guided tour of Vasto and its historical center, shopping, and a sightseeing tour of the coast's unique "Trabocco" fishing houses. Depending on the weather and the season, you may be able to enjoy a fishing experience at the Trabocco, an old fishing house sitting in the middle of the sea – a very special treat. Shoe shopping seems to be a national sport in Italy, and you will find a huge selection in the local boutiques and outlets, along with lingerie, jewelry and more. You will then relax at the best restaurant in town, where you will be served a seafood sampling feast.
Day 5
All Meals | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Our premier tours such as A Taste of Abruzzo Culinary Vacation include a full breakfast buffet, lunch with wine and dinner with wine each day. Your time in Abruzzo will be filled with exciting excursions and activities, with the tastes of this region of Italy being a highlight of your stay.
Peasant Food & Biscotti Class | Afternoon for Hiking or Optional Activities
You will learn peasant food recipes of the old world – what was once considered lowly fare is now super-gourmet. You will create a superb vegetarian dish and follow up by preparing the best almond biscotti ever made, with an Abruzzo twist. In the afternoon you are free to walk around town savoring the peaceful environment in the small village of Carunchio, or you may enjoy a hike on a trail close by.
Day 6
All Meals | Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Our premier tours such as A Taste of Abruzzo Culinary Vacation include a full breakfast buffet, lunch with wine and dinner with wine each day. Your time in Abruzzo will be filled with exciting excursions and activities, with the tastes of this region of Italy being a highlight of your stay.
Agnone | Bell Foundry & Cheese Making Tour | Porchetta | Pizza Making
Get ready for another excursion – a tour to Agnone in the region of Molise, where you can watch old-world production of mozzarella, ricotta cheeses and caciocavallo. Agnone is famous for its quality cheese, especially the caciocavallo, which is a gourmet version of provolone. Then you will visit an historic artisan bell foundry where you will learn about each phase of manufacturing these unique bells that are still created for Vatican City. Lunch will be gourmet street food, a porchetta sandwich paired with a fine Italian beer. After a leisurely lunch and short rest, you will learn how to make pizza with a variety of vegetables, meats and cheeses – in the Abruzzo way. Stretch the pizza dough, top with many fresh ingredients, and throw it into an artisan wood-fired oven; the result is a crunchy, thin-crusted, flavorful pizza. Taste and discover how these ingredients are a big part of the Abruzzese cuisine.
Day 7
Breakfast
Our premier tours such as A Taste of Abruzzo Culinary Vacation include a full breakfast buffet, lunch with wine and dinner with wine each day. Your time in Abruzzo will be filled with exciting excursions and activities, with the tastes of this region of Italy being a highlight of your stay.
Check-Out and Departure
Time flies when you're having so much fun, but alas…it is time to check out and depart this delicious, "Edible Destination." Remember, short excursion packages are often available in nearby cities or historic destinations. Should you desire an extension, please let your culinary travel specialist know prior to check-in. Early in the morning on your departure day, you and your newly acquired friends will be transferred in luxury back to the Rome International Airport in accordance with your travel plans. May your future travels come from sweet dreams, and create tasty memories!
Rome International AirportCarunchio, ItalyVasto, ItalyTermoli, Italy
Abruzzo is one of the best kept secrets in all of Italy. An incredible experience and a fantastic week. I can’t decide if the food was the highlight or the views, or possibly our hosts. Whether you are a novice in the kitchen or a seasoned cook, you’ll enjoy learning something new as you create memories with your new found friends. Can’t wait to go back!
Joanne - October 2023
Awesome surprise! From the wonderful staff who make you feel just like family, to our newly acquired friends that we met along the way, this tour is definitely 5-star. The accommodations, meals, cooking classes, offsite excursions, and the absolutely gorgeous hilltop setting all exceeded our expectations. While there was ample time for relaxation, my wife and I experienced not one moment of boredom. This was truly one of the best experiences we have ever had in Italy!
Mark - June 2023
Amazing culinary experience with tours of local area. Amazing food from the first night until the last night ! Our host and staff were the most accommodating . Dino the chef was the best instructor, we all came away with the love of Italian food and the proper way to select fresh ingredients and safely prepare food.
Alison - June 2023
My father's family immigrated to America from the Abruzzo region, so I've always wanted to learn more about my Italian roots. When the opportunity came up to join a small group of friends on a cooking vacation to Abruzzo, I couldn't resist. Everything went so smoothly. Not at all like my previous adventures in Italy. We landed in Rome and were picked up at the airport. While the drive to Abruzzo was almost 4 hours long, it was absolutely gorgeous. We went over the mountains that divide the central part of Italy, and arrived at a hilltop village that was just stunning. Our host and the rest of the staff did everything they could to accommodate any requests and to make our stay more comfortable. Each day we got to roll up our sleeves and experiment in the kitchen during the cooking classes, and at other times we were off on excursions to learn the art of cheese making, olive oil pressing, and even a truffle hunt. On one day we even went to a small village in the mountains to see firsthand how the bells are made for the Vatican. This was by far the most organized and hospitable trip I have ever been on!
Deanna - September 2022
This glowing review is long overdue. For years I had been dreaming about the Abruzzo trip. I had read through all the reviews and had never seen so many raves about one experience. And I want to add mine to the pile. I took my 79 year old mother with me on this trip. We are both foodies who love to cook and adventurous world travelers. Originally from NYC we are used to wonderful food and this trip was honestly a highlight in our lives. I am an off the beaten path traveler and this trip met my expectations on every level. The stunning location of this jewel property and the joy of opening my shutters every morning to the bells of the church and the beauty of the view was like living in the film Enchanted April. All the meals were wonderful as were the cooking classes and excursions. The following Christmas we made the tiramisu for our holiday dessert at home and savored our memories of this very special vacation. This trip is an authentic experience of Italy. Breathtakingly beautiful. Peaceful. Deeply restorative. Inspiring. And delicious beyond imagining. We added a week in Florence after this experience to reenter the world and experience more traditional tourist elements as this week in Abruzzo is less about doing and more about being. But that is how I think Italy is best experienced- savoring it, not running around. Just Eating, walking, having conversations surrounded by beauty. If you have been sitting on the fence wondering if this trip is worth the cost and long bus ride from Rome to arrive at the top of the hill- without any hesitation I encourage you to go. I know it will become a highlight of your life too.
Janet M. - September 2019
This was the best experience ever!! You and your company handled all details of our trip, and we just truly enjoyed our vacation without any hassles. We will definitely contact you for further trips!!!
Mike and Jo - September 2017
We had a great trip and loved every minute. Cristina, Sarah, Francesco and Dino were great at their jobs, and lots of fun with all the guests. We loved the recipes and the cookbook, and I am planning to try the stuffed artichokes tonight! We spent four days in Rome before meeting the group for our transfer to Abruzzo.
Janice & Stephen - May 2017
Our week in Abruzzo was fabulous! Each cooking class was laid out perfectly from the beginning of the history of the dish, to the explanation of ingredients and purpose of exact preparation, to the final serving/plating. The kitchen is set up perfectly. We are fairly experienced as our neighbors are chefs and also own a vineyard. However, I must say: each dish we prepared, both of us learned new and insightful tips on preparation, purpose of sequencing etc. which was very helpful! We absolutely thoroughly enjoyed the week and are doing another Edible Destinations tour next fall in Spain!
Vicki & Mike - October 2016
The Palazzo far exceeded my expectations. We had such a great time. The accommodations were five stars and so were the cooking classes, meals, and trips. I can't say enough about it. I hope to sign up again next year.
Lorraine P. - June 2016
I really enjoyed my trip to Abruzzo. What a beautiful place!! We were literally on top of a mountain. The hosts were wonderful. The food and the cooking classes were great.
Dolly - October 2015
This is our last day in Abruzzo...on our way to Rome. This week has been a phenomenal experience. The food was fantastic, Massimo and his staff were wonderfully accommodating, the views spectacular and the people in our group were very nice and friendly. I have been to Europe 9x and this culinary trip has been one of the highlights of our travels. Chef Dino and the rest of the staff put on a show for our final evening with lots of singing and laughter. It ended our trip on a very happy note.
Margie - July 2015
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