A typical itinerary for a gastronomy holiday to Abruzzo

DAY 1

Highlights inc: Staying in the stunning medieval hilltop village of Santo Stefano and exquisite welcome dinner

• Transfer from Rome Fiumicino Airport to medieval hilltop village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio in the heart of the Gran Sasso National Park
• Check into the beautiful La Locanda Sul Lago hotel (See Trip Advisor)
• Welcome aperitif and lunch
• Relaxing afternoon followed by presentation of staff and introduction to the Cookery Course
• Exquisite welcoming dinner

DAY 2

Highlights inc: Morning cooking class and a visit to ‘Saffron Valley’

• This morning it’s sleeves up for a cooking class with Mamma and our head chef, Eugenio Masci, who will disclose the secrets of fresh pasta, gnocchi, lasagna and tomato sauces
• Lunch will comprise of the fruits of our morning’s labour
• Afternoon visit to Navelli in Abruzzo’s world renown ‘Saffron Valley’, where our host will guide us through the secrets of cooking with this delicate spice
• Dinner at La Locanda Sul Lago

DAY 3

Highlights inc: The mountain plateau of Campo Imperatore, Cheese-making and preparing a traditional porchetta roll

• This morning we will travel to the breathtaking plateau of Campo Imperatore where a local shepherd will welcome us in to his humble hut for a pecorino cheese-making demonstration
• Lunch at a nearby mountain ‘Rifugio’ where our host, Gianni, will treat us to a selection of the very best local specialties
• This afternoon it’s back to the hotel for a lazy afternoon followed by a cookery lesson on how to prepare porchetta (suckling pig)
• Following this, we will move on to discover how to prepare a selection of Italian desserts, including Tiramisù, sorbetto, pizzelle and almond biscotti
• Dinner to follow is a gastronomic celebration of what we made in the afternoon!

DAY 4

Highlights inc: Learning the art of olive oil tasting, wine tasting in Claudio’s wine cellar and dinner at Villa Danilo

• After breakfast, we check out of La Locanda Sul Lago and head towards the pretty town of Bucchianico for an olive oil tasting experience
• A stroll through the cobbled alleyways of Bucchianico leads us to Claudio’s award winning wine cellar where we will have lunch and a lively wine-tasting experience with sommelier, Claudio
• Onwards to our second gastronomic hotel set within miles of truffle woods, Villa Danilo (http://www.villadanilo.it/). Here we’ll enjoy a welcome poolside aperitif and meet father and son owners, Pesquale and Gino, as well as their team of chefs
• Dinner at the Villa Danilo

DAY 5

Highlights inc: Cooking with fish, seafood lunch, truffle hunting (the Frui way), pizza making and truffle dinner!

• This morning will be dedicated to learning how to make fine, yet simple, fish dishes
• Lunch will be a true feast comprising of fish from the Adriatic, pastas and salads
• As the sun gets lower, we pull on our walking boots and head into the hills with a local truffle hunter and his dogs for a magical truffle hunting experience, complete with chilled Prosecco and refreshments!
• Before dinner we have the chance to spin our own pizzas and cook them in the wood-burning oven
• Dinner tonight will be a truffle feast

DAY 6

Highlights inc: Mozzarella making, alfresco lunch and vegetarian cooking class

• This morning we visit a local cheese factory to make our own mozzarella
• A unique alfresco lunch follows in the hills. A truly magical experience, guests will find bottles of wine, beer and Prosecco being cooled in a mountain stream and Villa Danilo’s head chef busily cooking pasta and meats on an open fire.
• A relaxing afternoon follows at the hotel before visiting the nearby Agriturismo Il Mulino (a local farm restaurant), where our hosts will teach us how to prepare a selection of vegetarian side dishes
• For dinner we will enjoy our various culinary creations on the farm

DAY 7

Highlights inc: The town of Sulmona and honey tasting

• After breakfast, we say goodbye to our hosts at Villa Danilo and head towards the classically beautiful Italian town of Sulmona, famous for its confetti and proud tradition of baking and pastry
• Here we will have a sweet honey-tasting experience before sitting down to a final lunch
• After lunch, we continue to Rome Fiumicino airport, arriving late afternoon

Please note: This itinerary is subject to change depending on weather conditions and unexpected delays. We ask that you put your faith in the experience of our guides and tutors, who occasionally choose to slightly alter the program to ensure you have the best possible experience.