Molise: A Culinary and Cultural Journey

For the historically-minded, culinary curious, and adventurous traveler who desires to explore a lesser-known area of Italy, we offer a unique tour on foot and by van. With your Tour Leaders you visit small farms and food artisans who produce distinct varieties of olive oil, wines, legumes, cheese, and cured meat, on an unforgettable experience through one of Italy’s most pristine regions.

See here for more info on Abruzzo and Molise regions.

Dates & Pricing

Minimum of 6 participants, maximum of 15, with a maximum guide-to-guest ratio of 1 to 8

DATES (7 days)

For dates, info and availability please contact us.

TOUR PRICE

Per person in double occupancy: from $3,590

Single Supplement: $540

For travel in 2021 and beyond, your tour is carbon neutral! In addition, we donate more than 1% of your trip price to food-literacy and environmental non-profits that share our values. (Details here)

Tour Highlights

Visits and tastings of wine, olive oil, cheese, pastries and cured meat makers
Delve daily into history, traditions and cuisine in this unique area in south of Italy
Discover Campobasso, the provincial capital, the old-world town of Termoli on the Adriatic Coast, and the villages of Sepino, Agnone, Larino and Bonefro
Relax in unique, cozy masserie and 3- or 4-star hotels distinctively representing the local culture
Experience an intangible UNESCO Cultural Heritage, the Mediterranean Diet with delicious meals and a cooking demonstration
Explore the Molise region and learn about ancient Samnites, Roman,
Lombard and Swabian civilizations
Learn more about local recipes, savor the cuisine of Molise, and meet local chefs and artisan food makers
Travel with professional tour leaders and discover the cultural regional differences that make Italy so unique and worth-exploring

What's Included

6 nights of accommodation in 3- or 4-star hotels and masserie (farm stay)
6 breakfasts and 3 lunches
4 dinners with either a 3- or 4-course menu (1 with truffles)
Entry fees to the Samnitic museum, a Swabian castle and visit to a bell foundry
Daily exposure to history, culture and cuisine of Molise
1 visit and tasting to olive oil maker and 1 to a cured meat producer and Slow Food presidium
Walks on a UNESCO Biosphere and tratturi (grassy trail)
1 cooking demo with a local chef and 1 truffle hunting demo
1 visit and tasting to a local winery and 1 to a cheesemaker
Comfortable transportation by 9-seat van for all travel as cited in the itinerary
Bilingual, professional Tour Leaders
Group transfers from/to Rome airport to beginning and end of the tour
Local taxes and gratuities for luggage porters and restaurant servers during tour

What's Not Included

3 lunches and 2 dinners on your own
Alcoholic beverages at group meals (including wine and spirits)
Round-trip airfare and expenses to/from the tour
Trip cancellation, baggage loss or travel delay insurance (this optional coverage is highly recommended. See more info here)
Gratuities for your Tour Leader
Personal expenses, such as, but not limited to, phone calls, laundry, emails, snacks, gifts

Itinerary

Day 1 – Rome Airport to Campobasso

Upon arriving at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, you rendezvous with the tour leaders and then embark on a 3 hour drive to Campobasso; lunch on own is en route. After checking into our hotel, we walk some of Campobasso’s cobblestoned streets. The capital began in the 8th century city as a fortified hill town. Its architecture includes the 11th century churches of Chiesa della Madonna del Monte and the Romanesque San Bartolomeo. Castello Monforte, c1450, was built on the remnants of earlier structures, most likely destroyed by earthquakes.

An early dinner is in a local trattoria, a casual and typical restaurant serving traditional Molisana cuisine and wine.
Day 2 – Agnone

We drive into the mountains northwest of Campobasso to the tiny village of Agnone, where we visit a caseificio, a 350 year old cheese company and its museum; the company is the official cheese supplier to the Pope.Then we’ll stop by a local pastry maker to learn more about the local sweets and have a sample of their edible art.

After lunch on your own, we visit the Pontifical Foundry, dating back to the 11^th century, makers of bells for the Pope and Leaning Tower of Pisa! We return to Campobasso by late afternoon with dinner, including tartufi (truffles) at a local ristorante.
Day 3 – Sepino and Campobasso

We travel to Sepino, uno dei Borghi piú Belli d’Italia (in English, one of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy in English). This is a project that promotes the great heritage of history, art, culture, environment and traditions found in small Italian towns off the beaten paths. Here we explore an ancient Roman Village featuring a well preserved amphitheater, ancient walls, gates and parts of a Basilica and forum.

Lunch will be spent with a local young couple of farmers who decided to settle down in the countryside and with them we’ll enjoy a cooking demo featuring ancient recipes, in addition of learning more about Molisane traditions. In the afternoon we meet a local maestro of tartufi who takes us into the countryside and show us how this revere underground mushroom is hunted with his loyal dog.

We return to Campobasso for more downtime followed by dinner on your own. Ask, we have many recommendations.
Day 4 – Campobasso to Larino via Bonefro

Saying good-bye to Campobasso, we visit the Samnite Museum with its exhibits of the region’s Neolithic past before our trip to Bonefro, a 1000 year-old village. Guided by a former mayor, we visit the Castello Santa Marie delle Rose and Il Convento Santa Maria delle Grazie. Our walk through Città Vecchia (old city) ends with lunch in a typical restaurant.

If time allows we stop by the local museum dedicated to the Bonefrano and American photographer Tony Vaccaro who became famous for his pictures taken during WWII while serving in the army. After lunch, we travel to our masseria (farm stay) outside of Larino, where you have time to relax before a dinner on site.
Day 5 – Fortore Valley and Larino

After breakfast, we travel south into the Fortore River Valley towards the border with Puglia. We arrive at an agriturismo where the owner introduces transhumance, the ancient practice of moving animals into seasonal pastures to graze. This is a family-run “farm stay” combining agriculture and tourism. Typically, agriturismi feature room and board in a farmhouse, which has been partially or totally transformed to provide accommodation and, in our case, also meals.

Lunch is with the owner and we enjoy his formaggi, salumi, and pasta. After our return to the masseria, we drive to Larino to explore the city; a few important highlights include a Roman amphitheater, Palazzo Ducale and the Duomo and Fontana Nuova. Dinner is on your own.
Day 6 – Termoli

After breakfast, driving east towards the Adriatic Coast, we travel to Termoli, whose walled old city (Borgo Vecchio) overlooks the Adriatic and features the 13^th century Swabian Castle. After a nice coffee or gelato we visit an award-winning olive oil producer, in San Martino in Pensilis. Here we enjoy an olive oil tasting and lunch and then return to the masseria to relax.

Before our last evening together, we transfer to an agriturismo and winery to learn more about the local indigenous grapes and taste their wines over a delectable dinner.
Day 7 – Rome Airport

Post-Tour Extension to Northern Puglia and Matera

More Details

To request the itinerary as a PDF or to ask us any questions please contact us today!