Puglia Cooking and Walking
For authentic southern Italian living, this holiday ups the ante with a wealth of cooking and walking experiences. Aside from learning to create antipasti, main courses, and desserts using locally-sourced ingredients, you’ll also visit a bakery and cheese farm to see how these regional specialities are made. Further highlights include exploring the labyrinthine underground tunnels of Gravina and spending a full day in UNESCO-listed Matera to discover its network of alleyways, staircases, and series of Sassi cave dwellings.
What you’ll love
- Staying in the historic Puglian town of Altamura
- Creating local and traditional dishes at a cookery school
- Exploring Gravina's tunnels, cellars, and granaries
- Learning about Apulian Cheese production
- Discovering Matera's cave-dwelling district
- Visiting Puglia’s capital, Bari, on your free day
What’s included
- Full programme of guided walks led by local HF Holidays Leaders
- HF Holidays Tour Manager
- Comfortable accommodation
- Half-board (breakfast and evening meal) plus three lunches
- All sightseeing and entrance fees (as per itinerary)
- Air-conditioned transport
- Four cookery lessons
- Guided tours of Matera and Gravina
- Return flights from the UK including hold baggage and airport transfers
Trip Notes
Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Please click below to find the trip notes for your departure date.
All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.
Upon arrival at Bari Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel where there will be time to settle in and meet your Tour Manager and fellow guests before dinner.
Distance: 7 miles (12km)
Total ascent and descent: 600 feet (180m)
In summary: Our morning walk takes us to the Man of Altamura Archaeological Museum before enjoying lunch at a local agriturismo. We will then enjoy a hands-on cooking lesson based on Antipasti in the afternoon. Dinner tonight will be at Tre Archi.
Distance, ascent and descent: Negligible
In summary: After our transfer to Matera, we start the day with a bread making cooking lesson, a bakery tour and of course some tasting at Forno di Gennaro in Matera. After free time for lunch, we will have a guided walking tour of Matera where our local expert will explain the history of this fascinating town, most famous for its extensive cave-dwelling districts. After returning to Altamura, you will have a free evening to explore the town and sample a local restaurant of your choice.
Distance: 6 miles (9½km)
Total ascent and descent: 500 feet (150m)
In summary: Today our walk will explore the green expanses of the Mercadante Forest, set within the Alta Murgia National Park. After working up an appetite and some free time, our evening cookery lesson tackles desserts – good news for anyone with a sweet tooth! Afterwards, we’ll enjoy dinner together at Tre Archi.
Distance: 5 miles (8km)
Total ascent/descent: 200 feet (60m)
In summary: Our day begins with an 8km walk to the cheese farm at Masseria Scalera, where we’ll learn about Apulian cheese production and enjoy a typical farmers’ lunch together. After returning to Altamura, we’ll spend the afternoon getting hands-on with our Italian main courses cooking lesson, before enjoying dinner together.
Each week there is a free day when no guided walks are offered. This is an ideal opportunity to relax around the hotel, walk independently or visit local places of interest. As dinner is not included today, you are free to make your own choices. Some options for your day may include:
Altamura: You may like to explore the historic town of Altamura, with its spectacular cathedral, archaeological museum (which includes an exhibition about Altamura Man - a Neanderthal whose remains were found embedded in stalagmites in a nearby cave), market, shops and ancient walls.
Bari: Easily reached by public transport, this old town and port contains many buildings of historical interest. Puglia’s capital contains many churches but the most well known is the 11th century Romanesque Basilica de San Nicola, dedicated to St Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus. There are also many art galleries and, more recently, the futuristic football stadium was a venue for the 1990 World Cup.
Distance: 3 miles (5km)
Total ascent/descent: 400 feet (120m)
In summary: Today is all about Gravina, with its hidden tunnels, wine cellars, stone churches and famous aqueduct. We will start the day with a walk into the town, taking the route over the aqueduct with its amazing views of Gravina and the valley. Our lunch is a food experience in itself as we take a journey through local specialities on our tasting menu at Osteria Radici. We then embark on a special guided tour of Gravina’s underground world. We return to Altamura and our farewell dinner together.
We hope to see you again soon.
Hotel San Nicola - Puglia (2024)
The 4-star Hotel San Nicola is located in the heart of the old town of Altamura just 150 metres from Federico's Cathedral. A former palace built in 1741 as the residence of the Cagnazzi family, the hotel has 24 comfortable bedrooms, 24 hour reception, bar and restaurant and free Wi-Fi throughout. Take the opportunity to sample the local Foccacia de Altamura from a nearby bakery which has been producing bread since 1421.
![HOTEL SAN NICOLA - PUGLIA - DBC1545[1]](https://i.assetzen.net/i/FSmQOfF295Il/w:782/h:482/q:70.jpg)
![HOTEL SAN NICOLA - PUGLIA - DBC1545[1]](https://i.assetzen.net/i/FSmQOfF295Il/w:75/h:60/q:70.jpg)
Rooms
There are 24 modern en-suite bedrooms.
All bedrooms are equipped with a:
- Phone
- Air conditioning
- Flat screen
- TV
- Minibar
- Complimentary toiletries
- Hairdryer
About your stay
The hotel has:
- 24-hour reception
- Room service
- Laundry
- Ironing and dry cleaning service (extra charge)
Food & drink
Breakfast
Continental buffet breakfast: this is served from 7am in the courtyard dining room. This will include cereals, fruit juices, yoghurt, fresh fruit, cheeses/meats, selection of breads and croissants, jams, tea and coffee.
Lunch (payable locally)
Packed lunches can be bought from the local shops a few minutes from the hotel and can also be purchased from the hotel.
Evening meal
For our evening meals we eat out at local restaurants close to the hotel. The restaurants are within easy walking distance of our hotel and guests can experience the "passiagata", an Italian tradition where the locals with their families and friends walk out in the evening socialising, and take in this unique atmosphere.
Your evenings
The friendly atmosphere of our holidays continues into the evening.
Most of our socialising at Altamura is over a relaxed meal, opportunity to talk about your day with your fellow guests and sample some local wines and dishes. See the town came alive in the evening with all the local families walking out, treating their children to ice creams and just sitting over a coffee.
Guest reviews
681Kg of CO₂e
Average carbon footprint per person Learn More
