Journey Through Italy
See a different side of Italy by traveling down to the "heel" of the boot, in the culturally rich and jawdroppingly beautiful Puglia.
Everyone is more or less familiar with Italian culture, from watching movies, learning about the Roman Empire, or simply eating pizza. But not until you arrive in the country do you realize that everything you thought you knew is really just the tip of an enormous iceberg. Every region—every town even—has a unique personality, so no matter how many times you visit Italy, you’re always left with the craving for more.
May 13 – 15, 2024: (2 nights)
May 15 – 17, 2024: Matera (2 nights)
May 17 – 21, 2024: (4 nights)
The weather in Rome and Puglia in May is generally warm and pleasant, with average high temperatures around 24-27°C (75-81°F).
Beginning in 2024, travelers will need to register for ETIAS authorization before traveling to Europe.
Read more about the ETIAS authorization here.
These guidelines are for reference only. Scenset holds no responsibility for travel restrictions. Travelers are responsible for ensuring the right documentation to travel.
With an uncanny sense of foresight, Rome was first called the Eternal City 2,000 years ago. Even by today’s standards, it’s still grand in a way that few other places can compare to. The buildings are dilapidated and the roads disheveled, but chaos has never looked so exquisite. The cobblestone streets may be nonsensical, but a wrong turn always leads to an unexpected delight: an intimate piazza, a baroque fountain, or a homey trattoria serving house-made cacio e pepe.
Upon arrival at Rome Fiumicino Airport, meet your driver for a private transfer to your hotel in the city center.
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Start your trip off the right way. Join a foodie stroll like no other through Trastevere - the trendiest neighborhood in Rome.
Commencing at the Jewish Ghetto, uncover the mysteries and delights of both Roman
and Roman-Jewish cuisine, such as freshly baked supplì, crispy carciofi alla giudia (Jewish artichokes), and a modern twist on the classic carbonara. Traverse Trastevere's winding cobblestone streets to get a true taste of the unconventional atmosphere across the Tiber, where locals and travelers alike join together in a bohemian rhapsody of both food and style.
Finish the evening with a sit-down meal of cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and plenty of wine in a locally beloved trattoria ending with authentic Italian gelato.
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Dining recommendations will be provided closer to your travel date, and reservations can be made on your behalf.
We will provide a list of recommendations of what to do in Rome closer to the time of travel.
Why we love it for you: Living in the heart of Rome sounds like a dream, which only makes the apartment-style rooms at a hotel on Via Babuino feel even more like a fantasy. Located on the super chic Via Babuino between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, the most glamorous parts of Rome are practically at your doorstep. But it’s the boutique touches that really make the hotel feel like home, from luxurious Italian bed linens and Nespresso machine to the curated pictures of old Rome in every room.
Babuino 181
3x Deluxe Room
- Breakfast included
Rome has two histories: the City of the Caesars and the City of the Popes. This tailored tour is the best way to see the most iconic monuments from both. Start at the Colosseum, a symbol of Rome's imperial might before exploring the Roman Forum. Admire it on the ground and from the Capitoline Hill, the most prominent of Rome's Seven Hills where you can enjoy one of the most spectacular views over the Forum.
Then move on to the sites of Christian Rome. Visit the charming little church of St Peter’s in Chains. From here, see the Old Appian way to see one of the Christian Catacombs. The catacombs are one of the most fascinating witnesses of early Christianity in ancient Rome: vast underground necropolises (places of burial). So carpe diem, and seize this unique opportunity to discover the double entity of the Italian capital.
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Babuino 181
3x Deluxe Room
- Breakfast included
This morning, I headed off to the charming city of Matera in southern Italy, located in the Basilicata province.
You'll be picked up from your hotel for a ride to the airport in time to catch your flight to Puglia.
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Hop aboard your short flight to Bari Airport in Puglia.
Travel Time: about 1 hour
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You'll be picked up from the airport for the drive through the Puglian countryside to your cave hotel in Matera.
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If you like, add on a pitstop to one of the vineyards in the Puglia region on your way to Matera. You’ll stroll around the vineyards and visit the cellar before a guided tasting experience.
Optional add-on experience, if you wish.
Why we love it for you: One of the most memorable, and unusual, experiences to be had in Italy is staying in a cave-hotel in the Unesco-protected city of Matera. For the troglodyte purist, it doesn’t get better than Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita whose starkly romantic cave-rooms overlook the dramatic Gravina canyon.
Sextantio le Grotte della Civita
1x Grotto Suite, Grotto Executive Suite, and Palazzo Suite
- Breakfast included
If you try to compare Matera to other places in the world you would never find a similar city. It's been the scenset of countless movies for its timeless appeal, and a walking tour through town and the caves will share its history.
After walking around, stop in a historical bakery for a hands-on activity. Learn to make traditional bread products and then feast on your creations with a lunch of different foccacia, pettole fried dough, and local sweets.
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Sextantio le Grotte della Civita
1x Grotto Suite, Grotto Executive Suite, and Palazzo Suite
- Breakfast included
Best known as the heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia has long been a favorite getaway for Italians but is still relatively off the radar for foreign tourists. Cavernous grottos and sandy beaches draw visitors to the dreamy Salento Peninsula, but the countryside is just as alluring with the fairy tale trulli cottages. You’ll likely see local women hand-rolling orecchiette pasta in the street, best enjoyed with freshly caught seafood and a glass of Puglia wine.
Head off from your Matera cave hotel to the luxurious Borgo Egnazia on the coast, with a great pitstop along the way!
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Alberobello, a village in the hinterland of the Itria Valley, is undoubtedly the capital of the Trulli, the traditional fairytale like houses that Puglia is famous for.
Take a walk around town with your local guide, who will show you the town and end at a rural dairy farm that produces a local specialty: burrata cheese! Witness the artisanal production of mozzarella and taste the freshly produced dairy delights.
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Why we love it for you: Borgo Egnazia replicates an actual Puglian borgo, or village, and guests are even given a map to navigate the winding streets and lively piazzas. The whole property feels a bit like walking around the movie set of Gladiator with candle-lit corridors and stone villas, but with a few modern updates. Stretch out in the state-of-the-art yoga studio, dine in a Michelin-star restaurant, play a round of golf, and take a dip in one of the swimming pools worthy of an emperor.
Borgo Egnazia
1x Borgo Bella for one couple & Borgo Casa Magnifica for two couples
- Breakfast included
Enjoy a private half day on board your own boat with a captain. Cruise along the Adriatic coastline, on the coast between Monopoli and Polignano a Mare, the “gems” of this sea. You'll go through fascinating caves and bays.
*Included on board is a nice Puglian aperitive and drinks, towels, S.U.P. and snorkeling equipment. This is a four-hour cruise, but can be a full day excursion if you wish.
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The rugged coastline of Polignano a Mare, which is nicknamed "Pearl of the Adriatic", is known for the beguiling sea caves that decorate it. They are accessible only by boat and enjoyed by those in the know!
Included in boating excursion
Your boat will drop you off at Polignano a Mare, where you can enjoy a seaside lunch in one of our recommended restaurants.
Recommended by scenset—nothing has been booked
Borgo Egnazia
1x Borgo Bella for one couple & Borgo Casa Magnifica for two couples
- Breakfast included
In Puglia, every meal is like a ritual: from the selection of the ingredients at the local market to the preparation of the food and the meal itself. Inside the amazing atmosphere of a 17th century Masseria, a local cook will open the doors of their home to share some of the region's most traditional recipes. You will get a hands-on guided experience of how to prepare your own Apulian meal and—why not—maybe taste a glass of delicious local wine to accompany it.
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Borgo Egnazia
1x Borgo Bella for a couple & Borgo Casa Magnifica for two couples
- Breakfast included
Spend your last full day basking in the luxuries of Borgo Egnazia so you feel fully rejuvenated before your flight home. If you want additional activities, we're happy to organize something.
Hang out one of the two private beach clubs that are run by Borgo Egnazia. Take a dip in the crystal clear waters of the sea, lay out in the Mediterranean sun, and enjoy fresh seafood lunch that was caught that very same day.
Alternatively, have a pool day and lay out by the opulent Bogo pool.
More info about the Borgo Egnazia beach clubs here.
Recommended by scenset—nothing has been booked.
For a truly relaxing end to the trip, we can schedule an appointment at the Vair Spa on site. Treat yourselves to a massage, body treatment, or any other way to pamper yourselves!
More info about the Vair Spa here.
Recommended by scenset—nothing has been booked.
Borgo Egnazia
1x Borgo Bella for one couple & Borgo Casa Magnifica for two couples
- Breakfast included
It's time to head back home after a whirlwind week in Italy. Thankfully, in Italy they don't say goodbye, but rather a dopo, which means until next time!
You'll be picked up in a private transfer and taken to Bari Airport in time for your early morning flight out to Rome.
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Catch your flight back to Rome in time to catch your international flight back to the U.S.
The exact timing of this flight will depend on the departure time of your international flight.
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Use the long flight home to rest, look through your phone photos, and reminisce on your birthday trip through Italy!
Booked Independently
