Culture and Culinary Treats: A Romantic Trip to Southern Italy

For the first full day of your luxury couple's trip to southern Italy, you'll be setting off for a tour of the captivating island of Capri. After breakfast, you'll be transferred 30 minutes by car to the Amalfi port before boarding your boat to Capri. Along the way you’ll be able to stop and swim in Saraghi and Occhiate, where you can snorkel and explore the caves. Once you’ve reached Capri, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch at a beachside restaurant, before wandering through the streets of the famous Neapolitan island. Return to your hotel this evening for a delicious evening meal and an early night after your busy day.

We've left today free for you to explore Praiano's picturesque surroundings at your own pace. We'd recommend going for a hike along the Path of the Gods, which takes you from Bomerano to Nocelle, with stunning sea views at every turn along the way. We can arrange for you to be transferred by car to the start of the hike and then you'll be making your own way along the winding coastal trail. The walk takes approximately four hours and is filled with fabulous panoramic views to soak up from start to finish. Alternatively, start the walk from the hotel via a staircase, which takes you to a midway point in the trail, ending at the same finishing point in Nocelle.

From here, travel by bus back to the hotel for a late-afternoon dip in the pool, a laze on the sun loungers and a pampering treatment for two at the spa - the perfect end to day three of your luxury couple's trip to southern Italy.

After filling up on a tasty breakfast buffet at your hotel, you'll be transferred to Salerno, where you will collect your hire car and drive to your hotel in Matera, approximately three-and-a-half-hours away. Upon arrival into Old Matera - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's longest inhabited human settlements - check into your beautiful boutique hotel where you will be staying for the night. Come evening, take a seat in the cosy candlelit restaurant for a tasty meal crafted with lovely local produce before calling it a night and retiring to your room.

For the second part of your luxury couple's trip, drive one-and-a-half hours from inland Matera to coastal Puglia. Upon arrival to your hotel in Pezze di Greco, where you will be staying for the next three nights, get settled into your room and then spend the afternoon at leisure enjoying sunny southern Italy. As the day draws to a close, head to the hotel restaurant and indulge in some traditional Puglian cuisine.

We've left today completely free for you to enjoy at leisure. Take the time to slow down and appreciate the laid-back surroundings as you laze at the hotel. Explore one of the nearby beaches or swim laps in the pool and book yourself in for a treatment for two in the spa. As the sun dips below the horizon, head to an Italian seafood restaurant for some deep-sea delicacies - a must on your luxury couple's trip to southern Italy.

After a leisurely breakfast and relaxed start to your day, head to your hotel’s gardens to learn about the ingredients that are grown in the grounds. Puglia is responsible for producing the vast majority of Italy’s olive oil and durum wheat, and after seeing where the produce is grown you’ll have the chance to learn how to make (and eat!) some traditional Puglian recipes alongside an expert chef. The afternoon is yours to spend as you wish - perhaps you'd like to continue exploring or would prefer to take it easy and return to your hotel for a relaxing end to the day.

Pack up your bags and drive along the coast today to your next hotel in the beautiful Baroque city of Lecce, where you'll be staying for the next two nights. The journey only takes one-and-a-half-hours so you'll have plenty of time this afternoon to have a wander around the city and soak up its culture, from the magnificent Cathedral to the many Pugliese restaurants.

Today you’ll take a private tour of Lecce, alongside a local guide who will show you all of the city’s standout spots. Lecce is known for its Baroque-style buildings and you’ll get to see the Cattedrale di Lecce (with its double facade and bell tower) and the Basilica di Santa Croce (featuring sculptures and a rose window), as well as the Sant’Oronzo Column (a Roman column topped with a bronze statue of the city’s patron saint) and the sunken Roman amphitheatre. Once you’ve worked up an appetite with all the walking, your guide will take to sample some pasticciotto, a local speciality of pastry filled with either ricotta cheese or egg custard. Return to your hotel in the afternoon with tummies full for a good night's sleep, ready for your journey home tomorrow.