An Italian Mountains & Beach Break: Summer in the Dolomites and Puglia

After a hearty breakfast this morning, it's time to meet your expert guide to start your via ferrata (literally: iron roads) adventure. Your route today is the historic Les Cordes (The Ropes) route, which is the path from La Villa to the Gherdenacia Plateau in the Puez-Odle National Park where farmers would have taken their livestock (via a different, quadruped-friendly route) to graze. Meet your guide at your hotel for a private transfer to your starting point before taking the chairlift at Gardenaccia, where your climb begins. You'll have all of the equipment that you need for the day, and your expert guide will be with you as you climb. This is judged an easy/moderate via ferrata route, but we can choose other routes according to your requirements.

Return to your hotel this evening for a celebratory drink having conquered your first via ferrata.

It's another active day today on your Dolomites and Puglia holiday as you head into the mountains for a hike. Start your hike with an expert private guide at Capanna Alpina - a restaurant built just at the edge of Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park. After a steep one-hour ascent, you'll arrive at the picture-perfect Col de Locia, a beautiful green valley flanked by towering mountains. The next two to three hours takes you to Rifugio Fanes - a typical South Tyrolean hut where you'll stop for a well-earned lunch with a view. Traditional Tyrolean food includes hearty stews, potato and bread dumplings and cured meats and cheeses, so fill your boots and refuel before you set off to make your way back again. Your journey today takes a total of six hours and covers around ten miles across undulating mountainous trails, so once you get back to your hotel, take the rest of the evening to rest and rejuvenate.

After a full-on couple of days enjoying the active pursuits of the Dolomites, today is your chance to relax and explore the area at your own pace. South Tyrol was once part of Austria, so the culture and food here have an unusual but wonderful mix of both Italian and Austrian influences. Your lodge is deliciously secluded, but just a 40-minute walk away you'll find the famously foodie village of San Cassiano, or take the car out for a mountain drive to another pretty nearby ski resort town or village such as Cortina d'Ampezzo or San Candido, which are much quieter in summer but still vibrant.

It’s time to retrace your steps as you hit the road and drive back to Venice. Check into your Venetian-style hotel in the heart of the city before popping out to explore by foot, gondola or Vaporetto. When you get tired of walking, you can take a rest in an osteria or trattoria. Your day is free to explore Venice’s irresistible sites. A snack at Café Florian? A photo with the pigeons in St. Mark's Square? A Bellini at Harry's Bar? Yes please.

Wake up, say hello to Venice’s lively morning atmosphere and join in on the action with a walking tour through the Rialto neighbourhood. As the first site of Venetian merchant trading, Rialto is famous for its market, along with architectural treasures such as the Rialto Bridge, Palazzo dei Camerlinghi and the oldest church in Venice.

It's time to say goodbye to Venice’s romantic waterways today to start the second half of your Dolomites and Puglia holiday. Head to the train station for your early morning train ride to Bari, in the south of the country. On arrival, pick up your new hire car and make the drive from the train station to your hotel in Prezze Di Greco, a small Puglian town. You'll have the rest of the day to settle into your new home-from-home, a luxury hotel drenched in Mediterranean flowers, where you're staying for the next five nights.

Today is all about ocean fun. The coast of Otranto is well known for its ample beaches, crystal clear waters and dramatic white cliffs overlooking the sea. To the east from Santa Maria Di Leuca to Otranto and even to Santa Foca, you'll find coves, caves and small, charming villages just waiting to be explored. The exact route of your eight-hour boat cruise will depend on the day’s weather, but you’re certain to see the main sights of Mulino d’Acqua, Baia Morrone, Baia dei Turchu and Baia delle Orte.

Lecce, located a little further down Italy’s boot, is known for its beautiful baroque buildings. Today, a private guide will whisk you away to this stunning city to explore the Cattedrale di lece, the Basilica di Santa Croce, the Sant’Oronzo Column and the sunken Roman amphitheatre. Worked up an appetite? Pasticciotto, a local speciality of pastry filled with either ricotta cheese or egg custard, will be waiting to be tasted at the end of the tour.

After a leisurely morning enjoying a late breakfast and some relaxation, you'll be met and transferred to the nearby town of Conversano, which sits in the Puglian countryside. Your destination is a beautiful masseria (fortified farmhouse) where you'll take part in a private hands-on cooking lesson, learning the secrets of local recipes and ancient techniques of Puglian cooking - generally considered the finest in Italy (which is saying something). The hard work done, you'll have time to take a seat and enjoy your masterpiece with a glass of wine, planning how you'll be able to wow your friends at your next dinner party.

Fully satisfied after a hearty home-cooked feast, head back to your hotel for the last evening of your Dolomites and Puglia holiday