Lecce Discovery Experience

On arrival in Lecce, make your own way to your accommodation and check in. Later in the day, a 3-hour guided walking tour starts at 3 pm and shows you the elegance and refinement of a city steeped in history and art.

Starting in Piazza Sant'Oronzo, you wander through the historic centre past Lecce's Baroque churches and monuments. Along the way you pass many artisan shops that still make pieces using the ancient art of papier-mache. Your guide explains why Baroque art matters so much to the city and how the Roman era shaped it, as you take in the Duomo, the Basilica of Santa Croce, the amphitheatre and the Roman Theatre.

The walk continues past the Castle of Charles V, where you can admire its exterior along with the facades of several ancient buildings. Tonight is spent in Lecce.

Please note: A transfer to your accommodation is available as an optional extra.

Following breakfast, you set out to discover the well-known food culture of Apulia with a cooking class, held in either the morning or the afternoon. You meet a local home cook in her own home, a chance to connect with local people as she shares her secrets for preparing local specialities. It's a fun, hands-on way to learn traditional Lecce recipes and pick up the skills to recreate Italian specialities back home.

Once the cooking is done, you taste what you've made and enjoy the authentic flavours of Lecce cuisine alongside a selection of local red and white wines. Only wines from the surrounding territory are poured.

Your host belongs to Italy's first network of home cooks, coordinated at a national level by a dedicated team. Experts carefully select each cook to host food experiences in their own home. Each one acts as a welcoming ambassador for Italy's culinary heritage, driven by a real passion for traditional Italian cooking. Their refined menus use local produce and authentic recipes passed down from generation to generation. Tonight is again spent in Lecce.

After breakfast, today brings the chance to discover the soul of Puglia, with a guided vineyard visit and wine tasting in the heart of Negroamaro country. Just outside Lecce, this immersive experience takes you deep into a land shaped by ancient winemaking traditions, rich landscapes and authentic local flavours.

The day begins in the charming town of Guagnano with a visit to a historic winery. Here you learn about the traditions that have defined the region and the care taken to preserve native grape varieties such as Negroamaro and Primitivo. A guided walk through the vineyards follows, where the ancient Alberello training method is still practised. As you stroll among the vines, you hear about the history, techniques and passion behind every harvest.

Next comes a visit to a truly unique artistic hermitage inspired by Gaudi. A local painter created it as a space for reflection, art and nature, and it adds a distinctive cultural side to your time in the wine region.

To finish, a sommelier leads a guided tasting of four exclusive wines, paired with a traditional marenna, a rustic Puglian snack of local cheeses and cured meats. The estate's vineyards stretch between Guagnano and Campi Salentina, which gives a varied view of the region's terroir and an authentic, rewarding insight into the wine identity of southern Italy. Tonight is spent in Lecce.

After breakfast, enjoy a final morning in Lecce. If time allows, take a last stroll through the city to soak up its atmosphere or pick up any last-minute souvenirs. When you’re ready, we offer an optional transfer to the airport or train station to continue your onward journey.