Food & Wine Tours & Trips in South Italy
Southern Italy's food? Delicious! Naples' Margherita pizza, Amalfi lemons, Puglia's burrata and orecchiette, Sicily's arancini, cannoli, and street food markets. You can visit it all. Regional cuisines shift from Sorrento through Matera's Sassi caves, Lecce's baroque, Palermo's Ballarò market. Greek, Arab, Norman influences throughout regions where sun-ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil create distinctive dishes you won't find anywhere else.
10 best food & wine South Italy tours
Compiled by
MelissaSouth Italy travel expert at TourRadar
- Campania Wine, Food & Heritage Experience
- Sicily Food & Wine
- Charming Sicily Food & Wine Small Group Tour - 8 days
- A Taste of Italy - Walking in Puglia
- Secrets of Puglia
- Apulia & Basilicata: A Slow Taste of the South
- Matera & Apulia Private 5 Day Tour
- Sicily Art of Wine & Gourmet Experience
- Flavors of Campania: Where Wine Meets the Past
- Discovering Lecce
Campania Wine, Food & Heritage Experience
“Good communication and quick responses”
Irene, traveled in August
Private wine tastings await at Mount Vesuvius's Lacryma Christi vineyards and Sant'Agata de' Goti's historic cellars. Master traditional pizza-making in Naples, visit family farms in Massa Lubrense for cheese production, and savor regional specialties at seaside restaurants from Positano to Amalfi.
Duration 10 days Destinations Naples, Avellino, Procida, Ischia, Pompeii, Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum, Ercolano, Sorrento, CapriSee all destinations Age Range Ages 12+ Operated in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish Operator Campania Overland From
- US$1,731
Sicily Food & Wine
“I felt very safe and I didn't have to worry about the details. I would definitely like to explore other tour options.”
NORMA, traveled in October
Sicilian cuisine comes to life through hands-on experiences across South Italy. Local chefs in Erice lead traditional cooking classes, Palermo's bustling markets offer street food tastings, and Marsala's vintners pour award-winning wines. Organic farms showcase olive oil while cheese-making demonstrations near Ragusa complete the experience.
Duration 8 days Destinations Palermo, Trapani, Marsala, Agrigento, Ragusa, Syracuse, Noto, Mount Etna, Taormina Age Range Ages 16+ Operator Exodus Adventure Travels From $3,630
15% Off- US$3,090
Charming Sicily Food & Wine Small Group Tour - 8 days
“Amazing trip and beyond my expectations! The cooking class, food tours and vineyard visits were all highlights.”
Nancy, traveled in May
South Italy's flavors come alive through Taormina's market tours, Mount Etna's farmhouse tastings, and Palermo's street food scenes. Local families welcome guests for cooking classes in trattorias, while countryside castles host wine tastings, and Marzamemi's fishing village serves fresh seafood.
Duration 8 days Destinations Catania, Taormina, Mount Etna, Noto, Marzamemi, Syracuse, Palermo Age Range Ages 11+ Operator Click Tours From $4,680
36% Off- US$2,995
A Taste of Italy - Walking in Puglia
“Excellent tour with good variety. Good fun was had by all in our group!”
Linda, traveled in June
South Italy's culinary heritage thrives at Altamura's DOP bakeries and Tre Archi's cooking classes. Traditional orecchiette pasta making, fresh mozzarella at award-winning farms, and Alberobello's wine culture at Cantina Albea lead to authentic Puglian feasts.
Duration 8 days Destinations Bari, Altamura, Alta Murgia National Park, Matera, Cisternino, Alberobello Age Range Ages 16+ Operator Explore! From $2,510
20% Off- US$2,010
South Italy's culinary heritage unfolds with mozzarella making in Andria and bread tasting in Altamura's historic bakeries. Manduria's vineyards offer wine tastings while Ostuni hosts cooking demonstrations of traditional Pugliese dishes.
Duration 9 days Destinations Naples, Bari, Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, Lecce, Manduria, Ostuni, Matera, Altamura Age Range Ages 18+ Operator Blue-Roads Touring From
20% Off- US$3,579
Apulia & Basilicata: A Slow Taste of the South
“Wonderful tour, great tour guides, terrific weather, comfortable hotels, fine food, excellent tour service.”
Gene, traveled in October
Duration 8 days Destinations Bari, Matera, Castel del Monte, Locorotondo, Alberobello, Ostuni, Lecce, Trani, Monte Sant'Angelo, Polignano a MareSee all destinations Age Range Ages 10+ Operated in English, French, Spanish Operator My Art Collection Travel From
20% Off- US$6,290
Matera & Apulia Private 5 Day Tour
“Matera and the history and 'Shame to Fame' story and what a stunning place it is now to visit.”
Patricia, traveled in September
South Italy's gastronomy features traditional bread tasting in Matera's historic bakeries, street food sampling in Bari's medieval quarter, and wine tasting at centuries-old cellars. Authentic trulli houses in Alberobello host dinners, while Polignano a Mare boat tours serve refreshing aperitifs.
Duration 5 days Destinations Matera, Alberobello, Castellana, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare, Bari Age Range Ages 22+ Operator Soleto Travel From
20% Off- US$3,093
Sicily's finest wines take center stage over 5 days. Taste volcanic Etna Rosso near Catania, historic Marsala in Agrigento, and noble wines in Palermo. The tour includes 4 exclusive cantina tastings, local wine experts, and authentic guesthouse stays.
Duration 5 days Destinations Catania, Taormina, Mount Etna, Ragusa, Noto Age Range Ages 21+ Operated in English, German, French, Spanish Operator My Art Collection Travel From
20% Off- US$4,905
Duration 8 days Destinations Naples, Castellammare di Stabia, Pompeii, Capri, Anacapri, Mount Solaro, Positano, Amalfi, Furore, AvellinoSee all destinations Age Range All Ages Welcome Operator Worldee From
20% Off- US$713+$783 upfront costs
Discovering Lecce
“Excellent combination of activities and the guides for each were all exceptional.”
Sandra, traveled in May
Duration 4 days Destinations Lecce Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, Italian Operator TUI Italia From $843
10% Off- US$758
What people love about Food & Wine Tours in South Italy
- Sicily Food & Wine
Sicily was great, the transportation was very good, fellow passengers were a great bunch who mixed well. Food and wine experiences were good, but for me the highlight of the trip was ancient and modern Sicily. The tour guide was lovely and tried very hard but with limited English understanding, was not able to provide any significant on board commentary or quell the frustrations that accrued as we drove from place to place. Accommodation throughout the tour was average to good and the weather was just perfect.
- Charming Sicily Food & Wine Small Group Tour - 8 days
Overall our tour was wonderful. We had a great time. Denise, especially was a very good guide, very knowledgable and personable. The cooking class and our Palermo Street Food tour was, probably my favorites. A few areas that could have been improved upon: - A little more communication prior to the tour would have been reassuring. In this day of fraud it is a little unnerving to send all that money into the internet and not get much of a response. - The final communication, our itinerary, was a definite problem. We were told by Tour Radar that we would receive it 10-14 days before we left. The tour operator (ClickTours/Mossimo) told us we would receive it 8 days before we left. I finally called Tour Radar 6 days before we left
This was my first time in Puglia. The weather was great, the company was perfect, wine and dishes excellent. Thanks. I want more Puglian experiences.
A Taste of Italy - Walking in Puglia
What our customers ask about Food & Wine Tours & Trips in South Italy
When is the best time to go on a Food & Culinary tour in South Italy?
South Italian food tours are at their best during September and October especially in Puglia and Sicily. The temperature stays around 20-25°C making it comfortable for outdoor meals and vineyard visits. These months bring the excitement of harvest season in both vineyards and olive groves. A TourRadar traveler shared about Tenuta Linazza in Puglia: "We visited in October and had a marvellous time with Emilio Clara Michele and Antonio - staying in guest accommodation on an olive farm with daily tours to see all the major tourist sites and enjoying authentic Pugliesi cuisine."
What are the best food regions to visit in South Italy for a culinary tour?
Sicily Puglia and Abruzzo stand out as South Italy's food destinations each with its own culinary identity. Sicily offers seafood experiences and tastings at Mount Etna vineyards with stays at places like Hotel dei 7. In Puglia visitors can join cooking classes in Ostuni and taste wines in Manduria. Abruzzo specializes in farm-to-table meals and pasta making with local families. A TourRadar traveler noted "The food was wonderful everywhere we went and every town we visited was completely different."
What kind of wine experiences are included in South Italian food tours?
Wine experiences range from visits to established wineries in Manduria Puglia to tastings on Mount Etna Sicily. Visitors can try regional varieties including Primitivo Nero d'Avola and Marsala. Many tours take guests to family vineyards for cellar visits and food pairings. One TourRadar traveler shared: "The wine tastings were wonderful particularly the volcanic wines of Etna paired with local cheeses."
What type of accommodations are provided on South Italian food tours?
Guests stay in a mix of boutique hotels and historic buildings like Hotel dei 7 in Vasto and Palazzo Rollo in Lecce. Rural stays include converted masserias (farmhouses) and wine estates. Each property is selected for its local character and proximity to food experiences. A TourRadar traveler commented: "The accommodation at the Masseria was incredible and it was nice to come home to our base each afternoon."
What's included in the price of South Italian food tours?
Tours cover lodging daily breakfast multiple meals (usually 3-4 daily) cooking classes wine tastings market visits and local transport. A typical 7-day Abruzzo tour at 2158 USD includes 6 nights' stays 8 meals with wine cooking sessions and transportation. Travelers need to budget extra for flights some meals and personal costs. According to a TourRadar review "The value was excellent considering all the food experiences and tastings included."
How many people are typically in a Food & Culinary tour group in South Italy?
Groups stay small with usually 2-8 people allowing for personal attention and genuine local experiences. As one TourRadar traveler explained: "Because this experience is capped at four people Emilio drives you in the family car to all the cool places (many that would be inaccessible by a tour bus). You walk around while he explains the history of the place or his experiences there."