Immerse yourself in calabrese culture
with Karen Haid, award-winning author of Calabria: The Other Italy
Highlights include gorgeous Tropea and Scilla, amongst the most beautiful villages of Italy, an in-depth look at the famous Bronzes of Riace in Reggio Calabria, a pleasant walk amongst the giant trees of the Sila Mountains, visits to mountain towns with Albanian and Greek heritage, explorations of ancient archeological parks, and many, many outstanding dining experiences!
11-Day Calabria Land Tour
Small-Group Travel
May 7-17, 2025 – Sold out!
September 24 – October 4, 2025 (4 spots available)
Calabria Cultural Tour Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival to Lamezia Terme – Cosenza
Transfer from the international airport or train station in Lamezia Terme to our 4-star hotel in the Cosenza area. The program kicks off with a walking tour of the attractive old town, designated the Athens of Calabria in reference to its cultural traditions. Welcome dinner and overnight.
Wonderful food on the Calabria Cultural Tour
Day 2 – Rossano
Excursion to Rossano, renowned for its Byzantine history and its natural licorice. Our day will include a visit of the old town with its Baroque cathedral and newly refurbished Diocesan Museum, home to the Codex Purpureus Roassanenis, a rare 6th-century illuminated manuscript, lunch in a local restaurant, and a tour of the world-famous Amarelli Licorice Museum. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 3 – Sila – Santa Severina
Departure for Santa Severina by way of the Sila mountain plateau, known as the gran bosco d’Italia or Italy’s great forest. We will stop at a protected nature reserve and walk amongst the Giants of Fallistro, majestic centuries-old pinewood trees. Lunch will be served in a quaint mountain village, where we will have the opportunity to sample local products and admire handicrafts. Moving on to Santa Severina, one of the Borghi più Belli d’Italia (Most Beautiful Villages of Italy), we will visit the medieval town with its Byzantine Baptistry and castle that tells its 1,200-year history. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Santa Severina Castle
Day 4 – Civita – Pollino Mountains
Departure for a day in the Pollino Mountains. We will visit Civita, an Arbereshe village set in the dramatic Raganello Gorge with its spectacular Devil’s Bridge, another of Italy’s “Most Beautiful”! Founded in the 15th century, Civita preserves its Albanian heritage through language, its original Italian-Albanian Church with Mass in the Byzantine rite and folkloristic “talking houses.” We’ll enjoy a rustic, mountain lunch. Return to hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 5 – Seminara – Scilla – Reggio Calabria
Checkout and departure for the Province of Reggio Calabria. Our first stop will be the new Ceramic Museum in Seminara, and then on to Scilla, known for the legendary promontory of Homer’s Odyssey. We will stroll through “Chianalea,” Scilla’s picturesque fishing quarter and one of the Borghi più belli d’Italia, where our lunch will feature swordfish, the local specialty. We arrive in Reggio Calabria in the afternoon and visit the National Archeological Museum where the famous Riace Bronzes are exhibited. Check in to 4* hotel in Reggio, dinner on your own and overnight.
Scilla
Day 6 — Reggio Calabria
A relaxing day in Calabria’s largest city situated at the very tip of the Italian boot with a view to Sicily across the Strait of Messina. In the morning, we will have a walking tour of the historic center and learn its history, see Greek and Roman ruins, the cathedral, the Aragon castle and numerous examples of Liberty-style architecture for which Reggio is noted. Lunch in a local restaurant or in the hotel. Enjoy the afternoon and evening at your leisure—fare una passeggiata (take a walk) down the elegant pedestrian-only shopping street or along the seafront, described by poet Gabriele D’Annunzio as “the most beautiful kilometer of Italy.” Dinner on your own and overnight.
Day 7 – Bova – Pentedattilo
Today we will move to the Area Grecanica, the Greek area of Calabria. We will visit Bova, the last town to abandon the Orthodox rite in the 16th century and where people still speak a Greek language. Bova is one of only eighteen villages designated as a Jewel of Italy. Lunch in a nearby agriturismo set in a Bergamot Orchard. On the way back to Reggio, short stop at the ghost town of Pentedattilo. Return to hotel, dinner on your own and overnight.
Roman baths in Calabria
Day 8 – Gerace – Casignana
Checkout and departure for Calabria’s Ionian coast, where we will visit Villa Casignana, the remains of an opulent Roman complex, complete with thermal baths and exquisite mosaic floors. Following lunch of regional dishes in a local family restaurant, we will tour medieval Gerace, another of Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages. Continue to the Isthmus of Catanzaro, check in to our 4* hotel or agriturismo, dinner on your own and overnight.
Day 9 – Winery – Cultural Activity
Our delightful winery visit will culminate in an abundant sampling of local specialities with which to enjoy the grape. In the afternoon, we continue to the Scolacium Archeological Park for a tour of this unique site, where thousands of years of history unfold amidst a lovely olive grove along the Ionian Sea, or we will head for the Calabrian Serre, a lush, forested zone, where we’ll visit the Charterhouse of St. Bruno in Serra San Bruno. Return to hotel, dinner on your own and overnight.
Visiting a winery on the Calabria Cultural Tour
Day 10 – Tropea – Pizzo
Departure for Tropea, Calabria’s most famous seaside town, known not only for its spectacular setting on the Tyrrhenian Sea, but also for its sweet red onions, which we will taste together with the area’s ‘nduja salami. In the afternoon, we will visit Pizzo Calabro to admire the evocative cave church of Piedigrotta and the Murat Castle, as well as to enjoy Pizzo’s special gelato creation. Return to hotel, farewell dinner and overnight.
Day 11 – Departure, transfer to Lamezia Terme Airport.
Calabria Cultural Tour basics:
$4,200 USD per person double occupancy, $300 single supplement
Comprehensive, small-group Calabria tour – maximum of 15 participants
Accompanied by Karen Haid, author of Calabria: The Other Italy, together with local guides
Transportation and tours as outlined above (airfare not included)
10 nights in 4* hotels and agriturismo, breakfast daily, 9 lunches, 5 dinners, wine and water included with meals
To sign up for the Calabria Cultural Tour or for more information,
please use the Contact Page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
A Tartufo di Pizzo enjoyed on the Calabria Cultural Tour
See detailed accounts of the Calabria Cultural Tour with many photos on the blogposts:
My Fall Cultural Tour, A Few Highlights of Calabria and
My First Calabria Cultural Tour: Reviews and Reflections.
Read about the founding of Karen’s Travel LLC and the inspiration for these Calabria tours on my 100th blogpost New Calabria Cultural Tour with Karen’s Travel LLC.
For more information and photos of Calabria, click on the highlighted links in the itinerary, browse My Italian Blog and read my book Calabria: The Other Italy. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions about these exciting Calabria tours on the contact page.
Check out detailed itineraries for my other programs on these links:
Traditions and Food of Calabria Tour
Castles and Wines of Calabria – Easy Walking Tour
Basilicata Cultural Tour
