Reviews!

Our Family Day Trip was with many moments of laughter, thanks to Ezio and Marie who were awesome guides.
-- We started in Roccascalegna for a Castle Tour, headed to... read more L'Aveare for Pasta Class, Truffle Hunt and an excellent lunch ending with a favorite homemade Lemoncello. Had the pleasure of sitting next to Marie during lunch and had wonderful conversation.
...Thank you Ezio and Maire for all our fantastic memories!

So much more than a cooking school! Great food, great wine, but also an exploration of the charming villages and the culture of Central Italy. Lunch at Trobacco was AMAZING!

Sulmona and Prezza - The Abruzzo region of Italy is heaven. I've been traveling to Italy with Chef Ezio Gentile for years. The cooking classes and experience with the locals is heartwarming... read more not to mention the wonderful cuisine. The finest of food and wine are served. All of our creature comforts were taken care of as we enjoyed the area. An experience not to be missed...............

July Italy trip - Travelling with Ezio and Ciao Abruzzo Tours is a wonderful experience. He takes you to great places that you would not see with a large tour company. A... read more Fourteen course seafood meal at a Trabocco, a barbecue in the mountains and of course wonderful wine tastings and delicious food. The accommodations were great too. We stayed in a converted monastery with beautiful woodwork and delicious full breakfasts every morning. We would definitely recommend using Ciao Abruzzo Tours.

Authentic Italy - This was my 4th time to Italy.. and by far, the most beautifully unusual and authentic experience. We saw Italy the way Italians themselves tour their country. Abruzzo is gorgeous,... read more without the crowds, filled with genuine people, and delectable food. Ezio’s tour is top notch!

Our central hub was out of Sulmona, a quaint little city, and the origination of Confetti candy...One where all residents come out at night, sitting on the church steps, smiling, conversing and eating their gelatos. The restaurants were like any out of a food and wine magazine photo shoot.

The tour itself had each day’s experience surpass all expectations, but each so incredibly unique. We had a four hour meal on a trabocco (beautiful fishing wharf-turned restaurant). The Adriac sea surrounding us as 10 courses of exquisite seafood was served paired with just as scrumptious wines. It was as if it was a scene in a movie.

Truffle hunting in the hills, canoeing through the most serene blue-green river and cooking out in a stunning mountainous national park all left one in awe. I cannot even put to words how incredible this trip and Ezio’s hospitality were. I don’t care how many times you may have been to Italy, you’ve never experienced it the way Ezio takes you through it. This is most likely not the last tour we’ll take with him.

We finally got around to vacationing in Italy and enjoyed it so much we are returning next year. - Last summer, 2018, my wife Kathie and I vacationed with Chef Ezio on the Ciao Abruzzo in Abruzzo, Italy. We had a great time exploring the beautiful country... read more side away from the crowded tourist areas. Experiencing the culture, foods and wines of the region was amazing. Chef Ezio and his wife Marie were incredible hosts. I even learned how to prepare a few of the local meals.

The vacation certainly exceeded our expectations. We had such a wonderful time. We are returning next year. We are also joining Chef Ezio aboard the Royal Clipper as it cruises from Rome to Sardinia, Corsica, Monte Carlo and Cannes.
Bob Hughes

Very memorable half day - Castle, Truffles and Agriturismo - We only had a day to do this so I booked a truffle hunt and dinner (with truffles!). Four of us with two older teenage boys had a great time... read more watching Lara dig for truffles, the truffle man was really interesting too! All within a short stroll of the agriturismo. Before that we were at the Roccascalegna castle, Cosmo showed us how to get there and our entry was all pre-arranged. Excellent views and a spectacular trip! So castle done, truffles hunted...now for dinner. Wow! Deliscious food just kept arriving at the table, Cosmo described each dish (the whole place had opened up just for us!). Truffles with eggs and separately on cheese were a feature. My favourite was possibly the saffron infused honey...but really there were so many delicious dishes. Of course the wine...smooth drinkable vanilla notes from bottles that were a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. All outstanding but more so because of the effervescent hospitality extended to us throughout.

Italian Cooking Holidiay was my first tour vacation! It was the most enjoyable relaxing time. Ezio and Marie handled everything and made the trip so memorable. All we had to... read more do was show up and everything was handled for us. The cooking classes were amazing, the afternoons in Prezza, the visit to the beach in Pescara, dinner on the Trabocco, DeLucas winery and The trip to Scanno. It was a great way to experience everyday life in Italy! I would highly recommend this!!

The Best of Italy! - I just came back from a tour run by Ciao Abruzzo. It was outstanding! This was my first trip to Italy and I really enjoyed it! ... read more Not only just a culinary tour, it was a cultural tour as well showing all the best of the heart of the Abruzzo region. We traveled as high as the mountains of Scanno for a cheese tasting down to the shores of the Adriatic sea in Pescara for a 10 course fish feast on a trabaccolo and everywhere in between. The cooking lessons were great and were hands on! Chef Ezio and his lovely wife, Marie, were the perfect hosts making you feel like family from the moment you are greeted at the airport to the last night at a beautiful farewell dinner. I can't say enough about this wonderful tour!

My Italian Paradise - Highlighting the rustic beauty of the Abruzzo region - this tour was a culinary feast for the senses! If you love food and wine and clean mountain air, you will... read more be pleased beyond any expectation! The inviting, warm and casual atmosphere of every location visited had us already planning our next visit. Chef Ezio and his wife Marie were most gracious and friendly, providing an abundance of regional history. For me, this was a journey back to my place of birth, and my family and I will forever be grateful for this bellissima adventure!

An outstanding and truly memorable time! - On June 6, 2018, our party of 5 adults went on the Abruzzo: Afternoon Truffle Hunting & Sampling Session. Chef Ezio Gentile did an outstanding job setting up the... read more event for us, and Cosimo and his wife of Agriturismo L'Alveare also did an outstanding job arranging for us to tour the castle at Roccascalegna which was breathtaking, and then getting us started on the truffle hunt, and then treating us to an exquisite dining experience with many courses and a variety of delicious foods with the truffles that were found during the hunt! The truffle hunt was a lot of fun with the dogs, and Franco did a great job having us feel welcome and comfortable, and spoke Italian such that we could understand much of what he said. He answered our many, many questions, and we managed to find lots of truffles!

Great Truffle hunt and lunch - On 27 December the 5 of us did a truffle hunt followed by lunch at a farm outside Roccascalegna organised by Ciao Abruzzo. The whole day was great. The... read more truffle hunter was a genuine certified truffle hunter and, searching with his two truffle dogs through the oak and olive groves we found two truffles. The lunch afterwards was based around truffles and produce from the farm and was exceptional. It was a bit of a drive from Sulmona to Roccascalegna but quite beautiful and well worth it. The castle there is most striking and we fitted in a castle visit as well. A day we will long remember!

Cook, wine & dine - a complete Italian culinary experience! - If you love Italian food, wine, culture, landscapes, laughing and eating amidst beautiful quintessential Italian landscapes, this is a must do. We spent the week in a small hilltop village... read more living like locals, learning to cook and exploring the surrounding area, eating and drinking everything it has to offer (literally, everything!). From truffle foraging in the woods with Lara the dog to eating a 10+ course wine paired lunch of fresh caught seafood by the ocean, to tasting olive oil and wine this holiday was the perfect balance of learning, exploring and indulging. I truly ate (and made!!) some of the best food I have ever had in Italy and I have been a handful of times. Chef Ezio is brilliant yet casual and brings food, wine, laughs and great people together for the trip of a lifetime! Highly recommend!