Culture & Discovery · Italy
New Year in Puglia with WingsItaly
Arrive on your own; Claire and a group of about 22 are with you the whole way.
28 Dec 2026 – 2 Jan 2027 5 nights from £1,139pp own travel
Hosted by Claire Dymond 22 people have booked so far
Places available Southern Italy, Puglia – Where the New Year Feels Like Home
After the incredible success of our 2022 New Year celebration to this area of Italy — with many of you calling it “one of the best hotels ever” — we are absolutely delighted to be returning to magical Salento.
This time Spice Escapes with WingsItaly brings you a completely a new itinerary, exploring even more hidden gems of this extraordinary region, including the enchanting towns of Specchia and Galatina and a new year day event!
Spice escapes and WingsItaly will once again have exclusivity of the hotel rooms at the elegant and wonderfully welcoming Hotel Tesoretto, where Romina & her exceptional team are eagerly awaiting our return. Romina, the owner, is the epitome of Italian elegance and has a genuine affection and deep respect for her British guests — she truly cannot wait to welcome you back.
Often called the “Florence of the South,” Lecce is a Baroque masterpiece . Its Roman Amphitheatre, ornate churches, historic piazzas and architectural treasures create a golden honey-coloured city unlike anywhere else. Excursion s of the city will be offered nearer the time !
At Christmas time, Lecce becomes even more magical. The churches are illuminated with spectacular light displays, festive markets fill the piazzas, and the entire historic centre glows beneath thousands of twinkling lights. Wandering through the streets at this time of year feels truly enchanting.
Specchia – One of Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages
The medieval hilltop town of Specchia is officially recognised as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages. Expect whitewashed alleyways, ancient stone houses, sweeping countryside views and a quiet authenticity that defines rural Salento. This is slow living at its finest.
Galatina – Art, Faith & Hidden Beauty
Elegant and lesser known, Galatina is a true hidden gem. Here you’ll discover the extraordinary frescoes of the Basilica di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, stunning Baroque architecture, charming piazzas and authentic local cafés. It is a cultural treasure waiting to be explored.
Your host and Managing Director of WingsItaly, Claire Dymond, describes this region perfectly:
“Puglia is like nowhere else. To be Italian is one thing… to be Salentino is something else entirely.”
Salento is authentic, warm, hopefully lots of sun shine as you are south Italy and unpolished in the most beautiful way and indeed very real. With over 800km of coastline, 60 million olive trees scattered across its landscape and food traditions rooted deeply in family life, this is Italy as Italians know it — not a postcard version, but the real thing.
This New Year journey is about discovering new places, enjoying regional dishes, cheeses, focaccia, olives and so much more, drinking exceptional local wines, celebrating like the Italians do and experiencing true Italian village life.
Wine Tasting Experience
Of course, no Wings adventure would ever be complete without a proper Italian wine tasting session — after all, this is Italy, and saying no to wine here would be considered extremely suspicious behaviour.
As your adventure travels through Puglia taking, you into one of Italy’s most important wine-producing regions, famous for its bold and characterful reds such as Primitivo and Negroamaro. Here you’ll learn a little about the traditions and stories behind these wonderful wines… but more importantly you’ll taste them. Possibly more than once. Purely for research purposes, of course.
Andrea will also be carefully supervising the proceedings to ensure the tasting is carried out with the utmost professionalism — and that no glass is left unfairly neglected during your tasting experience!
Availability and pricing
| Option | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| New Year in Puglia with WingsItaly - Accommodation | ||
| Place in a double room (must be for 2) | £0.00 | 2 places left |
| Place in a twin share room | £0.00 | 10 places left |
| Place in a sole occupancy room | £220.00 | 6 places left |
| New Year in Puglia with WingsItaly | ||
| Own flight without transfers | £1139.00 | 5 places left |
| London Stansted | £1699.00 | 18 places left |
Why you'll love this holiday
- New Year's Eve is a private five-course gala with a bottle of wine each.
- A local celebration runs next door, and guests drift between the two.
- Claire and Andrea Dal Moro meet you at the airport and stay with you.
Where you'll go
Your Provisional New Year Programme
Day 1
Monday 28th December - Arrival Meet and greet at your designated airport by WingsItaly and private transfer to the hotel. Begin your stay with a welcome aperitivo to set the mood, followed by dinner featuring traditional Puglian cuisine and local wines. Afterwards, enjoy optional nightcaps in the hotel’s public bar.
Day 2
Tuesday 29th December After a leisurely breakfast you will depart the hotel for the short transfer to the beautiful Roman town of Lecce. Lecce is like stepping into a golden Baroque dream. Often called the 'Florence of the South', the historic centre glows with honey-coloured limestone churches, ornate balconies, and lively piazzas. At Christmas time the city becomes even more magical as elegant streets sparkle with festive lights, nativity scenes appear in ancient courtyards, and the air fills with the scent of roasting chestnuts and warm pastries. Wandering through Lecce in winter is pure southern Italian charm—beautiful, atmospheric, and wonderfully festive.
Day 3
Wednesday 30th December There is still some planning for this trip ongoing so please note that further details regarding additional days and town visits will be announced once town councils confirm their Christmas programmes. This means we will follow the celebrations and discover for sure wonderful surprises along the way.
Day 4
31st December – New Year’s Eve Gala. Buon Anno! Exclusive to Spice Escapes & WingsItaly Guests. Your evening begins with a private aperitivo reception, followed by a five-course gala dinner with one bottle of wine per person. There will be music, dancing and Italian entertainment as we celebrate both Italian and UK midnight traditions. While you will enjoy your own private dining room and dancing area there will also be a lively local celebration taking place in an adjacent room with the locals! Last time we visited, what made the evening so special was guests moving between celebrations, joining the locals and sharing in the fun — a truly authentic Italian New Year experience.
Day 5
1st January – New Year’s Day After the celebrations of the night before, enjoy a relaxed and leisurely morning to welcome the first day of the New Year. Late morning, we will head out to continue exploring the beautiful surroundings of Puglia, discovering another charming town or hidden corner of this wonderful region. The exact destination will be confirmed closer to the time, allowing us to take advantage of local festivities and seasonal openings. During the day you will enjoy a traditional Italian New Year’s Day lunch where you can savour regional dishes accompanied by local wines — the perfect way to start the year the Italian way. Later in the afternoon you will return to the hotel to relax before an evening of light-hearted fun, featuring a lively game of Italian Tombola, hosted by Andrea — our resident bingo master!
Day 6
2nd January - Final Day Breakfast and time to say arrivederci to Romina and the WingsItaly team — until the next Italian adventure. NB - WingsItaly follow the local programmes of events so some spontaneity may be needed and some days for visits may change once local calendars are confirmed
What's included
- International flights if selected
- 5 nights accommodation
- Bed & Breakfast
- Meet & Greet at the airport by WingsItaly
- Private transfers throughout
- Welcome aperitivo at the Hotel
- 2 meals at the hotel with ½ bottle of wine per person
- Aperitivo reception & New Year’s Eve Gala with 1 bottle of wine per person
- Traditional Italian New Year’s Day lunch with ½ wine per person
- Visit to Lecce
- Visit to Specchia
- Visit to Galatina
- Puglia wine tasting
- Fully escorted by Claire & Andrea Dal Moro at WingsItaly
- City taxes included
- Wi-Fi in hotel
- Tea & Coffee facilities in each room
- Your Spice host, Claire Dymond
Not included
- Single room supplement if required
- Personal travel insurance
- Some meals & drinks
- Personal extras
Travel and where you'll stay
4* Hotel Tesoretto https://www.tesoretto.org
Located in the traditional Salento town of Poggiardo, just a five-minute walk from the centre, Hotel Tesoretto is a superior 4* property offering air-conditioned rooms, some with private balconies, lift access, two bars, 24-hour reception, a restaurant and an elegant formal dining room and a private walled courtyard patio.
At Christmas and New Year the hotel is beautifully decorated, creating a warm and festive atmosphere that makes the celebrations feel even more special.
All rooms are deluxe standard. Seven rooms are superior deluxe suites with a Jacuzzi which is in the bedroom (there is no supplement for these rooms but due to the location of the bath there will be allocated on a first come basis to sole occupancy and double room guests). These will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For twin occupancy, one large double bed plus one single bed will be provided, and the rooms are spacious enough to accommodate this comfortably.
Breakfast is Italian continental style, with fresh seasonal fruit, pastries, and plentiful tea and coffee.
Getting there — flights to Bari
London Stansted
These are the times currently scheduled. Airlines change them, sometimes months before departure, so please treat them as provisional rather than final.
Before you travel
Passport validity
For UK passport holders your passport must be:
- issued less than 10 years before the day you enter (check the "date of issue")
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the "expiry date")
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Entry rules for EU travel — EES, ETIAS and your GHIC
EU Entry/Exit System (EES)
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is being introduced gradually across the external borders of the European countries that use it, including the collection of biometric data such as a facial image and fingerprints. Passports continue to be stamped as usual in the meantime.
Further information: travel-europe.europa.eu/ees
ETIAS
UK citizens will eventually need a travel authorisation (ETIAS) to enter the European countries that require it for short stays. It is linked to your passport and valid for up to three years. There is no confirmed start date yet — we will let everyone know when it is required and how to apply.
Global Health Insurance Card
A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), or a still-valid EHIC, gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the EU. It is not a replacement for travel insurance.
Travel insurance
Please ensure that you have adequate personal travel insurance to suit your requirements in place before you travel.
Who else is going
The question everyone asks and nobody wants to.
- On this departure
- 22 people booked The operator's own count for this trip — you'd make 23. It can still grow before you travel.
- Travelling alone
- Most people book on their own
Gallery
Before you book
Will I be the only one on my own?
No. Almost everyone books on their own — that is the whole point of the trip. Nobody has to pair up and nobody sits on their own at dinner unless they want to.
Do I have to share a room?
Only if you want to. Sharing a twin with another solo traveller of the same sex costs nothing extra, and it is how most people keep the price down. If you would rather have a room to yourself, you can — see the single-room price on the trip you are looking at.
Is there a single supplement?
There is a charge for a room of your own and it varies a great deal by trip, so the honest answer is the figure on the holiday you are looking at rather than an average. What there is not is any obligation to pay it: sharing a twin with another solo traveller of the same sex costs nothing extra, and it is a genuine option rather than a token one.
Every holiday with a single room available, and what each one costs, is listed on single rooms and single supplements.
How big is the group?
Small enough to learn everyone’s name in the first day or two. Group sizes vary by trip and are listed on each holiday.
What does the host actually do?
Your host is there to make your holiday feel easy, welcoming and fun. They travel with the group throughout the trip, help everyone get to know each other, keep things running smoothly and are there if you need anything along the way.
They’re not a traditional holiday rep — they’re part of the group, sharing the experience with you and helping make sure nobody feels left out.
Is my money protected?
Yes. Payments are held in a bonded trust account and the holidays are ATOL protected under licence 9046.
What age are the other travellers?
It varies by trip. Most groups span a wide range of ages with a shared interest in the destination rather than a shared birth year.
Is there a minimum age?
Yes — 18. Spice Escapes holidays are adults only.
Most people who travel with us are in their forties and beyond, but that is who books rather than a rule. There is no upper age limit, and two people travelling together do not need to be a similar age: a daughter in her thirties travelling with her mother in her sixties is an ordinary booking.
What travellers say
4.9/5 from 63 reviews on Google
Questions about this holiday?
Ring the office, send us a question, or chat any hour. A real person, not a call centre.
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