CIOCIARIA CULTURAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCES.
May/ June & September 2026
ADVENTURES THROUGH CIOCIARIA AND MOLISE
IN THE WILD HEART OF ITALY.
Follow us off the beaten path, into the extraordinary
For curious, cultured travellers.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH. INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY.
Meet the Ciociarian culinary creatives, organic producers & vignerons and local artisans who have been the inspiration for our Antica Australis journey, and explore the layers of ancient Samnite & Roman and Medieval history of Ciociaria in central Italy with us.
We have hand-crafted our itineraries from ten years of on-ground personal research and our groups are guided by our great Ciociarian friends who are local archaeologists, academics, culinary artisans, artisanal producers, hiking guides and art historians.
We re-design our on-ground itineraries bespoke for every single tour group. No experience is ever the same. This is born from our passion and belief in supporting the continual evolution of the regions we are visiting, to align with the personal adventures our curious & cultured travellers are seeking, and to revel in the glorious spontaneity of this ancient regions.
Paolo & Kelly PICARAZZI, co-founders - antica EXPERIENCE COMPANY | Antica Travel Co.
PACKAGES 2026:
An immersive 7-night/8-day cultural travel experience through the undiscovered regions of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy - just an hour south of Rome, it’s a whole world away. Follow us off the beaten path, into the extraordinary.
From 2026: all-inclusive package from AUD$6,597* per person based on double occupancy. Solo Supplement AUD$1,167*.
Packages include pick up from Rome at a designated hotel and return.
Tour groups limited to maximum 8-12 guests.
TOUR DATES 2026:
Sunday 3 to Sunday 10 May. Atina - Valle di Comino, Ciociaria - TWO PLACES NOW AVAILABLE
Sunday 10 to Sunday 17 May. Picinisco - Valle di Comino, Ciociaria - FULLY BOOKED. ENQUIRE FOR 2027
Sunday 14 to Sunday 21 June. Magical Molise - WAITLIST OPEN
Sunday 20 to Sunday 27 September. Veroli - Ernici Mountains, Ciociaria - RESERVATIONS OPEN
NOTE:
May is Springtime in Ciociaria, with the Apennine Mountains covered in wildflowers. It’s the perfect time for cheesemaking and foraging in the mountaintop forests. September is Autumn, providing an ideal experience of local harvests & fresh produce as well as being the beginning of the wine vintage plus mushroom & truffle season.
The weather in the Apennine Mountains in both May & September is around 18-25 degrees Celsius, sunny days and a little cooler in the evenings. Note that the villages of Ciociaria are hilly and some streets can be quite steep - you will need to have an average level of fitness to enjoy walking around.
We very purposefully select low season tourism seasons to host our guests in Ciociaria, to help contribute to the sustainability of the region - and it’s a much more intimate and relaxed experience with our locals. Please note that our Ciociarian guides speak in their local dialects, with Paolo providing translations.
YOUR HOSTS
Husband and wife team, Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi of award-winning Ciociarian locanda and cultural dining experience Antica Australis
Paolo is a Ciociarian native and is descended from the Ernici & Volscii tribes of Víteliú and is deeply connected to the land. He also understands each of the dialects of the region, which enables our local producers, artisans and wine-makers to share their stories in their own way and words, with Paolo providing translation.
Australian-born Kelly has a background in sustainable and cultural heritage tourism. Kelly was noted as one of the global ‘100 Inspiring Women Travel Founders’ by Travel Massive in 2020.
Antica Travel Co. is the cultural travel experience subsidiary of the Antica Australis cultural dining experience.