Announcing: Trip to Puglia

An immersive, intimate trip into the craft culture of Puglia, Italy

After the success of our Portugal trips, we are thrilled to announce that next spring, my wonderful co-host Christine Chitnis and I will spend a week in Puglia with an intentionally small group of travelers, exploring Italy’s rugged and unpretentious “heel of the boot” through the lens of design and craft.

TRIP DATES: May 28-June 3, 2026
Price, detailed itinerary and registration.

During this week-long trip, we will visit sun-drenched, slow-paced Puglia with its olive groves, crumbling masseria, white limestone villages, and people and places holding fast to the old ways of making things by hand. With a small, intimate group, we'll journey across the countryside and coastline, visiting pottery studios, an historic textile mill, villages and museums that bring the stories of traditional Apulian craft to life.

Puglia is a land of humble beauty and deep, history; sparkling seaside towns; drive-by olive groves with red-hued soil; ancient stone walls; crumbling masserias, conical stone trulli; incredible markets, artisanal craft; and a deep reverence for tradition.

We’ll explore some of the most revered ceramics workshops in all of Italy, heritage textiles, cultural institutions, antique and food markets, and an antique ceramics collection in a private home. We will be busy but not rushed, with built-in time to swim, read, walk, and relax in this beautiful place. And we always save room for improvisation and spontaneity; as anyone who has traveled with us in the past, it’s those unplanned moments that are often the most special.

ACCOMMODATIONS

We will spend six nights in a beautifully restored masseria just outside Lecce with extensive gardens, an olive grove, two gorgeous pools, and numerous beautiful outdoor areas for privacy and relaxation. Dinners around a big table with views of the countryside, plus walks, fresh figs, and exemplary, well-appointed, supremely comfortable interiors.

HIGHLIGHTS

—The elegant city of Lecce, full of museums, ateliers and family-run restaurants, plus a visit to a private home with an astounding collection of antique pottery
—One of the biggest and best antique markets in the region
—A deep dive into the ceramic traditions and behind-the-scenes spaces of Grottaglie, including a private home tour to end all home tours
—Private visit to a textile cooperative/workshop, created to preserve the traditional craft of Salento weaving. You will be able to observe the weaving in action and admire (or purchase) these beautiful traditional textiles.
—Incredible, unexpected archaeological sites
—Slow downtime to explore the surrounding countryside by bike or foot (olive groves, family vineyards and architectural ruins) or lounge by the pool
—Traditional meals lovingly prepared by a private local chef, as well as dining in some of the region’s most wonderful family-owned restaurants

See a more detailed itinerary and register here.

IS THIS TRIP FOR YOU?

This trip is for those with a boundless passion for craft, design and cultural exploration, a fascination for the history and beauty of generations of artisans who’ve been perfecting their craft for centuries; and for those who long to explore this stunning region of Italy with a friendly cadre of like-minded souls.

THE PEOPLE

The most important part of this trip are the people. The people who are holding fast to the traditions and beauty of making things by hand, who open their homes and studios to us, who offer their knowledge and expertise, who make us feel at home in their world. I knew that we could design an incomparable trip with a special focus on exploring a place through its material culture and traditions (and we have!), but I could never have imagined how each trip, in turn, would be shaped, altered and elevated by the all people we visit and the people who travel with us. I have walked away from each trip with an inspiring group of new friends for life. Our special hosts/craftspeople/caretakers and of course, the wonderful guests are endlessly curious, courteous, creative, kind, funny, tender, open, interested, interesting, brilliant, and beyond lovely.

A MANIFESTO OF SORTS

In Hand offers a different kind of travel experience: These trips are singular in nature; we don’t run these one right after the other, plugging people into a pre-packaged trip on repeat with hired-out hosts. Our trips are intentionally small and intimate— an ideal group size for learning and creating relationships. Each day has been planned with extraordinary thoughtfulness and attention to detail. There is no filler. In fact, we purposely build in downtime, so you can enjoy the slow-motion blur of real time. We will never rush you. We love spontaneity; we live for those moments of travel magic that unfold in the unplanned in-between. We don’t do gimmicks. We don’t up-sell. We place authenticity before luxury and soulfulness before perfection. We don’t hire out the important role of tour guide; we do it ourselves!