May 22-28, 2027

September 4-10, 2027

Come spend a food-filled week with us and a small group of fellow visitors in Eva’s hometown: Dasà! A small village in the mountains of Calabria, Dasà is an ideal place to experience rural Italy as a local. During this week we will learn about the regional food, cook together, interact with the locals, and experience southern Italian life in a truly unique way.

Dasà is far from a touristy place: be forewarned that there are no restaurants, shopping centers, or hotels. What there is, however, is an abundance of amazing food and culture that only the locals (and you!) can fully experience.

This week-long immersion is not for everyone, but if you’re adventurous and want to experience Italy as almost no outsider can ever hope to, consider joining us!

Who is this experience for?

This is for very adventurous travelers who don’t just want to visit a place, but to experience living in it. You won’t find this food and this experience unless you are part of a rural Italian family. If joining ours for a week sounds like fun, this is the “tour” for you!

Who is this experience NOT for?

Simply put, it’s not for someone who is looking for a regular tour! We love our own tour of southern Italy, but this is a different beast. If you’re not up for living in a humble village without luxury amenities for a week, this might not be for you.

I've never heard of Pasta Grammar, can I still enjoy the trip?

Often a guest will bring a friend or spouse who maybe isn't a fan or viewer of our YouTube channel, Pasta Grammar. While all are more than welcome, we do urge you to make sure that everyone in the party is familiar with what kind of trip this will be. As fans will know, we are interested in sharing very traditional Italian food and life, not postcard experiences. As long as everyone knows what we're all about, we'll have a great time!

What activity level should I be prepared for?

Daily life in a small, Italian town is much more active than you might think. While we try to make it as easy as possible for all guests, we can't help the fact that life here is spent on your feet. Be prepared for plenty of walking on cobblestone streets and a fair amount of stairs and hills. If you have mobility or fitness issues, we recommend reaching out to us at tours@pastagrammar.com to discuss and see if the Week in Dasà experience is right for you.

Where will I stay?

Guests will be accommodated in furnished houses provided by the community. Each house will have a shared kitchen and private bedroom and bathroom for every single guest or couple.

What should I be ready to eat?

A lot of carbs, a lot of fat, and a lot of food in general. If eating pasta, bread, pizza, pastries, etc. every day for a week makes your stomach groan (in a bad way), this is definitely not the trip for you. Calabrians are big eaters, even more so when they have guests (like you!) to host. Life here is based on food, so come prepared to eat.

How can I get to/from Dasà?

A private transfer between Dasà and Lamezia Terme airport/train station (or another nearby travel hub, if it's more convenient for you) will be provided. There are a lot of options for traveling to/from Lamezia, depending on your situation. A lot of people who book their own arrangements miss out on cheaper or more convenient options, which is why we highly recommend contacting us (tours@pastagrammar.com) to help arrange everything. Traveling through Calabria is easy but not always intuitive, so having an expert to lend a hand will make everything smoother.

When should I arrive?

If you do plan on making your own travel arrangements, we recommend (if possible) arriving in Italy at least one day before the trip starts. Nothing is worse than being jet lagged during our first meal together! On the first evening we usually meet up shortly before dinner, so we recommend making travel plans that see you arriving in Dasà by the late afternoon so that you have time to check in and get settled before meeting the group.

Is the itinerary set in stone?

Even more than a "normal" tour, the itinerary for the Week in Dasà is subject to change. Most of our planned activities involve real people within the community, and events sometimes need to shuffle due to changing circumstances within the town. Not to worry, there will be no shortage of amazing stuff to do and try, but please be aware that any itinerary based on the real life of a town and its people needs to be flexible. Sometimes incredible and unexpected opportunities arise, and we like to be able to take advantage of them as they happen!

What will I eat outside of our meals together?

While there isn't much in the way of restaurants in Dasà, each guest home will come with a kitchen, so you are free to shop for ingredients at the local markets and cook for yourself. However, it is extremely unlikely that you will find that necessary. Calabrians eat like they will die tomorrow, and they feed guests according to the same philosophy. Trust us, there will be no lack of food.

I would like to stay in Italy longer! Can you help?

Yes! We are happy to help you extend your trip in Italy. Let us know what kind of plans you would like to make and she can advise further. Feel free to email us at tours@pastagrammar.com

I have an allergy or food intolerance, can I still join?

Let us know what your needs are and we will be happy to do everything we can to accommodate you! We have hosted guests with a wide range of dietary requirements without

any trouble.

Will my cell phone work in Italy?

Most of our guests choose to use international roaming plans provided by their domestic carriers, but it’s also very easy to acquire a temporary, local SIM card for your trip. They are widely available for purchase upon arrival in Italy. For the best coverage in Dasà, we recommend using WindTre. If you just require travel data, we recommend using the eSIM app called Ubigi.

What is your COVID policy?

We follow the recommendations and requirements of the Italian government at all times. As of this writing (always subject to change) there are currently no restrictions on travelers who have contracted COVID-19. In the event that a guest gets sick, we do not cancel the trip unless regulations change. It is up to individual guests to assess the hazards of travel and make their own decisions about whether to risk joining a group tour. As with any sickness, we urge guests who are feeling under the weather to rest, relax, recuperate, and rejoin the group once they have recovered.

Does the trip include travel insurance?

Yes! You will be covered by travel insurance for the duration of the trip, covering certain medical emergencies, lost baggage, cancellations, etc. as defined by the insurance policy. View the full terms and coverage here.

Payment Policy

A 50% non-refundable deposit will be collected at the time of booking. The remaining payment will be due 120 days before the trip commences. Payments are non-refundable. If booking within 120 days of the trip, the full fee will be due at checkout.

Pickup at Lamezia airport and train station in Calabria, with private transportation to Dasà. Check in to your accommodations.

Because there are no hotels or B&B’s in Dasà, the local community has worked together to provide private houses for our guests during their stay. Each home will house 2 to 4 guests with a shared kitchen. All single guests/couples will have a private bedroom and bathroom.

After settling in, we will share a welcome dinner prepared by the locals, who are very excited to meet you. Bring a big appetite, because they’re equally excited to feed you! 

The meal will be held at La Locanda, a once-abandoned restaurant (restaurants don’t last long in a town full of cooks) that the people of Dasà have lovingly restored into a gorgeous osteria just for you! It’s a beautiful location where we will meet, cook and eat together throughout the week.

In the morning, we will go on a brief walking tour of Dasà so that you can become acquainted with the village! You’ll have a chance to meet people from the town and become acquainted with the local shops, markets and (most importantly) coffee bar.

The name “Dasà” comes from ancient Greek, and literally means “the place among the olive trees.” Olive oil is central to the local culture, so our first lunch together will focus on this staple ingredient. At the Locanda, we’ll share a lunch highlighting local olive oil.

In the afternoon, we’ll make an excursion to visit some local olive groves where some of the trees are old enough that they may have been planted by the very Greeks who gave Dasà its name.

For those who are still hungry in the evening, we will always have dinner waiting at La Locanda! Perhaps our favorite part of the Dasà experience is gathering in the evening, sharing food and wine with whoever wants to join.

One of the weekly traditions in southern Italy is eating ragù! At La Locanda, Eva and a group of local women from Dasà (known as the "Spice Girls") will teach us how to make handmade tagliatelle pasta, served with southern-style ragù.

Together we will enjoy the fruits of our labor for a well-earned lunch!

In the afternoon, we will visit a local museum to learn about the history of Dasà. In your free time there are beautiful hikes to make in the mountains and valleys, local farms to stroll through, and delicious gelato to eat at the bar while chatting with the locals.

Drink, food and song in the evening at La Locanda for all who would like to join!

One of the greatest treasures in Dasà is the local pastry chef, Salvatore Cognetta. His family, though originally from Dasà, founded one of the most important pastry shops in Naples before returning to their Calabrian roots. Salvatore is a true master of southern Italian sweets, from sfogliatelle to... cannoli!

Salvatore has graciously agreed to reveal his secrets with a demonstration of how he makes perfect cannoli, followed by lunch and (of course) a tasting of his handiwork.

In the afternoon, we'll go on a short walk to a beautiful park overlooking Dasà. Here, beneath towering pine trees, once stood a medieval monastery which was once frequented by Saint Lorenzo. It's a lovely spot to get a view of the town from above.

For dinner, we're all invited to one of the local bars for an "apericena"—something in between an aperitivo and a dinner—where we will sample a bunch of delicious treats while we hang out with the locals.

Earlier in the week we learned how to make fresh tagliatelle, and now it’s time for the advanced lesson!

Eva and the Spice Girls will teach us how to make fileja pasta, or as it’s known in Dasà, “maccarruna.” This unique and interesting pasta shape is our favorite, for good reason! Together we’ll enjoy a lunch of the Dasà classic: maccarruna and beans. This will probably be unlike any “pasta fazool” you’ve ever had before!

In the afternoon we'll visit the medieval mill where the people of Dasà used to make their own flour up until recently. Once you see how beautiful it is, you’ll understand why the town is trying to restore it for use!

Dinner at La Locanda, for those who still have an appetite after lunch!

One of the best parts of living in a small town in southern Italy is the abundance of delicious food delivered right to your door: fresh fish, local produce and... cheese!

To learn about the incredible cheese tradition in Calabria, we will spend the morning with one of the local cheesemakers and see them at work (you can even help milk the goats!). If you've never had hot, fresh ricotta right out of the pot, you're in for a treat!

On the way back from the cheese demonstration, we will stop at the incredible Norman castle overlooking Dasà and the surrounding countryside. Dating back to the 1st century, this medieval fortress and noble residence was the focal point of the local community for centuries.

In the evening, we’ll share a final, celebratory feast with the locals. Time to unwind and enjoy one last hurrah with all of our new friends!

Private transfer to nearby airports or train stations for departure. Arrivederci!