Travel Deeper
in Italy
Curated Small Group Tours in Abruzzo, Puglia
& the Italian Riviera!
NEW! Dolomites Women's Tour (Summer 2026!)
LOCAL GUIDES
Led by passionate local guides who will give you a true insider's perspective into their beloved regions and traditions
Puglia Tour
EXPLORE DEEPLY
Curated experiences in Italy's majestic national parks, pristine coastlines, jewel-box medieval towns & under-the-radar towns
FOOD & WINE
Dive into local culture through food - from Abruzzo's arrosticini to Puglia's orecchiette to the Riviera's pesto Genovese
DECISION-FREE
Curated trips in which you leave the planning & details to an expert you can trust ~ do almost nothing yet it will feel like everything!
At the Heart of Majella Tours of Italy
My name is Michelle DiBenedetto-Capobianco. I started Majella Tours of Italy in 2017 when I began leading curated, small-group tours of the untrodden region of Abruzzo, where my dad was born. I'm a former corporate lawyer turned cooking school owner in New York, and have spent the past 30 years exploring and savoring the far corners of Italy. I expanded my "Travel Deeper"-style, immersive tours to other Italian regions that are dear to me including Puglia & Matera and the Italian Riviera (Liguria) in 2025 and the Dolomites in 2026.
Client Testimonials
Michelle, thank you for crafting another dream experience for us! You introduced us to sights, sounds, and unique moments in Puglia that will live in our hearts forever. You are a master of your craft, and we love you for sharing it with us. Each day was filled with curiosity, wonder, excitement, adventure, love, appreciation, belly laughs, and indulgent culinary experiences. We met every kind of character along the way…charismatic guides, rugged fishermen, humble mill workers, cigarette smokin’ orecchiette makin’ ladies, mozzarella makers, and fashionable farmers, just to name a few.
Michelle, grazie from the bottom of our hearts! Thank you for this most authentic experience! We love you!”
- Christine, New York (Abruzzo 2022 and Puglia + Matera 2025)
I truly enjoyed Michelle’s thoughtful itinerary, filled with exclusive and intimate adventures, delicious food, fine wine, and engaging conversations. From a private lunch on the terrace of an old monastery overlooking the water to a cooking class with a lovely and accomplished chef and cookbook author. How lucky am I to have been a part of all this?!
All of Michelle’s hard work in curating the perfect experiences has had an unforgettable impact on me. I didn’t have to do anything but enjoy myself, my surroundings, and the company of our group. What a gift. Michelle took such good care of us through her warmth and attentiveness during my time in Italy. For this, I will be forever grateful.
Thank you, Michelle, for making my first visit to Italy unforgettable and truly life-changing!
- Kimberly, Colorado (Italian Riviera 2025)
Thank you Michelle for arranging such a memorable and once in a lifetime experience to see and be a part of the beauty of Puglia. We met so many interesting guides, tasted such delicious cuisine and saw the most breathtaking views. But most importantly, we met and spent time with an amazing group of women that made this trip just so much more memorable. I hope one day we have the opportunity to reunite and share all the special moments we had together in Puglia 2025
- Yang, New York (Abruzzo 2022 and Puglia + Matera 2025)
My trip to Abruzzo with Michelle was one of the most inspiring, magical and unique trips I have ever taken. Every day was planned to perfection- with hikes to medieval castles, cooking classes with local chefs and wine tastings with the local growers to name just a few of the activities. Her warmth and love of the region are evident in the attention to detail she has put into her thoughtfully curated tour that sheds light on a region mostly untouched by the hustle and bustle of more touristy parts of Europe. My trip to Abruzzo was not a "tour", it was an experience!
- Pamela, New York (Abruzzo 2018 & 2023 and Liguria 2025)
At a friend’s suggestion, in 2018, I booked a tour with Majella Tours quickly followed with a return visit in 2019 and again after Covid in 2023. Michelle, the knowledgeable tour founder and Abruzzo insider uses her long-term relationships with the very best vendors to personally arrange every detail, lodging, meal with perfect wine pairings, and hidden cultural treasure, all for your enjoyment. Abruzzo is a less traveled region not overrun with large tour buses of American visitors, even in the summer. The pictures I have framed and hanging in my home remind me daily of warm memories of lush valleys and mountains, hidden monasteries, sparkling Adriatic Sea, and little-known towns with their food and craft specialties. I cannot wait to return soon to reconnect with my Abruzzo family of friends and have a reunion with former tour participants who share a similar love and longing for Abruzzo!
- Barbara, Florida (Abruzzo 2018, 2019 & 2023)
Majella Tours of Abruzzo was an incredible introduction to a beautiful, underappreciated region of Italy. Each day of the tour featured a fabulous mix of experiences: a mountain hike followed by lunch and shopping in a lovely small village and, later on, an evening wine tasting one day; assisting with an olive harvest, attending a cooking class for local pasta, and a sumptuous dinner with a musical performance by local musicians the next. So many fantastic meals and outings with a wonderful, small group of other travelers and an incredibly knowledgeable host and guides. I can't wait to join Michelle for another tour soon!
- John & Kim, New York (Abruzzo 2019)