Independent arrival in Matera where we will check in to our beautiful hotel, and our accommodation for the first two nights of this trip. Some of the rooms here are cave rooms hewn out of the limestone, and the restaurant has a beautiful view over to the white walls and twinkling lights of the stunning UNESCO World Heritage site of Matera old town, also known as the Sassi. If you arrive in the morning, then you'll be able to join an afternoon treasure hunt style tour of the Sassi, a two hour whistle-stop of ancient caves, labrynthine alleys, and nestled churches all finely balanced on the upper reaches of this precipitous hillside. Some dwellings date back to around 7000bc and are thought to be some of the first human settlements in all of Italy.

We'll have a relaxing morning with a lazy breakfast at the hotel and then perhaps a wander around the streets of Matera. Or maybe an independent exploration beyond the town walls to find wild landscapes of rolling hills and shady pine forests. This afternoon we'll join a local hero, and 'maestro cuoco' for a cookery class who, with locally sourced ingredients will help us to cook up a storm of typical local dishes, and once assembled, we will all eat together. Regular favourites include, pasta making, and polpette di pane (a sort of locally made baked dough ball). We have a second night in the hotel tonight, and will settle down here after dinner.

After breakfast and a ninety-minute transfer we'll arrive in the stunning mountain village of Pietrapertosa in the Lucanian Dolomites. We will check into our B&B here, head to the local store or bakery to grab something for a picnic and then set off for Castelmezzano passing through the Caperrino stream and gorge, before rising up into the village perched among the spectacular rock formations that give this landscape it's name. We will explore this beautiful village and enjoy our lunch before heading back across the gorge and back up to Pietrapertosa. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy at leisure. You might wish to head to the top of the town to visit the Saracen fortress, and admire the views of the surrounding landscape, or for an optional activity for those with a lean towards adrenaline, book onto the Volo Dell'Angelo or 'flight of the angels' zipline across one of the nearby gorges. Tonight we will eat out in Pietrapertosa in one of the great local restaurants here, before retiring to our accommodation.

We'll set off after breakfast this morning on another ninety or so minute transfer into the Pollino National Park to start a beautiful hill walk onto 'the Belvedere.' This hillside is wonderfully wild and our guide will help us to look out for signs and tracks of some of the fauna that call this hillside home, including boisterous wild boar, brave black squirrels and the famed but elusive, Italian wolves. Fear not though, the latter are very tricky to spot and likely to make themselves scarce at the first signs of human presence. Starting on the Piano Ruggio, we will make our way up the hill and into the woods, part beech woodland, and part loricato pine woodland. We emerge at the top with incredible views in all directions, a great achievement for a morning's walk. This afternoon we reach Rotonda and our accommodation for the next two nights, a B&B in the heart of our next picture perfect hillside old town. We'll eat out again this evening in a restaurant recommended by our guides.

This morning we have a transfer after breakfast into the heart of the national park once more, but this time for some water borne activities. We'll start the day white water rafting down the river Lao (a gentle grade which will be fun without being terrifying!), our guides might even let us out of the raft for a swim. This afternoon we're going gorge walking. After getting into our waders, we'll be driven in 4x4s to the start of our route where we can traverse the gorges and river beds of this beautiful woodland world walking through the clear rushing waters surrounding our feet. A fun experience where we're likely to have lots of hilarious, and soaking wet, fun times! All equipment for both activities, including buoyancy aids, helmets, paddles, and waders, is provided on site. We return this evening happily soaked, for a second evening in Rotonda.

We'll have a transfer this morning out to the coastal town of Maratea, known as the pearl of the Tyrrhenian, perched on a rocky coast with a beautiful harbour below. We'll have some free time today to wander around Maratea independently, perhaps with time for a swim or paddle in the bright blue sea, some lunch in one of the harbour restaurants, or maybe just take some time to settle into our cosy B&B in a sleepy square in the old town up the hill. This afternoon we'll reconvene and attend an excellent gelato workshop. The kids will have a great (and probably messy!) time crafting their own flavours and we'll all sample some of our sweet creations before heading out to dinner. Tonight we'll settle in to our accommodation here in Maratea for the next two nights, the final stop on our tour of the Basilicata.

Our final full day on this trip is ours to spend at leisure. The port town here has a wealth of excursion providers, including kayaking and snorkelling and boat cruises, and you may wish to fill your day with one or more of these options, or perhaps you are just ready for a totally relaxed beach day. Take your swimming stuff, a beach towel and a good book, and enjoy a day of relaxation to round out your week.

Our trip ends after breakfast this morning and depending upon your onward journey, you may have time for a final splash in the sea before saying arrivederci to Basilicata, after a week of active adventure in southern Italy's wild heart.