Top Matera Walking Tours

Matera is home to the Sassi cave churches and dwellings that make up one of the oldest cities in the world. Join your guide for an in-depth tour of the Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano districts to learn about their unique history and evolution. Discover rupestrian structures, stroll the steep and narrow lanes, and gain a deeper understanding of how this town, once called the “Shame of Italy”, is now a UNESCO-listed treasure.

The UNESCO-listed Sassi di Matera is both captivating and mysterious. With this guided tour, take a deep dive into the history of this unique rupestrian city, named a 2019 European Capital of Culture. Explore its hidden dwellings and churches carved directly into the cliff, the setting for a number of films, including Ben Hur. Cap off the tour with a tasting of local specialties from Matera.

Discover the city of Matera in a journey through the city of the Piano with its Baroque churches, the Rione Civita where the cathedral in Apulian Romanesque style, and the two famous Sassi, Barisano and Caveoso districts, defined for their beauty and history a true cultural landscape.

The tour guide outside the Cathedral and walking tour, through culture, history, tales and legends, where in the bronze age, according the findings, a built up area was born to shape the first city.Secondly we will go to "Sasso Barisano" where we will find how life was spent in the past through old trades, customs, proofs and habits. Then we will cross the old town, coasting the "Civita", enjoying the view of the Park of Materana Murgia on the front side, so that we will head towards the rupestrian complex where you can see rupestrian churches and cave dwellings.

Private tour with a multilingual tour guide that will lead just you discovering the city and its history.

A tour of the three neighborhoods in the historic center of the Sassi with panoramic stops and curiosities on the recent history of the city of Matera: from national shame to a city known and appreciated worldwide. The path lasts about an hour and in this time visitors will be able to observe the area of the Piano, that is the part behind the Sassi and learn about the historical places from another perspective. The area of the Piano is actually the first area built immediately after the Sassi at the turn of the Renaissance.

Touring the cliffside Sassi di Matera on foot can be tiring. With this tuk-tuk tour, you’ll zip up the steep streets of the old town to take in the top sights in just hours. Delve into the Barisano and Caveoso districts to admire ancient cave dwellings and rupestrian churches and learn about their history via an audio guide. Navigate the warren of narrow lanes with a group leader to avoid getting lost.

Explore the lovely Sasso Caveoso district in the city of Matera on a 2-hour tour walking tour with a knowledgeable local guide. Visit one cave, one church and the historical center, hearing about the fascinating history and subterranean architecture of the city. See parts of the famous Sassi of Matera, ancient cave dwellings that are still in use today and have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This is a tailor-made tour. People can decide to stop wherever they like. They will have time to explore the Old Town and its history and enjoy wonderful landscape.

On this in-depth guided tour of Parca della Murgia, you’ll get an insider’s introduction to the stunning, underground Rupestrian churches that Matera is famous for. Get a peek at 150 rock churches, including fresco-filled San Falcion and 17th-century Madonna delle Tre Porte. Tours include admission fees to the park and a guided excursion.

The Sassi di Matera are one of the most fascinating sights in southern Italy, but these ancient cave dwellings can be difficult to interpret on your own. With this guided tour, see the most interesting cave homes and rupestrian churches in the cliffside town in just hours and enjoy insights into their history and significance from your guide. Stroll through the most picturesque squares in the historic center to snap photos.

Delve into the history and mystery of UNESCO-listed Matera, home to the Sassi cave city that traces its history back to prehistoric times. Explore one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world with a guide, stopping to visit rupestrian churches and homes and learn about the evolution of this singular cliffside town. Stroll through the Sasso Barisano and pause to snap photos of the town and surrounding valley.

You will visit Matera with a local tour guide that knows the city and will lead you to discover it as only an inhabitant can do.

With our walking tours, you’ll skip the mundane historical tours and discover the city through a local’s eyes. Experience a tour that will transform the way you travel to make it as much about the people you meet, as it is the places you see. Our local guides (Lokafyers) are passionate about their city and eager to share their knowledge and perspective. Since Lokafyers are not professional guides and tour occasionally, they provide an experience that’s authentic and personal, like a friend showing you around their city. By the end of the tour, you'll feel comfortable navigating the city and confident that you have all the information you need to make the most of your stay.

Discover the old mountainside city of Matera on a 2-hour private walking tour. Visit the city’s key landmarks like Palazzo Lanfranchi, the church of San Pietro Caveoso, the Sasso Caveoso, and visit a typical cave house from the region. Learn about the history of this centuries-old city from your informative guide and even walk the streets where Mel Gibson filmed scenes from ‘The Passion of the Christ.’

Pietrapertosa is a small mountain village in Basilicata at 1088 meters above sea level. It is located inside the Park of Gallipoli Cognato and the Little Lucanian Dolomites and is surrounded by fantastically shaped sandstones. Pietrapertosa Saracen fortress acquired importance with the Normans. The guided tour will take you to know the area of Arabata, the oldest and most striking of Pietrapertosa. In the walking path in the historic center. The tour continues by visiting the solar clock, the sundial of Pietrapertosa and the many staircases: alleys carved into the rock. The guided tour ends with a visit to the magnificent Norman-Swabian castle, formerly Saracen fortress, dominating from the top of the rocks. As an alternative to the classic historical-archaeological itinerary, one can choose to undertake the "Path of the seven stones", a naturalistic-trekking path that connects the municipalities of Pietrapertosa and Castelmezzano to be covered in about ninety minutes

Castelmezzano, surrounded by a rocky landscape, has preserved the original medieval urban layout with houses built on the rock according to the ancient form of terracing, with the roofs in stone slabs. The walking tour will take you to the discovery of the historical center. It will be discovered how Castelmezzano at the time of the Crusades was an important stop for the knights who went to the Holy Land. Here you will also visit the Mother Church of Santa Maria (called dell'Olmo) made of local stone with inside a wooden statue of the Madonna with Child and a wooden baroque altar. The tour will continue in the village among the palaces built by noble families such as the great ducal palace of De Lerma, the last lords of Castelmezzano. The tour will end with a visit to the ruins of the Norman-Swabian castle and the narrow and very steep Norman staircase, the staircase was dug into the rock to lead the soldiers to a high place to watch over the fortress

Have you ever woken up at dawn? If so, you have surely noticed that everything is more magical at that time. The warm light lengthens the shadows and enhances the shapes. Cycling early in the morning, especially on very hot days, has the advantage of not suffering much from the temperature while enjoying the clean air. Cycling up to the Murgia park (about 8km), even if it has a challenging climb in the last two km, is a very beautiful experience because it allows you to admire Matera from a unique point of view and, doing it in the morning, allows you to enjoy the better light to observe the details and understand how the city has evolved from simple caves to a tangle of alleys and steps with the houses below that form the basis of those above.

Miglionico is located on a hill near Matera between the Bradano and Basento rivers and is famous for the majestic Malconsiglio castle, known for the historic conspiracy of the Barons (1485) against King Ferdinando I of Naples. Flanked by square and circular circular towers, placed at the top of the building. On the upper floor, there are the Malconsiglio hall, where the conspiracy was held, and the Star or Spirits room with a star-shaped ceiling and caskets where the most precious treasures and documents were kept. After the visit of the castle the tour continues towards the mother church of Santa Maria Maggiore which preserves precious works such as the splendid Polyptych (1499) oil on panel of the Venetian master Cima da Conegliano, composed of eighteen panels arranged in four orders, with a central beautiful Virgin on the Throne with Child and St. John the Baptist, the Crucifix by Father Umile Da Petralia Soprana (1629) and the great baroque organ.

Thanks to this tour, in one day, it will be possible to visit Bari and Matera, that is some of the most beautiful places in the area.

The beautiful Italian city of Matera is known for its incredible caves, and ancient stone settlements known as “Sassi”. Get the most out of your time in this spectacular city without the worry of getting lost by going on a guided tour. Enjoy having a private guide to escort you to palaces, caves, churches, and hidden spots you might not discover alone, with fascinating commentary along the way.

The "Sassi". . . a breathtaking experience! Welcome to Matera (Unesco World Heritage) the European capital of the culture 2019. Matera and its districts of ancient cave dwellings, "Sassi", were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1993 and are now considered one of the main italian attraction. People have been settling here for a long time: Matera is often cited as one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world.

A journey through nature, history and flavours, to discover the wonders of the city of Matera and the unspoilt nature of the Murgia Materana park.

Join this fascinating 2-hour private tour of the Matera Sassi. Meet your expert guide in Piazzetta Pascoli, a viewpoint with a breathtaking panorama over the stones of Matera. Make your way down narrow stairways into the heart of Sasso Caveoso, one of the two Civita' districts, towards the baroque style church, San Pietro Caveoso. Venture inside a rupestrian church (carved into the rock), visit Santa Maria di Idris, set into a large, limestone rock and the ancient monastery, Santa Lucia alle Malve that has remarkable 1000 year old frescoes. Head up a stairway to see a cave house and get an understanding how people once lived. In the Sasso Barisano district you can admire the churches of Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare and the stunning Romanesque Cathedral. Marvel at this UNESCO World Heritage site and chosen location for numerous Hollywood movies. Together with your guide you'll discover the magic, history, architecture and stories of the exquisite Matera.