Top Matera Cultural 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.

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

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.

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.

We will accompany you through the magical streets of the Old Town and the Sassi of Matera, transmitting stories and anecdotes, so that you can experience this special Lucanian city step by step, in the intense and engaging way with which our beautiful Matera deserves to be told. We will go together to discover the historic Casa Grotta, to understand how people once lived in the Sassi, we will admire the suggestive Barbarian Cemetery and you will fall in love with the colors and details of local craftsmanship. These places are a concentration of history and charm, unique in the world for their particularities: anyone who visits Matera remains deeply fascinated. This tour is not to be missed: it allows you to fully understand the beating heart of Matera and it is above all for this reason that the Tour of the Historic Center and the Sassi of Matera is specially designed for those people who plan to stay here for a short time, perhaps a weekend or just one day ...

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.

Private panoramic tour of the historic districts of the city, aboard the historic Ape Calessino Piaggio. You will not share the tour with other guests.

Located in a cave deep in the Mugia plateau outside Matera, this captivating rupestrian church known as the “Sistine Chapel of the south” is not easy to reach by car or bus. With this tour, explore one of the most important cultural sites in Basilicata with a convenient transfer and admire its ancient frescoes with the insight of a guide.

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.’

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.

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

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.

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.

Explore Matera in the afternoon with a private tour including both the city’s landmarks and tasting of its food and wines. Visit different restaurants and food shops for tastings of authentic local food specialties and wines, and view important highlights such as the Church of Purgatorio, the Sasso Barisano and the typically furnished house-grotto. Your tour includes food and wine tastings, a 2-course dinner, and snacks. Get great views of the city at night Hear insightful commentary from the guide See more with a private guide who customizes the tour to your interests

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.

This tour will allow you to leave Matera comfortably by minivan with driver and visit Alberobello in half a day with a local guide.

This tour is ideal for those staying in Matera and also wants to explore its surroundings. Includes the visit of the Sassi and a guided excursion in minivan to Altamura and Gravina di Puglia with departure and return from Matera.

The Castellaneta / Taranto tour offers the opportunity to visit the two cities in comfort, to know its history and admire its unique wonders.

Giovinazzo is a suggestive peculiar city, with a unique and characteristique apulian old town and it ha salso a beautiful turistic port with a lively night life and amazing public beaches and clubs. According to the legend “Jovis Natio” was founded from the legendary heroe Perseus, Jupiter’s son. Giovinazzo honours these origins standing out among the jewels of the adriatic coast. We suggest you a guided tour which will give you an overview of the city: from the oldest little street of the old town, to the important cultural and historical heritage of the noble palaces and the Magnificent Cathedral. The old town has different point of interest: the old “Arco Traiano”, wanted by the famous Emperor with surrounding walls to protect the city; the “Torrione Aragonese” (know as “U Tammurre” – “The Drum” in local dialect), because of its shape.

Start from the splendid city of Matera to reach two beautiful places close to the sea: Bari and Monopoli. During this splendid tour you will be able to admire the peculiarities of both cities rich in history and culture.