Sassi di Matera: Transformative Ancient Cave City Tour
Price From $43.93 per person
Lowest Price Guarantee
Embark on an exclusive private walking tour through Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Your adventure begins in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, where your expert guide will greet you and introduce you to the unique charm of this historic city. Start by visiting the Church of San Giovanni Battista, a stunning example of Apulian Romanesque architecture. Then, head underground to explore Casa Cava, a former tuff quarry that has been transformed into an impressive cultural center. Next, in the Sasso Barisano district, visit the rock-hewn Church of Sant'Antonio Abate, an ancient place of worship carved into the stone, before discovering a traditional Casa Grotta in the Sasso Caveoso. Take a scenic stroll along Via Madonna delle Virtù and stop at Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, where you’ll be treated to breathtaking views. The tour continues with a visit to the Church of Purgatory and wraps up at the iconic Matera Cathedral, a true symbol of the city.
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
4 stars
5 stars
3 stars
Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Lee_K, 9/16/2025 3:03:55 AM
Barbara was enthusiastic about her town. She was fun to be with and we covered a lot of territory even though we were 30 minutes late. Thanks
Maps38811738727, 9/15/2025 12:58:18 AM
Barbara was an excellent guide! Seeing that we were an 'older' group, she did a great job minimizing our time standing in the sun/heat - finding spots in the shade to stop and even suggesting we take the bus from one Sassi to the other. We saw Sassi Barisano and Caveoso, which are spectacular! Barbara even recommended a great place for lunch and called and made us a reservation (and ended the tour at the restaurant)!
Todd_B, 9/7/2025 8:28:30 AM
We got a full tour of all the Matera highlights by such a nice Italian tour guide. Matera is a magical place and she really helped bring it to life for us! It was a fantastic orientation to the city and we got some great restaurant suggestions!!!! Definitely worth doing this tour!!
KawanaTravellers, 9/3/2025 2:59:17 PM
We had an absolutely fantastic guide, Anna. She was very knowledgeable, friendly and humorous. Our tour was well paced and provided us with an excellent orientation of the Sassi, while we learnt about the millennia of history of Matera. By far the best way to get to know the area.
Michael_M, 7/2/2025 4:35:11 PM
Guiseppe was an excellent guide. Great command of the city. Kept it fun and informative. His english was great.
joeyrm7, 5/4/2025 12:05:25 PM
Giuseppe was our guide for a 3 hour walk through Matera. Much to our surprise and delight, the terrain on this tour was relatively flat compared to the up and down that we anticipated. Giuseppe did a fantastic job of conveying what life was like in the sassi as well as the history. He was very easy to get along with and his english was perfect (forget about my non existant Italian). If you can swing it, the private tour is great as the group tours that you see all around town are quite large.
Michele_T, 10/8/2024 3:52:57 PM
Our guide Giuseppe was very engaging and informed. The tour through the cave house was very interesting.
fionaj697, 10/8/2024 4:57:24 AM
The guide was friendly and welcoming. However, we didn't feel that we were given much history about the place and its people.
V5078CDloris, 9/20/2024 4:49:28 AM
Our guide was very broad strokes. No major details. Left not knowing how caves got there. Felt like I wanted a historian or architect to explain things but instead got a sweet older woman who didn’t provide insight.
lizmeadie, 7/28/2024 1:19:18 PM
Absolutely fantastic tour with Gaetano as our tour guide. A very knowledgeable and enthusiastic historian who enthralled us with his expertise.
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Departure point
Agenzia Martulli ViaggiReturn details
Embark on an exclusive private walking tour through Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage city. Your adventure begins in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, where your expert guide will greet you and introduce you to the unique charm of this historic city. Start by visiting the Church of San Giovanni Battista, a stunning example of Apulian Romanesque architecture. Then, head underground to explore Casa Cava, a former tuff quarry that has been transformed into an impressive cultural center. Next, in the Sasso Barisano district, visit the rock-hewn Church of Sant'Antonio Abate, an ancient place of worship carved into the stone, before discovering a traditional Casa Grotta in the Sasso Caveoso. Take a scenic stroll along Via Madonna delle Virtù and stop at Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, where you’ll be treated to breathtaking views. The tour continues with a visit to the Church of Purgatory and wraps up at the iconic Matera Cathedral, a true symbol of the city.No redemption information available
24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund