Complete Sassi of Matera Small Group Walking Tour with Tasting
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
This 3-hour walking tour is perfect for travelers looking to experience the Sassi of Matera in a deeper and more complete way, beyond the usual panoramic routes. The itinerary explores both historic districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, and includes visits to two of the city’s most important rock churches. Led by a local guide, you’ll learn how Matera evolved from a “built” city into one carved directly into stone, as you pass through historic squares, scenic viewpoints, and rock-hewn spaces that reveal centuries of everyday life and spiritual tradition. The highlight of the tour is the visit to the rock churches, from Sant’Antonio Abate to the striking Madonna de Idris. Here, you’ll admire frescoes dating from the 12th to the 17th century and explore the ancient crypt of San Giovanni in Monterrone. The experience ends with a tasting of traditional Lucanian specialties. The tour runs in small groups, allowing for a more engaging pace and better interaction.
Inclusions
What's included
- Licensed local tour guide
- Entrance to the rock church of Sant’Antonio Abate
- Tasting of regional bites - taralli, local bread, and veggie spreads
- City map
- Entrance to the rock church of Madonna de Idris / San Giovanni in Monterrone
- 10% discount coupon at MòVado Food & Drink in Piazza Duomo
- Entrance to the traditionally furnished Narrated Cave House
What's not
- Extra meals and drinks
- Tips (optional)
Itinerary
The route begins in the Baroque part of Matera, with an external visit to the Church of Purgatory, a symbolic site that reflects the city’s deep connection between faith, memory, and rebirth.
This spot marks the transition from monumental Matera to its rock-hewn heart, introducing the story of the city’s urban evolution.
From above, the Sassi unfold below, offering a clear overview that helps you understand the layout of the landscape.
In Sasso Barisano, a frescoed rock church brings to life the spiritual world of the Middle Ages, carved directly into the stone.
An immersive look into daily life in the Sassi, with rooms furnished as they were before the 1950s and stories of family life and adaptation.
This panoramic stretch connects city and nature, opening onto views of the Gravina canyon and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches.
One of the most iconic views of the Sassi, perfect for photos and a short pause.
The highlight of the tour is a rock church seemingly suspended above Sasso Caveoso, preserving frescoes from the 12th to the 17th century and the crypt of San Giovanni in Monterrone.
The tour ends with a tasting of local Lucanian specialties, including taralli, Matera bread, and vegetable spreads.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.0
- 57
- 40
- 30
- 22
- 11
Ratings come from 10 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Si prega arrivare in agenzia 10 minuti prima del tour e presentarsi allo staff.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 15 travellers
- Operated by
- Martulli Viaggi
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- 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
How it compares in Matera
- Its from-price is 66% below the median of the 186 experiences we list in Matera.
- It is longer than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 52 of 186.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Matera
Matera is a southern Italian city of ancient cave dwellings carved into a ravine, a UNESCO-listed maze of stone houses, rock churches and stepped lanes.
Matera, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy, is built above a deep ravine, and its old districts, the Sassi, are cave houses and stone buildings stacked down the cliff. People have lived here since prehistory, and until the 1950s many families still occupied the caves, before they were moved to new housing. The Sassi were listed by UNESCO in 1993, and the cathedral crowns the rock between the two districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso.
Top-ranked sights in Matera: Sassi di Matera, Murgia National Park (Parco della Murgia Materana), Madonna delle Virtù Church (Chiesa di Madonna delle Virtù).
Special offers in Matera
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
