matera city tour

12 BEST Matera Guided Tours (selected by an Italian)

By: Author Stefania Guglielmi

Posted on Last updated: February 17, 2024

Categories Europe , Italy

Read on to find the most epic Matera guided tours available, so you get to discover Italy’s oldest city with an expert in its history and archaeology.

Located in the Basilicata region in Southern Italy, Matera is the country’s oldest city and the third oldest city in the world (!) It’s also an absolute dream destination for history and archaeology buffs and a highly recommended place to visit when in Italy. 

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Matera dates back to the 3rd century BC, and it boasts magnificent remains of ancient life, including caves, primitive settlements, rock churches, and a charming landscape. 

I was born and raised in Bologna, in Northern Italy, but for some reason, I didn’t make it to Matera until last year. Big mistake – I was absolutely blown away by it! Matera quickly became one of my very favorite places in Italy , and I can’t wait to go back and spend another long weekend there. It’s such a unique place, unlike any other in the country.

The best way to explore the town is, in my opinion, with a Matera guided tour. While it’s a fascinating destination even if you’re aimlessly wandering around its streets, its history, importance, and the mesmerizing stories tied to Matera can only be discovered if you visit with an expert. 

For this reason, I’ve compiled the very best Matera guided tours to help you choose the one that best suits your interests and budget. Check them out!

I generally use Viator and Get Your Guide to book tours around the world. I especially recommend them for their great cancellation policy, which allows you to cancel most activities up to 24 hours in advance and get a full refund. 

Table of Contents

The BEST Matera Walking Tours

▶️ Discover the Ancient City – Matera Tour in English or Italian is a very comprehensive experience that allows you to get much more than a glimpse of this ancient city. Along with a small group of people, you’ll follow your English-speaking guide to the districts of Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, and explore the ancient dwellings and rock churches of Sassi. 

Enjoy stunning views of the valley and stroll along the narrow alleys as you learn about Matera’s millennia of history, a town that used to be called the Shame of Italy and ended up being recognized as an important World Heritage. 

This Matera walking tour includes : A guided tour around Matera. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ Sassi di Matera Guided Tour is a half-day experience that introduces you to Matera’s oldest districts: Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, which comprise Sassi di Matera. Inhabited continuously for over 7 thousand years, the Sassi feature astounding rock churches, cave houses, piazzas, and a striking Apulian-Romanesque Cathedral overlooking the city. 

Your expert guide will provide interesting insights about the city’s history and how it’s changed throughout the centuries, allowing you to truly delve into this fascinating location.  

This tour includes : A guide, and entry tickets to the caves. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ A Matera Private Walking Tour is ideal if you’re traveling with your partner, family, or a group of friends. You’ll benefit from your guide’s undivided attention and get to ask all your questions as you stroll around the historical center of Matera. 

The tour will take you to a spectacular cave-house that was inhabited until the 20th century, rupestrian churches, rocks, and the cathedral which sits atop one of the town’s highest points. 

This tour includes : A private guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

The Best Ape Tours in Matera (Tuk Tuk)

▶️ Ape Tour Matera – Panoramic Tour in Ape Calessino is an incredibly fun way of exploring this ancient city. An ape is essentially a tuk-tuk that will zip you through the steep lanes of Matera as you explore its historical districts without getting tired. 

You’ll visit the town’s main attractions accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, which enables you to understand the importance of the landmarks you’re passing by. You’ll stop to admire the views from a viewpoint and visit incredible caves that are thousands of years old.  

This Matera tuk tuk tour includes : A driver/guide, and transportation. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ Ape Tour Matera – Guided Tour in Ape Calessino is another fantastic tuk-tuk guided experience. You’ll explore three districts in the Sassi of Matera, hearing curiosities and interesting facts about the town’s history and stopping to enjoy panoramic views, and visiting a cave and rock church. 

The tuk tuk tour of Matera takes only an hour, so you’ll have the rest of the day free to wander at your leisure, seeing the town with new (and more informed) eyes. 

This tour includes : Transportation and a guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Murgia Park Rocky Curches Tours (Unmissable!)

▶️ Murgia Park Rocky Curches Tour takes you to an absolutely gorgeous attraction that you can’t miss when in Matera. The tour of the park grants you access to the striking rock churches where you can admire their centuries-old Byzantine frescoes, check out the scenic views from Golgota, and delight in the panorama of Matera as the sun sets. 

Be prepared to explore a millennium of history, tracing the steps of countless generations of citizens and being in awe of the fabulous sights. You’ll even get to see the spot where Mel Gibson filmed his movie The Passion of the Christ!

This tour includes : Transfers to the park, entry fees, and a guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ Join this Sassi and Murgia Tour by Electric Bike to cross through the neighborhoods of Matera effortlessly, relying on your e-bike to ascend the steep alleys. 

After exploring the districts of Sassi you’ll head to the Murgia Materana National Park, with stops at an ancient tuff quarry, a rock church, and the viewpoint of Murgia Timone, from which the views over Matera are unparalleled.  

This tour includes : E-bike and helmet rental, and a guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Matera Food Tours & Dining Experiences

▶️ Who can say no to a Food and Wine Tour between the Patriarchs Olives and the Oil Temples ? Better yet if it takes place in Italy’s most historical city, Matera. You’ll start the day having breakfast under a Patriarch olive tree and then head into the Materan rocky countryside known as Murgia . 

You’ll pass through ancient caves on your way to an old farmhouse, where you’ll be introduced to the traditional bread of Matera and get to prepare one of its most traditional dishes, the cialledda. Indulge in a meal completed with baked olives, salami, and Primitivo wine, and delight in the sounds of Matera’s traditional music and songs.   

This tour includes : Meal and a guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ Dining Experience at a Local’s Home ought to be one of the most authentic tours in Matera, Italy. You’ll join a local in their house to learn delicious Italian recipes that have been passed down through generations and relish a 4-course meal. 

Start by witnessing a cooking demonstration, an ideal excuse to ask all your culinary questions and write down some secret tips, and then join your host for a homemade lunch or dinner paired with wine and coffee, and surely interesting conversation. 

This tour includes : A 4-course lunch or dinner with drinks at a local’s home. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

▶️ Join a Six Course Truffle Tasting Tour for the ultimate foodie experience. You’ll head to the center of Matera and visit a shop that specializes in Basilicata’s star product: the truffle. You’ll get to learn everything about it and sample traditional dishes that include this precious ingredient. 

A six-course meal consisting of truffle sauces with bread, cheese, and other dairy products, truffle salami, and panna cotta with truffle honey should most definitely make up for lunch, so be sure to have an empty stomach before starting the activity! It’s arguably one of the most interesting (and delicious!) Matera tours!

This tour includes : Tastings of six truffle specialties, and a truffle expert to guide the experience. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Night Walking Tour of Matera

A Walking Tour of Matera at Sunset allows you to see the city during the day and witness how it gets transformed as the sun sets. You’ll visit centuries-old cave dwellings, walk through the Sassi districts, and enjoy the views at Murgia National Park as you learn about the history of Matera from your guide. 

You’ll finish the tour by visiting a Rupestrian church that overlooks the city, seeing as it lights up for the evening.     

This tour includes : A tour guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

James Bond 007 Guided Tour in Matera

Ready to live a cinematic experience in Matera? Book the James Bond 007 Guided Tour to follow the steps of the world’s most famous secret agent. You’ll meet a Matera tour guide and follow them around town as they show you the spots where several of the James Bond movies were shot. 

You’ll hear anecdotes and interesting information about the shooting in Matera, and get to snap pictures in the places where Bond, James Bond carried out many of his heroic actions. 

This Matera James Bond tour includes : A tour guide. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Matera Guided Tours FAQ

As the oldest city in Italy, and holding incredible information about the history and customs of ancient civilizations, Matera is 100% worth visiting in my opinion. 

Yes, you can certainly walk around Matera, although you have to take into consideration that its narrow lanes and alleys are sometimes quite steep. If you have mobility issues, walking in town might be difficult.

The most special aspect of Matera is its incredible history and architecture: it’s the country’s oldest city after all, and it’s been continuously inhabited for thousands of years! 

Stefania Guglielmi is the founder of Every Steph. Originally from Bologna, Italy, she's been traveling full-time since 2016 and has visited over 50 countries across 6 continents. She believes sustainable travel and luxury travel can go hand in hand and has been advocating for responsible tourism since 2014. Stefania's advice and travel experiences have been featured in important publications such as Business Insider, Refinery29, and Yahoo Money.

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• Guided Walking Tour – Sassi of Matera (Ita)
• Guided Walking Tour – Sassi of Matera (Eng)
• Guided Walking Tour – Sassi of Matera (French)
• Guided Walking Tour – Sassi of Matera (Spa)
• Sightseeing Bus Tour – Sassi of Matera
• Sightseeing Bus Tour – Park of Murgia
• Guided Walking Tour – Park of Murgia
• Tour Crypt of the Original Sin
• Where to stay
• Where to eat
• What to see

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Sightseeing bus – Tour sassi of Matera – Crypt of Original Sin

Sightseeing bus.

Visit Matera on board the sightseeing bus. Discover the Sassi of Matera and the Park of rupestrian Churches on board our fully ecological bus and enjoy the fantastic views of the Sassi with total comfort.

Visit the Park of the rupestrian Churches. Discover the most exciting viewpoint of the Sassi di Matera on the ecological Sightseeing Bus.

Visit the Sassi di Matera in 90 minutes on board the ecological sightseeing bus. Discover the Sassi di Matera on board of our fully ecological bus and enjoy the fantastic views of the Sassi with total comfort.

Crypt of the Original Sin

Visit the Crypt of the Original Sin the Sistine Chapel of the rupestrian churches. Discover the most fascinating rupestrian church of Matera with our dedicated tour.

Walking tour

Visit the Sassi di Matera with our guided walking tour. Discover the most suggestive corners of the Sassi di Matera with entrances to rupestrian churches and cave houses.

Our tours Discover Matera

Tour bus open-top.

Bus Sassi + Bus Murgia Park

Guided tour Murgia Park and Sassi

Guided tour Murgia Park + Guided walking tour Sassi

Tour Rupestrian Churches

Guided tour Murgia Park + Tour Crypt of the Original Sin

Complete tour of Matera

Bus Murgia Park + Guided walking tour Sassi + Tour Crypt of the Original Sin

Anyone who sees Matera can not help but be struck by it, so much is its expressive and touching beauty.

— Carlo Levi

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Reviews tripadvisor, "tour da fare assolutamente" ★★★★★.

Costo biglietto: 12 euro.Tra le varie opzioni messe a disposizione, noi abbiamo scelto Tour in bus Parco Murgia. La guida, precisa, gentile e professionale, ha fatto notare luoghi che un viaggiatore non avrebbe notato. Brevi soste per dare la possibilità di fotografare. Al ritorno all\'Info Point è stata offerta una degustazione di prodotti tipici, dettagliatamente esposta con le sue peculiarità da una guida. Prodotti acquistabili presso il punto.

— ADonatella_78

Gentilezza e professionalità sono il souvenir di Matera City Tour ★★★★★

Tutte le persone dell'agenzia si impegnano in prima persona con grandi cortesia e professionalità per farti avere il più bel ricordo possibile di Matera. Noi abbiamo fatto la visita con il bus scoperto che consiglio se non si ha troppa voglia di scarpinare o si soffre il caldo. La guida è stata chiara e precisa ed era disponibile a tutte le domande. Ciliegina sulla torta la degustazione dei prodotti lucani, ottima e abbondante! Veramente eccezionale, da rifare.

— aledoddis

LAST FROM BLOG

Xiii edizione del presepe vivente nei sassi di matera: “pane e pace”.

Come ogni anno, lo spettacolo del Presepe Vivente torna nei Sassi di Matera nella sua XIII edizione dal titolo “Pane e Pace”, in onore del messaggio eucaristico lanciato da Papa Francesco durante la sua visita a Matera. L’itinerario toccherà tutte le location dei film religiosi più iconici che hanno reso Matera la “Gerusalemme del Sud […]

Si celebra oggi il 71° anniversario della legge De Gasperi, che imponeva lo sfollamento dei Sassi, esattamente il 17 Maggio 1952. L’allora Primo Ministro Alcide De Gasperi nel luglio 1950, accompagnato dal giovane deputato lucano Emilio Colombo, aveva visitato la città e quel quartiere diventato tristemente famoso con la pubblicazione di “Cristo si è fermato […]

Of the cities where I've been, Matera is the one that smiles at me more, the one I see even better, through a veil of poetry and melancholy.

— Giovanni Pascoli

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Gourmet boutique, antiche cibarie.

If you book one of our tours you will receive a 10% discount on all typical products from the gourmet boutique Antiche Cibarie

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Matera City Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)