Guided tours of the Sassi of Matera and the Murgia Park
Cave houses, courtyards, cisterns and rock churches with a local guide, in small groups or privately. All year round, morning, afternoon and evening.
Each district of the Sassi tells a different part of the same story: choose a single tour, the Grand Tour of both Sassi, or combine several visits during your stay. No ticket is needed to enter the Sassi: they are neighbourhoods of the city.
Houses carved into the rock, Vico Solitario and the cave house, Santa Maria de Idris with the crypt of San Giovanni in Monterrone, Santa Lucia alle Malve, views over the Gravina. Memory, the "national shame" and the rebirth.
From Via d'Addozio to Via Fiorentini, steps from Piazza Vittorio Veneto: Sant'Agostino and the crypt of San Giuliano, San Pietro Barisano, the Belvedere Colombo, the cisterns and the carved dwellings.
The noble quarter between the two Sassi: the 13th-century Cathedral with Altobello Persio's nativity and the Last Judgement frescoes, the Diocesan Museum, Casa Noha, the MUSMA, and downhill San Nicola dei Greci and Madonna delle Virtù.
Barisano and Caveoso in one visit: the overall reading of the old town, from built stone to carved stone. The ideal starting point if you only have one day.
The Sassi light up like a nativity scene: silent alleys, night viewpoints, lamplight on the limestone. On request, can be paired with dinner in a cave restaurant.
Hiking the trails of the Basilian monks, among caves, frescoed rock churches and the viewpoint over the Sassi. Nature, archaeology and history on the slope facing the city.
Guided tour of the Caveoso, then into the workshop to paint your cuccù, the good-luck terracotta whistle once found in every home of the Sassi. Go home with a piece made by you.
Water, glue and paper: nativity figures, masks, figurines. Courses for children and adults, schools, parties and events, from "first try" to specialist level, in the workshop that built the Carro della Bruna float for years.
Not a walk through the Sassi. The ability to read them.Nearly two hundred rock churches, a canyon up to five hundred metres deep, cisterns under every square
A city built "in negative": here people removed stone instead of adding it. The roof of one house is the street of the one above. Inside, cisterns, channels and ice houses; outside, terraces, gardens and bell towers.
Inhabited since the Palaeolithic, Matera is one of the oldest settlements in the Mediterranean. The natural limestone caves became houses, then courtyards and neighbourhoods, then palaces. In the 20th century overcrowding led to the 1952 evacuation; the return began in the 1980s.
In 1993 the Sassi and the Park of the Rock Churches joined the UNESCO list, the first site in southern Italy. In 2019 Matera was European Capital of Culture.
Click a day, choose a time slot and a tour. We confirm availability and price on WhatsApp or by email within 24 hours. No online payment, no commitment.
Words from those who walked with us.
The Sasso Caveoso is a jewel in the rock. The cave houses and rock churches are a must. With so much to see we relied on a guide and we're glad we did. We have to come back.
We saw how people went from caves to houses, and then back into the caves. Madonna dell'Idris, Piazza Caveoso and the little courtyards of the vicinati, wonderful.
We did the Grand Tour, Barisano and Caveoso. The Caveoso is older, the Barisano newer, but both hide incredible beauty. The Civita with the Cathedral is a must too.
We discovered a fantastic city that will stay in our memories forever.
The Sassi are beautiful and demanding: stone, steps, climbs. A few things to know.
No. The Sassi are neighbourhoods of the city and public areas are free. Some sites (rock churches, cave houses, Palombaro Lungo, Casa Noha) charge admission: in our confirmation we tell you what's included and what isn't.
Closed, non-slip shoes, always. In summer water, a hat and sunscreen; in cooler seasons an extra layer, because caves and shaded alleys are cold and damp.
Partly. Many stretches have stairs and uneven paving. Mention it in the notes: we'll build a compatible route, or tell you honestly what isn't feasible.
The exact meeting point comes with the confirmation. The Sassi are a limited-traffic zone: leave your car in the town-centre car parks and reach us on foot or with the Sassi line shuttles.
A single-Sasso tour lasts about 2 hours, the Grand Tour up to 3. Departures every day in the morning and afternoon; evenings on request. Private tours are arranged freely with your guide.
It depends on the tour, the number of people and the format (group or private). We send the price together with the availability confirmation, no commitment.
