Since Matera has a lot of steps and paths, this was a great way to get an overview without walking a lot. Then you can go back later to areas you want to explore. Perfect for people with disabilities (like me!) I felt like I saw the whole area. The open air bus was refreshing in Oct. Luca, our guide was very friendly, with good English or Italian. Highly recommend!

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Discover Matera, the ancient city - English tour

Floyd_R, Oct 2026

Best Tour in Matera

We have done hundreds of free and paid city walking tours in the 133 countries we have visited over the past 20 years, and this was one of the best. Renato Favilli owns this company and does most of the tours himself. He is originally from Matera and really understands the city, showing us the cave he was born in and using examples from his own family. Rather than just taking us to rock churches (which you can easily do on your own), he showed us the great sites that you would never find otherwise. He made architecture interesting by showing us the cisterns (both ancient, from the 1300s, and newer, from the 15-1600s) that won the city its UNESCO award. We also visited a replica of an ancient cave home with great insight from Renato. Before the 1960s, Matera was called the "shame of Italy", as the cave area was like the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, rife with poverty, orphaned children being abused, and people living in caves with no plumbing or electricity, mostly illiterate with no chance of improvement. However, it was the only life they knew, so they were hesitant to leave. Over 18 years, the government gradually provided free housing for residents, and the city emptied from 1950 to 1990, with the caves eventually being converted into shops, newer homes, restaurants, and hotels. You will get a good feel for the positives and negatives of this transformation.

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Matera : Sassi tour with the iconic churches carved into the rock

Norma_L, Oct 2026

Must do in Matera

We had an intimate private tour as my husband and I were the only ones on the tour. We had less than 24 hours in Matera and wanted to get the most of it. Our ( nice middle age lady) she is a local, her folks have lived in Matera forever Great to hear the history of this mystical village, pictures and words do not do it right justice. Our guide was very informative, and patient. Excellent English made it easy to understand.

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Long Private Panoramic Tour with Ape Calessino in Matera

james_k, Oct 2026

Fabulous experience!!!

It was absolutely amazing. Francesco was wonderful!!! Other tours had recordings and headphones, but Francesco spoke directly to us and provided interesting and pertinent facts. It was beyond our expectations. He stopped several times so that we could take pictures, visit a church and explore an actual cave house. I highly recommend this tour!

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Tuk Tuk tour Matera - Panoramic tour by bee calessino

Keith_J, Sept 2026

Great tour

We booked this tour for our first day so that we could see the best areas quickly. We were then able to revisit where we wished, the guide was excellent with good knowledge and English. We were collected at our hotel and the correspondence between ourselves prior to our visit to Matera was excellent. Highly recommend.

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Full Private 3h Excursion to the Sassi di Matera

Craig_D, Sept 2026

Private Matera tour

Stella was an awesome guide. Welcoming and friendly when we met. Spoke good English. Most importantly her knowledge and passion for Matera and the Sassi was impressive. As a result we learned fascinating facts and insights we would otherwise not have learned. The tour was well paced especially given the extreme heat. Stella’s recommendation for lunch was perfect and we also enjoyed checking out the old water system she recommended we see. We highly recommend this tour. Thanks Stella for an interesting and insightful day 👍🏻

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Matera Guided Sunset Tour: Murgia Timone&Belvedere with Transfer

Heidi_M, Jul 2026

Our tour guide was...

Our tour guide was amazing. I highly recommend the walk/ mild hike as it has a wonderful history and incredible perspective and views. My only regret was not capturing his name. He had a beard and a dog named Saki. 100% best guide. Extremely kind and generous with his knowledge of the area. 10/10!!! Grazie Mille from the California couple!

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Ape Calessino panoramic tour Sassi di Matera Along.

Todd_T, Jun 2026

BEST way to see Matera

This is by far the best way to see Matera. Our guide, even with limited English, was incredibly helpful and friendly and showed us everything we wanted to see and more. Plenty of time for photographs and getting out and seeing incredible views. This is a great thing for somebody with a mobility issues, and the central Meetup location was easily accessible by taxi.

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Matera by Night. Entrance fees included Cave House and Rock Church.

Sharyn_S, May 2026

Lost in Italian

I did the tour knowing it was in Italian but there was no English option at that time. I loved walking around in the evening and the point is to view the sight. The best part and why I booked the tour was the entry to a church and cave house that I otherwise would not have seen.

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