Discover Matera, the ancient city - English tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
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Matera, Italy
- 2 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Matera is home to the Sassi cave churches and dwellings that make up one of the oldest cities in the world. Join your guide for an in-depth tour of the Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano districts to learn about their unique history and evolution. Discover rupestrian structures, stroll the steep and narrow lanes, and gain a deeper understanding of how this town, once called the “Shame of Italy”, is now a UNESCO-listed treasure.
- Tour Matera with a guide for insights into this unique cave city's evolution
- Admire the top sights without getting lost in the confusing warren of alleys
- Visit rupestrian churches and homes and admire views over the valley
- A small-group experience for more personal attention and a relaxed pace
What's Included
- Entrance to the Diver
- Visit to cave house
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Piazza San Pietro Caveoso (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,818 reviews
Cath_C, May 2026
Really worthwhile to do this walking tour - so interesting to find out about the history of life in Matera.
Karen_C, May 2026
Excellent tour. Excellent guide. Lots of tours available in Matera , just walk in. Possibly less expensive. But this tour was extremely informative and interesting
Sabreena_C, May 2026
I truly can’t say enough positive things about this tour with Gaetano! I actually feel like I’m an expert on Matera and can teach even Italians about the history. He was great at answering questions, it wasn’t labor intensive, and he gave great recommendations. Partway through the tour I remember thinking how grateful I was to have booked this tour with him.
Elizabeth_W, Apr 2026
Educational and awe inspiring! Renato was wonderful. He told stories of his and his family’s history, as well as the history and renaissance of Matera, and was incredibly knowledgeable and funny too. Even in the pouring rain, it was an incredible experience. A walking tour of Matera is not to be missed.
Thank you. Grazie Mille
Elizabeth
AlejandroDavid, Apr 2026
Anything but walking tour. Guide didn't help either. If you call it walking tour it should be just that
Rami_I, Apr 2026
The local guide was extremely funny and knowledgable. Gave enough info without getting boring. Loved the Hollywood touch.
Anne_D, Apr 2026
Renaldo was very knowledgeable & passionate about the tour. He added his own personal family content which was great.
Karen_D, Apr 2026
Had a great time learning about Matera. You never know with tours how good they will be but Gaetano did a great job, always checking to ensure understanding and offering nuggets of information that made the experience so enjoyable. You can't understand the importance of this place without a tour like this.
Kathleen_F, Apr 2026
Excellent walking tour with a very informative guide. Would recommend. We learned a lot about Matera.
David_S, Apr 2026
A good walk and very informative. The guide was a local and gave great insight to the history of Matera.
Alan_F, Apr 2026
Leave enough time to get to the start point - the guide covered it all in a very entertaining manner.
Randy_D, Apr 2026
Gaetano was a fantastic guide and extremely knowledgeable. His passion for Matera and its history was impressive. I highly recommend this tour with Gaetano if you want to learn more about this beautiful, ancient city.
Nicholas_L, Apr 2026
Thanks to our incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining tour guide Gaetano, we now understand the history and story of Matera! Gaetano was friendly, polite, funny and gave us a truly magnificent tour of this UNESCO world heritage site. 10/10 one of the best tour guides we’ve ever had!
JOHN_A, Apr 2026
Our guide, Gaetano, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about Matera. He explained why Matera is an UNESCO sight in detail and spoke very good English. We highly recommend this tour with Gaetano. From Ohio USA.
Karen_R, Apr 2026
We would not have appreciated Matera as much as we do now without knowing the history behind the hard scape. Our guide, Geatono, was exceptional in providing backstory.
Sara_B, Apr 2026
Gaetano shared his deep knowledge of Matera in a very fun and engaging environment. Highly recommend this tour to understand the fascinating history. Such a beautiful place!
Jonathon_D, Apr 2026
Great tour, guide was excellent , would highly recommend to others in Matera . He knew the area very well.
dave_h, Apr 2026
Very interesting factual information from our guide Gaetano. Showed us the rural and urban side of the Sassi. Plus as a bonus the underground water vessels.
Lydia_A, Apr 2026
Gaetano was an excellent guide and his English was great! He brought humor to the tour and improvised when needed if places were closed. Gave us so much of the history and story behind Matera. Highly recommend tour and Gaetano!!
LorenzoLuigi_M, Apr 2026
Amazing guide, Gaetano was knowledgeable, passionate and with good italian humor! And amazing restaurant tips!
We recommend 100% the tour
Marie_P, Apr 2026
Unbelievable visuals and a lot of steps and uneven ground. Get to the tour early because parking is about a 15 minute walk away from the meet up point. You will have a fantastic time. It is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
Teresa_B, Apr 2026
What a unique city , and I was there off season and actually had a solo tour. It was fascinating and informative and so glad I was able to see one of the oldest cities in the world.
Randy_S, Mar 2026
The tour allowed us to learn all about the history, culture, and current circumstances of Matera. Without the tour, we would have missed out on the full Matera experience. Gaetano, our guide, was freindly and patient with our group and kept the tour entertaining at a good pace.
Gems_o, Mar 2026
I’ve done hundreds of organized city tours over the years, and this one truly stood out. Our guide had a beautiful way of blending history with personal stories that made everything feel alive rather than just a series of facts.
Instead of rushing from landmark to landmark, we were given context, insight, and little details about daily life that helped me understand Matera in a much deeper way. It felt thoughtful and authentic, not like a typical “check off the sights” type of tour.
By the end, I felt like I understood the soul of the city much more than the average visitor. It also gave me the confidence to continue exploring on my own and notice things I might have otherwise missed.
If you want to truly appreciate Matera and not just see it, I highly recommend starting with this experience.
N_N, Mar 2026
Really thorough and enjoyable. Gaetano was charming and full of facts and stories. We got a good understanding of how the area formed and people lived. We got beautiful views and answers to our many many questions. Well worth the price and time.
Luke_S, Feb 2026
Guide was excellent! Very knowledgeable and enjoyed learning about Matera's history.
Was an absolute pleasure and would recommend to anyone
Christopher_B, Jan 2026
Gaetano was the best!! An absolute awesome tour!! He's funny and knowledgable. Would recommend to anyone!!
James_B, Jan 2026
Gaetano was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable, interesting and provided a very in depth account of Matera in an entertaining manner. He provided fulsome answers to our questions and was very easy to understand. We were in awe of Matera’s history.
Alan_W, Dec 2025
This was a very informative tour. Lots of history but presented by our guide, Getano in an interesting manner. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about sharing information and provided details that are very important to understanding the history of the region. This is a two hour tour and the time was well spent!
Yiao_Y, Dec 2025
We had Tano (Gaetano) who was amazing. I learned so much and I am so glad I went on this tour! I also wanted to tip him but had no cash on me, please apologise!
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