Tradition of Puglia : Altamura bread and stones of Matera da Bari
Description
Matera, the James Bond Bridge and the Flavours of Altamura Live an exclusive experience between Basilicata and Puglia, combining cinema, history and haute gastronomy in a single stress-free tour. Why choose this tour: Explore the Sassi (UNESCO) with an expert Guide in Italian English Spanish French or Portuguese optional (extra cost) For an even more suggestive and relaxing experience, you can choose to visit the Sassi aboard a characteristic tuk tuk (extra cost) or visit Matera on your own with our tips , Gravina in Puglia : Photo stop on the famous Ponte Acquedotto. Walk on the set of No Time to Die (James Bond) and admire the breathtaking canyon. Altamura Enjoy the freedom to discover the "Lioness of Puglia". Visit the majestic Cathedral of Frederick II and lose yourself among the characteristic "claustri". Self-guided Oven Tour: We will guide you to 2 historic medieval ovens to taste the legendary PDO Bread and freshly baked hot focaccia.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Travelers, after going to the meeting place indicated on the site, will leave for Matera
Once you arrive in Matera, you will be amazed at the sight of the "Western Jerusalem". At this stage, we have provided two different ways to enjoy the city, so as to meet your every need: For those who want to delve into the thousand-year history of this unique place in the world, you can take advantage of a guided tour with a local Pro Guide. The Guide will take you on an exclusive walk through the Sassi districts explaining the evolution of cave houses, cave churches and the secrets of a cave civilization dating back to the Paleolithic. The tour takes place entirely in English, Italian, Spanish or French alternatively For an even more suggestive and relaxing experience, you can choose to visit the Sassi aboard a characteristic tuk tuk with audio guide in multiple languages If you prefer to explore Matera at your own pace, you will have free time at your disposal.
Travellers returning to the pre-arranged meeting point with the driver will be escorted to the famous Roman aqueduct bridge of Gravina di Puglia famous for the film 007
After the historic charm of the Sassi, we will move to the coast for a leap into modernity... and in the great action cinema! Photo stop: The Adriatic Bridge (James Bond Location) We will stop for 30 minutes at the Adriatic Bridge, Bari's new steel giant, which has officially become part of the James Bond myth. * Film Set: This bridge was chosen as the location for the 25th film in the 007 saga, "No Time to Die". You can walk on the same tarmac where the most famous secret agent in the world sped during the shooting in Puglia. * Iconic design: With its 78-metre central pylon and white cables stretched out to sea, the bridge represents the contemporary face of the city. * Starshots: You will have time to take stunning photos of the property, capturing that clean, futuristic aesthetic that has bewitched Hollywood filmmakers.
Travellers returning to the pre-arranged meeting point with the driver, will be accompanied at Altamura .
After admiring the imposing Aqueduct Bridge of Gravina, the next stop is Porta Bari, the monumental entrance to the heart of Altamura. Here you will be welcomed in the medieval village for a journey through time and taste. The Treasures of Altamura * The oldest bakeries in Europe: You will visit Santa Caterina (1391) and Santa Chiara (1423). In these medieval ovens, PDO bread is still baked in wood following centuries-old rituals. * Altamura Man: You'll learn the story of the world's only remaining intact Neanderthal skeleton, a 150,000-year-old paleontological treasure. What to eat The protagonist is the Bread of Altamura PDO, famous for its two forms: "U sckuanète" (crossed, high) and the "Puccia" (lower, priest's hat). Do not miss to taste: 1. Local focaccia: Crispy and rich in tomato. 2. Father Peppe: The ancient walnut digestive liquor. An experience that combines archaeology with rural culture.
returned to the meeting point all travelers will return to Bari
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(47)
We enjoyed the trip. Pablo was kind and good, and Francesco, the driver, also did his job well. I gave four points because the program included visiting the bridge in Gravina di Puglia in advance, but this was omitted and we were not notified in advance. It might have been important to someone, and so they could not see what had been previously entered into the program. And if the description says there is a bottle of water, then there should be, because we did not bring any, thinking we would receive one. Maybe it seems a bit nitpicky, but this was also indicated in the description. All in all, the trip went well: we saw two cities, there were some shortcomings, but overall it deserves a score of 4 out of 5.
Booking online a day in advance and we received an immediate message via WhatsApp with confirmation, explanation / travel program and a travel guide in pdf about Matera. Neat. Some things went wrong with the trip itself. For example, I didn't see the bottles of water included in the trip anywhere (admittedly I didn't ask because we had water with us ourselves). More important miss was the trip itself. It would take 8 hours and both in Matera and later outside we would visit an aqueduct and a new metal bridge respectively. Both backgrounds on a James Bond movie. We only read this later in the description when we were back in Bari after 6.5 hours to our surprise. Without having seen both of the particulars mentioned. Inquiries with the organization revealed that there was miscommunication because there were filmings at the aqueduct in Matera that prevented us from accessing it. The bridge that we did not visit was not mentioned.. but we were offered a free drink if we booked a tour of a few other towns the next day. Matera is definitely worth it by the way but Altamura is little (maybe also because you were dropped here at 2.30 pm for the duration of 1.5 hours but everything was closed here until 4 pm; siesta hey...😉). An hour longer in Matera would have been better, but yes. Tip for prospective bookers: ask before booking and departure if all the promised places are actually visited.
The office was not open when we walked to the meeting point. We were left standing on the sidewalk until the tour driver showed up and offered us the opportunity to wait in the van until the leaving time and the arrival of the remaining 4 guests. The experience was down hill from there
Dear Guest, your feedback is honestly surprising. Please note that our office is closed on Saturdays, but this does not affect the tour operations, which start regularly at the scheduled time. Arriving at 8:30 for a tour that begins at 9:00 is your personal choice, not a failure on our side. Despite this, our driver still assisted you and allowed you to wait comfortably inside the van before departure. What is even more inappropriate is that you left a one-star review not based on the quality of the tour itself, but solely because the office was closed before the starting time. This is misleading and does not reflect the actual service provided. Furthermore, we find it important to point out that the vehicle was left in poor condition after the tour, showing a lack of respect for our work and for the staff who strive to keep everything clean and comfortable for all guests. Reviews should be fair, relevant, and based on the real tour experience—not on personal expectations that fall outside the service provided. Kind regards, Dreams for Tourists Team 😒😒😒😒😒😒
This tour does not live up even to their own description. There was no bottle of water or wifi on board. The van was small and people were crammed into it. There was no guide. It was just a ride to those destinations. The driver was very kind though. I would not recommend it.
Thank you for your feedback. We would like to clarify a few important points: the guided tour was offered to you, but you chose not to include it. As clearly stated in the description, a written guide is provided instead. Additionally, we included an extra stop at the Gravina aqueduct bridge, which is not always guaranteed, and we also offered you coffee during the tour, which was declined. Regarding the other services mentioned, they were available, but some were not used by choice. For full transparency, we will also attach the WhatsApp message where the guided tour was declined, as proof of what was agreed. We are glad to hear that you appreciated the driver, and we remain committed to improving our service and ensuring clarity for all our guests.
So disappointed. We had booked for the day trip starting at 10am. 24 hours before the trip we were told that due to the arid weather the time was being moved to 5pm. Unable to cancel as less than 24 hours so we went. The guide Marcus spoke very little English and the only real information we were given in the form of PDF document sent whilst we were on the trip. Difficult to read whilst walking. We were dropped off at each destination with basic information as to where we needed to go. The trip was advertised as 7/8 hours, ours lasted 6 hours and that was with the driver driving quite fast on the homeward journey. Would I recommend TripAdvisor or this trip. No I would not.
Hi there, thank you for sharing your feedback and I’m sorry the experience didn’t meet your expectations. We moved the tour to the evening for guest safety: Matera was forecast to reach around 40°C that day. We notified guests three days in advance and offered either a reschedule or a full refund; you chose to join the evening departure. To be fair, we also kept the daytime price, even though our night tour normally costs significantly more. Regarding the format: this experience is advertised as driver-escorted with free time at each stop. The guide provides orientation and tips at drop-off points so guests can explore comfortably and at their own pace. That said, we will add clearer spoken summaries (not just the PDF) and printed maps to make information easier to follow while walking. On timing, the group departed at 17:00 and returned around 24:00 (approximately 7 hours), which is within the stated 7–8 hour window; actual duration can vary slightly with traffic and site crowding. We’ve reminded our team to keep commentary in clear English throughout and to drive smoothly within legal limits on the return journey. We truly value your input because it helps us improve. If you’d like, please contact us directly so we can review your case and arrange a goodwill gesture. We hope to welcome you back for a fully satisfying experience.
This was the only tourist trip I booked and the only one I really wanted to go. First the trip was delayed due to some traffic matters, hard to reach or something. I was offered a trip to Alberobello, Polignano a mare and Monopoli instead, or to do the trip to Matera/Altamura in the evening. I chose the latter since I had plans for the cities. Then the evening trip was cancelled due to illness of the driver. Again I was offered the trip to Alberobello, Polignano and Monopoli. I chose a refund. I cannot review a trip that never was. Think it is poor since this was the only thing I really wanted to do.
Thank you for your message. We are truly sorry that your experience didn’t go as planned. Unfortunately, our driver had a sudden health issue, which forced us to cancel the evening tour to Matera and Altamura. We understand how disappointing this must have been, especially since it was the one activity you were really looking forward to. Please note that we processed a full refund for your tour, and throughout the situation, we did our best to offer you alternative solutions — including two different tour options on the same day — which were kindly declined. While this situation was unexpected and beyond our control, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the future, under better circumstances. Warm regards, Dreams for Tourists Team
I have suspended this excursion and tmb to sail to the Caves Polignano da Mare. Too bad......
Thank you for your message. We are truly sorry that your experience didn’t go as planned. Unfortunately, our driver had a sudden health issue, which forced us to cancel the evening tour to Matera and Altamura. We understand how disappointing this must have been, especially since it was the one activity you were really looking forward to. Please note that we processed a full refund for your tour, and throughout the situation, we did our best to offer you alternative solutions — including two different tour options on the same day — which were kindly declined. While this situation was unexpected and beyond our control, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the future, under better circumstances. Warm regards, Dreams for Tourists Team
This is not a guided tour but a drop off and navigate yourself tour. We never went to the Ruprestre de San Giorgio al Paradiso because we didn’t know about it. Thank goodness my husband and I paid for the Immerse experience of the Sassi caves otherwise we would not have learned about them either.
Thank you for your feedback. We’d like to kindly clarify that this was not a guided tour, as clearly specified in the description and on the information leaflet we provide to all our guests. It is a “drop-off and explore on your own” experience, giving you the freedom to visit at your own pace. We always do our best to provide detailed information in advance, and we also explained that the San Giorgio al Paradiso site was unfortunately unavailable today due to a temporary issue. It’s possible there was a misunderstanding due to the language barrier — we’re sorry if anything wasn’t clear, and we truly appreciate your understanding. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification.
Perfect day trip from Bari. Francesco was a great driver, very friendly, very knowledgeable. We had plenty of time to see all the sights.
It's indeed a life experience to see Altamura and Matera with our bravo guide Raffa. He is very simpatico, nice and knowledgeable, providing good recommendation on exploring Altamura and Matera and allocating/managing the schedule very well. I together with the other two persons in the tour really enjoyed the trip. Ti ringrazio molto, Raffa! Tanti auguri!
