Complete Sassi of Matera Small Group Walking Tour with Tasting
Description
This 3-hour walking tour is perfect for travelers looking to experience the Sassi of Matera in a deeper and more complete way, beyond the usual panoramic routes. The itinerary explores both historic districts, Sasso Barisano and Sasso Caveoso, and includes visits to two of the city’s most important rock churches. Led by a local guide, you’ll learn how Matera evolved from a “built” city into one carved directly into stone, as you pass through historic squares, scenic viewpoints, and rock-hewn spaces that reveal centuries of everyday life and spiritual tradition. The highlight of the tour is the visit to the rock churches, from Sant’Antonio Abate to the striking Madonna de Idris. Here, you’ll admire frescoes dating from the 12th to the 17th century and explore the ancient crypt of San Giovanni in Monterrone. The experience ends with a tasting of traditional Lucanian specialties. The tour runs in small groups, allowing for a more engaging pace and better interaction.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The route begins in the Baroque part of Matera, with an external visit to the Church of Purgatory, a symbolic site that reflects the city’s deep connection between faith, memory, and rebirth.
This spot marks the transition from monumental Matera to its rock-hewn heart, introducing the story of the city’s urban evolution.
From above, the Sassi unfold below, offering a clear overview that helps you understand the layout of the landscape.
In Sasso Barisano, a frescoed rock church brings to life the spiritual world of the Middle Ages, carved directly into the stone.
An immersive look into daily life in the Sassi, with rooms furnished as they were before the 1950s and stories of family life and adaptation.
This panoramic stretch connects city and nature, opening onto views of the Gravina canyon and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches.
One of the most iconic views of the Sassi, perfect for photos and a short pause.
The highlight of the tour is a rock church seemingly suspended above Sasso Caveoso, preserving frescoes from the 12th to the 17th century and the crypt of San Giovanni in Monterrone.
The tour ends with a tasting of local Lucanian specialties, including taralli, Matera bread, and vegetable spreads.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(8)
The guided tour was a very positive experience for the whole family (2 adults and 3 children aged 14, 11, and 6). The guide Antonio knew how to illustrate the history and peculiarities of the places with clarity and punctuality and knew how to convey the beauty of the history of Matera to both the adults and the little ones. Recommended!
The 3-hour walking tour through the Sassi of Matera allowed us to catapult ourselves into the history of the city, from its origin, passing through ancient traditions and the displacement, to arrive at the rebirth, the architectural-social recovery project, and the process of "repopulation" of the Sassi. We were lucky to have been accompanied by Antonio Pizzulli, a local guide born and raised in Matera, who, in addition to the information, was able to convey to us the love for his city and make us reflect on the social and human aspects that accompanied the historical-architectural events of Matera. A very well-organized and recommended visit, for which we also thank the Martulli Viaggi-DMC agency.
We paid €100 for 2 people for a 3-hour Sassi tour with tasting, specifically to see Santa Maria de Idris. Two minutes before departure, we were told our tour wasn't happening and were pushed into a 2-hour tour instead (advertised at just €29), with no tasting and a group of 29 people instead of the promised max 20. We were given €10 cash and the choice of "full refund" but had no real choice — it was join this group or miss out entirely, since we had a fixed return time to Bari. No warning until 2 minutes before start, no real alternative offered, and a significant downgrade in value with no advance notice. Be very careful if you're booking a specific tour time or itinerary with this company — you may not get what you paid for. I kindly asked for refund of the outstanding difference after the tour from Michele, he did not even bother to reply.
Dear , We are sorry that the experience did not meet your expectations. However, we would like to clarify some important points regarding your booking. The three-hour tour is subject to a minimum requirement of four participants. As only two people were booked, the minimum number required to operate that specific tour was not reached. Before departure, you were also informed that the final tasting could not take place because the venue was closed. For this reason, we offered you an alternative tour of approximately two and a half hours, without the final tasting, so that you could still visit the Sassi within the time available before your return to Bari. You had purchased the original experience with a 15% discount. In addition, we refunded €10 per person in cash. After applying both the original discount and the refund, the final amount paid was approximately €28 per person, in line with the price of the alternative tour provided. You were clearly offered the option of receiving a full refund if you did not wish to join the alternative tour. You chose instead to take part in the tour, which was completed without the final tasting. We always try to guarantee an alternative experience whenever the minimum number of participants for a specific tour is not reached. Nevertheless, group tours can only be confirmed when the required minimum number of guests is met. We regret that our subsequent communication did not appear sufficiently prompt, but we do not believe it is accurate to state that no alternative or refund option was offered.
Our guide Paula was an amazing host. She was a wealth of knowledge! She grew up in Matera and was very passionate regarding the conservation of Matera. She navigated around the crowds for our small group. We were very impressed and learned a ton! It was a wonderful tour!
Actually, we had booked the English-speaking version with tasting. However, we were assigned to a German group. There was quite a bit of chaos at the Martulli viaggi agency; they were not very friendly. Tasting was not included in this tour.
Dear Guests, We are sorry to read your review, especially because the situation unfolded quite differently from what has been described. You originally booked the English-language tour. Upon arrival, you requested to join the German-language tour instead, which was a different service with different conditions and pricing. When we informed you that a price difference applied to this change, a discussion arose regarding the modification of the booking. In order to accommodate your request and allow you to enjoy the tour in your native language, we made an exception and approved the change without charging any additional fee. Therefore, any delay or confusion at the agency was not caused by organizational issues on our side, but rather by the need to manage a last-minute change to the original booking. Regarding the tasting, the German tour you requested instead of the originally booked English tour had different inclusions and did not include a tasting experience. For this reason, we are surprised to read comments about our lack of helpfulness, considering that we accommodated your request and waived the additional charge that would normally have applied. Kind regards, Martulli Viaggi Team
The organising company Martulli Viaggi are a bunch of rude money grabbing liars. They kept us waiting 30 minutes saying they had rescheduled it, wouldn't let us use their toilet then put us in a group of 30 people (who had paid less than we had). Maria, the guide was knowledgeable but difficult to hear at times. The tour did not include all the places and finished 30 minutes early with the most rubbish "tasting" of stale bread in a shop. Letter the organiser told us a different story: that our original guide was sick so we'd been added to a different tour! Aviator have kindly refunded us the cost of this awful tour.
Great experience, our guide was very empathetic, professional, and knowledgeable. Congratulations!!!
Covered a lot of ground and subjects. Wear good walking shoes as there’s a lot of steps. Great local knowledgeable guide.
