Full-Day Matera Tour: Sassi, Wine Tasting & Local Lunch

Walk through a maze of cave dwellings that shaped a thousand years of life

A full-day guided tour of Matera's Sassi district, the maze of cave dwellings that earned the city European Capital of Culture status in 2019. You'll walk through restored streets, visit Museo Casa Grotta to see how residents lived before the 1950s relocation, stop at two ancient churches, taste wine at a winery, and eat a three-course lunch at a local restaurant. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and the guide speaks English, Spanish or Italian.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Matera and local experiences

• Visit Sassi cave dwellings
• Tour Museo Casa Grotta
• Visit Santa Lucia alle Malve church
• Visit Church of Santa Maria De Idris
• Enjoy 3-course lunch at local restaurant
• Visit winery and wine tasting

The experience

The Sassi is not a single monument but a living neighborhood carved into the rock face: a maze of interconnected cave homes, many now converted into hotels and restaurants. Your guide leads you through the lower part of the city, where the dwellings stack and overlap above a dramatic ravine. The walking route takes in the sweep of the landscape and the texture of how people actually lived here: Museo Casa Grotta is a restored cave home furnished with period artifacts, showing what daily life looked like before residents were relocated in the 1950s. The church of Santa Lucia alle Malve, an 8th-century rupestrian monastery, sits within the stone itself. Santa Maria De Idris crowns the upper rocky spur and offers views back across the Gravina ravine and the city below.

Lunch is a three-course meal at a local restaurant, and the tour includes a visit to a winery with wine tasting. The whole day runs nine hours from pickup at your hotel to drop-off, with transport by private vehicle and a guide who speaks your language. A minimum of two people per booking is required.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• a local guide in English, Spanish or Italian.
• a walking tour through the Sassi district.
• entry to Museo Casa Grotta.
• visits to Santa Lucia alle Malve and Santa Maria De Idris churches.
• a three-course lunch at a local restaurant.
• wine tasting at a winery.
• private vehicle transport for the full nine hours.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to FridayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (11 to 60 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 28 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 28 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Green Italy srl

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or arrange your own transport to Matera. The driver collects you in the morning and returns you at the end of the day, which matters if you're staying outside the city or prefer not to drive the winding roads yourself.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What is Museo Casa Grotta and what will I see there?

Museo Casa Grotta is a renovated cave home in the Sassi furnished with period artifacts that show what life was like before residents were relocated out of the district in the 1950s. It gives a clear sense of how families lived in these cave dwellings for centuries.

Will I visit churches on this tour?

Yes. You'll stop at Santa Lucia alle Malve, an ancient monastery that housed Benedictine nuns between the 8th and 16th centuries, and at Santa Maria De Idris, located on the upper rocky spur of Montirone with views across the Gravina ravine and the city.

How does pickup work if I'm staying outside Matera?

Hotel pickup is included, so the driver will collect you from your accommodation and return you there at the end of the day. If you're staying in a different town, confirm your hotel address when you book.