Private cave cooking class in Matera: Learn fresh pasta

You cook inside an actual cave, not a kitchen.

A private cooking class in a cave within Matera's Sassi teaches you to make fresh pasta by hand using local, seasonal ingredients and guidance from local experts. The class runs about two hours. You can add lunch afterward, tasted in the same cave where you cooked. A guide leads in English or Italian, and you bring home a 10% discount coupon for the nearby bar MòVado Food & Drink.

The experience

The class takes place inside a real cave carved into the ancient stone of the Sassi, the historic quarter that rises in tiers above the town. You work with fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced locally, learning traditional pasta-making techniques from guides who live and cook in the area. The cave itself (with its bare stone walls and centuries of history) is part of what you're there to experience. It's not a backdrop but the actual workspace, and that changes how the food tastes and what you remember about making it.

You'll spend about two hours working with your hands: mixing dough, kneading, shaping pasta by the traditional methods. The guide walks you through each step, correcting your grip, showing you the feel of the dough at each stage. Everything you need is provided: the equipment, the ingredients, the instruction. If you book the option with lunch, you sit down in the same cave after cooking and eat what you've made, tasting it in the exact place where you prepared it. If you choose the class without lunch, you finish after the cooking and can take what you've made with you or eat it there before you leave.

The experience is private, so it's just you and your group with the guide. You can book in English or Italian. Afterward, you'll have a 10% discount coupon for MòVado Food & Drink, a bar in the area, so if you want to extend the afternoon or come back another time, you have a reason to return.

What’s included

• Kitchen equipment and fresh, seasonal local ingredients.
• private instruction from a local guide in your chosen language (English or Italian).
• lunch in the cave (if you select the lunch option).
• 10% discount coupon for MòVado Food & Drink bar.

Options for this experience

4 options

English-language cooking class without lunch11:00

Italian-language cooking class without lunch11:00

Italian-language cooking class with lunch11:00

English-language cooking class with lunch11:00

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 11:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (11 to 95 years) · Infant (under 11): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessiblePets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Martulli Viaggi

Is this one for you?Book the class without lunch if you want to cook and leave with your pasta, or add lunch if you'd rather sit down in the cave and taste what you've made right after preparing it. Both options run the same length and include the same instruction. The difference is whether you eat there or take the pasta with you.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 11): free.

Can I do this cooking class if I've never made pasta before?

Yes. The class is designed for all levels, and the local guides teach the techniques from the start. You learn by doing, with hands-on instruction throughout the two hours.

What exactly do I cook during the class?

You prepare fresh pasta by hand using traditional techniques. The guide teaches you to mix, knead, and shape the dough into pasta, using the seasonal and local ingredients available that day.

Is the cave accessible if I use a wheelchair or have mobility concerns?

The cave is wheelchair accessible. If you have specific mobility needs or questions about access, let the operator know when you book so they can confirm the setup works for you.

What's the difference between the class with lunch and the class without?

Both include the two-hour cooking class and all ingredients and equipment. With lunch, you sit down in the cave after cooking and eat the pasta you've made. Without lunch, the class ends after cooking, and you can take your pasta with you or eat it before you leave.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the cave, or is pickup included?

You arrange your own transport to the location in Matera's Sassi. The operator will give you the exact address and directions when you book.