Matera Tuk-Tuk Tours

A tuk-tuk tour of the Sassi costs $39 per person on the 45-minute Matera: Panoramic Tuk-Tuk Tour, a private ride with a driver, photo stops and entry to the Casa Grotta Narrante cave house. It is rated 4.2 from 400 GetYourGuide reviews, lower than the main shared walking tours (4.7 to 4.8), and the low-star reviews are consistent: drivers with little English, commentary only from an audio guide on your phone, late starts and rides that felt shorter than 45 minutes. If you want a live guide and two entries, the SASSI DI MATERA: Guided Tour by Ape Calessino costs $112 per person for 1.5 hours and is rated 4.9 from 28 reviews.

Quick picks

• Shortest and cheapest ride with a cave house: the $39 panoramic tuk-tuk, 45 minutes, audio guide on your phone.
• A licensed guide on board and two entries: the $112 Ape Calessino tour, with the Madonna de Idris rock church and a furnished cave house.
• You want to drive: Matera: Drive the 100% Electric Automatic Tuk-Tuk and discover the ancient city, $39 per person, 4.7 from 61 reviews. It is seasonal: its first open date is 9 January 2027.
• Confident on two wheels: MATERA IN VESPA, $37 per person ($39 with the Murgecchia option), 4.8 from 76 reviews.
• Two to four adults, roof down: Sassi in Tour with Twingo cabriolet, $39 per person for 1 hour, 4.6 from 153 reviews.

Matera tuk-tuk tour prices compared

Prices are per person in US dollars on a bookable date, checked October 2026.

The $39 tuk-tuk and the $112 Ape Calessino are the real choice for most people who cannot face the stairs. The extra $73 per person buys a guide authorized by the Basilicata Region instead of a recording, a second entry (the rock-church complex of Madonna de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone, with frescoes from the 12th to the 17th century) and twice the time. For a couple that is $78 against $224. One catch: the Ape Calessino listing shows Italian as its guide language, so ask the operator about English before you book.

Which rides go inside and which only ride past

Every ride in the table except the e-bike includes at least one stop on foot. The panoramic tuk-tuk passes Piazza San Francesco, Piazza Duomo and Via Madonna delle Virtù with photo stops, and the only interior is Casa Grotta Narrante. The Ape Calessino stops for guided visits at Madonna de Idris and a cave house (listed as Casa Grotta Sassi di Matera), then a photo stop in San Pietro Caveoso square. The Twingo includes entry to the Church of San Pietro Caveoso and Casa Grotta Narrante.

The self-drive e-tuk-tuk lists stops to visit the churches of Sant’Agostino and San Pietro Caveoso, but no entry tickets, and the Vespa includes a cave-house ticket without naming the house. The Matera: E-Bike Ride through the Sassi, Murgia & Viewpoint ($87, 4.4 from 5 reviews) is a countryside ride to a viewpoint across the ravine, and its own notes say it does not enter the Sassi district.

At each stop you walk. The Sassi are stone stairs and constant ups and downs, so a vehicle cuts the climbing but does not remove it. The panoramic tuk-tuk lists itself as unsuitable for wheelchair users, and no listing here promises wheelchair access. Two reviewers booked the tuk-tuk because someone in their party had limited mobility.

Driving yourself: e-tuk-tuk and Vespa

On the self-drive e-tuk-tuk you drive an automatic electric Calessino yourself, following the host’s vehicle through Piazza del Sedile, both Sassi districts and Piazza San Pietro up to the Cathedral. Up to 4 people share a vehicle, and at least one must hold an Italian or international driver’s license. Self-guided commentary comes in several languages. It is a seasonal tour, so check dates for your trip.

The Vespa tour starts and ends in Piazza San Pietro Caveoso and covers Sasso Barisano, Sasso Caveoso, a cave house and the Murgecchia park about 15 minutes from the old town, with two people to a Vespa 125. The operator is blunt: no beginners, because surfaces are slippery and you may ride through crowds, and you need a license. Helmets and fuel are included. If nobody in your party rides, ask about the option with a driver.

The Twingo cabriolet and the tuk-tuk with wine

The Twingo cabriolet tour needs at least two adults and takes up to four, with the roof open. Your driver speaks English or Italian, and Bluetooth audio covers English, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. At $39 per person for an hour it costs the same as the tuk-tuk, with a live driver and a church added.

Scenic Tour by Tuk-Tuk and Tasting of Wines and Typical Lucanian Products ($73, 4.6 from 92 reviews) adds a 45-minute wine and food tasting in Via delle Beccherie to a short tuk-tuk loop with Casa Grotta Narrante.

What the low-star tuk-tuk reviews say

The panoramic tuk-tuk has more reviews than any other small-vehicle ride here, and its 4.2 rating comes with a pattern. Reviewers liked the views and the convenience with children. The complaints: drivers who spoke little English and added nothing to the recording, an audio guide that dropped out when it played from the driver’s phone, waits of 10 to 30 minutes, a smaller vehicle than pictured for four adults, and rides closer to 35 minutes. Book it as comfortable transport with a cave-house stop. If you want history, take the Ape Calessino, a private walking guide, or the seated open-top bus with a tour leader on board.

In July and August average highs reach about 31 °C, so an early or late slot is more comfortable. Our which Matera tour guide compares the rides with the walking tours. When you know which ride fits, check availability for your date, because the private vehicles sell by time slot.