Matera: Guided City Center Tour with Cave Churches & Houses

About This Experience

Passi nei Sassi runs this two-hour guided walk from the historic center down into the Sasso Caveoso, with entry to a cave house and the Monterrone rock churches. The guide is authorized, groups are capped at 20, and it rates 4.7 from 200 GetYourGuide reviews. It cost $39 per person on a bookable date in October 2026. Tours start twice a day, at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., in English, German, French, Italian or Spanish.

The walk starts at the operator's office in the upper town, by an arch-shaped fountain in the main square. From there you get a first view over the Sasso Barisano, then cross the historic center to Piazza Duomo to see the outside of the 13th-century Romanesque Cathedral, on the ridge at the top of the Civita. The Cathedral interior is not part of this route, so if you want to go inside, plan a separate visit with its own ticket.

In the Sasso Caveoso you spend about 30 minutes in the Del Vicinato cave house, furnished as a peasant home, and about 30 minutes at the Monterrone rock, where Santa Maria de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone hold Byzantine frescoes. The route also passes the barbarian cemetery and several old neighborhoods before finishing at Piazzetta Pascoli, a viewpoint beside Palazzo Lanfranchi.

It suits travelers who want both a cave house and the Idris churches included and like a fixed departure time. A few reviewers said they could not hear the guide on the street because the group had no headsets, and some found the guide's English hard to follow. One suggested meeting at the clearly marked tourist information office, so allow a few minutes to find the start.

Highlights

• View over the Sasso Barisano
• Outside of the Cathedral from Piazza Duomo
• Byzantine frescoes in the Monterrone churches
• The barbarian cemetery in the Sasso Caveoso
• Finish at Piazzetta Pascoli
• Groups of up to 20; five languages

What's Included

• ✓ Authorized guide
• ✓ Walking tour of the Sassi
• ✓ Entry to the Del Vicinato cave house (about 30 minutes)
• ✓ Entry to Santa Maria de Idris and San Giovanni in Monterrone (about 30 minutes)
• ✓ Daily departures at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Food and drinks
• Cathedral interior (seen from outside only)

What to Bring

• Comfortable shoes with good grip
• Comfortable clothes
• Water from June to September

Good to Know & Caveats

• Departures are at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• The Sasso Caveoso is steep and stepped; expect stone stairs and uneven ground.
• The tour ends at Piazzetta Pascoli, not at the start.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.

Meeting Point

The Passi nei Sassi office by the arch-shaped fountain in the main square of Matera's upper town; your voucher confirms the spot.