Matera

Day Trips

Start your day by meeting your driver in the center of Matera before departing by minivan for your day tour. After a short, scenic drive you will reach Alberobello. Alberobello guided tour will start from the Aia Piccola, UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the heart of the town of the trulli. Trulli are traditional houses built entirely of stone without mortar or cement. Every year thousands of tourists can see the old city and visit the trulli with the tools of rural life in the early 1900s. The visit will take place in the historic center through a path in the narrow streets of the historic center, with a visit to the trulli and neighborhoods of Aia Piccola and Monti. You will visit the ancient church of St. Anthony, the only church in the world to the shape of trullo, opened to the public in June 1927. You'll find the inside of the Sovereign Trullo (housed in the museum) where you can see the decor typical start of the century 1900s. Declared a italian national monument in 1923, was so named because it houses the Blessed Sacrament and the relics of St. Cosmas and Damian, the patron saints of the city. During the visit will visit the local craft shops with shopping and a relaxing break. After the tour, once your time in Alberobello is up, you will return comfortably to Matera by Minivan

Venture to the ancient Sassi of Matera and visit two rock churches on a two-hour guided walking tour.  Meet your guide and driver in the central square of Matera and head out to the Park of the Murgia Materana. As your guide explains the history of this timeless place, walk through the enchanting natural landscape and admire the ravines, vegetation, and once-inhabited cave dwellings.  Explore 2 of the Sassi area’s 155 rock churches: the crypt of San Falcione, with a beautiful fresco representing "the presentation of Jesus in the temple," and Our Lady of the Three Doors, with frescoes from the 12th and 17th centuries.  At sunset, experience a panorama of the city of Matera — an unforgettable experience. Your guide will then drive you back to the center of Matera.

Begin in Piazza Pascoli with a picturesque view over the Sasso Caveoso area, the Murgia plateau, and the massive karst fracture called "Gravina di Matera". Get a historic-architectural introduction to the Sassi before entering the Sasso Caveoso area. Visit a traditionally furnished cave-house, proof of how the poor citizens lived until the mid-fifties, before the De Gasperi Restoration act of 1953. Continue with the visit of a Rock-hewn Church completely carved in the rock, that holds precious iconographic traces of the X-XIII centuries Greek-Italian monasticism. Enter the “Bottegaccio”, an artisan workshop of ceramic and paper-mache, where the craftsman will tell you the story of 4 traditional Matera objects. After traveling in time and space, from the Paleolithic to the present day, end the tour with a small tasting of traditional southern food.

You’ll travel with an expert guide through unspoiled landscape boasting centuries-old vineyards that have produced the famous Primitivo, Negromaro, Sussumaniello, and Aglianico e Bombino Bianco wines. This full-day excursion begins in Gioia del Colle. You’ll be taken on a tour by one of the owners of the organic vineyard, where focus is on the fantastic Primitivo wine. We will take you through the organic wine production process. Before lunch you’ll head to the ancient city of Matera, which is home to movie director Francis Ford Coppola. Matera has been the setting for a number of well-known films including Mel Gibson’s The Last Passion of Christ. You’ll enjoy lunch at a typical restaurant in the old town and afterwards visit the famous Sassi cave dwellings. In addition, you’ll have free time to explore the city at your leisure. If your accommodation is in Bari, Ostuni, or Lecce, you may be able to arrange pick-up. You’ll travel in fully-equipped, private transport, and enjoy the service of an expert bilingual (English/Italian) tour guide. Visits to a vineyard, with wine tastings, are included. You’ll have the opportunity to purchase wine and other products from the vineyard you visit.

Meet your top-rated tourist guide and the rest of the group in Piazzetta Pascoli where you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Sassi di Matera. In this square you can also admire Palazzo Lanfranchi, which hosts the Museum of Modern and Medieval Art of Basilicata and the Church of Madonna del Carmine. Start your walking tour along the streets of the ancient city, navigating down stairways and alleys that will bring you to the heart of Sasso Caveoso. Throughout the tour, your knowledgeable tour guide will reveal the secrets of this extraordinary city, awarded the status of World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993 and chosen by Passolini and Mel Gibson as a filming location for their movies. With games and stories along the way, this informative and interactive tour will captivate you and your children.  Visit the Church of San Pietro Caveoso, one of the most characteristic places in Matera, built in 1200 and modified in the 17th-century with the addition of a baroque bell tower. Enter the Rupestrian churches such as the Church of Santa Maria di Idris on the top of a big rock, or the Church of Santa Lucia alle Malve, part of an ancient monastery of Benedictine nuns built in the 8th-century. Here you can admire striking frescoes which are more than 1000 years old and perfectly preserved. After this, visit the Casa Grotta, a typical Matera house dug out of the rock, with a cellar and a stable where people lived side by side with animals like rabbits, chickens, and horses. Finish your tour in the baroque area of the city where you can admire the churches of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare. Enjoy the magnificent beauty of Sasso Barisano from the viewpoint in Piazza Vittorio Veneto in front of the wonderful Romanesque Cathedral.

Start your day by meeting your driver in the center of Bari before departing by minivan for your full day tour. After a short, scenic drive you will reach Alberobello and Matera. During your time in Alberobello, a UNESCO site since 1996, you will have plenty of time to walk through the city and discover the exciting cultural curiosities this fascinating place possesses. This city contains an abundance of Trulli, a typical rural stone architectural structure with a conical roof. Whilst here, you can visit both the Rioni districts - Rione Aia piccola and Rione Monti. Whilst doing so, be sure to visit the large trullo church and shops.  After Alberobello, you will leave for Matera, a fellow UNESCO site and also the European capital of culture. Here, you will meet your qualified tour guide before starting your pleasant stroll through this ancient city carved into rock. Here, the inhabitants lived in caves until the beginning of the XX Century. The historic center is characterized by narrow streets where there are cave houses that you can visit independently. You will visit the cathedral that overlooks the splendid panorama of the Murgia Materana park. Once your time in Matera is up, you will return comfortably to Bari. 

Experience cities steeped in history with buildings that feel a part of the landscape itself on this day trip to 2 highlights of Italy, Alberobello and Matera. You'll see the famous Trulli buildings, historic churches, and more on this guided tour. After being picked up in Bari, be driven to the guide in Largo Matellotta to begin your sightseeing tour of Alberobello. Follow your guide into the historical center of Rione Monti, which boasts over 1,000 iconic Trulli buildings. Marvel at the unique architecture of these fascinating buildings while learning about their history and significance. Continue the tour with a visit to Rione Aia Piccola, an area that best represents the ancient medieval village. Take in the stunning view and snap some pics! The journey through Alberobello concludes at the highest point of the city, the site of the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua. Notice the similarities between the church and the Trulli buildings and soak up the historical atmosphere of the site as you listen to your guide’s anecdotes. The next stop is Matera. This part of the tour will begin at Via Alessandro Volta. From there, your expert guide will lead you to the glorious Church of San Francesco in the city’s historic center. Next, continue along a panoramic road of narrow streets and winding alleys to arrive at the Rupestre Church of Sant'Antonio Abate. Inside, you’ll find a classic example of the traditional culture of this remarkable city. You’ll then visit a typical Matera cave-house before continuing through the Via Madonna delle Virtù and Porta Pistoia areas to conclude your cultural adventure. It’s then time to reflect on the day's wondrous sights as you’re driven back to Bari.

Enjoy the historic port town of Trani and UNESCO-listed Castel del Monte in one day. Explore 2 of Puglia's most alluring sights with a convenient transfer from Matera via a comfortable minivan. Tuck into an Apulian lunch at a local farmhouse. Meet your driver in the center of Matera and leave for imperial Apulia. After an hour-long drive, arrive in Trani, the "Pearl of the Adriatic Sea". Catch beautiful views over the Adriatic Sea and the Italian coast. Be led by your local tour guide to Trani Castle and the seafront Cathedral. Visit the ancient Jewish quarter with its Synagogues and a maze of small alleyways. After the walking tour, hop on board the minivan to continue to a typical farmhouse in the Alta Murgia National Park. Taste the Apulian cuisine during a delicious light lunch. In the afternoon, reach the UNESCO site of Castel del Monte. Admire enchanting views from over 500 meters. Observe the beautiful park that surrounds you from above. On clear days, you can see the sea and the Gargano, a spectacle of nature. Learn about this emblematic octagonal castle, designed by Emperor Frederick II. Walk through the rooms inside the castle and discover the many mysteries and secrets that lie within its walls. Conclude the tour with a return transfer to Matera.

Pick-up from Bari to reach Alberobello. Meet your friendly guide in Largo Martellotta, then set out for a 2-hour sightseeing tour of Alberobello. Follow your guide into the historical center of Rione Monti, which boasts over 1,000 iconic Trulli buildings. Marvel at the unique architecture of these fascinating buildings while learning about their history and significance. Continue the tour with a visit to Rione Aia Piccola, an area that best represents the ancient medieval village where you can stop at the viewpoint to take some beautiful pictures. Your journey ends at the highest point of the city where the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua is located. Notice the similarities between the church and the Trulli buildings and soak up the historical atmosphere of the site as you listen to your guide’s tales and anecdotes. Free lunch and Go back to Bari.

Discover the beauty of the town of Metaponto on the Ionian coast with this half-day trip from Matera. Uncover the past as you go to the National Archeological Museum of Metaponto, the Archeological Park of Apollonio Licio, and Tavole Palatine temple. Be picked up from the comfort of your accommodations in Matera. Sit back and relax on the drive to the town of Metaponto. Make your way to the National Archeological Museum of Metaponto. where you can purchase a ticket to uncover the history of the town.  Next, head to the Archeological Park of Apollonio Licio with its urban sanctuary where you can see the remains of old Greek columns. Continue to the Tavole Palatine which was a Doric temple built by Achaeans in 630 BC.  Have some time to admire the temple before returning to your accommodation in Matera at the end of your tour.