Italy · City Tours

Matera Official Open Bus Tour with entrance to Casa Grotta

2 Hours Round trip from Matera Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Panoramic open bus tour through Matera and the Sassi
  • 02 Stops at iconic viewpoints including Piazzetta Pascoli and Piazza San Pietro Caveoso
  • 03 Entrance to the Casa Grotta Narrante included
  • 04 Visit the Rock Church of Sant'Antonio Abate
  • 05 Scenic route along Via Madonna delle Virtù and Porta Pistola
  • 06 Views over Sasso Caveoso, Sasso Barisano and the Gravina canyon
  • 07 Comfortable option for exploring areas with elevation differences
  • 08 Suitable for a first visit to Matera

Discover Matera on an official open bus tour designed to combine comfort, panoramic views and cultural insight in one easy experience. Ideal for a first visit, this route lets you explore the city and the Sassi without long walks, with scenic stops and short visits on foot along the way.

Travel from Castello Tramontano to some of Matera’s most iconic viewpoints, including Piazzetta Pascoli, Piazza Vittorio Veneto and Piazza San Pietro Caveoso. Along the route, visit the Rock Church of Sant’Antonio Abate and enter a traditionally furnished Casa Grotta to understand daily life in the Sassi until the 1950s, while enjoying commentary and sweeping views over the Gravina canyon.

Discover Matera on an official open bus tour designed to combine comfort, panoramic views and cultural insight in one easy experience.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 2 Hours
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Not included
Transport Not included
Wheelchair access No
City Matera
Languages English, French, Italian, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Castello Tramontano

Begin the tour at Castello Tramontano, a symbol of late-medieval Matera. Listen to the historical introduction explaining its strategic role and observe the castle from the outside as the starting point of the panoramic route.

Piazzetta Pascoli

Get off the bus and walk to the panoramic viewpoint at Piazzetta Pascoli. Look out over the Sasso Caveoso neighbourhood to understand the rock-hewn landscape.

Vittorio Veneto Square

Take advantage of the stop in Piazza Vittorio Veneto to explore on foot the heart of modern Matera. Admire the view over the Sasso Barisano area, observe the Cathedral from the outside, and learn about the city’s urban development and historic water system.

Belvedere Sant'Agostino

Also known as the Belvedere Colombo, the square adjacent to the majestic church of St. Augustine offers a picturesque view of the city of Sassi.

Rock Church of Sant’Antonio Abate

Continuing the descent, get off the bus in the heart of the Sasso Barisano to visit one of the representative rock churches in Matera. Enter the rock-carved environment and discover the spirituality and testimonies of medieval religious life.

Casa grotta (cave dwelling) museum

The next stop is at a traditionally furnished Casa Grotta museum. Learn how people lived in the Sassi until the 1950s and observe the organization of domestic spaces in caves.

Panoramic route – Via Madonna delle Virtù and Porta Pistola

Get back on the bus and travel along the panoramic stretch of Via Madonna delle Virtù, accompanied by a rich commentary. Enjoy breathtaking views along the Gravina canyon. Stop to observe the Tibetan bridge, suspended above the Gravina stream, and the Regional Park of Rupestrian Churches on the other side of the Gravina canyon.

Piazza San Pietro Caveoso

Upon reaching Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, you can get off the bus again to admire the panorama at the foot of Madonna de Idris and visit the church of San Pietro Caveoso.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Matera 1 city · 2 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Tour leader
  • Audio guide in English, French and Spanish with POPGuide App (to download on your smartphone)
  • Entrance ticket to the Casa Grotta Narrante
  • Entrance ticket to the Rock Church of Sant'Antonio Abate
  • 10% discount coupon at the MòVado Food & Drink bar in Piazza Duomo
  • Map of the city

What's Not Included

  • Earphones
  • Meals and drinks
  • Tips

Know before you go

  • ANIMALS OR PETS ALLOWED
  • PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEARBY
  • INFANTS MUST SIT ON LAPS
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Minimum number of 2 participants is required for the tour
  • Participants must bring their phone with charged battery and headphones, so that they can enjoy the Audio Guide in English, Spanish or French during the tour.
  • Non-paying children must sit on their laps
  • The itinerary includes some stops with short stretches on foot on mainly flat surfaces; there may be some small steps

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Matera, IT
Tour start
Matera, IT
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 2 hours finish where they began, in Matera.

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