Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera
Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 4 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera worth booking?
Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera is a 2-hour experience in Matera, Italy, from $9 per person. It scores 65 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 5/5 rating across 4 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 65 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (4)
- Duration
- 2 hours
- From
- $9 per person
Beneath Matera's main piazza lies a sealed underground city — Roman cisterns, a ninth-century church, and a tank that held five million litres of rainwater. This self-guided audio tour of the Sassi di Matera, delivered t
What you get
About this experience
Beneath Matera's main piazza lies a sealed underground city — Roman cisterns, a ninth-century church, and a tank that held five million litres of rainwater. This self-guided audio tour of the Sassi di Matera, delivered through an app, takes you past what most visitors never notice. You'll learn why families paid for better skull placement on a church door, how an assassinated count sparked a city motto about patient revenge, and why Hollywood chose these cave streets over the actual Holy Land. Your guide covers both Sasso districts, the cathedral, and cave homes where families of eleven lived alongside their animals. Start anytime, pause for photos, go at your pace — no group to follow, no fixed schedule. Works offline in the narrow streets. Over 20,000 travellers trust our self-guided tours, and every booking comes with a full refund guarantee. If you want to understand Matera rather than just photograph it, this Matera walking tour is built for exactly that.
What's included
Included
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: If you don’t love the tour, write to us for a full refund.
- 1-year access to audio on iOS & Android. Listen to the tour anytime, as many times as you like
- Audio and written guide included
- Offline access to the tour (no internet connection needed) once tour is downloaded
- Images to identify stops and in app interactive map for navigation
Not included
- Any physical devices or headphones
- Human tour guide at location
What you'll see and do
Walk across a perfectly ordinary square hiding five thousand square metres of sealed chambers beneath your feet.
Pass by without stopping
Palombaro Lungo
Descend into a cistern that held enough rainwater to fill two Olympic swimming pools — and find the lost buckets on its floor.
Pass by without stopping
Belvedere Luigi Guerricchio
Pause where a Bourbon fountain once turned the daily water queue into the city's main social event.
Pass by without stopping
Chiesa del Purgatorio
Count the thirty-six skulls on the door and notice which families paid for a higher spot.
Pass by without stopping
Step through a trapdoor into an underground church that links a fresco of a medieval pope to the First Crusade.
Pass by without stopping
Piazza del Sedile
Stand near the boulder where conspirators hid before ambushing the count who taxed a city to build his own castle.
Pass by without stopping
Watch the Wheel of Fortune carved into stone, then hear why a crowd tears apart a handmade cart here every July.
Pass by without stopping
Casa Noha
See a noble house stripped bare and turned into a screen that projects the story Matera spent decades trying to forget.
Pass by without stopping
La Fontana Dell'amore "amarsi Nei Sassi"
Linger at the fountain where young men once waited for the only chance they'd get to speak to the women they admired.
Pass by without stopping
Piazza San Pietro Caveoso
Recognise the piazza where Pasolini found a more convincing Jerusalem than Jerusalem itself.
Pass by without stopping
Church of Santa Maria de Idris
Crawl the same floor where penitents once dragged their tongues across ceramic bricks to beg the Virgin for water.
Pass by without stopping
San Giovanni in Monterrone
Spot the bilingual fresco where Christ blesses in two languages — and ask why neither tradition won.
Pass by without stopping
End where a poet who once called Matera miserable later confessed it was the city that smiled at him most.
Pass by without stopping
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Matera
This is a self-guided audio tour on our self-guided tour app. To activate the tour, check your email for instructions from us sent right after booking. Can’t find it? Search for our company in your email inbox and spam folder. OR contact us via support.
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
Returns to the starting point
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- de, ru, pt, en, it, pl, fr, nl, es
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Tourific
Know before you go
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
Good to know
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 1
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Who runs this experience
Operated by Tourific, who run 78 experiences we rank across 70 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 60.1.
See everything Tourific runsWhy this scores 65
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Matera.
How much does Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera cost?
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Prices start at $9 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Matera usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera take?
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Plan for about 2 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Matera is not rushed.
Is Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 65 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 4 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Matera, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 2-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera?
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Around 1 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Matera can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Matera and add a light layer if any part of the 2-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Caves, Counts and Crusades Self Guided Tour of Matera start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Matera within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Matera?
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On Outty we rank every Matera experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Tour in the Sassi of Matera with Casa Grotta and Rock Church, Sassi di Matera guided tour with Giulio, Discover Matera, the ancient city - English tour. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Matera?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Matera?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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