The Perfect 2-day Itinerary for Matera, Italy
Spending 48 hours in Matera is the perfect amount of time to get your feet wet, see all of the big attractions, and walk away feeling like you weren’t rushed, and satisfied with your time there. There is so much to see in this seemingly small ravine-side city, that time can easily get away from you as you are swept up in the romanticism and beauty of Matera. Below I have created the perfect 2-day Itinerary for Matera, Italy, and have included prices and times of locations, and points of interest. Leave your notebook and pen in the drawer, and allow me to help you see this wonderful city in 48 hours, and show you what an amazing 2-day trip you can have in Matera, Italy.
DAY 1
Arrive to new Matera and park your car in a lot outside the old city (cars will be nearly impossible to park in the old city, so arrange your parking ahead of schedule with my recommended hotel, Sextantio). Contact Sextantio Hotel and they will send a van to pick you and your luggage up. Do not try to walk to the hotel from the parking garage. All of old Matera is cobblestone streets that wind up and down the gravina, so instead wait for the complimentary van that can pick you up and drive you to the hotel (trust me on this one!). Check-in to your room at Sextantio, and walk immediately to Casa Noha, a 10-minute walk away.
Casa Noha is an integral part to any visit to Matera. It is a 30-minute video that details the history of Matera, and can be translated into a multitude of languages via headphone sets. 30-minutes in length, this presentation is essential to understand the history behind the city of Matera, and is done in a succinct, but enthralling movie. The perks? Casa Noha is also air conditioned, so a great place to start if arriving in the middle of the day. This presentation is also only 6 euros per person, so a very economical way to learn about a place versus hiring a private guide.
Cost: 6 Euro per person
Hours of operation: 10am-7pm every day, closed on Wednesday
Time to spend: 30-45 minutes
For your first lunch in Matera, you will absolutely want to check out Arturo’s on Via Duomo across from Piazza del Sedile. While you may think this is just a sandwich shop, this place is home to seriously one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten. And let me tell you, I LOVE sandwiches. Grab a high-top table under red and yellow striped umbrellas, and have another person walk into the deli counter to order. Make sure to make your own sandwich, and have the caprese salad as a side to go with it. This meal will be a great intro to Matera, and is worth a chill stop before you spend the rest of the day on your feet.
Cost: 2-10 euro per item
Hours of operation: 10am-3:30pm and 6pm to midnight daily, 7pm to midnight Sunday, closed Wedneday
Time to spend: 1-2 hours
Now it is time to get your feet wet with Matera and venture out! Your first stop will be at Palombaro Lungo, a giant cistern for the ancient city that was discovered in 1991. Climb down inside the cistern and marvel at how deep into the ground this well goes. Walk on cat walks that seem to float on top of the water, and gaze up at the enormity of the cistern that held water for the entire town. This is a can’t miss spot for me in Matera, and is a great thing to do midday when the sun is the hottest.
Cost: 3 euro per person
Hours of operation: 10am-1pm and 3pm to 6pm daily
Time to spend: 1 hour
Next you will begin a small walking tour of Matera. Set out and make your way to Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. A small, austere church, Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista is a lovely little stop to check out a church, but also take some beautiful photos. The piazza in which this church is found is quiet, and totally off the typical tourist track. In all fairness, we stumbled on this church by chance, but were so happy we took a few minutes to admire it.
Cost: Free
Hours of operation: 7:30am-10pm daily
Time to spend: 30 minutes to 1 hour
After admiring Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, your next stop will have no real attraction other than the amazing viewpoint. Head to a hotel called Le Esperdi hotel, and search for a small water pump in a corner jut out (the actual address for this vantage point is 53 Via S Rocco). Here you will have a beautiful view of the entirety of Matera. Spend some real time here taking photos and enjoying the views of the city as you will likely encounter very few people, and will have this beautiful slice of the city to yourself.
Cost: Free
Hours of operation: none
Time to spend: 30 minutes to an hour
Since you’ve labored up and down the steps of Matera all day, you deserve some time off your feet, and to put something yummy in your tummy. From the beautiful vantage point, make your way to I Vizi degli Angeli Laboratori di Gelatria Artigianale. Phew, that’s a long name! But the gelato here is unmatched in the rest of the city. This gelateria has imaginative flavors, and will leave you wondering if you need 2 or 3 scoops. Also, make note of the beautifully mosaiced floors of this little shop, it adds to the ambiance. Another great thing about I Vizi is that it is situated off a main square of Matera, so there are tons of benches to sit and people watch while you knock back a few scoops of gelato.
Cost: 2 euros+
Hours of operation: 11am -10pm daily, closed Wednesday
Time to spend: 30 minutes to an hour
For dinner, be sure to make reservations at Baccanti, an upscale Pugliese style restaurant carved out of a cave. The pugliese style bread that started our dinner was the best we had our entire trip, and the food was creative, but familiar. With items on the menu such as cheese flan in a ragu sauce, and roasted lamb with a tomato salad, this will be a great restaurant to accommodate both picky eaters and those with a more refined palate. Enjoy a traditional style Italian meal that will last 2+ hours, but is a great way to celebrate the end of your long day.
Cost: 75-100 euros per person
Hours of operation: 12:30-2:30pm and 7:30-10:30pm daily, 12:30-3 on Saturday
Time to spend: 2+ hours
DAY 2
Start your day with a big, delicious breakfast at Sextantio. It is included with your stay, and is one of the best hotel breakfasts I have ever had, complete with a meat and cheese table, a sweets table, and a fresh fruit and juice table.
Once you finish your breakfast, make your way to famous cave churches, my recommendations being the Church of Saint Mary of Idris, Chiesa di Lucia alle Malve, and Chiesa di Santa Maria di Armenis. All three have stunning frescoes, and demonstrate how the people of Matera dug out the cave system of the city, creating spaces not only for homes, but for other important places, such as churches. Photography of any kind is not allowed in any of the churches as to preserve the frescoes, so be aware with what photo equipment you carry for the day.
Cost: 3.5 euros to visit one church, 6 euros for two, 7 euros for all three
Hours of Operation: 10am-7pm daily for Saint Mary of Idris and Lucia alle Malve, and 10am-1pm, 3pm-6pm daily for Santa Maris di Armenis
Time to Spend: about 45 minutes per church, or 2.5 hours total
After you visit these lovely churches and take plenty of pictures outside of each location (hint, there are amazing views all around Santa Maria di Armenis), don’t be afraid to walk around and explore. Be wary though, there is a vendor who charges you to take photos in a spot that overlooks all of Matera directly behind Chiesa Rupestre di Santa Maria di Idris, telling you to stand on a box that says “MATERA 2023”. Don’t fall for this, simply say “No, thank you,” and find a spot off to the side, and snap away! There are amazing views here, and I highly recommend spending a few moments taking in this beautiful city from this vantage point.
Back track to one of my favorite attractions in all of Matera, Casa Grotta nei Sassi. Step inside a refurbished sasso, set up to be an accurate depiction of life in the sassi decades ago. You’ll see how a typically larger family lived inside a single roomed cave, along with their animals and livestock. You’ll see first-hand the tough living conditions of the people of Matera that was the standard up until the 1950’s. The tour guides are great, and the sasso is nice and cool during a hot day in Matera, so make sure to tip the guides, and explore all of the nooks and crannies of the home!
Cost: 3 euro
Hours of Operation: 9:30am-7pm daily
Time to spend: 1 hour
After you have made a full morning of visiting churches and sassi homes, it is time to pack up and out of your room at Sextantio. Arrange to be driven back to your car outside of town, and once there, put this location into your GPS, Belvedere Murgia Timone.
Belvedere Murgia Timone is a beautiful lookout spot across the gravina from Matera. Park in a little gravel parking lot, and make the 1-mile trek to the lookout point. Now you can stop here and have gorgeous views. If you have children, older travelers, or people who just don’t love hiking, you will get a beautiful vantage point that is unmatched in its views of Matera.
If you are a little more intrepid, follow the below instructions, but first let me say this. Proceed with EXTREME caution. This hike should not be taken lightly, nor should it be done in haste or poor footwear. There are ample opportunities to slip, fall, and get hurt, so please make sure you are exercising caution when making this trek. Make your way out of the Belvedere Murgia Timone parking lot, and head on one of the little man-made footpaths toward the edge of the gravina. You will see footpaths that wind down into the gravina. Pick one, and follow it down the side of the hill. There is no “best path” to take, so feel free to explore a little here, and make your way along the side of the hill. I will say the path I chose had metal stairs that led me down a steeper portion of the hill, and at one point I had to walk between a boulder and the side of the gravina. Along the way, you will find uninhabited, undeveloped caves that once served as homes and churches for people. These make great lookout spots for explorers, and great places to photograph.
If you are a little less adventurous and love a good footpath that is well kept and not too difficult, check out Chiesa Rupestre as you walk back to the parking center at the entrance to the park. It has a clear trail, and provides beautiful views of Matera as well.
Pro tip: you can actually reach the Belvedere Murgia Timone directly from Matera. If you love adventure and hiking, you can hike the entire gravina, with the starting point in the Via Madonna delle Virtu, and ending wherever you decide. You will be able to make a steep trek down one side of the gravina, and up the other, as well as cross a Tibetan swing bridge over water to cross. Consider this a difficult hike, and not for the faint of heart.
Cost: Free
Hours of Operation: 24 hours a day, daily
Time to spend: 2 hours
Once you arrive back to your car, it is time to make your way to the Puglian coast to spend a few days on any multitude of beaches.
Matera is a city of magic, and is still so undiscovered by tourists. Consider adding this beautiful, quiet, elegant city to your next Italian adventure, and fall in love with the food, the views and history just as I did!