Matera itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Matera, day by day: the Palombaro Lungo cistern, the Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, the cathedral and the rock churches first, then the Belvedere Murgia Timone, MUSMA and Palazzo Lanfranchi as you add a day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Matera in 1 day
Day 1
Sasso Caveoso
The southern of Matera's two cave districts, with cave houses and rock churches stacked along the edge of the ravine.
Palombaro Lungo
Huge underground water cistern beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto, carved into the rock and shown on guided tours.
Sasso Barisano
The northern cave district, with carved facades, rock churches and many cave houses now restored as hotels and restaurants.
San Pietro Barisano
The largest rock church in the Sassi, with an underground crypt where the dead were once drained in niches.
Matera Cathedral
Apulian-Romanesque cathedral of the 13th century on the ridge between the two Sassi, with a rose window and Baroque interior.
San Pietro Caveoso
17th-century church on a square at the edge of the ravine, below the rock of Santa Maria de Idris.
Santa Maria de Idris
Rock church at the top of the Monterrone crag, with medieval frescoes and views over the Sasso Caveoso.
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
A furnished cave house showing how families and their animals lived in the Sassi before the 1950s evacuation.
Belvedere Murgia Timone
Viewpoint on the plateau across the ravine, facing the whole of the Sassi, with prehistoric caves and rock churches nearby.
Santa Lucia alle Malve
One of the oldest rock churches in Matera, once a Benedictine convent, with Byzantine-style frescoes.
Matera in 2 days
Day 1
Belvedere Murgia Timone
Viewpoint on the plateau across the ravine, facing the whole of the Sassi, with prehistoric caves and rock churches nearby.
San Pietro Caveoso
17th-century church on a square at the edge of the ravine, below the rock of Santa Maria de Idris.
Santa Maria de Idris
Rock church at the top of the Monterrone crag, with medieval frescoes and views over the Sasso Caveoso.
Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario
A furnished cave house showing how families and their animals lived in the Sassi before the 1950s evacuation.
Santa Lucia alle Malve
One of the oldest rock churches in Matera, once a Benedictine convent, with Byzantine-style frescoes.
Palazzo Lanfranchi
17th-century seminary housing a museum of medieval and modern art, including Carlo Levi's large painting of Lucania.
Palombaro Lungo
Huge underground water cistern beneath Piazza Vittorio Veneto, carved into the rock and shown on guided tours.
Sasso Caveoso
The southern of Matera's two cave districts, with cave houses and rock churches stacked along the edge of the ravine.
San Pietro Barisano
The largest rock church in the Sassi, with an underground crypt where the dead were once drained in niches.
Day 2
Sasso Barisano
The northern cave district, with carved facades, rock churches and many cave houses now restored as hotels and restaurants.
Matera Cathedral
Apulian-Romanesque cathedral of the 13th century on the ridge between the two Sassi, with a rose window and Baroque interior.
MUSMA
Museum of contemporary sculpture set in caves and halls of Palazzo Pomarici in the Sasso Caveoso.
Crypt of Original Sin
A cave church outside Matera with 8th-9th century frescoes, often called the Sistine Chapel of rock churches; visits are guided.
Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Matera)
Matera's main square and evening passeggiata place, with views down into the Sassi.
Watch: Matera in 2 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Matera
Spring and autumn are the best times, with mild weather for walking the steep Sassi. Summer is hot in the stone streets and busiest, while winter is cold and quiet. The Festa della Bruna on 2 July is the city's big feast, ending with the destruction of a decorated cart.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Matera on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Matera on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Matera on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Matera
- The Sassi are a maze of steep steps and lanes carved into the rock; wear sturdy shoes and carry water in summer.
- Several rock churches share one combined ticket; buy it at the first church you visit.
- The Palombaro Lungo cistern is shown on short guided tours at set times; arrive early or book ahead in busy months.
- The Belvedere Murgia Timone across the ravine is reached either by a steep path down into the gorge and up the other side or by car; allow plenty of time on foot.
- Stay into the evening to see the Sassi lit up; the views from Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the cathedral are at their best at dusk.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Belvedere Murgia Timone: Mattis, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Casa Grotta di Vico Solitario: Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MUSMA: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Matera Cathedral: Benjamin Smith, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palazzo Lanfranchi: Acquario51, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Matera): DimiTalen, CC0
- San Pietro Barisano: Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- San Pietro Caveoso: Luca Aless, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Santa Lucia alle Malve: Diego Baglieri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Santa Maria de Idris: Ilaria Giuliodori, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sasso Barisano: Bönisch, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
- Sasso Caveoso: Bönisch, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
