Matera Holidays

Name: Matera
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4.6 (185 reviews)

Matera trips

You’ll find the enchanting city of Matera sandwiched between the heel and toe of Italy’s boot. Lying just east of Naples in the southern region of Basilicata, the magical city of stone was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1993 and was named the European Capital of Culture in 2019. So why not explore this captivating city for yourself on one of our Matera tours.

On our Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy trip, visit the unique city of Matera whose century-old caves carved into the local limestone are still inhabited to this day and wonder around its workshops, restaurants and boutiques, before heading to the sparkling white city of Ostuni and onto medieval coastal towns of Otranto and the stunning Baroque Lecce, commonly nicknamed, “the Florence of the South”. Or explore this spectacular region on two wheels with our Cycling Puglia and Matera trip. On this Matera holiday, discover the best UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Puglia and Basilicata region by cycling past Matera’s Sassi houses and the fairy-tale, conical Trulli houses of Alberobello. The route then takes you to the white city of Ostini and on towards Gallipoli, where you can cycle past the dramatic Ionian coastline, Baroque towns and across the famous Salento Peninsula.

Enjoy riding through the heart of Southern Italy from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian sea. Taking in the beautiful Apulian town of Polignano a Mare, we stop off at Matera and Castelmazzano, a mountain village that’s cradled in the rocks of the Dolomiti Lucane. Your route continues along the shimmering Amalfi Coast and ends in Sorrento, overlooking the Bay of Naples. If you’d like to explore on foot on one of our Matera Holidays, Walking in Puglia and Matera takes in the legendary local cuisine and delicious wines in the district of Matera, Alberobello and Ostuni, allowing you to enjoy picturesque farmland and quaint villages along the way.

Matera Adventure Holidays

8 Days from 2 340 €

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Cycle from the UNESCO town of Matera through Italy's heel to Lecce

Cycling

8 Days from 1 855 €

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Fairytale trulli houses, picturesque farmland, and quaint villages

Walking & Trekking

8 Days from 2 155 €

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Discover Puglia's traditional farmland, coastline and Baroque cities

Culture

8 Days from 3 480 €

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Cycle by e-bike through the heart of southern Italy from Puglia to the Amalfi Coast

Cycling

Explore the picturesque landscapes of Puglia and ancient history of Matera in style

Walking & Trekking

12 Days from 1 680 €

Self-Guided Holidays (Excl. Flights)

Starting in Matera, the city of 'Sassi' and a UNESCO world heritage site, and through the local canyons, the 'gravine', you will enter Puglia, a unique landscape sandwiched between the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

Cycling

8 Days from 1 020 €

Self-Guided Holidays (Excl. Flights)

In the heart of the Mediterranean lies Puglia, a unique landscape sandwiched between the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

Cycling

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I loved the itinerary! Saw so much in a week and at the same time did not feel rushed. I felt there was enough time to explore the highlights of the region. I enjoyed exploring Matera and Polignano a Mare. The lunch on day 5 was delicious – one of the best meals I have had in Italy. The coastal walk was lovely as well in Otranto. The places we stayed were so unique. I loved the Trulli house in Alberobello. I also loved the group and sharing the experience with like-minded people.

Erica Kaplan Puglia: Discover the Heel of Italy

A week of varied walking. The Trulli houses are very interesting. And the cave dwellings in Matera are amazing. Some walks are more interesting than others. All at a moderate pace.

Chris Nixon Walking in Puglia & Matera

I’ve done a few cycling trips over the years with Exodus and loved them all, but this one left me just a little flat. It started well enough, Matera is beautiful and as we cycled out of Matera the scenery was lovely and the sun was shining. But the days that followed were just a little frustrating really. We stayed in a farmhouse for two nights (not the one advertised) and both were lovely, but we arrived each day at around 3:30 and then you have nothing to do for the rest of the day because you’re literally in the middle of nowhere. I wish we had stayed in Ostuni for one of these nights. This also meant we were limited to eating from a basic set menu each night we were in the farmhouses, which was a bit disappointing as the food in this part of Italy can be amazing.

On the plus side we did cycle every day but lots of it felt like it was on busy roads, I wish we could have spent more time on the coast. I also felt we often cycled through a lovely village or town but then stopped for lunch in some very random and not great places. Would have been nice to have a bit more information on some of the towns we stopped in, on previous trips there’s been a little walking tour but not on this one. This could have been so much better, but it just wasn’t. For the first time if someone asked me if they should go on this trip I would say no…..

Steven Phillips Cycling Puglia & Matera

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