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Excursion to the Gravina di Matera and the Bat Cave

New To The Site! Matera, Italy

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3 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Instant confirmation

Overview

A panoramic excursion in rocky habitats, flanking the Gravina di Matera and its stream which extends for 20 km, from the foot of the city of Matera, made famous for its Sassi and declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.
We will follow the stream along the ridge of one side of the ravine, enjoying the landscapes of the Murgia Materana Regional Park.
First by exploring the rock church of San Nicola all'Ofra, a farmhouse with its rooms dug into the cliff that communicate with each other: tunnels, stairways, cisterns, churches, developing on 3 levels of height.
And then the karst Bat Cave, among the oldest evidence of human life in this area, a series of corridors, a breeding site for flying mammals, a place that hides the treasure of King Barbarossa between history and legend and where thanks research carried out in recent centuries revealed Paleolithic tools and fossils of extinct animals, such as the cave bear.

What's Included

  • Private transportation
  • Pick-up

    Meeting and Pickup

    Pickup point
    Pickup details

    Using the Ferrovie del Nord Barese trains from Bari airport and the Ferrovie Appulo Lucane trains from Bari station, it is possible to reach Matera, where I can reach you.

    OR
    Meeting point

    Piazza delle Costellazioni
    75100 Matera MT, Italy

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    Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

    End point

    This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

    What To Expect

    Gravina di Matera

    This ravine of karst origin and carved over time by its torrent extends for almost 20 kilometres, from the foot of the city of Matera, made famous for its Sassi (houses dug into the calcarenite and used for millennia by the locals) and declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.The ravine rich in caves, once strategically inhabited by the local population, flows southwards and touches the town of Montescaglioso, then flows into the Bradano river and finally flows into the Ionian Sea.We will go up the path of the stream along the ridge of one side of the ravine, enjoying the landscapes of the Murgia Materana Regional Park.
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    1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

    Chiesa Rupestre di San Nicola all'Ofra

    The journey continues and reaches the rock church of San Nicola all'Ofra, a farmhouse with its rooms dug into the cliff that communicate with each other: tunnels, stairways, cisterns, churches, frescoes, developing on 3 levels of height.The cluster of caves overlooks the ravine of Matera and the stream that crosses it.A very suggestive place, in a breathtaking landscape, where the steep rocky walls also represent the typical habitat for the rare black stork, a wonderful bird at risk of extinction, which for some years has sensationally returned to nesting in the Lucanian territory.
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    1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

    Grotta dei Pipistrelli

    A complex of karst caves composed of large entrances and long, narrow tunnels, an important breeding site for fascinating flying mammals.In this place where research had already previously been carried out to find the legendary treasure of King Barbarossa, in the 19th century the local archaeologist Domenico Ridola found Paleolithic tools, ceramics, tombs with skeletons and fossils of extinct animals: such as the ancient ox and the 'cave bear.Today exhibited in the Domenico Ridola National Archaeological Museum of Matera:
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    1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

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    Additional Info

    • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
    • Service animals allowed
    • Public transportation options are available nearby
    • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
    • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

    Frequently Asked Questions

    (7)

    Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Excursion to the Gravina di Matera and the Bat Cave?

    A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CEST). Read more Apr 2025

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

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    Activity code: C-238654P8


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    What's Included

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    • Private transportation
    • Pick-up

    Additional Info

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
    • Service animals allowed
    • Public transportation options are available nearby
    • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
    • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
    • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

    Report Product Issue

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    Free Cancellation

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

    100% refund
    No refund

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

    • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
    • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
    • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
    • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CEST).
    • This tour requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

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    American Museum of Natural History Admission Ticket

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