From Bari: Guided Tour of Alberobello & Matera with Food Tasting

Our morning guide Selenia was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and presented a lot of historical information and other information very clearly. Would have been even better with an audio guide system as the site was very crowded and we had a large group, so sometimes difficult to hear. Afternoon guide is Matera, Pasquale, was not as professional. Seemed distracted, got into 2 arguments with locals, not as clear English and not as much information. Also thought we’d actually see some of the cave homes on this tour. That didn’t happen. Praise goes only to Selenia. Wish we would have had her guidance for the afternoon as well.

Both cities are fantastic and worth a visit with a guide so you can learn all the interesting history, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it with this company. Our tour guide in Alberobello was fantastic and the group size was appropriate. What I didnt like was that as we visited trullo to see and understand the inside of the structure, we were expected to leave an offering/rip. The reality is we have already paid $100+ for the tour and so the tour guide should pay the tip for the group, not add additional expense to our tour. Matera was just awful in terms of coordination. There were no restbreaks planned so before the tour could begin, we stopped 15-20 mins so people could use the bathroom. Then the tour guide talked long about things that werent relevant to the history of the city which made the tour run long—tidbits he wanted to share. Then we stopped, needlessly in my opinion at 5-6 stores. Only 2 were pertinent. Group size too big and couldnt hear the guide most of the day.

Wir hatten anfangs das Problem, das uns beim Check in gesagt wurde, wir sollen uns in Bus zwei setzen. Beim Aussteigen gingen alle Menschen davon, bzw. wurden vom Busfahrer in Richtung Stadt geschickt, und es war nirgendwo ein Reiseleiter zu sehen, obwohl wir die "Guided Tour" gebucht hatten. Das war ärgerlich. Allerdings hätten wir auch einige Sachen anders machen können, z.B. mit dem nicht Englisch sprechenden Busfahrer mit Übersetzungsapp kommunizieren, oder am Parkplatz kurz warten, ob der andere Bus auch noch ankommt. Wir sind jedenfalls los zur Stadt, weil wir dachten, dass wir dort vielleicht die Gruppe suchen müssen und haben telefonisch Kontakt aufgenommen. Das Team war sehr freundlich und hat uns sofort weitergeholfen, großes Lob dafür!! Als wir dann bei der Gruppe waren (anderer Bus), konnten wir den restlichen Tag sehr genießen, die Führung war großartig!! Einzig: die Freizeit stimmt nicht wirklich, weil die Rückkehr zum Bus lang dauert und man 15 Min vorher dort sein soll

Guides were great! The amount of walking was extreme. Especially having to walk 20 minutes from where bus drops and then walk to town of Matera. Then having to walk down 14 levels of stairs that are very slippery and then back up! Some type of transportation should have been provided to and from where bus drops us. The bus was a double decker completely full and AC barely working. Very disappointed…Description should include how much walking is involved. Also that it is a multi lingual tour taking up more time. Would not recommend!

The tour was very good and extremely well organized. if you take this tour during a period of very hot weather, it is very important to bring water, a hat, and sunscreen. Especially in Matera, comfortable footwear is essential. Try to have lunch in Alberobello during the free time. In Alberobello we had a tasting experience, and at that same place they offered an affordable lunch kit. I would definitely recommend this option to anyone who does not bring their own food. Both guides were very friendly, attentive and highly knowledgeable. Alessandra, who was with us in Alberobello, guided us through the town and shared her excellent knowledge with us. Lourenço, who accompanied us in Matera, was also extremely professional. He was very friendly, and has an impressive knowledge of the history of the region. I definitely think this is a tour that is worth doing with the guides. I really enjoyed the experience and highly recommend this tour.

Nous avons passé une super journée grâce à notre guide Selenia ! Nous avons choisi l’excursion avec les deux visites guidées et nous avons adoré. Son accompagnement était super : elle nous a accompagnés du début à la fin de l’excursion. Elle nous a raconté l’histoire d’Alberobello et nous a montré les meilleurs spots pour prendre de belles photos. Elle nous a également accompagnée pour la visite de Matera. Prévoyez de bonnes chaussures, un chapeau et de l’eau si vous venez en été. Par contre, pour le repas, nous n’avons pas vraiment eu le temps de nous poser : nous avons simplement grignoté sur le chemin. Le bus était également très confortable. Merci encore à Selenia et ah chauffeur du bus 1 pour cette belle journée ! 😊