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Sassi & Trulli

Discover Matera & Noci
 
Cycle self-guided, while your luggage is transported, through Italy’s idyllic south. Your truly remarkable accommodation includes a sassi  hotel built into the rocks in UNESCO-protected Matera, and another comprising conical stone dwellings, called trulli, in Noci.
Sassi & Trulli. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Sassi & Trulli. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A short cycling break in southern Italy

The little-known rural province of Basilicata, and Puglia (the ‘heel’ of Italy), combine stunningly beautiful landscapes with a rich, and often turbulent past, and some remarkable vernacular architecture.

There is a noticeably slower rhythm to daily life here as you take in the charm and peacefulness of Italy’s ‘deep south’, on a break that offers a tantalising glimpse of both provinces and a real taste of the south – in an area famous for its olive groves, vineyards, almond groves, cherry orchards and pastureland, the cuisine is as rich and unforgettable as the landscapes you explore.
A key feature of this holiday is the truly unique accommodation: in Matera, your hotel is set in one of the town’s sassi, combining troglodyte cave dwellings (said to be among the oldest human settlements in Italy) with pathways, stairs and courtyards; while in Noci, your stunning hotel consists of a series of wonderful traditional conical stone dwellings, called trulli.
 
Gallery

 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 12 13 15 18 23 26 29 29 26 21 17 13
    mm 54 59 55 40 38 32 27 34 56 64 60 65
  • Arrival in Matera 
    Night 1: at Hotel Sassi di San Martino or Palazzo degli Abati (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night's accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of cycling.
  • Free day in Matera

    Explore Matera
    UNESCO-protected Matera is one of the most remarkable cities in Italy, famed as much for its sassi – ancient stone cave dwellings carved out of the hillside – as for the large and diverse collection of Christian buildings, including a large number of churches built with the soft volcanic rock of the region.

    Circular route from Matera: 43km; longer option: 54km
    If you can tear yourself away from the city, we recommend a peaceful introductory ride into the surrounding countryside, which can be extended to visit the hill-top town of Montescaglioso, dominated by its enchanting 11th-century Benedictine abbey.
    Circular route from Matera, longer option: 54km
    Matera
  • Matera to Noci: 59km
    From Matera you head east on a pleasant ride through vineyards and small villages, including pretty Gioia del Colle, on your way to Noci. Here, you stay two nights at the Abate Masseria or the Dimora Intini.
    Matera to Noci: 59km
    Pedal through rural scenery to Noci
  • Choice of routes from Noci: 41km or 48km

    Circular route via Castellana: 41km
    This route to the north of Noci offers the chance to visit the town of Putignano and the impressive Grotte di Castellana. Guided tours of the cave (in English) reveal an astonishing wealth of fossils, stalagmites and stalactites, in an array of beautiful colours.

    Circular route via Alberobello: 48km
    To see the best of the Valle d'Itria's unique trulli houses, head to Alberobello, whose remarkable 15th-century white dry-stone houses with conical roofs have earned the town UNESCO World Heritage Site status. After taking your time to explore, continue to the hill-top town of Locorotondo (famed for the five ‘o’s in its name) before looping back to Noci.
    Circular route via Castellana: 41km
    Alberobello
    Circular route via Alberobello and Locorotondo: 48km
    Locorotondo
 

Accommodation

A key feature of this holiday is the truly unique accommodation. 

In both places, we work with more than one hotel, as shown below. All are hand-picked by us and, unless there is a price implication (in which case we will contact you to discuss your options), we will tell you which one we have booked for you on your booking confirmation.

Wherever you stay in Matera and Noci, we recommend adding extra nights, as there is much to see and explore in the surrounding area.
 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 4 nights: 01 April 2024 - 30 June 2024, 20 August 2024 - 31 October 2024, 01 April 2025 - 30 June 2025 & 19 August 2025 - 31 October 2025

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 Apr - 20 May 2024 £825 £175
    21 - 31 May 2024 £865 £165
    1 Jun - 31 Jul 2024 £890 £210
    1 Aug - 30 Sep 2024 £920 £225
    1 - 27 Oct 2024 £815 £155
    1 Apr - 20 May 2025 £860 £185
    21 - 31 May 2025 £900 £175
    1 Jun - 31 Jul 2025 £930 £220
    1 Aug - 30 Sep 2025 £960 £235
    1 - 27 Oct 2025 £850 £165
    3rd & 4th person discount -£140 to -£145
    Single traveller supplement £140 to £150

    Includes accommodation, meals, bike hire, luggage transfers and any other services integral to the holiday as described, plus cycling notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Included travel: return taxi from Bari airport

    Electric bikes available: add £64pp in 2023 or £70pp in 2024

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hotel Sassi, Matera
    Junior suite: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2024 £19
    Junior suite: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2024 £19
    Junior suite: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 £20
    Junior suite: 19 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 £20
    Suite with terrace: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2024 £31
    Suite with terrace: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2024 £31
    Suite with terrace: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 £32
    Suite with terrace: 19 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 £32
    Abate Masseria, Noci
    'Trullo' junior suite: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2024 £20
    'Trullo' junior suite: 20 Aug - 31 Oct 2024 £20
    'Trullo' junior suite: 01 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 £21
    'Trullo' junior suite: 19 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 £21

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Prices include an extra day’s hire of a standard bike. If you are upgrading to an e-bike, add a further £16pp per day in 2023 or £18pp in 2024.
    Hotel Sassi, Matera (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 30 Jun 2024 £71 £116
    20 Aug - 31 Oct 2024 £71 £116
    01 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 £74 £121
    19 Aug - 31 Oct 2025 £74 £121
    Abate Masseria, Noci (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 05 Apr 2024 £79 £123
    06 Apr - 10 Apr 2024 £103 £171
    11 Apr - 24 Apr 2024 £92 £147
    25 Apr - 07 May 2024 £79 £123
    08 May - 31 May 2024 £92 £147
    01 Jun - 30 Jun 2024 £103 £165
    01 Sep - 17 Sep 2024 £117 £220
    18 Sep - 06 Oct 2024 £103 £165
    07 Oct - 31 Oct 2024 £92 £147
    01 Apr - 05 Apr 2025 £82 £128
    06 Apr - 10 Apr 2025 £107 £178
    11 Apr - 24 Apr 2025 £96 £153
    25 Apr - 07 May 2025 £82 £128
    08 May - 31 May 2025 £96 £153
    01 Jun - 30 Jun 2025 £107 £171
    01 Sep - 17 Sep 2025 £122 £229
    18 Sep - 06 Oct 2025 £107 £171
    07 Oct - 31 Oct 2025 £96 £153
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Bari
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Bari (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Edingburgh - Bari (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Bari (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Glasgow - Bari (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Bari Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Bari British Airways,  easyJet,  Wizz Air 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Bari (via Rome Fiumicino) Alitalia 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Bari Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Bari (via Brussels) Brussels Airlines 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  you may need to fly to an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Where a price range is given, the price you pay depends on your date of travel.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Bari

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    direct taxi Bari airport to hotel (1h15) included flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    direct taxi hotel to Bari airport (1h20) included flexible
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • high-quality bicycle
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • taxi from/to Bari Airport
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 4 reviews
  • Celia and Bob
    13 September 2023

    An excellent holiday through wonderful countryside. Having two nights in each place meant that we had time to appreciate the lovely hotels and surrounding area. The food was wonderful - if at times too much!! Having the extra two days on the Puglia to Aberobello trip when we extended to Matera made the holiday fantastic. Matera, the highlight of the trip, was a great place to finish. We cycled 650K in total. Using e-bikes meant that we could enjoy the rides, go off on a few side trips and not worry about being too tired when we reached our destinations. A fantastic holiday from Inntravel.

    INNTRAVEL NOTE: The customers combined these two cycling holidays - Pedalling through Puglia to Alberobello and Sassi & Trulli 

  • Ms S Ockenden
    Canada
    11 September 2023

    Personal highlights - Matera was breathtaking!!! both hotels were unique and lovely but Abate Masseria was a 10/10 for service... kudos to Angelica, Christina and Mino!!

  • Mr J Sterritt
    York
    17 May 2023

    Great service. Lovely hotels. Thanks for the speedy response to our request for digital map files whilst on holiday. All transfers were waiting for us and excellent.

  • Mrs D Stapleton
    Beaconsfield
    25 April 2022

    Inntravel and their associates were, professional, knowledgeable and supportive from start to finish. We were particularly impressed with their flexibility with the itinerary and assistance in extending our trip. When we had an issue whilst in Italy that was not the fault of Inntravel, they and their local partners were quick to respond and assist.
    Both hotels were well located and comfortable. The built into the rock, multi level cave nature of Locando di San Martino was magical. The views across and down to the layers of dwellings and tiny streets were delightful and as long as you are happy with steps, everything was easily accessible. The highlight in Matera was getting lost in the streets and stumbling across spectacular view points, piazzas and cafes. Abate Masseria near Noci was a very different but equally delightful experience. The hosts went out of their way to make us feel at home. The whole facility has a homely tranquility.

    The bikes were delivered promptly and were of good quality. It should be noted for the less able that you have to walk the bikes up steps to get to the main square to start the routes. Our day 1 cycle to Montescaglioso was lovely and once out of Matera the roads were quiet and picturesque, however the road surface is very poor in places. The long climb up was worth it since Montescaglioso is beautiful. We downloaded the gpx files and used a Garmin device. I am not sure I would have wanted to do it the other way, continually looking at the notes and the bike computer for distance travelled. The cycle from Matera to Noci was a little less strenuous and less interesting but it was nice to feel we were on a journey to our next destination and it was mostly on quiet roads. On day 3 we decided to cycle to Locorotondo and Alberobello. Great cycling and interesting and photogenic stops. We are all fairly keen leisure cyclists and quite fit, I would say this is about the level required if you are not going for e-bikes.

    Finally the after sales support from Inntravel has been exemplary.

    I would highly recommend this trip just make sure you are fairly fit, pack sunscreen, have enough space for hundreds of photos and enjoy. We will be back.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • Our cycle supplier will provide you with a hybrid bike with 27 gears; a waterproof map case on handlebars; panniers/saddlebags; pump; puncture repair kit; and a lock. Electric bikes are available as an upgrade (see price panel), subject to availability, and must be requested at the time of booking. The bike shop also has a limited number of tandems.
  • While we would always recommend that you take your own well-fitting helmet, they can be hired locally for a small fee. Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like to hire a helmet.
  • Yes, we will provide GPX tracks for this holiday prior to departure so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. (We also provide maps and our tried-and-tested route notes, which remain the principal means of navigation).
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. On mornings when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation so that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our cycling holidays in Europe page.
  • You are responsible for damage to or loss of the rental bike while it is hired to you. Always be careful to lock it up, ideally to an immovable object, and remove all easy-to-steal accessories whenever you leave it unattended.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Italy, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The principal official language is Italian, though some regions have a second official language, such as South Tyrol, where German is widely spoken. The currency is the Euro. Italian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
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