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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Craco
A half-day stop: see the abandoned hilltop ghost town, then move on. Not a base for sleeping.
Craco is a ghost town abandoned after landslides in the 1960s, now a film set and tourist attraction. You can see the empty streets, churches and castle tower in 2–3 hours. There is no accommodation in the old town; sleep in Pisticci or Matera.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, crowded), Nov–Feb (cold, some closures)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €30–50 (day trip from Matera) · Mid €50–80 (day trip with lunch in Pisticci) · High €80+ (private tour and dinner) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
Get in
By air
- BRI · Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport
- About 1.5 h by car; bus to Matera then local train/bus to Craco.
- CTA · Catania–Fontanarossa Airport
- About 3.5 h by car; check.
Typical fares
- Bari Airport → Matera bus
- about €10–15, 1 h (check)
- Matera → Craco by car
- about 45 min, 40 km (25 mi)about 45 min, 25 mi (40 km)
- Craco entrance fee
- about €5–10 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot only in the old town. Car or taxi to reach the entrance.
See and do
Known for
- Abandoned medieval hilltop town
- Film location (The Passion of the Christ, Quantum of Solace)
- Castello tower
- Santa Maria della Stella church
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Matera | Car or bus via SS176/SS7, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Policoro | Car via SS176, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Pietrapertosa | Car via SS407, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
| Metaponto | Car via SS176, about 40 min | About 50 min |
Sleep
- Pisticci
- Closest town with accommodation; 10 min drive from Craco.
- Matera
- About 45 min drive; more options and Sassi sights.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAHT-see-eh |
| How much? | Quanto costa?KWAN-toh KOH-stah |
| Where is the entrance? | Dov'è l'ingresso?doh-VEH leen-GRES-soh |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con carta?POH-soh pah-GAH-reh kon KAR-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- The old town is a fragile site: stay on marked paths, no climbing.
- No shops or restaurants inside the ghost town; bring water.
- Check opening hours and guided tour requirements on the official site.
Craco is safe; the main risks are uneven ground, loose stones and summer heat. No nightlife.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Craco yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Abandoned medieval hilltop town
- Film location (The Passion of the Christ, Quantum of Solace)
- Castello tower
- Santa Maria della Stella church
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Craco, revision 5309990 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5309990
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/craco). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.