The visit of the island of Ortigia is a must to discover the beauties of Syracuse. Ortigia is the name of Syracuse's old town center, entirely built on a small island not far from the mainland. Our licensed guide will lead you to discover the history, monuments, curiosities and hidden corners of Ortigia. The tour starts near the bridges which connect the island with the mainland. Here you will admire the remains of the temple of Apollo, an imposing religious building in the Doric style and also the oldest stone temple built by the Greeks in the west. The guided tour continues towards the center of the island passing through the elegant Piazza Archimede, surrounded by sumptuous palaces from various ages and crowned by the beautiful fountain of Diana, a work of the architect Giulio Moschetti. After a short walk through the narrow streets you will reach Piazza Duomo, the heart of the town. The most important buildings of Syracuse are located around this square. Our guide will tell you about the history and peculiarities of Palazzo Vermexio, Palazzo Beneventano, Archbishopric and focusing on the two churches that built in Piazza Duomo. The cathedral of Syracuse is a unique building. The facade is built in Baroque style but the church was built over the ancient Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. The Doric columns are still visible nowadays in the structure of the church. A visit of the interiors with our guide is strongly recommended. In the church there is also the chapel dedicated to Saint Lucia, St. Lucy, patron saint of the town. You will then head towards the other church that crowns the square, Santa Lucia alla Badia. According to the seasonal opening times, the church will be visited inside. Leaving the square, the guided tour heads towards the sea and the Arethusa spring. It is one of the legendary places of Syracuse, famous for the history of Alpheus and Arethusa but also for the papyrus plants that grow inside the fountain. These are the highlights of the guided tour of Ortigia. Our guide will then personalize the itinerary through the town center according to your time and preferences, ending the tour on the seafront or returning to the starting point and passing through the enchanting narrow streets of the Giudecca or the Spirduta districts, where the suggestive churches of San Giovannello and San Pietro are located.
Standard itinerary
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Check below the available dates and starting times and book online.
If you are looking for a tailored itinerary or another starting time or if you are a group with more than 10 participants or a travel agency, please contact us for specific information.
Online booking is possible with the main credit/prepaid cards: Mastercard, Visa, American Express and with Google Pay or Apple Pay
Contact us for information about tailored tours, e.g. Ortygia + Neapolis park or if you are a group, traveling by bus or if you are a travel agency. To answer your questions please let us know: how many people you are, date or period of the year for the visit, requested language.
Free cancellation for our private tours is possible up to 7 days before the tour. For further information please have a look at our complete terms and conditions.
The visit to the Neapolis archaeological park can be combined with other itineraries in Syracuse and surroundings in a half-day or full-day personalized tour. Below you can find some possible additional itineraries. For a complete list please have a look at this page. Contact us for furher information.
Below you find some possible additional itineraries for your visit in Syracuse
A private tour through the impressive baroque town centre of Noto, an Unesco world heritage site
InfoVisit one of Sicily's most important archaeological museums with and exhibition of finds from prehistory to early Christian age.
InfoGuided tour of the Greek theater, the ear of Dionysus and the other monuments of classical Syracuse.
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