Below you can find the most requested walking tours in Syracuse and its province
A guided tour of the splendid island of Ortygia, Syracuse's old town center. Located close to the mainland it offers evidences from the Greek to the Baroque age. This itinerary will take you through the narrow streets and the most famous monuments: the Apollo temple, the Diana fountain, the cathedral, Santa Lucia alla Badia church and the legendary Aretusa fountain.
DetailsLet's discover the monuments of the most important western Greek colony. With this tour of the Neapolis archaeological park you will stroll through the ancient stone quarries and admire the ear of Dionysus, discover the largest altar in the Greek world and look out over the cavea of the Greek theater and the Roman amphitheater.
DetailsThe delightful baroque town of Noto, an Unesco world heritage, is located not far from Syracuse. Noto is called the 'stone garden' for the sumptuousness of its architectures. This walk will allow you to discover the splendor of the cathedral and other eighteenth-century churches, from Santa Chiara to San Carlo as well as Palazzo Nicolaci and the street of the Infiorata festival.
DetailsBeside the most popular itineraries, listed above, there are several further art and archaeological walks to discover Syracuse. You can find below some additional options. Most of these itineraries can be booked as a single tour or as part of a personalized itinerary while for some, where the duration of the guided tour is quite short, it's only possible to book a combination with a second itinerary.
A visit to discover the Maniace castle, the fortress which dominates the tip of the island of Ortygia and the entrance to the bay of Syracuse. It is a fortress built in the thirteenth century by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia who equipped it with a sumptuous hall studded with columns. In the following centuries the fortress was further enlarged.
DetailsThis tour will take us to discover the Euryalus Castle, the mighty fortress built together with the Dionysian walls to defend the ancient Greek Syracuse. This archaeological site is located near the village of Belvedere a few miles from Syracuse and still allows you to admire the towers, the ditches and the network of defensive tunnels.
DetailsThe church of San Giovanni is one of the oldest religious buildings in Syracuse under which the largest catacombs of the town are located where according to tradition St. Paul preached. This itinerary will take you to discover underground Syracuse leading you through the tunnels of the ancient Christian cemetery but also to the crypt of St. Marcianus with its pictorial decorations.
The so-called Roman gymnasium is a small archaeological area at the entrance of the town, still subject of studies nowadays. The ruins of the buildings and the small cavea of a theater do not leave scholars in agreement on its destination as a gymnasium or sanctuary. The guided tour of this site can only be booked in combination with other urban itineraries.
An unexpected underground Ortygia is hidden under the monuments of Piazza Duomo, the cathedral square. This itinerary will take you to discover the hypogeum of Piazza Duomo. A small door leads into the depths of the island allowing you to discover the ancient cistern under archbishop's palace, the remains of the aqueduct and the former air-raid shelter of WWII.
The sanctuary of the 'Madonna della Lacrime', with its height and its modern lines, stands out over the town of Syracuse. This church, inaugurated at the end of the twentieth century, houses a miraculous picture of the Madonna who cried tears in 1953. We will visit the sanctuary and the crypt. Guided tour bookable only in combination with other urban itineraries.
Discover the main museums in Syracuse with the help of our professional guides.
The 'Paolo Orsi' Museum with over 18,000 exhibits, is one of Italy's most important archaeological museums. The building hosts finds and artworks covering a period of time which goes from prehistory to the early Christian age as well as an important collection of ancient coins. Our guides will lead you through the museum focusing on the the most important finds.
DetailsLocated in the heart of Ortygia, the regional gallery of Palazzo Bellomo is a museum which exhibits artworks ranging from the Byzantine age to the 19th century. On the two floors of the this Swabian building you will see paintings and sculptures and among the works stands out 'The Annunciation' by Antonello da Messina. Discover works, subjects and symbolisms of the artworks with our guided tour.
Discover the province of Syracuse with the following itineraries
Uncontaminated nature and archaeology come together in Pantalica, a plateau overlooking the picturesque valley of the Anapo river, located between Sortino and Ferla. A panoramic excursion to discover the site of the most important Sicilian prehistoric necropolis, dug into the overhanging deep rock walls and declared a UNESCO world heritage site.
DetailsThe Roman villa of the Tellaro river, a few miles from Noto exhibits some of the most important Roman mosaics found in Sicily. The site is located under an ancient farm and near the Vendicari nature reserve. Guided tour bookable only in combination with another itinerary in the same area.
DetailsDiscover the ruins of this small Greek town with the help of our licensed guides. No great monuments are visible in Megara Hyblaea but ruins of the houses and the streets of a small colony. A real archaeological journey to discover the daily life of these pioneers of the antiquity.
Near the modern town of Palazzolo Acreide there are the remains of ancient Akrai, a subcolony of Greek Syracuse whose theater, stone quarries, bouleuterion and small catacombs from the Christian era can still be visited.
The small Palazzolo Acreide is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. This old baroque town offers several sumptuous churches as well as the ruins of the ancient medieval castle on a hill. Palazzolo is also famous for its excellent gastronomy.
The small but picturesque seaside village of Marzamemi is built over the remains of an ancient tonnara, a tuna fishing factory. Discover more about the ancient Sicilian fishing tradition and if you wish, taste local gastronomy or also visit the nearby town of Portopalo di Capopassero. Guided tour bookable only in combination with another itinerary in the area.
The itineraries listed on this page can be booked as tour with a private guide for individuals and groups. Some of these itineraries, usually Ortigia, the Neapolis park, the Maniace castle and Noto are also available as group walking tours during the summer months (from July to mid-September) and the Christmas weeks. It is possible to have a look at the program and calendar on our shared group walking tours page.
Contact us to book a walking tour or for information about rates of tailored tours. 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.
It's possible to book a single itinerary of those listed above or you can contact us to arrange a custom made half-day, full-day or multi-day tour.
On which days and times do the tours take place?
Our private tours are bookable all around the year. It's possible to choose the preferred starting time although for some itineraries you will find the suggested ones, considering the opening times of the various monuments.What do you mean with half-day tour? And full-day?
The guided visits listed on this page take about 1h30/2h each. It's also possible to book a half day tour combining two of these itineraries. Half day tours have to take place entirely in the morning (ending before 2 pm) or in the afternoon (starting not before 2.30 pm) Full day tours take place during the whole day and it's possible to add up to three itineraries. The maximum duration of a full day tour is 8 hours from the starting time.Do you also offer shared group tours?
Shared group tours are available only for some of the tours listed on this page (Ortygia, Neapolis Park and Noto) and limited to the summer months and Christmas period.What are the rates of your private tours?
The rates vary depending by the itinerary, duration and number of participants. Usually for each tour there is a standard rate (for groups with more than 9 participants) and a reduced rate for families or small parties up to 8 participants. For an exact pricing please contact us, specifying the main information about the requested service, at the contacts in this section.Is transport included?
The tours listed above do not include transport. Meeting point with the guide will be on location. For some tours additional transport from Syracuse, Ragusa, Modica or Scicli could be available for small parties or groups. Please contact us for information.