Ortygia (Syracuse) private walking tour

Ortygia: Syracuse's old town center

Syracuse | Private walking tour

Book a tour with our professional guides and discover the beautiful Ortigia, the old town center of Syracuse. Tailored itinerary on request!

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Category
Private walking tour
group
Bookable for
Individual, families, groups
history
Duration
1h30m
date_range
When
All around the year
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Rate
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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.

Highlights

Standard itinerary

  • where_to_voteApollo temple
  • where_to_voteDiana fountain
  • where_to_votePiazza Duomo
  • where_to_voteCathedral
  • where_to_voteSanta Lucia alla Badia church
  • where_to_voteAretusa spring

Included/Not included

  • check_circle Private certified guide
  • check_circle English speaking guide
  • cancel Admission fee to the cathedral

Notes

info

This private tour is available, on request all around the year. It's possible to choose the preferred day and starting time for the tour but it's important to contact us at least one day in advance (several days during the tourist season) to check the availability of a guide.
On request large groups can book also an additional radioguides system for the visit.

Booking

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

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.

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E-mail
info@hermes-sicily.com

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Phone and voicemail
+39 346 5787561
access_time Office hours
From Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm. Outside of these hours, on holidays or when all our staff is on tour, it's possible to leave a message in the voicemail or send an e-mail and we will contact you back. We usually answer to e-mails within 24-48 hours.

Cancellation policy

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.

Tailored tours

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.

Other tours in the surroundings

Below you find some possible additional itineraries for your visit in Syracuse

Private tour of Noto's baroque town centre
Baroque Noto

A private tour through the impressive baroque town centre of Noto, an Unesco world heritage site

Info
Paolo Orsi archaeological museum tour
'Paolo Orsi' Museum

Visit one of Sicily's most important archaeological museums with and exhibition of finds from prehistory to early Christian age.

Info
Neapolis archaeological park guided tour
Neapolis park

Guided tour of the Greek theater, the ear of Dionysus and the other monuments of classical Syracuse.

Info
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