Guided tours in Syracuse, Noto

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.

Let'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.

The 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.

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.

This 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.

The 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.

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.

Located 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.

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.

The 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.

Discover 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.