Ortigia: Syracuse's Ancient Town Center Private Walking Tour

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Sicily, Italy

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

2 hours (approx.)
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Go off the beaten path in the old town center of Syracuse with this small-group walking tour. See the town’s top landmarks, including the Apollo Temple and Cathedral Square, plus the quiet lanes of the Jewish Quarter. Learn about Syracuse’s history while admiring the Fountain of Aretusa and the vibrant fish and fruit markets.

Maximize time spent in Syracuse with this small-group walking tour
Skip the hassle of navigating and follow your guide
Learn about the history of Syracuse and visit top landmarks
Catch a glimpse of local life in the vibrant markets

What's Included

Professional guide
Private walking tour

Cathedral entrance fee (optional, 2 € p.p.)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via dell'Apollonion, 96100 Siracusa SR, Italy
Departure Point: Apollo temple, Ortygia (Syracuse) Address: Largo XXV Luglio - Siracusa Directions: The guide will wait at the Apollo temple, on the right side, near the small fountain. The guide will wear a red id-badge. Return point: Tour ends at the fish market near the Apollo temple.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Temple of Apollo (Tempio di Apollo)

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Piazza Archimede

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti (Pass By)

Piazza Duomo

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Syracuse Cathedral

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Fonte Aretusa

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Island of Ortigia

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Via della Giudecca

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
A dress code is required to enter the cathedral. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed, shoulders must be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements.
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 50 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Walking Tour of Syracuse

Anne_D, Oct 2019

Highly recommend this tour. It was very informative and interesting. The tour enabled us to understand & appreciate this beautiful city

Great Overview with Specifics

Flora A, Oct 2019

Eva , the guide was personable and extremely knowledgeable. Although much was covered, she asked if there was anything specific we wanted to see.

Tour with Miss Ava

Bob_C, Oct 2019

We really enjoyed this tour and our tour guide - Ava - was wonderful. She gave us lots and lots of facts about what we were seeing. She spoke English well and it was easy to understand her. She has a lovely personality and we so enjoyed working with her. The tour content was amazing and we are so glad we had this time to learn about Ortigia and all the amazing things there. Thank you to Miss Ava!!

First time visitor

Clive_W, Sep 2019

The city has much to offer in terms of history and beauty and our guide was very knowledgeable on the city's buildings and people

Great tour under sweltering conditions

Emily_S, Jun 2019

We took a walking tour of Ortygia, led by Eva. She was terrific, her English really good and she tailored the tour to our interests flawlessly. She was very interesting and we saw many older buildings and Eva gave them context. Greeks came, then Romans built upon the Greek temples, then Arabs, then Christians......so much of what's left is on top. 2 plus hours gave us a good feel for the island across from Siracusa

Eva was great and very informative

Margaret_B, Sep 2018

Spent 2 hours walking and exploring Ortygia learning a lot about its history and information about what its like to live there today. Very enjoyable.

Amazing experience, excellent guide

Heather C, Aug 2018

Valeria was an excellent guide. She was extremely knowledgeable about Syracuse, Ortygia and Sicily. Her passion for history was evident. And we were able to see in detail by walking that any other form o f transportation. We would highly recommend both Valeria and the walking tour over

This was a very interesting tour...

Eyal B, Apr 2017

This was a very interesting tour- our guide, Carmine, was very nice and knowledgeable and showed us the most interesting parts of the city, including a very old Mikveh ritual bath that we never would have seen otherwise. Highly recommended!

Eva was our tour guide in Ortygia...

Pamela T, Oct 2016

Eva was our tour guide in Ortygia. She is very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about Ortygia's history. Her passion and love of this beautiful and historic island made our stay there that much more enjoyable. We highly recommend this tour!

Our guide was excellent and we...

WilliamG_H, Oct 2016

Our guide was excellent and we couldn't have asked for more from her. She spent a lot of time with us walking around Ortygia and the markets and he English was excellent.

Eva guided our tour of both the...

Jared B, Jul 2016

Eva guided our tour of both the archaeological park and downtown Ortigia. She was outstanding. We absolutely and whole-heartedly recommend her! It was a wonderful experience for us. Eva is so knowledgeable, very kind, easy to talk to. She had an answer for every question. Thank you!!

If history is your thing, you'll...

Robbie_D, Jul 2016

If history is your thing, you'll enjoy this stroll through the gorgeous island of Ortygia or Ortigia, which is brimming with beautiful sites, churches, restaurants and narrow streets. Don't miss Saint Lucy's bone stored in a chapel inside the cathedral it'll cost an extra 2 Euros, but the stunning inside of the cathedral is worth it or Caravaggio's masterpiece painting The Burial Of Saint Lucy in the neighboring church of Santa Lucia alla Badia. Our guide was a lovely German woman who has resided in Syracuse for the past 40 years, and she was full of knowledge. We got her to expand on the hilarious mythology of the Fonte Aretusa simply by asking some questions so don't be afraid to ask the guides to go into more depth. They love talking about this stuff.