Tour Details
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
-
- Valley of the Temples
- The Griffo Museum
Photos & Highlights
- Spend a day in Agrigento with an expert archaeologist or historian
- Includes viewing the Temple of Concord and the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Select a date
Tour Description
The famous Greek poet Pindar described Akragas (Greek for Agrigento) as “the most beautiful city on earth” for its spectacular location and monumental buildings. Join a local expert for this 4-hour tour of the magnificent Valley of the Temples and see with your own eyes what Pindar was describing. Crafted to provide a solid introduction for those visiting Agrigento for the first time or travelers returning, you will explore the local history and cultural depth of this intriguing area of Sicily.
- Valley of the Temples
- The Griffo Museum
- 4 hours with an MA or Ph.D. level guide
- Tickets for the Valley of the Temples and the Griffo Archaeological Museum
- Taxi ride from the Museum to the parking lot at the end of the tour
We will begin our journey in the Valley of the Temples to help familiarize ourselves with the ancient urban layout of Agrigento; its main streets, fortifications, and sacred buildings dedicated to the Olympian Gods. Each temple presents its own unique and singular characteristics. In particular, your expert guide trained in archaeology or history, will discuss the importance of the Temple of Concord and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. The remains of the former, built around 450 B.C., including its inner structure and cellar, was the location of the divinity. The latter, whose construction began around 480 B.C., is perhaps the largest Doric temple ever built.
Afterward, we will make our way to the Griffo Archaeological Museum to learn about its precious collection of Hellenistic and Roman artifacts discovered in various excavation campaigns carried out in Agrigento and its surroundings. These great finds include a giant original telamon belonging to the Olympian Zeus, which is the oldest known telamon in the ancient Greek world, as well as a remarkable statue of an Ephebus dated to the fifth century B.C.
At the conclusion of our visit to the Archaeological Museum, a taxi will return you and your guide to the Temple of Juno, where our walk began.
At the conclusion of our visit to the Archaeological Museum, a taxi will return you and your guide to the Temple of Juno, where our walk began.
To continue your explorations of Sicily with Context, check out our other Sicily tours.
Where do we meet? Where does it end?
We meet at the ticket desk near the Temple of Juno. The route may vary depending on your guide. Your confirmation email will include the exact meeting point details along with a map. The tour ends back at the Temple of Juno.
When is the best time of the day to visit?
If you are traveling during the summer months, we recommend early morning or late afternoon. The heat and crowds can be heavy and the opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking views in the golden light of sunset is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Is this tour walking intensive, and/or wheelchair accessible?
We do cover quite a bit of ground on this tour and therefore we recommend contacting us with any mobility questions; we will be happy to advise if the itinerary will be appropriate for you or propose modifications where necessary. Please feel free to contact us.
Where You'll Start
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25 Reviews
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Nicoleta was very well informed and gave us a wonderful intro to the valley of temples, going deeper when we asked. First rate!
Chris
Nov 12, 2024
Nicoletta was fantastic, and she gave us a broad appreciation of the Valley and the relics in the museum. She could speak to many different topics and had visual aids for reference. Her English was excellent, and notably, her practice of spelling important terms really helped us to understand her presentations.
Neil
Oct 6, 2024
We have had the pleasure of numerous Context tours and as usual, this 4-hour tour was excellent. Nicoletta was terrific. The breadth and depth of her knowledge of the area and history was wonderful and her descriptions helped us with insights and context. She's very personable and answered all our questions. She managed our time well and adjusted the tour to accommodate for the sweltering hot sunny day. We highly recommend the tour of the temples and museum.
Cindy
Aug 15, 2024
