Ortigia: Syracuse's Ancient Town Center Private Walking Tour
Description
Discover the captivating allure of Ortygia, the old town center of Syracuse, on an exclusive private walking tour. Situated on a picturesque island very near to the mainland, Ortygia is a treasure trove of history spanning 3000 years. Your tour begins at the Apollo Temple, the oldest Greek temple in Sicily. As you walk through the enchanting narrow streets, you'll arrive in Piazza Duomo, where you will have the chance to explore a Catholic church that was constructed above an ancient temple, blending two cultures (the interior visit is only possible when there are no religious services taking place in the church). Admire the legendary Aretusa Spring, famous also for its papyrus plants. We will also enter into the lesser-known paths of the former Jewish district. Uncover the secrets of Ortygia with a personalized private walking tour, offering a unique perspective on the island. Explore the layers of history, embrace the beauty of the surroundings.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will meet our guide near the Apollo temple and learn about this ancient Greek building, the oldest stone temple built by Greeks in Sicily.
Here you will see the beautiful neoclassical Diana fountain and the buildings in various styles, around the square.
A walk through the picturesque via Cavor, passing near the Collegio dei Gesuiti.
Learn about Syracuse's beautful cathedral square and its main builidings: the cathedral, palazzo Vermexio, arcivescovado and palazzo Beneventano del Bosco.
Visit to the interiors of the cathedral, a baroque church built on an ancient Greek temple. Admission fee not included (€ 2 p.p.). The visit to the interiors is not possible during the holy mass or marriages. In this case the guide will explain the church from outside.
Visit of the interiors of the church of St. Lucy. The church is closed on Mondays so it's not possible to visit the interiors booking this day,
Visit to Syracuse's legendary spring, also famous for its papyrus plants. Our guide will tell you about Alpheus and Arethusa
Walk throught the picturesque narrow streets or Ortygia, the old town center of Syracuse and the Giudecca district the ancient Jewish district of Syracuse.
Our tour ends with a walk through the picturesque former Jewish district
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
Reviews(50)
Very much learned. Guided tour was in German (better Austrian 😊), the guide went to great lengths. 4h will do.
Excellent private tour. Our guide Eva was super, very friendly, gave interesting local knowledge and facts about the sites and culture of Ortigia. Exactly the right amount of information without overloading us but open to all questions. The interaction we had with Sebastiano at the Hermes office when booking the tour directly with them was also excellent and reassuring. All questions were answered, recommendations given and no pressure to purchase. Received an email from them a couple of days before the tour as a reminder and to introduce our guide for the tour. All round super experience and would definitely use them again without hesitation. Recommend Hermes 100%.
Anne-Marie, provided a fact fiiled 2 1/2 hour walk around this fascinating place. Because she had lived locally, she was able to give us a historical and a lived experience. We were very happy and have no hesitation in recommending this walk
The visit was very interesting, my 9 year old son was attentive all the time and when it ended he exclaimed: these two hours passed really quickly! This for me is the testimony of the skill of the guide and the beauty of the places we visited! Thanks to Sebastiano and Hermes!
Ortigia is wonderful! I recommend everyone, as I did, to immediately take a guided tour with the aspects and then enjoy it with awareness!
We had a private tour of Ortigia with Patricia. It was a super good visit. Patricia showed us the beautiful old town and explained everything super well. We were very happy with the private tour.
Eva is a lovely guide and knows a lot to share about the history the city and Sicilian culture. The tour company was very responsive and move the timing due to my travel timing issues. I would recommend
We spent a pleasant morning walking through Ortigia and listening to the voice and explanations of Sebastiano who was able to entertain us and immediately caught our attention. Very competent and prepared, it was really delicious to be guided through the alleys and discover the wonders of Syracuse. Absolutely one of the best tours ever done in my life.
Grazie per aver prenotato la nostra visita guidata, è stato un piacere avervi nostri ospiti.
Mysterious orgy, very interesting and full of unpublished anecdotes. The guide Sebastiano is very knowledgeable and held us in a pleasant way making himself noticed things of our own neighborhood that we did not know
Grazie per aver partecipato al nostro tour e per la bella recensione. Alla prossima!
Over two hours of visit in the beautiful Ortigia, led by Mr. Sebastiano. Great competence and clarity. Particularly welcome some goodies that make the visit non-trivial. Highly recommended!
