Valley of the Temples

Valley of the Temples is over thousand years old and covers 1300 hectares. It's the largest archaeological site in the world and it's in a wonderful state of preservation. The area was included in UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1997.

History

These are the remains of the ancient town of Akragas, which are immersed in an amazing agrestic site with olive and almond centuries-trees. It was one of the main Greek colonies in Sicily, founded by peoples from Gela and Rhodos.

The highland was a perfect place to rise a town because it was naturally protected by “Rupe Atenea” and Girgenti hill to the North and by long Hill of the Temples to the South, which was enclosed between the rivers Akragas and Hypsas.

How you can see

In the Valley of the Temples it's possible to admire the remains of ten doric order temples, three sanctuaries, a large number of necropolis, fortifications, water projects and part of a Roman – Hellenic district, two agoras, one Olympeion and one Bouleuterion (council house). The remains of a Greek theatre were also found in 2016.

Moreover, it's possible to admire the Tomb of Theron - the tyrant who helped Akragas grow - a large tuff monument of pyramidal shape.

To feel magnificence of the ancient Greek civilization deep inside, we suggest you to take a walk through this hypnotic and charming place right close to the twilight when you'll see the burning sunbeams breaking through the columns of the Temples. The location turns to mystical and dreamy and you can take a slow walk enjoying the silence of this stunning wide open space.

Please note that in the Regional Archaeological Museum “P. Griffo” in Contrada San Nicola are collected 5688 relics illustrating the history of Agrigento – Akragas territory from prehistory to the end of Roman-Greek times.

Here we propose some tours of the area offered on Get Your Guide:

 

Valley of the Temples Opening Hours

Hill of the Temples (Juno, Concordia, Hercules, Jupiter, Dioscuri).

Opening hours: 7 days a week from 8.30am to 7.00pm

Evening and night openings:

From the 15^th to the 30^th of July 2018 and from the 1^st of August to the 17^th of September 2018

"P.Griffo" Regional Archaeological Museum, Contrada San Nicola

Opening hours:

from Monday to Saturday: 9:00am - 7:00pm;

every Sunday and holidays: 9:00am - 1:00pm

Tickets

Full price: € 10.00 per person - Reduced price: € 5.00 per person

Cumulative ticket (valley + archaeological museum): Full € 13.50 - Reduced: € 7.00

Entrance ticket price per person (Archaeological Museum only): Full: € 8.00 - Reduced: € 4.00

Free entry on the first Sunday of every month.

Getting to Valley of the Temples

BY TRAIN

By a small walk from Agrigento railway station it's possible to arrive in Piazza Fratelli Rosselli where to get the bus (see below).

BY BUS

Most of the bus lines starting from Piazzale Fratelli Rosselli are linked to the Valley of the Temples. We suggest in particular the followings: 1, 1/ , 2, 3, 3/

BY CAR

From Palermo: past the city of Aragona keep driving to “Caltanissetta, Canicattì” and then get the street n° 640 (Caltanissetta-Porto Empedocle) towards Porto Empedocle. Once you get the roundabout under the Temple of Juno, follow the tree-lined street up to the parking lot Sant'Anna or to the Temple of Juno.

From Trapani/Erice/Selinunte: take trunk road SS115. Once you get past Porto Empedocle keep following street signs to “Valle dei Templi”.

From Taormina-Catania-Siracusa: take motorway Catania-Palermo. Past Enna, take gate to street n° 640 “Caltanissetta/Agrigento” towards Caltanissetta and then to Porto Empedocle. At the roundabout under the Temple of Juno keep following to “Valley of the Temples” street signs to get the parking lot.

From Ragusa: keep driving on trunk road SS115 to the Juno roundabout.