Agrigento: Valley of the Temples and Scala dei Turchi Private Tour from Palermo

Explore the ancient Greco-Roman history of Sicily on a private tour of Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples and Scala dei Turchi. Discover Doric architecture, botanical gardens, and historical artifacts.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Valle dei Templi - The tour includes a visit to the archaeological park of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Characterized by an excellent state of conservation, and by important Doric temples of the Hellenic period. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. The route starts from the Rupe Atenea, where the Sanctuary of Zeus Atabyrios and Athena Lindia were located and where today – on the eastern end – it is possible to admire the Temple of Demeter, the rock sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone and the remains of Greek fortifications. Continuing along the Via Panoramica dei Templi, you will find the ticket office and the Tempio di Giunone; from here, the Via Sacra cuts the Hill of the Temples in two. On the left, the remains of the Greek walls and the Byzantine arcosolia and – above all – the Temple of Concordia, one of the best preserved in the Greek world. Continuing, on the right you can admire the Villa Aurea, and the Temple of Heracles, the oldest of the Agrigento temples. Going beyond the Via Sacra you enter the area of the colossal Temple of Zeus, among the largest in the Greek world, and - below - the Sanctuary of the Chthonic deities (Demeter and Persephone) and the garden of Kolymbetra. The route ends by going up towards the modern city, and crossing the hillock of San Nicola. The last places of interest are the Ekklesiasterion, the Oratory of Falàride and the National Archaeological Museum, home to the splendid Ephebe of Agrigento. - San Leone - Agrigento is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the most visited ever, a symbol of antiquity with its suggestive Valley of the Temples. But Agrigento is not only culture and history. It is beautiful not only for its exceptional archaeological heritage, but also for the natural environment that characterizes it. The beautiful beach of San Leone is made up of soft golden sand, characterized by kilometers of sandy shores bathed by a splendid sea, with an intense blue color and clear waters. Its promenade (Falcone and Borsellino) is embellished with tall palm trees that line it. In its vicinity there are all kinds of services, shops and restaurants offering typical Sicilian specialities. After exploring the archaeological sites of the Valle dei Templi Park, treat yourself to lunch in a small restaurant facing the Falcone Borsellino promenade in San Leone. Here the dishes are based on land and sea ingredients together, a unique mix with a Mediterranean flavour. - Stair of the Turks - A splendid dazzling white jewel that frames the clear blue of the sea is the Scala dei Turchi. One of the favorite destinations of southern summers, thanks to its conformation with soft, rounded and irregular lines and to the color of its “cold” white cliff. It is composed of clayey and calcareous sedimentary rock, which gives the cliff its characteristic white color and low temperature to the touch. The cliff can be reached via a path of huge steps, on top of which tourists usually “camp” to sunbathe or admire the wonderful panorama overlooking the equally fascinating coast of Agrigento.
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Bilingual driver (Italian-English, Italian-French on request)
  • Child seats available upon request
  • Convenient pickup service from your hotel or port
What's Not Included
  • Tour guide (only by purchasing the option with Guide included)
  • Entrance tickets to the Valley of the Temples (starting from 15:00 euros)
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Explore the rich Greco-Roman heritage of Sicily. Take in the wondrous Doric architecture of Agrigento’s Valle dei Tempi, a UNESCO heritage site, during this comprehensive day-long chauffeured tour. Wander in the exquisite Kolymbethra Garden brimming with diverse botanical specimens. Swing by the Pietro Griffo Regional Archaeological Museum to appreciate an array of historical relics. Spend time at one of Sicily’s most picturesque beaches, home to the renowned Scala dei Turchi. To delve deeper into the history of the archaeological site, consider opting for a guided tour (two-hour guided tour of the Valley of the Temples with a certified guide)

Location
Valle dei Templi
Piazza Archeologica 1, Via Panoramica Dei Templi
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(48 Ratings)
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Mark_s
Aug 20, 2024
A beautiful day in Agrigento - Highly recommend this experience if you want to see the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Sergio was an excellent driver and host, even arranging for lunch at a beautiful restaurant on the beach overlooking the Scala dei Turchi. Definitely worth adding on the guided tour of the temples. Anna was a great guide!
Review provided by Viator
Sasi_k
Aug 5, 2024
Love Agrigento and take the tour with Mimmo - A must do trip if you are in Palermo or in Sicily. Agrigento is a amazing place to visit with the historic temples and the beautiful Turkish steps with the amazing beach. Mimmo made our experience very memorable. He is polite, very helpful, friendly, informative and just overall a great person to go on a tour. Thanks.
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Liana_b
Jul 11, 2024
Wonderful shore excursion in Palermo Italy. - Excellent tour with Driver Mimmo and tour guide Daniele. This was a private shore excursion and well worth the money. Daniele was very informative and we learned a lot. Driver was very professional and punctual.
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Jennifer_d
Jul 8, 2024
A wonderful day of history and sighteseeing! - We had a wonderful day. It started with our driver picking us up at our hotel in Palermo, in an air conditioned Mercedes Bens with a cooler of water bottles for everyone. We had a long drive over hills and through narrow roads, but we felt very safe. Upon arrival at the Temples, we met our tour guide who was very friendly and engaging for us all, including my children. He knew the history very well and he was funny. We stopped for a drink and a snack and continued through the park until we saw all of our sites. After this, we met our driver again and we were taken to a beautiful restaurant on the ocean for lunch, after we walked to the Turkish Steps from the restaurant. This was a perfect day.
Review provided by Viator
Mjpatel1966
Jul 4, 2024
Fantastic company - Giovanni our driver was very professional and courteous . We went to the Valley of Temples and met our guide Daniell - he took his time to explain the site in detail to us and recommended a beautiful restaurant on the coast. We also went to the Turkish steps and found some amazing views. Highly recommend this company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynda_m
Jun 22, 2024
Great Day trip - An awesome day visiting the valley of the temples and the Turkish steps . Well. Worth the travel time in a very comfortable car with a great driver Mimmo who was delightful and very knowledgeable.
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Mikesh715vw
Jun 5, 2024
Impressive views - Valley of the Temples, Agrigento Sicily is a UNESCO site. It is an Ancient Greek settlement with Temple ruins and beautiful views. The grounds are well cared for and an easy walk. Impressive temples are the highlight but the gardens and flora are impressive also. Anna our guide was knowledgeable about both and filled in the background with stories and history. Thanks Anna you made the experience memorable and fun
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anonymous
May 27, 2024
Great day and worth the money - The drive was spectacular! Claudio our driver was fantastic and spoke English very well. Pointed out every point of interest along the way to the temples. Anna our guide was awesome and knowledgeable. Could not have done that without her. Claudio took us to a restaurant for lunch and it was delicious! Turkish steps were gorgeous. Highly recommend this excursion.
Review provided by Viator
Dianne_s
Jul 11, 2024
Agrigento & Scala dei Turchi - Excellent driver Mimmo who was very informative & Anna the guide at Agrigento was great. Mimmo was very passionate & friendly. If we’d known the cost of the food in the suggested restaurant would have opted for somewhere much cheaper having already spent a significant amount on the cost of the tour. We would have had a quick lunch snack & maybe had a swim in the water which looked so inviting near Scala dei Turchi
Review provided by Viator
Susan_p
May 26, 2024
Photo Misleading - Anna our tour guide at the Valley of the Temples was exemplary—informed, engaging, extremely knowledgeable, great visual aids, fun to spend time with. Our driver was a disappointment in that he had an agenda for lunch—where he wanted to eat—we strongly suspect he got a free lunch! When I suggested a place on the water where friends had eaten, he said we didn’t want that place and he had never gotten a complaint about the place we ended up at. We would have preferred a mediocre restaurant on the water vs. a mediocre restaurant near a (not-in-operation that day) children’s amusement park. The photo for this tour shows the beach near the gorgeous Turkish Steps, and we only got to see them from up above on the other side. As we drove past the area we wanted to see, eat, including a closer view of the beach and water, the other couple from our guided tour were on the road, so clearly it was an option to stop there. This was a very expensive tour and we felt a bit taken.
Review provided by Viator
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