Valley of the Temples - Sicily

Situated on the plateau on the south coast of Sicily, Valle dei Templi or Valley of the Temples is one of the largest archaeological sites in the world. Consisting of 8 Greek temples built between around 510BC and 430BC, this archaeological site has been registered as a UNESCO World heritage site in 1997 on the account of its exceptional condition which is still intact centuries later for us to admire to this day.

A quick look at the Valley of the Temples

Location: Agrigento

Country: Italy

Entrance Fee: € 17.00

Best Month to Visit: Spring (April-May)

Must See: Temple of Concordia

Time Required: 2-4 hours

Valley of the temples, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy

How to get to Valley of the Temples

There are so many ways to visit the Valley of the Temples. The most convenient way is driving. However, if driving is not an option for you, taking public transportations is quite convenient. You can book a train + bus combo from Palermo to Valley of the Temples. We booked on Trenitalia website or you can purchase from the Palermo Centrale station.

The train ticket will combine the train to Agrigento Centrale and bus No.1 from Agriento Centrale to the site. The bus stop is just right in front of the Agriento station. There are 2 buses you can catch to the Valley of the Temples:

Bus No.1: Departs every 30 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to reach Porta V (western entrance) to the Valley of the Temples. Along the way, it stops at the archaeological museum.

Bus No.2: Runs less frequently and takes about 15 minutes and stops at Porta Giunone,(eastern entrance).

Once you hop on the bus just wave the ticket to the driver, sit back and enjoy the view.

Getting Around Valley of the Temples

The site is very easy to walk around with around 5km of flat paths to cover when exploring the entire park. If you don’t fancy walking, you can flag down of the shuttles that runs between both entrances and costs €3 per person. There are also electric scooter tours, the hourly rate is from €55.

When is the best time to visit Valley of the Temples?

The best time to visit is in the shoulder seasons in Spring April-May (you can also see the almond bloom during this tine) and Autumn Oct-Nov as the weather is perfect during this time. There is little cover on the site and can be incredibly hot when visiting in summer so keep that in mind .

Tips for your visit

Get there early to beat the crowd as it can get busy when the tour bus arrives around midday.
Pay for a map when you purchase your tickets, it is very handy to navigate around the site.
Wear comfortable shoes, you are going to be walking a lot.
Bring enough water, a lot of walking and dry weather there, you will get thirsty.
Take your time, explore the less popular spots as there will be less crowded.

Our Experience

We visited in early autumn, it was sunny and the weather was lovely making it the best time to explore the site. We got there early, and did not run into a lot of people until we made our way out.

The site has 2 sections the east and west divided by the road that cuts through the park(a bridge goes over the road). The western section near Porta V is smaller and only has handfull of mostly ruined structures where the Eastern side has most of the main attractions, with more intact and spectacular temples. This place is really big much more than we anticipated and is much more beautiful than the photos do it justice. Not only do you get to see and explore these fantastic historical ruins but because of the sites location high up on a ridge there are spectacular views of the Sicily countryside and the city of Agrigento. Some of the must see highlights are:

Temple of Concordia : The temple was built in the 5th century BC and later turned into a church in the 6th century AD. It is one of the most beautiful and best preserved temples in the Valley.
Temple of Hera : This temple sits on the highest point on the site and has spectacular views. The temple was built in the 5th century BC and was burnt in 406 BC by the Carthaginians.
Temple of Heracles : It is the most ancient in the Valley: destroyed by an earthquake, it consists today of only eight columns.
Temple of Olympian Zeus : Built in 480 BC to celebrate the city-state’s victory over Carthage. It is characterized by the use of large scale atlases.
Temple of Castor and Pollux. Only four columns remain and the whole area is littered with pieces of columns on the ground.
Fortified Walls. Fortified walls run along the southern side of the site that have early Christian tombs in them. Some of these tombs also create windows into the Sicilian countryside and a great spot for photographers.