Valley of the Temples Tickets with Audio Guide Agrigento

The Valley of the Temples and ancient Akragas

Despite its name, the Valley of the Temples sits on a long ridge south of modern Agrigento, between the city and the sea. Here Greek colonists founded Akragas around 580 BC, and within a century it had become one of the richest cities of the Greek world, famous for its horses, its olive oil and the temples it built along its southern walls. Carthage sacked the city in 406 BC, and it later flourished again as Roman Agrigentum.

Today the archaeological park covers some 1,300 hectares of olive and almond groves, ancient walls, tombs and sanctuaries, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Many travellers ask whether the Valley of the Temples is worth visiting: it holds some of the finest Doric temples outside Greece, set in a landscape that has changed little in centuries, and it is the main reason people travel to Agrigento.

The Temple of Concordia and the eastern ridge

The eastern half of the walk is the most spectacular. The Temple of Juno, from about 450 BC, stands at the highest point, with some columns still showing reddish marks from the fire of 406 BC. Further along, the Temple of Concordia, built around 440 BC, is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, with all of its 34 columns standing. It survived because it was converted into a Christian church in the 6th century AD; its name comes from a Latin inscription found nearby.

Past Concordia, the path follows the line of the ancient city walls, cut with early-Christian tombs, to the Temple of Heracles, the oldest on the ridge, whose eight re-erected columns date from the late 6th century BC. A large modern bronze of a fallen winged figure lies in front of Concordia and is a favourite photo spot. The audio guide app explains each monument as you go.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus and the western area

Across the road lies the western area, dominated by the ruins of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun after the victory of Akragas over Carthage at Himera in 480 BC. It was the largest Doric temple ever attempted, about 113 m long, and was never finished. Between its columns stood giant stone figures called telamons, about 7.5 m tall, which helped support the structure; a reconstructed telamon lies on the ground, while an original stands in the archaeological museum.

Beyond it rise the four columns of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, reassembled in the 19th century from fragments and now the symbol of Agrigento. Below them, the Kolymbethra Garden fills an ancient reservoir with citrus, olive and almond trees, a green corner worth a short detour. This area has less shade, so plan it for the cooler part of the day.

Planning your visit: tickets, opening hours and surroundings

The park opens at 08:30, and closing time is usually 19:00, with later evening openings on some summer dates. Allow two to three hours for the main route of about 3 km along the ridge. As for how to get to the Valley of the Temples, the park lies about 3 km below Agrigento's historic centre, reached by city bus or taxi, while Palermo is about two hours away by road or rail. With this skip-the-line ticket you go straight to the gate.

The best time to visit the Valley of the Temples is spring, when the almond trees blossom in February and March, or autumn; in summer come early or late, as there is little shade. Afterwards, the regional archaeological museum nearby displays finds from the site, and the hilltop old town of Agrigento, with its cathedral and medieval lanes, makes a fine end to the day.