Whether you’re visiting the Sicily’s Valley of the Temples from Agrigento or further afield, this guide contains everything you need to plan the perfect visit.
Updated 2021
The Valley of the Temples is a special place.
Situated on the dry arid hilltops overlooking the penetrating blues of the Mediterranean sea, these iconic temples have stood strong in the face of the winds, the invasions, the wars, the sorrows, the eruptions, and the shifting plates and political fortunes of Sicily.
For 2,500 years, they have remained standing - resolute in form and expression.
尽管有些不可否认见过更好的日子,weather and time beginning to edge ahead in their eternal battle, these famous Greek temples of Sicily scattered amongst the olive trees, the modern tarmac road, the dusty pathways, are something to be treasured by any visitor to the island.
In this practical guide to the Valley of the Temples - written for travellers planning a day trip or tour - we’ve shared our personal tips on visiting one of Sicily’s most popular sites. It includes clear advice on planning your route across the park’s two zones, an overview of the transport options from Agrigento, a little bit of a history lesson, and the reason you really shouldn’t visit the park at 1pm in July.
Here are seven essential things to know before you visit the Valley of the Temples in Sicily.
VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES | THE BASICS
Located outside Agrigento, on the southwestern coast of Sicily.
联合国教科文组织的遗产，八个希腊寺庙和废墟。
全部入口为12欧元，您可以购买在线“跳过队列”门票.
The site can be reached by public transport, rental car, or a tour.
A day trip visit involves walking 4-5 kms and lasts 3-4 hours.
It’s All Greek To Me (And Everyone Else)
So, in a nutshell, why are there lots of Greek temples in Sicily? And why are they all conveniently in one place?
Various coastal areas of southern Italy were once colonies of the city-states of ancient Greece; collectively, these were known as麦格纳·格雷西亚（Magna Graecia）（或伟大的希腊）。在文化和语言上，它们被形状并反映了希腊人。
In Sicily, the city of Akragas was founded as a colony in the 6th century BC and developed to become “地中海世界的主要城市之一”. Its prosperous and pivotal status as the third-largest city within Magana Graecia, according to UNESCO, was clearly demonstrated by the cluster of light honey-coloured Doric temples which dominated Akragas.
尽管Akragas现在是Agrigento，而希腊人早已不复存在，但这是他们公元前四世纪和5世纪寺庙的广泛遗骸，现在属于“寺庙谷”的伞。
Not only are the temples tangible testaments to the golden age of the Greeks in Sicily, but they are some of the finest, best preserved examples of the style outside of Greece itself. Indeed, for some, the complex of eight temples comes second only to the Athens’ Acropolis.
Plan | The stunningisland of Ortigia在东海岸也是西西里岛的重要希腊地点，
All Roads Lead to Agrigento…
Agrigento serves as the gateway city to what the Greeks left behind.
由于寺庙的山谷仅在山顶城市外只有三公里 /不到两英里，因此它是访问前后自我的最合乎逻辑的地方。因此，您可以在城市及其周围找到很多负担得起的住宿（请参阅Agrigento最佳住宿选择的这篇文章）。
From Agrigento, there are three ways to reach the entrances to the Valley of the Temples park complex.
By public bus
Take the Number 1 bus from Agrigento. It departs every 30 minutes, and will stop at the archaeological museum (15 minutes) and the Porta V Western entrance (20 minutes).
2号公共汽车 /朱诺（Juno） /朱诺（Juno）入口（15分钟）的东部tempio di hera / temper频率较低，但它的出发频率少于数字1。
You can catch either from the bus station on Piazzale Rosselli (Google Maps) or the square directly outside the train station in Agrigento (Google Maps). Tickets cost €1.70 if purchased on board, but are a little cheaper when you buy in advance from a cafe or kiosks inside the train station. Remember to validate your ticket in the machine when you board, and keep an eye out for your stop.
There is a timetable and route map for all Agrigento buseshere.
Walk
从Agrigento到东部入口可能只有3公里，但请记住，在西西里的夏季高温中（更多地介绍了为什么这很重要）可能会更长的时间。如果您走路，请确保您在清晨离开。
Taxi
You could also take a taxi for the short ride (€10-12) but the bus is really the best option.
…但是您不必留在Agrigento！
On our ownSicily road trip，我们想沿着南部海岸而不是在阿格里根托（Agrigento）保持更远的位置。
For some of you reading and planning your own route, you may really want to visit the Valley of the Temples but you won’t have a rental car or will be based on the west or east coast. Thankfully, it’s still absolutely possible to visit the Temples on a day trip if you don’t plan on staying in Agrigento! Here’s how:
乘搭火车
Agrigento is cheap and easy to reach by train fromPalermo（2个小时，9欧元），并且有定期出发。不幸的是，火车与西西里岛东部的连接（即卡塔尼亚at 3.5-4.5 hours, €16) are really not convenient if you’re hoping to visit Agrigento for a day trip.
If you want to take the train in Sicily, we recommend reading this post first:意大利火车旅行的12个基本技巧.
By Rental Car
As we did, you can simply stay elsewhere along the southern coast and make your own way by car to the Valley of the Temples.
There are two dusty paid parking lots at both the western and eastern entrances. They’re signposted, but in a bit of a confusing way, so our advice is to stick one in Google Maps and follow the directions.
We parked inParcheggio Tempio Di Giunone(Google Maps东入口处,停车费€2 for the first hour, €1 for the second hour, and then €0.50 for each subsequent hour, with a maximum daily rate of €5. So, as an example, the total cost would be €3.50 if you parked for three hours. The machine accepted notes, but we'd recommend you bring enough small change and cash for your day at the Temples generally. Don’t lose your ticket as you need it to exit!
You can find the larger western entrance car parkhere on Google Maps, and we imagine the parking cost it around the same.
Plan |15 Essential Tips for Driving in Sicily+This Is Our Perfect Sicily Road Trip Itinerary
By Tour
If you don’t have your own wheels or the train connection is unrealistic, your best option is to take one of several guided day trip tours which bring you to the Valley of the Temples from other locations in Sicily.
FromPalermo|Full Day in Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples |View here
From卡塔尼亚|Full day in Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, and the Temples |View here
FromTaormina|寺庙和别墅romana del Casale的一日游|View here
Plan | A short drive from the Temples, you can find some lovely stretches of beach as well as the stunning土耳其楼梯.
You Can Buy Tickets Online
值得庆幸的是，您可以享受寺庙的山谷，远低于100,000欧元的Googlereportedly paidto rent the temples out for a gala dinner as part of their annual summer summit! It’s actually free for children under 18 and reduced for EU citizens aged 18-25, but just remember that you will likely need proof / ID.
Valley of The Temples Tickets
Full price | €12
优惠|€7
Free | Children under 18 years old of all nationalities and for EVERYONE on the first Sunday of the month.
Tickets can be purchased at either the western or eastern entrance (we’ll explain the difference between the two in the next section) with cash or card. You can also buy‘fast track’ tickets online，这使您可以绕过夏季的人群和旅游团，并在到达时“跳过队列”。有关更多详细信息或购买您的票，click here.
Audioguides are available in English, Italian, French, Spanish, or German for €5.00 - simply buy and collect at ticket desks. We didn’t take these as we were more focussed on photography in the summer heat and had done quite a bit of research beforehand, but they’d likely be a great addition to someone wanting a better perspective on the site’s history and importance. A personal piece of ID is required as a deposit.
Update 2021 | Due to the current situation, it appears that the 'fast track’ tickets are not currently available and there are new requirements for entry, such as the ‘Green Pass’. You are still able to book tickets viathe official website, where you can also find further information on Valley of the Temples entry requirements.
开放时间 +日落
The park is open every day from 8.30 am - 7 pm. During summer high season (usually mid-July to mid-September), the hours extend to 11 pm during the week, and until midnight on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The ticket office closes one hour before closing time.
As the eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed, you can access the park until quite late in summer. These sunset and late-night openings are an increasingly popular way to experience the temples, especially for those based in Agrigento, as they are illuminated by the setting sun and then artfully placed light installations.
You can visit for sunset and the nighttime lights independently, or take anagrigento的夜间导游.
To stay abreast of any changes to opening times, visit the official website.
提前选择您的入口 +路线
The whole site extends over a much larger area than some people may expect - 3,212 acres to be precise. It also involves quite a bit of walking, so that’s really important to appreciate before you arrive if you have health or mobility issues.
正如我们提到的，寺庙考古公园的山谷有两个入口，公园分为两个区域。这在进行自己的访问研究时会引起我们的困惑，但实际上真的很简单！
Note that temples are often referred to by several names - the Greek, the Italian, or the English - and we’ve used the English primiarily below.
Eastern Zone
In this area, you will find the three most complete and well-preserved ruins - they’re sort of the superstars of the park.
其中包括6世纪的赫拉克勒斯 /赫拉克尔寺（Agrigento最古老的寺庙）和令人惊叹的Concordia庙（其中之一best preservedDoric temples in existence in the world). There’s also a cafe and free public toilets.
这个入口就在Juno / Hera Lacinia的神庙外（在这里找到它Google Maps)
Western Zone
Home to the magnificent Temple of Zeus / Jupiter (thought to have been thegreatest Doric temple of the west), the Temple of Castore and Polluce, and a Sanctuary dedicated to the goddesses Demetria and Kore. It also had some adorable goats indigenous to the island which they’re trying to preserve!
The entrance and car park can be found here onGoogle Maps.
Everybody will explore the the two zones during their visit and your ticket covers both zones - it really isn’t a big deal whether you arrive at one or the other. The western entrance probably has more parking spaces and would be the ‘main’ entry point, but that’s just splitting hairs. The route along the dusty path to all the temples and ruins is obvious, and quite well sign-posted (although many of the other signs and explanations in the park could be improved).
In total, it’s a little over 2 km from the western entrance to the eastern entrance. Visiting the temples across these two zones will take 2-3 hours and that will be sufficient for most visitors (it was for us).
公园布局的唯一不便是，无论选择从哪个停车场或入口进入，您都必须在公园里回去自己，以返回汽车。这是加热的原因，就是为什么他们在公园内创建了穿梭巴士的原因（请参见下一节）。
If you take the public bus from Agrigento, the best route may be to take bus 2/ from Agrigento and disembark at the Eastern / Temple of Juno entrance, and then take bus 1 back to Agrigento from outside the other end of the park (or vice versa - just remember that bus 2/ is less frequent). This means you don’t have to walk back through the park like everyone else.
If you take the bus and find a more efficient way, let us know your suggestions in the comments!
The Museum + Gardens
那些对这一时期和考古学非常感兴趣的人应该考虑将区域考古博物馆和一些其他遗址（即埃斯库拉皮奥神庙，黛米特拉神庙）添加到他们的日间旅行路线中。
The museum is on the main road between the temple and Agrigento (Google Maps); it’s a very manageable 15 - 20 minute walk from the eastern zone cafe. The other ruins are probably best accessed by car.
If you would like to visit the museum, then you should purchase the Valley of The Temples + Archaeological Museum Combined Ticket. It’s €15.50 for adults, €9 for 18-25 year olds, and free for children under 18 years old of all nationalities. It’s free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.
It’s also possible to add on a visit to the Garden of Kolymbethra, but we preferred to go to the beach. The combined ticket for the Valley of the Temples and Gardens is €17 for adults, €11 for 18-25 years olds.
Prepare for the Heat. Seriously
In summer, Sicily gets hot.
Seriously hot.
If you plan on walking nearly 5km in an archaeological park which has next to no shade, then you need to appreciate this and prepare accordingly. From our own visit, it was clear that it took quite a lot of people by surprise! So, here’s what you need to do:
Avoid exploring the Valley of the Temples in peak sunshine hours (i.e. 12 pm - 3 pm). However, due to tour schedules or your own plans, this may be unavoidable.
Stay hydrated. We always travel with our ownrefillable water bottles无论如何，要减少不必要的塑料消耗，并希望更多的旅客能够做同样的事情。在公园里，他们也有许多饮用水喷泉，因此您可以在探索和保持水分时轻松填充！如果您想了解更多有关如何的信息，请阅读这篇文章travel with less plastic.
Take breaks. As we mentioned, there’s really not much shade within either of the zones. However, if you do find a spot under a tree or whatever, then take the opportunity to get out of the sun. There’s also the cafe area in the eastern zone.
Wear a hat and lots of suncream.
If the heat really does become too much for you, then you’ll be happy to know that there is an electric shuttle (it’s a big golf cart really) inside the park. We can’t recall where exactly it runs to/from, but it’s probably to both entrances and we remember that it costs €3 per person (possibly cheaper if you buy it in advance from the the ticket office)! If you do have any better information, let us know in the comments.
另外，请记住，在夏天，您可以在午后和傍晚参观山谷，当时它应该令人惊叹！
Please Be A Responsible Tourist
这应该不用说，但是在参观了寺庙的山谷（以及过去几年的其他许多景点）之后，很明显，许多人对古迹或环境没有足够的尊重或欣赏。
安德鲁got into…heated discussions…with two separate people who were walking all over two separate temples, when it was clear that this was not allowed. Their lack of understanding or surprise that, perhaps, walking indiscriminately on a 2,500 year old UNESCO heritage site my not be considered sensible or respectful spoke volumes. And if you’re going to break the rules for your Instagram or a photo opp, then please don’t.
Thankfully, after these discussions, other visitors said that they were also appalled by the behaviour and had wanted to speak up - so please don’t feel embarrassed or stupid about speaking up if you see someone showing a lack of respect and responsibility for the Temples! There aren’t many guards or attendants around and the site is very open (a good thing), so it’s up to all of us to ensure that it remains that way and that the ruins, temples, and statues are not poked, prodded, and treated like a pavement by other tourists (as has happened一次又一次在庞贝）。当您参观寺庙山谷时，请：
Stick to the routes and paths.
Observe any signs and instruction.
不要损坏或触摸废墟，寺庙和雕像。
将垃圾放在垃圾箱中或随身携带。
Every touch leaves a trace, and none of us want tourism to be the thing which destroys these historic ruins quicker than anything else in the last 25 centuries.
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