Free Walking Tour Agrigento: Cathedral to the Temples

Start among the baroque palaces of the old town and end among the Doric temples of ancient Akragas. In one day you walk from medieval Agrigento back to its Greek beginnings.

5 Stops 5.9 km ~1 h 23 min walking
Start free in your browser See all stops
Route map for the Agrigento walking tour
Stop 1 of 5
790 m·10 min
Agrigento Cathedral
Head south-east down the lanes toward Via Atenea
Buongiorno, welcome to Agrigento. I'm Alex, and one of this city's ancient ruins came down to us in human form.
Try this tour with Alex
Try this tour with Alex
Start free in your browser See all stops

This Agrigento route at a glance

Five stops from Agrigento Cathedral along Via Atenea to the Valley of the Temples, 5.9 km with 1 h 23 min of pure walking. With visits inside the cathedral, the museum, the garden and the Valley, plan on about seven hours.

Via Atenea is free; the Regional Archaeological Museum Pietro Griffo, the Garden of Kolymbetra and the other two stops charge admission. Route, map and GPS navigation are free in your browser; the optional AI Tour Guide leads the walk as a conversation.

Open free GPS & optional AI Tour Guide
This short shows highlights of the route. All 5 stops follow below.

The Route

Agrigento walking map: old town to the temples

5 stops 5.9 km 1 h 23 min walking
Tap to load interactive map
Open the full route with live navigation

The 5 stops along this route

  1. Agrigento Cathedral, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Agrigento Cathedral
  2. Via Atenea in Agrigento, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Via Atenea
  3. Regional Archaeological Museum Pietro Griffo in Agrigento, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Regional Archaeological Museum Pietro Griffo
  4. Garden of Kolymbetra in Agrigento, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Garden of Kolymbetra
  5. Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Valley of the Temples
  6. That's the full route.

    Walk it with an AI Tour Guide talking you through every one of these streets.

    Start free in your browser
    You made it

Agrigento walking tour stops, from San Gerlando to Akragas

  1. 1

    Agrigento Cathedral

    Agrigento Cathedral, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour

    The walk starts at the mother church of the city, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Gerlando and still Agrigento's main Catholic place of worship. It has been a national monument since 1940, and in December 1951 Pope Pius XII raised it to the rank of minor basilica.

    There is an admission charge, and the ticket covers the cathedral itself, its towers and the room with the sarcophagi, so you get three things for one entry. It is worth it if you like churches or want a quiet half hour before the busy part of the day. The All-In ticket adds the Mudia and Santa Maria dei Greci, which only pays off if you have time for both.

    From the cathedral it is 790 m and about 12 minutes on foot to Via Atenea, where the old town turns from church to shopping street.

    Local name
    Cattedrale di San Gerlando
    Hours
    Daily 09:30–19:00
    Price
    5 EUR (includes Cathedral, towers, and sarcophagi room); All-In combo ticket: 7 EUR full, 5 EUR reduced (18-25), free under 18 (includes Cathedral, Mudia, Santa Maria dei Greci)
  2. 2

    Via Atenea

    Via Atenea in Agrigento, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour

    Locals call Via Atenea the city's "salotto buono", its best parlour. It is the main street of the historic centre, winding from Porta di Ponte to Piazza Pirandello, also known as Piazza Municipio, with lanes and narrow alleys branching off along its whole length.

    Look up as you walk: the street plan is medieval, but many of the palaces and churches lining it are baroque. Between them sit clothing shops and restaurants, because this is still Agrigento's most important shopping street, and the contrast between shop windows and noble facades is the charm of the place. It is free and open around the clock, so it works just as well for an evening stroll.

    Next comes the longest leg of the route: 2,500 m and 34 minutes to the Regional Archaeological Museum Pietro Griffo, where the story jumps from the medieval town to the Greek city.

    Hours
    24/7
    Price
    Free
  3. 3

    Regional Archaeological Museum Pietro Griffo

    Regional Archaeological Museum Pietro Griffo in Agrigento, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour

    This is Agrigento's regional archaeological museum, named after Pietro Griffo. It is the stop where ancient Akragas moves indoors before you see it in the open air.

    The museum charges admission. Go in if you want context before standing among the temples; plan about an hour and a half. If your day is short or you mainly want the landscape, skip it and save your energy for the Valley.

    From the museum it is 1,650 m and 21 minutes to the Garden of Kolymbetra.

    Local name
    Museo archeologico regionale Pietro Griffo
    Hours
    Mon–Sun 09:00–19:30 (last entry 19:00)
    Price
    10 EUR full, 5 EUR reduced (EU citizens 18-25); integrated Valley of the Temples + Museum ticket: 20.20 EUR full, 10.60 EUR reduced; free under 18 and eligible categories
  4. 4

    Garden of Kolymbetra

    Garden of Kolymbetra in Agrigento, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour

    The garden sits in a small valley right in the heart of the Valley of the Temples. Its name comes from a Greek word for a kind of pool used in Roman times for water games, and today it is an archaeological site valued just as much for its plants and landscape.

    By the late 20th century the place had been left to decay. In 1999 the Sicilian Region handed it to the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) free of charge for 25 years, and the FAI's restoration of plants and structures brought it back. Thanks to that work you can now visit the Temple of Hephaestus and discover some of the underground chambers.

    Book online, where the ticket is cheaper than at the gate; students and residents get a reduced rate. Opening hours change through the year and are shorter in winter, so check them before you go. Give it about 45 minutes if you enjoy gardens and quieter corners.

    From the garden it is 990 m and 16 minutes to the Valley of the Temples, the last stop.

    Hours
    Open daily: Jan–Feb 10:00–16:00; Mar–May 10:00–18:00; Jun 10:00–19:00; Jul–Sep 10:00–20:00; Oct 10:00–18:00; Nov–Dec 10:00–16:00. Last entry 30 min before closing
    Price
    Standalone Garden admission: 6 EUR online (8 EUR on site) full, 5 EUR students (18-25) and Agrigento residents, 3 EUR children (6-17), free under 6 and FAI members; Valley + Garden combo: 20 EUR full (or 23 EUR depending on season/exhibition), 12 EUR reduced
  5. 5

    Valley of the Temples

    Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour

    This is what you came for: an archaeological park with a series of important Doric temples from the Hellenic period, in an exceptional state of preservation. It corresponds to ancient Akragas, the monumental original core of Agrigento, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

    Since 2000 the area has been a regional archaeological park of Sicily. At 1,300 hectares it is considered the largest archaeological park in Europe and the Mediterranean, so do not expect to see everything; two and a half hours give you a good sense of it. It is the symbol of the city and one of the main sights of the whole island.

    The Valley charges admission, currently including a supplement for a temporary exhibition, and young EU citizens get a reduced ticket. Your route ends here.

    Local name
    Valle dei Templi
    Hours
    Mon–Sun 08:30–20:00 (last entry 19:00). Summer evening openings (Jun 20 – Sep 20): Mon–Fri 08:30–23:00 (last entry 22:00), weekends & holidays 08:30–24:00 (last entry 23:00)
    Price
    14 EUR full (includes current temporary exhibition supplement of 3 EUR; base 11 EUR), 7 EUR reduced (EU citizens 18-25); integrated Valley + Pietro Griffo Museum: 19.20 EUR full, 9.60 EUR reduced; combo Valley + Kolymbethra Garden: 20 EUR full, 12 EUR reduced; free under 18 and statutory free categories (and first Sunday of the month until 19:00)
Walking tour route map of Agrigento Route loaded
Agrigento CathedralVia AteneaRegional Archaeological Museum Pietro GriffoGarden of Kolymbetra+1
All 5 stops are already on the map.
You just press start.
AI Tour Guide

You know the way to the temples. Now walk it with a guide in your ear.

Press start wherever you are, even hundreds of kilometres from Agrigento, and the guide begins telling its stories right away. In the city, pick any of the 5 stops to start from: it leads you there, then talks with you the whole route, asking, listening, remembering, and shaping the tour around your answers.

5stops 5.9km 1 h 23 minwalking 13languages
▶Start the tour free

Free to start · Runs in your browser · No app, no download

Shorter ways to walk Agrigento

Not everyone has a full day. These three cuts keep the route in its recommended order and let you choose between the old town, the archaeology, or a mix of both.

Old town only

Stops: 1, 2

For an evening or a free hour in town. Just 790 m and 12 minutes of walking between the cathedral and Via Atenea; the only ticket is the cathedral's, and you can skip that and still enjoy the street.

Old town plus the museum

Stops: 1, 2, 3

For a half day with an indoor focus. 3,290 m and 46 minutes on foot; tickets for the cathedral and the Pietro Griffo museum. A good choice if you plan to see the Valley on another day.

Archaeology day

Stops: 3, 4, 5

For travellers who came for ancient Akragas. Start at the museum and walk 2,640 m in 37 minutes through the garden to the Valley; you pay for the museum, the garden and the Valley, or use one of the combined tickets.

How long this Agrigento tour takes, with and without tickets

The pure walking time is 1 h 23 min. A realistic full day looks like this: at the cathedral at 09:30, half an hour inside, then 12 minutes to Via Atenea at 10:12 and twenty minutes along the street. The 34 minute walk brings you to the museum around 11:06; after an hour and a half there you reach the garden at 12:57, spend about 45 minutes and arrive at the Valley around 13:58. Give the temples two and a half hours and you finish around 16:30, so about seven hours in total.

The variants are much shorter: the old town alone takes about an hour with the cathedral visit, old town plus museum about three hours, and the archaeology day a little over five hours.

Before you set off in Agrigento

  • Start and finish: The recommended start is Agrigento Cathedral, and the walk ends in the Valley of the Temples. You can join at any stop; the order here is simply the one that flows best.
  • When to go: Start in the morning to fit everything in. The Garden of Kolymbetra keeps shorter hours in winter, so on winter days keep the morning in town short, and plan to reach the Valley well before evening.
  • Admission: The walk itself costs nothing. The cathedral, museum, garden and Valley each charge admission, the garden is cheaper if you book online, and combined tickets can bring the total down.
Walking tour route map of Agrigento
AI Tour Guide

Your guide to Agrigento is ready when you are

Press start and a voice AI Tour Guide takes it from here: leading the route through Agrigento, telling the stories, and turning your walk into a real back-and-forth conversation. No app or download is needed; it runs in your browser.

5stops 5.9km 1 h 23 minwalking 13languages
▶Start the tour free

Free to start · Runs in your browser · No app, no download

What the AI Tour Guide adds between the old town and the temples

On this route the story runs backwards in time, from a baroque street to a Greek city, and the AI Tour Guide carries that thread for you. It greets you at the cathedral, tells the stories behind each place as you walk, asks what interests you and remembers it: say you care about daily life in Akragas and the long walk to the museum turns into that story, or ask who San Gerlando was and who Pietro Griffo was, and it picks up from there. You can interrupt at any moment. You start with 100 free credits; after that you choose between this tour all-inclusive for €19.99 with no time limit, or credits at €5 per hour.

A Real Conversation A voice AI Tour Guide greets you, leads the whole route, and tells the stories and facts as you walk, asking what you want to see and keeping a real conversation going. Not a recording you press play on.
Map Navigation Follow the route on the map and walk at your own pace. You choose where to start and when to move to the next stop.
Ask Anything Curious about a building you pass? Ask your AI Tour Guide on the spot and the conversation carries on.
13 Languages Switch language anytime. No separate tour needed.
Start free in your browser

Common questions about Agrigento's sights

Can I visit the Valley of the Temples in the evening?

Yes, in summer. During the summer season the Valley stays open into the evening, and on weekends and holidays even later into the night.

Is there a free day at the Valley of the Temples?

Yes, entry is free on certain days, and children and teenagers get in free every day.

Which combined tickets are worth it?

There is an integrated ticket for the Valley and the Pietro Griffo museum, and a combo ticket for the Valley and the Garden of Kolymbetra. If you plan to see the museum and the temples, ask for the integrated ticket at the first ticket office; it costs less than two single tickets.

Do children pay?

Children and teenagers go free at the museum and the Valley, and the cathedral's All-In ticket is free for them too. At the Garden of Kolymbetra older children pay a reduced ticket, while the youngest go free.

Can I combine Agrigento with another Sicilian city?

Agrigento sits 93 km from Palermo and 110 km from Ragusa, both with their own walking routes. Since this tour fills a full day, plan the other city as a separate day.

Is the tour really free?

Yes. The whole tour is free: the route, the interactive map and the navigation cost you nothing. Only the voice AI Tour Guide is optional and paid: you test it with 100 free credits, then you pay either €5 per hour or €19.99 for this whole tour, with no time limit. Admission to 4 of the 5 stops is not included: Agrigento Cathedral, Regional Archaeological Museum Pietro Griffo, Garden of Kolymbetra and Valley of the Temples charge their own entry fees.

Do I need to download an app?

No. Everything runs in your phone browser. Open the route and start walking, no download and no sign-up required.

Do I need to book the walking tour in advance?

No booking needed. This self-guided tour is available anytime. Open the route in your browser and start walking. The AI Tour Guide works instantly, no app, no reservation required.

What languages is the AI Tour Guide available in?

The AI Tour Guide speaks 13 languages, so you take the tour in your own language and can switch at any time.

Can I skip stops or change the route?

Yes. Skip any stop, spend extra time at places you like, or start the route from any point. It is your walk, you set the pace.
Image credits
▶ Start free in your browser Runs in your browser, no app, no download