If you’re planning a vacation in Agrigento and want to organize yourself in advance to know what to see in the archaeological area of Agrigento, then you’ve come to the right place. The archaeological area of Agrigento, better known as the Valley of the Temples, is located along the southern coast of Sicily and encompasses the entire territory of the ancient polis, from the Athenian Rock to the acropolis and the Doric temples on the sacred hill outside the walls.
The extraordinary Doric temples truly testify to the greatness and supremacy of Agrigento, founded by the Greeks in the 6th century BC and later becoming one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean, not only for trade but also for cultural life. Additionally, the great philosopher Empedocles was born in this city in 495 BC.
Agrigento’s history saw a resurgence after its subjugation by the Carthaginians in 406 BC, with its conquest by the Romans in 210 BC, but also its decline and depopulation due to the weakening of the Roman Empire. The city first became Arab (in 829) and later Norman (in 1086), retaining the name given by its last rulers, Girgenti, until 1927, when it took back its current name, Agrigento. Today, the original site, beautifully preserved, is a magnificent and extraordinary example of Greek architecture and one of the most significant testimonies in the world of Doric architecture.
Here are the hours for the archaeological area of Agrigento
Starting with the opening hours of the Valley of the Temples archaeological area: on weekdays, you can enter from 08:30 to 19:00 (exit by 20:00), while on holidays and the day before holidays, you can enter between 08:30 and 19:00 (exit by 20:00).
Regarding the entrance ticket, there are full tickets from January 1 to December 31, 2024, costing only €12.00 per person. Another type of ticket is the reduced one, which costs €6.00 per person, and the free ticket available only on the first Sunday of every month.
As for the valley and the archaeological museum, the combined full ticket costs €16.80 per person, while the reduced one costs €8.40 per person. There’s also the option of a combined ticket for the Valley of the Temples and the Kolymbetra Garden, where the full ticket costs €18 and the reduced ticket costs €12.
However, it should be noted that there are certain situations where the entrance ticket is reduced, such as for European Union citizens aged 18 to 25 and FAI members. Free admission is granted to all citizens under 18, Italian school teachers (permanent or fixed-term), tour guides and interpreters, groups or parties of students from public and private schools accompanied by a teacher for every 10 students, with prior reservation.
Additionally, free tickets are available to all professors and students of faculties of architecture, cultural heritage, education sciences, degree courses in literature or fine arts academies, and those enrolled in their respective postgraduate and specialization schools.
