Ortigia Siracusa Self-Guided Audio Walk: Temple of Apollo, Arethusa Spring and the Greek-Temple Cathedral
1 hour and 40 minutes
About this experience
Siracusa began on the small island of Ortigia, and its old streets keep showing second lives: a Greek temple that is now a cathedral, Spanish sea walls that are now terraces, and a roofless church that was probably a Jewish quarter's synagogue. The 1800s and the 1930s also cleared much of the old town away, and you will see what that left. Start at the Archimedes statue by the bridge and walk to the Temple of Apollo, with its builder's name cut into the step, then along streets of carved balconies into the old Jewish quarter. Follow the sea wall to Castello Maniace, follow the Great Harbour battle through Thucydides, then reach Arethusa's spring and the cathedral built into a Greek temple. Twelve stops, about 2.7 km and 1 hour 40 minutes, in English at your own pace. The ritual bath, castle interior and cathedral interior are optional paid visits.
- Experience type
- Day tour or activity
- Duration
- 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Audio guide
- English
- Guide
- English
- Categories
- Walking tour · Cultural and theme tours · City tours
What's included
Self-guided audio tour in English: 12 stops, 2.7 km, 100 minutes Stops at Temple of Apollo, Spanish sea walls, Giudecca lanes GPS map and walking directions in your phone browser, no app needed Lifetime access: start any day, at any hour, and replay it
What's not included
A live guide: you set the pace and the pauses A fixed start time: begin whenever you arrive Museum and monument tickets, all optional extras Tip or gratuity Food and drinks Entry or admission fee
Please note
To start the tour, enter the ticket code from your confirmation on the Roamer redemption page linked there. Do this before you set off, while you still have signal. The tour then opens in your phone browser, with no app to download. Bring a charged phone and earphones. Mobile data helps; if you have none, open the tour on wifi before you set off. Best time: A Tuesday to Saturday morning, starting around 9:30 a.m.: the cathedral opens at 9:00 (closed Sundays), the market fills the streets in the morning, and the light on the sea walls is soft. Avoid Sunday if you want to go inside the cathedral. In summer, go early, because the island has little shade. The Temple of Apollo can be seen from the pavement at any hour and cannot be entered (checked 3 October 2026). The Alla Giudecca ritual bath at stop 6 is a guided visit every 30 minutes, 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 18:00 daily (last guided tour at 18:00, 18:30 from 2 June), EUR 7, per the municipal page updated 1 June 2026. Phone 0931 21467. Castello Maniace's price and hours were not confirmed for 2026 (the municipal page shows EUR 6 / EUR 3 and hours from early 2025). Check at the door. The Fonte Aretusa walkway is EUR 5; opening hours differ between sources, so check at the entrance. The view from the free parapet needs no ticket (checked 3 October 2026). The cathedral interior is EUR 2 plus a EUR 1 booking fee, open 9:00 to 17:30 October to December, closed Sundays and during services, with closures on 8, 11, 12, 13 and 25 December 2026 (checked 3 October 2026). The open-air market runs most mornings except Sunday; source hours range from about 7:00 to 14:00, so go before noon. Ortigia is a limited-traffic zone, but local vehicles still use its narrow streets: keep to the walls. The Fontana di Diana lost decorative friezes in early September 2026 (press, 2 September 2026). You may see barriers or gaps on arrival at stop 3. Via della Maestranza and other lanes have no pavement and are shared with local vehicles. The coast road toward the castle is one-way with traffic: keep to the pavement on the sea side. On the quiet streets after the Giudecca, keep to the side, away from cars. The ritual bath at stop 6 involves about 58 steep steps and is not suitable for reduced mobility. Castello Maniace: the gate into Piazza Federico di Svevia at stop 8 was not confirmed open at all hours. If it is closed, listen to stop 8 from the road just outside it. The cathedral facade and the Piazza Minerva side were being worked on in spring 2026; check for scaffolding or netting at stops 11 and 12. Sea-wall railings and edges on the Lungomare are old: take care at the drops. Wear flat shoes with grip for the worn paving. The Ipogeo of Piazza Duomo (an underground site open on set mornings) and the Artemision are not part of the route. Public transportation nearby
Itinerary
- 1Day 0
Ponte Umbertino: Archimedes on a Puzzle
Ponte Umbertino, Via Malta, Syracuse
A bronze Archimedes stands on a small island beside the bridge, on a base cut like his puzzle.
- 2Day 0
Temple of Apollo: The Builder Who Signed the Step
3 Via dell'Apollonion, Syracuse
This early Greek temple later served as a church and barracks, and a builder signed its step.
- 3Day 0
Piazza Archimede: A Fountain of Rusting Concrete
Piazza Archimede, Syracuse
The Fontana di Diana is made of reinforced concrete, not stone, and the square around it was made by demolition.
- 4Day 0
Via della Maestranza: Balconies on Stone Brackets
1 Ronco Giovanni Antonio Capobianco, Syracuse
Iron balconies on carved stone brackets line the street of the craftsmen.
- 5Day 0
San Giovannello: The Church With No Roof
14 Piazza del Precursore, Syracuse
This church has had no roof since the earthquake of 1693, and may once have been the quarter's synagogue.
- 6Day 0
The Giudecca Lanes: A Quarter Emptied in 1492
38 Vicolo Quarto di Via della Giudecca, Syracuse
Ortigia's Jewish quarter emptied in 1492, but a rock-cut ritual bath survives below.
- 7Day 0
Belvedere della Turba: A Sea Wall Turned Terrace
Lungomare d'Ortigia, Siracusa
A Spanish sea wall is now a terrace above the Ionian Sea.
- 8Day 0
Castello Maniace: The Emperor's Castle at the Tip
Via Gaetano Abela, Syracuse
Frederick II built this castle at the island's tip in the 1230s.
- 9Day 0
The Great Harbour: Two Hundred Ships in One Bay
20 Lungomare Alfeo, Syracuse
In 413 BC nearly two hundred ships fought in this bay.
- 10Day 0
Fonte Aretusa: A Spring, a Myth and a Nelson Letter
Fonte Aretusa, Largo Aretusa, Syracuse
Water rises beside the sea here, and poets explained why.
- 11Day 0
Piazza Duomo: Metal Lines and a Stage-Set Facade
4b Piazza Duomo, Syracuse
Metal lines in the paving trace buildings found beneath this square.
- 12Day 0
Via Minerva: The Temple Built Into the Cathedral
3 Piazza Minerva, Syracuse
Greek temple columns still stand in the cathedral's side wall.
Meeting point
Ponte Umbertino, Siracusa Ponte Umbertino, Via Malta, Siracusa, Sicilia, IT
Pick up
Pickup is not provided.
Cancellation policy · Ortigia Siracusa Self-Guided Audio Walk: Temple of Apollo, Arethusa Spring and the Greek-Temple Cathedral
Standard Viator policy
- Cancellation 0–24 hours before departure: 100% cancellation fee.
- Cancellation 24–24000 hours before departure: 0% cancellation fee.
Good to know
Operated by Roamer and sold by AGORA. Your voucher and booking reference arrive by email straight after payment.