Agrigento travel guide
Doric temples on a ridge, Pirandello's birthplace and the white Scala dei Turchi
A hilltop city on Sicily's south coast above the Valley of the Temples, the finest group of Greek ruins on the island. Go March to May or September to October, when the open ridge is not baking. Two days covers the temples, the museum and the old town. Prices are above average, and many passports need no visa.
Agrigento sits on a ridge above Sicily's southern coast. On a lower ridge nearer the sea stand the Doric temples of Akragas, the Greek city founded here around 582 BC by settlers from Gela. Under the tyrant Theron in the 5th century BC it grew rich enough to build on a huge scale. The Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO site, is why nearly everyone comes, and it deserves the best part of a day.
Walk the valley from east to west. The Temple of Juno crowns the high eastern end, then the path runs past the Temple of Concordia, one of the best-preserved Greek temples anywhere, to the fallen Temple of Olympian Zeus. Little shade survives along the ridge. In summer start at opening time or come for the last two hours, when the stone turns gold.
Halfway between the town and the temples, the Pietro Griffo archaeological museum puts the ruins in context. Its star is a reconstructed telamon, one of the giant stone figures that once held up the Temple of Olympian Zeus. On a hot afternoon its galleries are also the coolest place for miles. Below the temples, the Kolymbethra garden fills an ancient reservoir with citrus and almond trees.
Up in the modern town, life runs along Via Atenea, a pedestrian street of palazzi, cafes and gelaterie that fills for the evening stroll. Climb the lanes north to the cathedral and the diocesan museum beside it. Villa Bonfiglio, a shady municipal park on Viale della Vittoria, looks out to sea from benches under the pines.
Luigi Pirandello, the Nobel-winning playwright, was born at Caos on the road to Porto Empedocle, and his birthplace is now a small museum. Further west along the coast, the white marl cliff of the Scala dei Turchi drops in steps to the sea. A car makes both easy; without one, allow time for local buses.
Getting here takes patience. No airport serves the city, so most visitors land at Palermo and come down by train or bus in about two hours. Rail links east towards Syracuse and Taormina are slow and need several changes, which is why many travellers fit Agrigento into a loop of the south coast rather than a quick out-and-back.
Explore Agrigento by theme
Find your kind of trip: 24 travel themes, each with the packages in Agrigento.
Agrigento at a glance
The essentials first-time visitors ask about, in one place.
Explore more of Italy
Pick a place by travel style: beaches, nature, cities, heritage, hills, islands.
Nothing in that category yet.
Top things to do in Agrigento
Greek temples and the archaeology museum come first, with the old town, Pirandello's house and the coast as easy extras.
No things to do in Agrigento are listed yet. Browse all things to do
Best time to visit Agrigento
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Warm enough for the sea, cool enough to walk the full length of the valley at midday.
Hot and dry with almost no shade among the temples; go at opening time or late afternoon and spend midday in the museum.
Quiet and mild, with almond trees flowering in the valley from late January.
The almond blossom festival in the Valley of the Temples, held in February or early March, fills the town with folk groups from around the world, so book rooms early.
Packages in Demand
A Journey to Remember
Tours, activities and day trips in and around this destination, with the details you need before booking.
No packages in Agrigento are listed yet. Browse all packages
Create Your Custom-Made Trip to Agrigento
Traveling to Agrigento? Chat with a Local Travel Specialist in Agrigento Who Can Help Organize Your Trip.
START HEREOur Travel Experts are Recommended by
Plan your trip
Practical answers before you go. Pick a topic.
Getting there
Train or coach from Palermo
No airport serves Agrigento, and its rail links point north to Palermo rather than east. Most independent travellers land at Palermo Falcone-Borsellino, get into the city and pick up a regional train at Palermo Centrale. When the line is open it is the simplest route (engineering works put buses in place of trains for much of 2026, so check Trenitalia first), and it ends at Agrigento Centrale on Piazza Marconi, on the south-east edge of the old town, so many hotels are a walk away. Catania suits travellers touring the east of the island first, but crossing Sicily by rail is slow and needs several changes, so a coach or hire car is the better choice from that side. Trapani-Birgi is closest for the west coast. Coaches from all over Sicily pull into the terminal on Piazzale Rosselli.
- Palermo Centrale by train
- About 2 hours when no engineering works are on
- Palermo airport by car
- About 160 km, around 2 hr 15 min
- Catania airport by car
- About 165 km, roughly 2 hr 30 min
- Trapani airport by car
- About 150 km, around 2 hours
- Coach from Trapani
- About 2 hr 20 min to Piazzale Rosselli
- Get off at Agrigento Centrale, not Agrigento Bassa, a minor stop in the valley below the town.
- Coaches also connect Agrigento with Catania, Sciacca and Caltanissetta, and beat the train for anywhere in the east.
Where to stay
Via Atenea lanes or a temple-view hotel
The choice is between evenings and views. The old town around Via Atenea puts restaurants and the evening stroll on your doorstep and is a short walk from the station, but its streets are steep and parking is hard. Hotels along the road down to the temples are quieter, and some look straight at the columns, though you will depend on a car or the buses. San Leone, the seaside suburb, suits a summer stay that mixes beach and ruins.
- Via Atenea and the old town
- Cafes and the evening stroll on the doorstep, steep lanes
- Piazza Marconi
- Next to Agrigento Centrale and the buses down to the temples
- Road to the Valley of the Temples
- Country hotels with temple views, best with a car
- San Leone
- The city's seaside suburb, handy for summer swimming
- During the almond blossom festival in February or early March, old-town rooms fill with visiting folk troupes, so reserve early.
Getting around
TUA buses down to the temple gates
Distances are short but the gradients are not. The old town sits high on its ridge and is easily walked from the station, while the Valley of the Temples lies a few kilometres downhill, too far and too exposed to walk in summer. TUA city buses fill the gap, running from the station area past the archaeological museum and on to the valley. Timetables are online, but printed route maps are not always current, so confirm at the stop.
- TUA city buses
- Lines 1, 2 and 3 and their variants, station to the museum and the valley gates
- Porta V
- Eastern gate by the Temple of Juno, served by some bus runs
- Valley gates
- Main entrance at the western end, Porta V by the Temple of Juno to the east
- On foot
- Via Atenea, the cathedral and Villa Bonfiglio are all close to the station
- Check the TUA timetable for which run ends at which gate, as the route variants change.
Know before you go
What makes Agrigento worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Temple of Concordia in the last hour before closing, when the honey-coloured columns glow against the sea.
- The telamon in the Pietro Griffo museum, a stone giant almost eight metres tall that shows the scale of the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
- The Kolymbethra garden, an old Greek reservoir now planted with orange, lemon and almond trees below the temple ridge.
- Via Atenea after dark, when families walk its length and the gelaterie stay busy late.
- The Scala dei Turchi, a bright white cliff of marl stepped down to the sea west of Porto Empedocle.
Good to know
- Bring water and a hat for the valley; the ridge is open ground and summer afternoons are fierce.
- Plan a one-way walk through the temples, entering at one gate and leaving at the other, then take the bus back up.
- Heading east is slow by train, with changes for Syracuse or Taormina; a bus or hire car is usually quicker.
- Buy bus tickets in advance at a tabacchi, as paying cash on board costs more.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Agrigento, month by month
Sicily's south coast gives Agrigento a hot, dry summer and a mild, wet winter; each month's long-term averages are listed below.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Agrigento (Regione Siciliana, via Wikipedia).
Temple ridge at dawn, Via Atenea by night
Two days in Agrigento starts with a dawn walk west along the ridge of the Valley of the Temples, from the Temple of Juno past the Temple of Concordia, then the Pietro Griffo museum in the afternoon heat. Day two covers the old town and cathedral, then Pirandello's birthplace at Caos and sunset at the Scala dei Turchi.
On the first morning, take a city bus from the station to the Temple of Juno gate and walk west along the ridge with the sun behind you. Linger at the Temple of Concordia, whose columns and pediments survive almost whole because it became a church in the 6th century, then continue past the Temple of Heracles to the scattered blocks of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Duck into the Kolymbethra garden if it is open.
Spend the hot afternoon in the Pietro Griffo museum with the reconstructed telamon, then ride back up to town. In the evening join the crowds on Via Atenea for a gelato and dinner.
Day two starts in the old town: climb to the cathedral and the diocesan museum, then rest in Villa Bonfiglio under the pines. After lunch, drive out to Pirandello's birthplace at Caos and on to the beach below the Scala dei Turchi for the sunset.
Caponata, arancine and valley almonds
Agrigento cooks with what grows in its hot, dry hills: aubergines, olive oil, almonds and citrus. Order caponata, the sweet-sour aubergine stew, and buy arancine for a quick lunch. Via Atenea fills for aperitivo once shops reopen around 17:00.
Aubergine turns up everywhere, fried, stuffed or slow-cooked into caponata, the sweet-sour Sicilian vegetable stew. Bakeries and bars sell arancine, fried rice balls, for a quick lunch between sights, and cafes on Via Atenea pour strong espresso in the morning and serve granita through the summer afternoons.
Early evening is aperitivo time, with wine bars and terrace cafes along Via Atenea filling up after the shops reopen around 17:00. For a special dinner, La Terrazza degli Dei at the Hotel Villa Athena looks straight over the temples and focuses on fresh fish and local produce. Passo dei Briganti, a farmhouse restaurant on the road towards Villaseta, is the country option. Almonds from the valley go into pastries sold all over town, and they are the reason for the February blossom festival.
Caos, the Scala dei Turchi and Eraclea Minoa
The best excursions from Agrigento lie on the coast to the west and are easiest with a hire car. Visit Pirandello's birthplace at Caos, then the white marl cliff of the Scala dei Turchi, where climbing has been banned since 2020 and entry is ticketed and capped, and the Greek site of Eraclea Minoa.
Start at Caos, between Agrigento and Porto Empedocle, where Luigi Pirandello's birthplace is now a small museum. Continue past Porto Empedocle, the working harbour town below, to the Scala dei Turchi near Realmonte, a white marl cliff that falls to the sea in broad natural steps. Climbing on the marl has been banned since 2020 and entry to the area is now ticketed and capped, so view it from the beach, early or late, when the light is soft.
Further west, Eraclea Minoa is a Greek and Roman site on a headland above a long sandy beach, with the remains of a small theatre. Buses from the Agrigento terminal serve Eraclea Minoa, and coaches also continue along the coast to Sciacca, Mazara del Vallo and Marsala. Palermo is about two hours away by train for a city day.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Agrigento. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Our travel desk answers questions about Agrigento
How we research our Agrigento travel guide
Valley of the Temples hours and transport to the site are updated when they change. Agrigento facts follow the Comune di Agrigento website, Italia.it and the UNESCO listing.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of AgrigentoItalia.itUNESCO World Heritage Centre
Before You Go...
Discover Trips & Info
A Travel Network Connection Travelers and locals
Incredible Event & Festival, Don't Miss!
Most Popular Event & Festival of Agrigento
Festivals and events in this destination, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
No upcoming festivals or events in Agrigento are listed right now. Browse all events
Memorable Experiences
Where to Go (& NOT Go) In Agrigento!
Roaming the World one Adventure at a Time: Travel Tales, Tips, and Inspiration for wanderlusters.
Subscriber
Popular car hire destinations
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Agrigento.
Booking
Agrigento has no airport. Palermo is about 160 km away (around 2 hr 15 min by car), Catania about 2 hr 30 min and Trapani about 2 hours.
General
Regional trains run from Palermo Centrale to Agrigento Centrale in about two hours, though buses replace them during engineering works. Buses cover the same route and stop at the terminal on Piazzale Rosselli.
Very little. Carry water and a hat, and in summer visit at opening time or in the late afternoon.
The Temple of Concordia, which survived largely intact because it was converted into a church in late antiquity.
At Caos, between Agrigento and Porto Empedocle. His birthplace is now a museum dedicated to the playwright.
Yes, the white marl cliff is on the coast west of Porto Empedocle. It is easiest by car, as local bus connections are limited.
Caponata, the sweet-sour aubergine stew, is on most trattoria menus in the old town. For granita, take a table at one of the cafes on Via Atenea on a hot afternoon.
Distances are short but the gradients are not. The old town sits high on its ridge and is easily walked from the station, while the Valley of the Temples lies a few kilometres downhill, too far and too exposed to walk in summer. TUA city buses fill the gap, running from the station area past the archaeological museum and on to the valley.
Getting there
City buses on lines 1, 2 and 3 and their variants run from the train station past the archaeological museum to the valley. Check the TUA timetable for the runs that end at the Temple of Juno gate.
Timing & weather
Allow at least half a day for the temples and another two hours for the Pietro Griffo museum. Two days lets you add the old town and the coast.
March to May, plus September and October. From June to August there is almost no shade along the ridge, while from late January the almond trees in the valley come into flower.
The best time to visit Agrigento is Mar to May, Sep to Oct. Mild days for the shadeless temple ridge, and almond blossom in late winter.
- Best overall: March - May, September - October (Warm enough for the sea, cool enough to walk the full length of the valley at midday)
- Summer: June - August (Hot and dry with almost no shade among the temples; go at opening time or late afternoon and spend midday in the museum)
- Winter: November - February (Quiet and mild, with almond trees flowering in the valley from late January)
July is the warmest month in Agrigento, with average highs of 30°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 8°C. October is the wettest month, at about 86 mm of rain; July is the driest. Sicily's south coast gives Agrigento a hot, dry summer and a mild, wet winter; each month's long-term averages are listed below.
Visa & documents
Schengen rules apply in Italy. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Violent crime against visitors to Italy is rare. Pickpocketing is the main problem, especially on buses and metros in Rome (bus 64 is notorious), at Roman and Florentine sights, and at Termini and Naples Centrale stations. Wear your bag across your body and zip it, and use only licensed white taxis or official ride apps.
