Neapolis Archaeological Park, Syracuse

Tickets and tours: all the options

The standard ticket covers the whole park: the Greek theatre, the quarries with the Ear of Dionysius, the Altar of Hieron and the Roman amphitheatre. It is sold at the ticket office at the end of Viale Augusto and online through the regional booking service. Combined tickets with the Paolo Orsi archaeological museum are often available and worth taking, since the museum holds the finds from the city. In summer the theatre hosts the classical drama festival, which needs a separate show ticket and changes the daytime opening on performance days.

The tours sold online are almost all guided walks within Syracuse. The usual format is a guided visit of the park of about two hours, in a small group or private; some private guides add Ortygia for a half-day covering the whole ancient city, and there are golden hour and sunset versions late in the afternoon. Most quote the guide only, so check whether entry is included. Day trips from Catania or Taormina also reach the park, usually with Ortygia and sometimes Noto.

On your own, a standard ticket and the route below work well, since the park is compact. A guide adds most at the theatre, where the different building phases are hard to read. The sensible plan is an early or late visit with a guide, then the museum.

A short history

Syracuse was founded by settlers from Corinth in 734 BC and became the leading Greek city of the West. Neapolis, the new city, grew on the slopes north of Ortygia, and the theatre was laid out in the 5th century BC; Aeschylus is said to have staged plays here. Hieron II enlarged the theatre and built his great altar in the 3rd century BC. The quarries supplied stone and, after the failed Athenian siege of 413 BC, held thousands of prisoners. Under Rome the theatre was adapted and the amphitheatre added. Digging from the 19th century cleared the monuments; since 2005 the park has formed part of the UNESCO site of Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica.

Getting there

The park lies in the north of modern Syracuse, about 2.5 km from Ortygia. The walk from the old town takes 30 minutes along Corso Gelone; city buses and taxis also run. From Syracuse railway station it is about 15 minutes on foot. Catania airport is about 60 km north, an hour by the Interbus coach to the Syracuse bus station or by car on the motorway, and trains from Catania take about an hour and a half. Drivers should use the paid car park near Viale Augusto, where the ticket office and entrance are. From there the theatre is a few minutes' walk.

Rules and what to bring

Do not climb on the theatre seats beyond the marked areas, touch the rock-cut inscriptions or enter the closed caves. Drones need permission. During the drama season parts of the theatre are covered by modern seating and may be off limits. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen, as much of the park is open; the quarry garden gives the only real shade. Toilets are at the entrance, and cafes line the road outside.

When to go

The park is busiest from about 10 am to 1 pm, when cruise passengers and coach groups from Catania and Taormina arrive. Come at 8.30 am, when the theatre is quiet and the stone still cool, or in the last two hours before closing, when the light warms the seats and the groups have left.

April, May, late September and October are the best months. July and August are very hot, with little shade outside the quarry, so avoid midday. From May to early July the classical drama festival fills the theatre in the evenings; seeing a play in the place it was written for is a highlight, but daytime visits may be restricted on show days and accommodation books up. Winter is mild and quiet, with shorter hours. Allow about two hours, plus another hour for the Paolo Orsi museum nearby.