Valley of the Temples, Agrigento: what to see and how to get there from Scala dei Turchi

The Valley of the Temples is the archaeological park of Agrigento, about 13 km (8 miles) by road from Scala dei Turchi, around twenty minutes by car. It holds the Greek temples of ancient Akragas and, inside it, the Kolymbethra garden run by FAI, the Italian heritage trust. Tickets and opening times are published by CoopCulture, the sales channel the Park points to: the figures here are those of October 2026, to be checked again before you go.

What is the Valley of the Temples?

It is the Archaeological and Landscape Park of the Valley of the Temples: according to Wikipedia it was set up by a regional law in 2000, covers about 1,300 hectares and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. The temples include those of Concordia, Juno, Heracles, the Dioscuri and Olympian Zeus. The Park also runs other sites in the province, such as the archaeological site of Eraclea Minoa and Pirandello's birthplace at Caos.

One thing not to mix up: the Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site, Scala dei Turchi is not. The municipality of Realmonte has asked for it to be listed, but today the cliff is a geosite of the IUGS, the International Union of Geological Sciences; the story is in our guide to Scala dei Turchi news, ownership and UNESCO.

What is the Kolymbethra garden?

It is a FAI garden of just over 5 hectares inside the park: citrus groves, almond and olive trees, Mediterranean scrub and hypogea (underground chambers), with underground paths 185 metres long. To enter the Kolymbethra you must first enter the Park, and its opening hours change from month to month.

How much does it cost and when is it open?

These figures belong to another site and change often: we give them as CoopCulture published them in October 2026. According to the CoopCulture sales page, the channel the Park's website points to:

• a full ticket cost €14 and a reduced one €7, for European Union citizens aged 18 to 25 and for FAI members;
• from 23 July to 31 October 2026 there was a €3 supplement for an exhibition on all tickets except free ones;
• the combined ticket with the Kolymbethra cost €20 full price, €12 reduced and €2 for young people aged 6 to 17;
• entry was free for, among others, under-18s, people with disabilities and one companion, and everyone on the first Sunday of the month;
• the park was open all year from 8:30 to 20:00, with last entry at 19:00, and in summer, from 20 June to 20 September 2026, in the evening as well;
• the ticket was valid for the whole chosen day, entry numbers were limited and buying online was recommended.

Again according to CoopCulture, the ticket offices are at the Temple of Juno, at Porta V and at the Hellenistic Theatre, which is closed from November to March. Bicycles and scooters are not allowed; there are two free electric wheelchairs, to be booked by the day before. Other resale sites show higher prices: CoopCulture is the reference. In October 2026 the opening hours page on the Park's website still showed only the summer evening hours.

How do you get there from Scala dei Turchi?

By car. From the Scala to the Temple of Concordia it is about 13 km by road, around twenty minutes according to the OSRM routing service, without traffic or parking.

By bus. In the warmer months, line B of the Temple Tour Bus leaves from the centre of Agrigento, crosses the Valley of the Temples with stops at the Temple of Juno and Porta V, passes Pirandello's house and Porto Empedocle and reaches Scala dei Turchi. It does not run on Mondays, in winter or in bad weather. Stops and caveats are in our guide from Agrigento to Scala dei Turchi.

If you want to see the Valley and the Scala on the same day, the order of the visits and the timings are in our guide to the Valley of the Temples and Scala dei Turchi in one day.

What should you check before you go?

Buy your ticket on the channel the Park points to and check prices and opening times again the day before: the exhibition supplement ended on 31 October 2026, and the Kolymbethra's hours change from month to month. If you are travelling with under-18s, in October 2026 they entered free. On the road between the Valley and the Scala, Porto Empedocle and Pirandello's house are worth a stop if you are interested in Camilleri and Pirandello.