Syracuse Walking Tour: Explore Top Sights & Hidden Gems

A great tour as an introduction to the history, architecture & culture of Ortigia. We really enjoyed our 2 hour walk with Brenda. High recommend.

Perfect introduction to Ortigia! Brenda was wonderful and knowledgeable. She gave very thoughtful and thorough answers to all our questions. We highly recommend!

Brenda was right on time at our meeting point and let us know that we were lucky enough to have her all to ourselves - a private tour for two. Our lucky day as this gave us the opportunity to not only get a great education on Ortigia but also get to know Brenda a little bit - hearing her story of coming to Origia and her experiences here. The tour brought us to the typical spots on the island but also was personalized with stories about the way the locals live and love the island as well. My favourite story was her enthusiastic story about Teste di Moro (Moor’s Heads), as well as what she shared about the upcoming Festa dei Morti (Day of the Dead). And finally, her timing to get us to the big Piazza right at sunset was pretty impressive. And an extra thank you for the two sweet recommendations - which I will share with others here - the best gelato at Levante and the most amazing cannoli at Mangano - per Brenda, be sure to go with the traditional approach! Thank you Brenda for sharing your knoweldge with us and for making our last day in Ortigia memorable. Alla prossima!

Our tour guide was extremely prepared, passionate and driven. She explained everything from an historical point of you but also architectural and cultural. There were no questions left unaswered.

Brenda gave a great tour - a lot of local insights along the way!

We had a different tour booked which was cancelled so we were fortunate to be able to book this last minute. Our tour guide was a native to the area and shared all kinds of personal stories and a lot of information about the area. We enjoyed the tour and she recommended a great lunch spot where the locals go. We were the only ones on this tour so we ended up with a private tour.

We had a great tour with Brenda. We were especially lucky as it was just two of us on the tour. Brenda was a really knowledgeable guide, and who paced the tour perfectly. We learnt so much about Syracuse, its history, people and culture. Recommended.

The tour guide, Irina, was excellent. The tour was a great way to get an overview of Ortigia, Syracuse. The pace was just right and the guide was very informative.

We had a wonderful time with Iryna on our walking tour. We visited in the off season, and thanks to that my husband and I had essentially a private tour! Iryna was a local and very knowledgeable about Ortigia. The tour was the perfect amount of time to get acclimated and oriented to this beautiful place, and gave us ideas of what we wanted to explore more. Overall, would recommend this tour!

We had a very pleasant and informative walk around Ortigia. Brenda, our guide, was a native speaker which was really great. She was very knowledgeable about many different aspects of Ortigia. History, architecture, foods etc. we would definitely recommend this tour and Brenda!!

Brenda was very knowledgeable about the history of Sicily and the Architecture. It was a lovely tour.

As previously mentioned Brenda is an excellent English speaking guide and it was definitely worth every euro.

Our guide was a little late getting there, she said she was stopped by the police for a routine check. She more than made up for it on the tour, which did a great job with Sicily’s very complicated history. We actually give walking tours in our town, so we know a good guide when we have one, and Iryna certainly qualifies!!!

Very informative. I was lucky to be part of a very small group and we got special attention. The tour covered not only history but contemporary culture as wall, with some insight into the foodie experience. Thoroughly recommend i to others.

An awesome way to experience Ortigia and get all the history in an interesting and engaging way. Our local tour guide Irena was knowledgeable and passionate about the area.

We only had one day in Syracuse and doing the tour with Brenda was the best way we could have been introduced to the old town. She was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions.

Brenda was very knowledgeable about the history of Ortigia. She was fun and informative for the two hour walking tour of Ortigia. I would definitely recommend this tour and especially Brenda.

Brenda was a great guide. Fun, knowledgeable, and full of great stories. Highly recommend.

Brenda is a dual citizen so her English was excellent. Very knowledgeable and passionate about Syrcusa’s history, culture and community

Our guide ( Irenella?) was delightful. She showed us all around Ortigia and highlighted the different areas and architectural styles Definitely recommend to get your bearings and learn about the different cultures

Alot of walking without talking but it was extremely hot so much time was spent getting out of the sun. This was not our favorite tour but again, the temp was terrible. Meeting point was correct but because there is no station at the meeting point, we were all questioning if we were in the right spot. All and all an informative overview tour. Would have appreciated more information

Brenda was first class. We really enjoyed qthe walking tour with her.

Our guide Brenda was excellent! She was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of time to ask questions. We truly enjoyed the whole walk.

Our guide Iryna was very pleasant, interesting and informative. A great experience!

Fabulous walking tour of Ortigia. Touched on so many ancient and historical aspects of the Island. Our guide, Brenda, had so much knowledge and enthusiasm that was easily shared with our group. She was amazing and fun!

Brenda was an outstanding guide - ensuring we saw the most significant sites and also adding little interesting bits of information based on her own experiences.

Our guide had an excellent knowledge of history and could answer any questions that were difficult about Ortigia

Our guide, Iryna, started the tour on time, added additional color to the many stops along the tour route and finished on time. Well done and recommended.

The tour was amazing. Iryna our tour guide was is a great person and she felt more like a friend than simply a tour guide. She has indept knowledge of Ortigia and Syracuse which taught me a lot about the history of the city. I felt like with her historical perspective—the city came alive to me. There wasn’t a second wasted. 5 out of 5 would recommend and do other tours with Iryna in the future.

Brenda was a great tour guide. Excellent knowledge , history and insight into Ortiga, Siracusa and Sicily. Some super tips for places to visit and ‘how to get there’. She recommended some good food and drink specialties to try. Some useful information about obtaining drinking water to refill bottles at a very reasonable cost. Thank you Brenda.

Brenda was the most fantastic guide we have ever had. Very knowledgeable, easy to understand, fabulous story teller. She understands the culture and really good to keep our attention during the entire tour. She can warmly recommended

Brenda our guide did a great job pointing out and explaining the history of ortigia. She had amazing knowledge of it’s history, Would highly recommend.

Easy to find start location where met Iryna our guide. She was very knowledgeable and made the tour an enjoyable experience.

Great walking tour with excellent commentary from our guide Irena. Interesting history and sights, definitely recommended.

We enjoyed our tour, our guide was very friendly, and she showed us a wide range of interesting sights. Sometimes a little hard to understand her English. Maybe a little slower explanation of sights may have helped ? But very good despite the boiling hot weather.

Giuseppe is an excellent guide that truly loves his job. We got to know so much about Syracuse from a “local” perspective, seeing all the sights and enjoying his enthusiasm! We highly recommend this tour,

This was such a lovely tour. We were only 2 persons, so I guess it was like a private tour. Brenda was exceptionally nice and she was very helpful with further guidance and information. I recommend it 100%

Had a great morning with Guisseppe .His historical knowledge was great and his love for the area really came across.

We loved this tour! Brenda, our guide, walked us through the lovely town of Ortigia, giving a sweet brief which was rich of historical / legendary detailes. We highly recommend it.

Booked the Siracusa Walking Tour the night before and was thrilled to find an opening with an English-speaking guide. Brenda was amazing! Her knowledge of Siracusa’s history and culture, friendliness, and connection with the local vendors made us feel right at home. The market visit was a highlight, and she shared just the right amount of history without making it feel like a lecture. 😊 Highly recommend Brenda for a fun, informative, and authentic Siracusa experience! And it didn’t hurt that she’s from the PNW! 🌲

We had an incredible experience with Brenda as our tour guide. Her amazing knowledge and passion for Ortigia were very evident on our tour. Brenda welcomed us like we were family and we thoroughly enjoyed her company and the wonderful sites in Ortigia that she led us to. We will definitely recommend Brenda and this tour to all we know.

Iryna was an excellent tour guide. She was knowledgeable, personable and fun to spend 2 hours with. She is also a teacher and has the mentality of an educator. She knows a lot about history and shares her knowledge in an easy to understand manner.

We loved the tour and Iryna was the perfect guide. She was knowledgeable, inspiring and personable. She made our visit to Ortegia and Syracuse a memorable and meaningful experience.

Brenda made this a very interesting informative and personal trip.

Our walking tour was great! Brenda was knowledgeable and so kind. We were able to see so much being that is was an 8am timeslot, it made it feel very special!!

We had a wonderful few hours exploring Ortigia with Brenda, an American Sicilian who now lives in Ortigia. She brought so much warmth, humour and local knowledge to the tour, making it feel more like a walk with a knowledgeable friend than a guided tour. What really stood out was Brenda's storytelling. She seamlessly connected the ancient Greek history of Syracuse, including the story of Archimedes, with the city's more recent history and modern-day life. She explained the history behind the beautiful buildings and architecture, gave fascinating insights into the local economy and culture, and shared plenty of details we would never have discovered on our own. Brenda was also full of excellent local recommendations, including Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, a film she suggested to truly appreciate the spirit and character of Sicily. Also to visit Ragusa and see the master cart painters in their studio carrying on a tradition that is hundreds of years old. Those were exactly the kind of personal touches that made the tour special. The pace was perfect, and our 10-year-old enjoyed it just as much as we did, which is always the sign of a great guide. Informative, engaging and genuinely enjoyable from start to finish. We would highly recommend this tour, especially if you're lucky enough to have Brenda as your guide.

Thank you for the tour, it was very informative.

We had a great tour of Siracusa and Ortigia today with Brenda! She showed us all the sights and shared not only the history but also current information about the city and ongoing projects, pointing out small details we would have missed on our own or with an audio guide. Warm, friendly, and easy to understand (she is also from the US), we had a great morning with Brenda. Do not miss Siracusa or a tour with her!!!

Brenda was a great guide, knowledgeable,personable and friendly. She described the area beautifully and clearly has a deep love for the town She showed us amazing places to spend more time in and restaurants and gelateria. We had a great time -highly recommend - many thanks