Syracuse and Ortigia from Catania: bus, train or day tour?
Updated October 18, 2026 · 5 min read
If you only want Syracuse and Ortigia, go by bus and save the money. If you also want Noto, a guided lunch or the archaeological park explained, book a day tour. Take a car only if you want to set your own pace across the south-east. Until the end of January 2027 the train is not an option, which makes the bus easier to recommend.
The train is closed until 31 January 2027
Rail traffic between Catania and Syracuse is suspended from 1 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, on the section between Bicocca and Siracusa Centrale, for infrastructure works. Buses replace the trains, stopping at places such as Priolo Melilli, Augusta and Lentini, and the trip to Catania Centrale takes about two hours. According to the published information, the replacement buses go from a stop on Via Onorevole Giuseppe Rubino, not from the station forecourt. Timetables and routes are on the Trenitalia and RFI channels, and they may change.
If you read an older guide that recommends the train for this trip, do not follow it for those months.
The ordinary bus
Intercity buses also run between Catania and Syracuse, so check the timetables of the bus operators for your day. One of them is on sale as a transfer: a direct bus connects Catania Fontanarossa Airport and Syracuse. The Interbus airport-Syracuse transfer is air-conditioned, takes about an hour according to its listing and costs €6.20 per person; it has 4.3 stars from 460 reviews. That is far cheaper than any of the tours. Note that this listing is for the airport, so if you are staying in the city, you also need to reach the airport or use another bus connection, and check the departure times for your day.
Ortigia is the old town of Syracuse, on its own small island. It is where most people spend the day: the cathedral, the lanes, the waterfront. Check where your bus stops and how you get across. If Ortigia is all you want, a bus plus a day on foot is the best value.
The car
Syracuse is a drive down the coast, and a car lets you add stops on the way. It is also a way to reach Noto without a tour, which is harder by public transport: check the connections before you rely on them. If you want to try it, you can compare car hire for Catania.
The catch is parking. Ortigia has a limited traffic zone, so do not plan to drive into the old town; park outside it and walk across. Check the current rules and the parking on your date. If you want wine with lunch, the driver is the one who cannot have it.
The day tours compared
Four tours visit the same three places, Syracuse, Ortigia and Noto (one of them goes to Noto first), and they differ in price, rating and what is included.
| Tour | Price | Length | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, Ortigia and Noto tour with lunch | €110 | 8.5 hours | 4.5 stars, 740 reviews |
| Syracuse, Ortygia and Noto tour with tickets | €115 | 8 to 9 hours | 4.8 stars, 315 reviews |
| Syracuse, Ortigia and Noto full-day tour | €100 | 8 hours | 4.7 stars, 176 reviews |
| Syracuse, Ortygia and Noto tour | €75 | 9 hours | 3.9 stars, 214 reviews |
What the differences are
The most reviewed is the one with a Sicilian lunch at €110. Its description focuses on the UNESCO sites and the Baroque art. Its 4.5 stars are lower than two of the others.
The tour with tickets is the most expensive and the best rated at 4.8 stars. Its description names the Greek and Roman monuments of the Neapolis archaeological park, Ortygia Island and the Baroque town of Noto. The title says tickets are included. On the other three, park admission is not included: two pages list it as an extra fee, and the third says you buy the tickets yourself.
The €75 tour is the cheapest by €25 and has the lowest rating, 3.9 stars. Its description mentions an air-conditioned van and a visit to the Neapolis park, Ortygia and the UNESCO town of Noto. It lists an audio guide rather than a guide, and the park tickets are bought separately. A saving of that size may be worth it for a traveller on a tight budget, but read the recent reviews on the booking page and compare what is covered.
Choosing
One day, Ortigia only, comfortable with a bus: the bus. Even the airport bus at €6.20 costs a fraction of the cheapest tour at €75.
You want Noto, and no driving: a tour. Noto is the town that is awkward to reach otherwise, and all four tours include it.
You want the ancient sites explained: the tour with tickets is the one that names the Neapolis park and says that tickets are included.
You want one meal with local flavour and no planning: the tour with lunch, although the rating is lower.
You like to wander at your own pace: the bus, or a car if you are adding the south-east to a longer trip.
Whichever you choose, start early. All the tours are 8 to 9 hours, and a day in the south-east in the heat is more tiring than the map suggests. For more day trips out of Catania, see the day trips from Catania category.
