pompeii official tour

You know it. The tour with the guide holding up a sign, umbrella or some other object so you don’t lose your group. Though it doesn’t really matter if you do lose your group – it’s so large, you have to battle your way to the front to even hear what the guide is saying. And that’s not the only battle; if you want any decent photos, you’re no doubt sighing in annoyance as you try to avoid your fellow tour group members’ heads or, worse of all, their totally obnoxious iPads as they too try to snap photos of the sights. No, thank you! Instead, try this do-it-yourself tour of Pompeii.

In 79 AD somewhere around 20,000 Pompeians went about their daily lives giving nary a thought to the volcano they lived alongside. August 24th would change their lives forever. On that fateful day as Mt. Vesuvius spewed, though much of the city was destroyed, Pompeii was also buried under 20 feet of ash and pumice.

Centuries of history were sealed away until 1748. It was Rocque Joaquin de Acubierre that discovered Pompeii with intentional excavations after Herculaneum was accidentally discovered in 1738, when workers were digging the foundation for the King of Naples’ summer palace. Due to the lack of air and moisture, artifacts buried under the ash and pumice at both archeological sites were extremely well preserved. It’s no wonder that Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy and some 2 million people make the trek south to see it every year.

There are several ways to visit Pompeii: on a pre-booked guided tour, to hire a Pomeii guide on the spot (the going rate is €100-115 and official Pompeii tour guides are identified by a badge and certified as guides by the Campania region), to rent a Pompeii audio guide (which is simply a recording of Pompeii’s Little Red Book that hawkers will be pedaling near the Porta Marina entrance), or on a self guided tour of Pompeii. Your Pompeii ticket includes a map and small pocket guide to the site, which is excellent and leads you number by number through the not-to-miss sights at Pompeii. You can also download a great guide right on your iPhone with the Pompeii app to make touring Pompeii on your own a piece of cake.

Planning Your Self Guided Tour of Pompeii

How long does it take to see Pompeii? That’s entirely up to you! With a pre-booked Pompeii guided tour, most tours spend 3-4 hours visiting selective sites within Pompeii. With a Pompeii self guided tour, you determine how much time you plan to spend or have to spend at Pompeii, and then plan your visit accordingly. You should allow at least 3 – 4 hours for your Pompeii self guided walking tour, and you can cover quite a bit of the site in that amount of time if you’re armed with the tools and a plan. Pompeii is big enough that you could easily make a full day of visiting it.

Download your Pompeii – A day in the past app in advance of your trip. We like this app, though there are several more DIY Pomeii guides in the app store, because you can break down your visit by the amount of time you have to spend at the archeological site with a 2 hour, 4 hour, or full day tour. Browse the app by building and mark your favorites right in the app. You can also look at seven different itineraries to see which monuments and sights that interest you most are located near each other.

If you really want to get a feel for the archeological site before your Pompeii visit, take a virtual walk through Pompeii’s ruins with Google Street View . You can also download this comprehensive free Pompeii guide PDF that is an explanation of all of the excavations by the Board of Cultural Heritage of Pompeii.

Finding Your Way Around on Your Self Guided Pompeii Tour

As I mentioned, your ticket includes a map and small pocket guide to Pompeii, which leads you number by number through the not-to-miss sights at Pompeii. And if you’re not a great map reader, you can use the app with location services turned on to guide you from sight to sight (this function will require an internet connection). If you’re not on any sort of time schedule, you can always wander the site and use the location feature to tell you more about which building you’ve stumbled upon.

The Guide on Your Do-It-Yourself Tour of Pompeii

The Pompeii – A day in the past app does a great job of providing information about each building and includes a Pompeii audio tour if you don’t want to read. If you use the audio guide feature, just be sure to bring headphones with you.

Our Recommended Must-See Sights at Pompeii

It’s best to enter Pompeii from the Porta Marina entrance. Don’t miss the Forum, which was Pompeii’s commercial, political and religious center. Alongside the Forum, visit the Grain Stores where you can see many of the plaster casts of Vesuvius victims.

Clear on the opposite end of Pompeii and following Via dell’Abbondanza is the Amphitheatre, which was built in on the outskirts of Pompeii. It’s well worth the walk as the Amphitheatre is the oldest building of its kind in the world. Like the Colosseum in Rome , gladiators had bloody battles with wild animals while some 20,000 spectators watched.

Continue wandering this end of the archeological site and make your way back toward the Porta Marina gate via the Necropolis. You’ll find many beautiful tombs and gardens and you’ll practically have the area to yourself. You’ll also pass by the Villa dei Misteri if you’re following this route, which is a project to cultivate grape vines and produce wine from the very spot where vines grew in Pompeii some 2000 years ago. Only 1700 bottles are produced and they are auctioned off, so you can’t purchase or taste this special wine unfortunately. But the vineyard set in the ruins is truly unique.

Other Tips for Visiting Pompeii

Wear flats. The streets are very uneven and heels or even wedges are completely unsuitable for walking around the site. For this same reason, if you have little kids you’ll want to bring a carrier as opposed to a stroller, which we imagine would be incredibly hard to push over the stepping stones.

Bring bottled water. It’s perfectly fine to bring it in and you’ll be glad you did with the sun blazing on all those ruins.

You can even bring food in if you plan to spend the day at Pompeii. There is a restaurant on the ground, but there is also a picnic area near Amphitheatre Square and Casina dell’Aquila.

It’s also good to know that any type of bag exceeding 30 x 30 x 15 cm is not allowed inside Pompeii. There are luggage deposit services available at all three entrance gates if you do have a bag that needs storing while you visit Pompeii.

If You’re Set on Taking a Tour, These are the Best Pompeii Tours

There’s definitely appeal in taking tours of Pompeii. You don’t have to plan it yourself, and in some cases like a day trip from Rome, you don’t have to get yourself to Pompeii either. But if you’re really set on taking a tour, book a small group tour where you’ll still feel you got value out of the experience. We’ve taken many tours with Walks and feel they’re one of the best small group tour companies around. They have several Pompeii tours we’re confident in recommending:

Walks of Italy offers a Skip the Line Best of Pompeii Tour , on which their expert archaeologist will guide your small group to the best sights and tell you all about what they are. This is a really good Pompeii walking tour for those not wanting to decipher a map.

If you’re visiting Rome and want to take a day tour to Pompeii, the Pompeii & Amalfi day trip from Rome is the way to go. It makes for a long day (about 13 hours), but you’ll be able to sit back and relax. With just one day to visit the south, this small group tour makes it count with the guided tour of Pompeii plus a drive along one of Italy’s arguably most beautiful coastlines, the Amalfi Coast , and a stop in Positano.

Know Before You Go

• By train: Pompeii can be reached by train on Circumvesuviana . On the Naples – Sorrento line, use the Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri stop. On the Naples – Poggiomarino line, use the Pompei Santuario stop.
• By bus: Pompeii can be reached by bus from Naples or Salerno on SITA . The stop is Pompei (Piazza Esedra).
• By car: Pompeii can be reached on the motorway A3 Napoli-Salerno (exit Pompei ovest) or motorway A3 Salerno-Napoli (exit Pompei est).
• Pompeii is open November – March daily from 8:30am – 5pm (last admission is 3:30pm)  and April – October from 8:30am – 7:30pm (last admission is 6pm). Pompeii is closed on January 1, May 1, and December 25.
• Admission is €13 and is a single day ticket. A global ticket (Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis, Stabia, and Antiquarium of Boscoreale) is available for €22 and is valid for 3 days.
• Audio guides are available at Porta Marina entrance in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish for €6.50 or €10 for two.
• There is a storage room for bags, strollers, and anything else you might not want to lug around Pompeii located at the Porta Marina entrance.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites we’ve visited here .

This article contains affiliate links. When you book on Walks of Italy through our affiliate sites, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Loved this post? We love when you share our content! ~ Jen & Tim

About Jennifer Dombrowski

Jennifer Dombrowski is an independent travel publisher and an American expat who has lived in Bordeaux, France since 2016. She previously lived in Northern Italy in a small village near Venice for seven years where she fell in love with wine and wine tourism. She is an award-winning travel writer. She is also a travel correspondent on Traveling on the American Forces Radio Network. Luxe Adventure Traveler was named one of the top travel blogs to watch by the Huffington Post and TripAdvisor, and has been featured by top publications such as National Geographic, CNN, Buzzfeed, and Business Insider. Jennifer's photography has also been featured on publications such as USA Today and Travel + Leisure and on the Travel Channel.

Cheryl says

May 5, 2014 at 5:13 PM

Gosh, I’m dying to get here. It’s been on my Italy list forever. Thanks for the great tips!

Jennifer Dombrowski says

May 6, 2014 at 12:21 PM

You’ll love it Cheryl! I wish we’d had time to visit Herculaneum too when we were there, so be sure to include time for that as well.

Devlin Madden-Perdue says

May 5, 2014 at 6:51 PM

DIY Touring is the only way I like to tour a place – I just don’t like schedules, especially when I’m traveling. Sure it’s nice having a guide explain everything, but you can always overhear what some guide is saying if the place is busy enough, haha. I just prefer to wander about and read the plaques at the sites. Though having a little guide book/app sounds even better!

May 6, 2014 at 12:23 PM

When touring sites like Pompeii, we also much prefer DIY. We want to be able to spend time at the buildings or monuments that interest us and quickly move on from those that don’t. Group tours, even if they’re small group tours, just don’t give you that flexibility. There are other things, like say a walking tour of a city or a food tour, where we loved short small group tours though.

May 6, 2014 at 4:20 PM

I went such a long time ago as a young teenager – I’d love to go back and try a DIY version of the tour.

May 7, 2014 at 4:12 PM

It really is the best way so that you can linger over areas you enjoy and move on from other less interesting parts.

Tamara says

May 6, 2014 at 5:47 PM

Thanks for this, I went about 10 years ago with a guide and we are taking our daughter next month and I’ve been debating whether or not to get a guide upon arrival or do it ourselves between this app and some guidance from Rick Steves.

May 7, 2014 at 4:13 PM

We really think that you can get just as much out of a DIY visit as with a guide – and save a whole lot of money in the process. Let us know what you decide and how your trip goes Tamara!

January 16, 2017 at 3:00 PM

go to the beach

Rhonda Krause says

May 10, 2014 at 12:59 AM

I think I would have enjoyed my visit to Pompeii much more, if I wasn’t part of a tour group. Like you said, the groups are too big to hear anything anyways and, my least favourite part is how they rush you through the site. I much preferred my visit to Ostia Antica over Pompeii because I went alone and could linger as long as I liked, plus there were no crowds. I had the place practically all to myself!

I would go back to Pompeii though to give it a second chance, but next time I would do a do-it-yourself tour!

Jennifer says

May 18, 2014 at 11:17 PM

We saw tour groups and how they were rushed through. Definitely not our style! We haven’t been to Ostia Antica yet. We’ll have to check it out. Any place that doesn’t have a crowd entices us.

May 11, 2014 at 10:50 PM

I visited Pompeii a few years ago with a guided tour, next time I would definitely do a do-it-yourself tour as well.

May 12, 2014 at 12:19 AM

I’ve definitely got to go here…and I would much rather explore on my own rather than with a group!

May 19, 2014 at 3:49 PM

This is such a rad guide! You went super in depth with detail…looking to visit Pompeii myself while in Rome this week! Cannot wait! Again, amazing guide =)

August 20, 2014 at 9:22 AM

This is very useful! I admit I usually plan my travels, so these recommendations and tips come in handy!

June 24, 2016 at 11:16 PM

Awesome post thank you for sharing. Definitely keen to do our own tour rather than a group. We’ve downloaded the apps you suggested and can’t wait to see it tomorrow!

Alberto C. says

August 3, 2016 at 9:38 PM

Great post! I recently had the chance to visit Pompeii and it was just amazing!

Happy travels!

January 23, 2017 at 12:31 AM

Thanks for the great guide! We were planning to do an organized tour, but they are only 2 1/2 hours long! I think we\’ll try it on our own. Do you have any recommendations about a place to grab something to eat? Thanks!

January 23, 2017 at 12:04 PM

There are several places just outside of the Pompeii ruins, but we’d suggest Il Ristorante Maccarone. They have really good pizzas and other dishes typical of the area.

Sylvain Belanger says

May 7, 2017 at 4:27 PM

Thanks for the great details here. I’m planning a visit to Pompeii on a cruise stop at Naples. I had planned to take a guided tour that included the Vesuvius but my wife thought it would be to hard so after some research, I ended up on your Do it yourself guide of Pompeii so we’ll give it a try based on your tips.

I’m also taking note of one of your restaurant tip Il Ristorante Maccarone as we’ll have some time to eat before getting back to the ship.

Do you have some useful information to get to Pompeii from Naples’ port (taxi, train, bus, else)?

Thanks! Sylvain

May 13, 2017 at 10:49 PM

It would be quite expensive to take a taxi to Pompeii and the traffic in Naples can be atrocious. The center of Naples is easy walking distance from the cruise port, so you can easily take the train to Pompeii. Pompeii can be reached by train on Circumvesuviana. On the Naples – Sorrento line, use the Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri stop. On the Naples – Poggiomarino line, use the Pompei Santuario stop.

Caroline Gregory says

June 30, 2017 at 10:36 AM

We are visiting Pompeii on 22nd July and I keep seeing different views on booking ‘skip the line’ tickets for Pompeii Ruins. We are going independently and this post is the best I’ve seen so I’m confident that the replies will be very useful.

June 30, 2017 at 12:02 PM

Hi Caroline,

We didn’t have to wait in line long, and that’s typically the case if you arrive at opening. Peak time at the ticket offices is from 10-11am when most groups and visitors arrive. Especially in July, it’s best to go early anyway because it just gets so incredibly hot.

karen escalera says

August 14, 2017 at 6:37 PM

TErrific article, thanks. I want to go to Opolontis and Herculaneum. Any info on DIY tours or tour companies offering that? Can one combine two of these in one day?

August 20, 2017 at 10:17 AM

We don’t have any personal recommendations. This private day tour that visits all 3 sites has a lot of great reviews on TripAdvisor. https://benvenutodriver.com/

Lisa Vergara says

July 7, 2018 at 9:36 AM

Was an amazing tour!! Thanks. Pompeii is awesome but very hard to visit. We have used the app you suggest, Pompeii, a day in the past) perfect! We’ll follow you everywhere .

Bronnie Q says

January 20, 2019 at 10:21 AM

We are coming over for a European holiday from Australia and Pompeii is on our to do list in November. Do we just pay the entry when we get there or do you have to pre book entry tickets for a self guided tour. We have zero interest in being on any kind of tour anywhere as we also prefer to do our own thing. Any help would be appreciated 🙂

WINIFRED JENSEN says

April 8, 2019 at 10:20 PM

PLANNING ONE DAY AT POMPEII ARE THERE TOILET FACILITIES???? AT ENTRANCE ONLY? PLEASE EXPLAIN…….. AND HOW LONG A WALK AFTER YOU GET ON YOUR BUS, TRAIN ETC???? THANKS

April 16, 2019 at 2:38 PM

No, there are toilet facilities throughout the archaeological site, not only at the entrance. As for the walk from the train/bus, the closest stop is the Pompeii stop. It is about a 20 minute walk to the entrance of the archaeological site, and it is flat.

Winifred jensen says

April 16, 2019 at 7:16 PM

Thanks for info. Now about Paestum. Toilet facilities there? And far is the town of Pompeii from the ruins there? We ll. Be there in middle October this year. We are in our later years and all info is greatly appreciated ? Also lodging at Parstum

June 10, 2019 at 6:30 AM

Hi Jennifer & Tim,

I’m Fiona from Singapore. Nice to e-meet the both of you.

I have some questions with regards to travelling to Pompeii.

Are you able to send me your travel itinerary and do you recommend that I do not purchase the online ticket with the gudied tour. As I am looking at a cheaper alternative to go for a day tour in Pompeii.

Kindly let me know your thoughts, thanks!

Cheers, Fiona

June 10, 2019 at 11:47 AM

We lived in Italy, so we just made a day trip to Pompeii while staying on the Amalfi Coast.

If you are looking for the cheapest way to visit Pompeii, then that would be by the do-it-yourself visit as we recommend here. You can download the free PDF we linked to that tells you about Pompeii. You would pay the admission at Pompeii and it’s a few euros more if you also get the audio guide there.

We don’t not recommend taking a tour. As we mentioned in our article, Walks of Italy has very good tours and we do recommend them. It’s worth considering doing the day tour with Walks as their guides are very good and you skip the line. Their groups are small with no more than 15 people, so you’re not fighting a bus load of others to hear the guide and see inside the buildings. That’s this tour: https://www.walksofitaly.com/pompeii-tours/best-of-pompeii-tour/?tap_a=8993-5dea35&tap_s=47168-63b831

We’re just telling you how you can also do it yourself if you don’t want to take a tour. What we DON’T recommend is the overpriced private guides available for hire at Pompeii itself or massive bus tours with huge groups.

Hope that helps!

Georgie Ray says

June 15, 2019 at 4:31 PM

Hello Jennifer and Tim,

Your Pompeii info was so helpful! Just about to download the apps you suggested.

Off to Naples next week!

Kind regards,

Georgie Ray

June 17, 2019 at 12:09 PM

Hi Georgie,

Thanks so much for the note and we’re happy to hear you found the information about Pompeii helpful. Enjoy your trip!

Jennifer & Tim

July 11, 2019 at 9:27 PM

Jennifer and Tim: Thanks for your great article. We are coming to Naples on a cruise, the itinerary states that we land at 7 am and depart at 6 pm. We are three adults, from Canada, and we like walking, We are not too keen on driving to Pompeii ourselves.

What do you suggest is the best way to see Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius given our time frame. It will be on Aug 9 – yes likely extremely hot!

Thanks, Vita

July 16, 2019 at 2:12 PM

You can easily get to Pompeii from Naples on your own. Is the ship docking right in Naples? If so, you can by either bus or train from Naples to Pompeii.

By train: Pompeii can be reached by train on Circumvesuviana. On the Naples – Sorrento line, use the Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri stop. On the Naples – Poggiomarino line, use the Pompei Santuario stop. By bus: Pompeii can be reached by bus from Naples or Salerno on SITA. The stop is Pompei (Piazza Esedra).

As for Mt. Vesusvius, there are tourist buses that go right from Pompeii train station. I’d recommend taking the bus company Busvia del Vesuvio https://busviadelvesuvio.com/en/ . It departs hourly between 9am – 3pm and the tour to Mt. Vesuvius takes 2.5 hours.

If the ship isn’t docking right in Naples, you may want to check if the ship offers an excursion to Pompeii as it may be difficult and expensive to get from the ship to Naples to change to the bus or train.

Just take a big bottle of water since the day will be hot!

Peterina Spanjers says

July 27, 2019 at 4:56 PM

Hi, Thank you for the information, it is a great help in the decision to do the tour by ourselves at our own pace.

It has been recommended that we book on-line entrance and the audio-guide, but I was wondering it this is absolutely necessary. There are a number of different sites with different prices for on-line tickets, with or without audio-guide so it is confusing which to use.

We are pensioners, going on August 14th and not all too Iphone/smart phone savy so prefer printed tickets.

Any suggestions regarding the tickets/audio-guide would be greatly appreciated! And yes we will be using the PDF as a reference!

Kind Regards, Peterina Spanjers.

July 29, 2019 at 3:56 PM

Hi Peterina,

The official online ticket office for Pompeii is TicketOne. You can get your tickets online in advance, which I do recommend doing as the busiest time will be in August and you don’t need to wait in line at the ticket booth. You can buy and print the tickets here: https://www.ticketone.it/biglietti.html?erid=988882&doc=artistPages/tickets&action=tickets&fun=artist&language=en

Enjoy your trip to Pompeii!

Sinohe says

July 27, 2019 at 11:06 PM

This was incredibly helpful! The suggested App does not seem like the best choice now based on app reviews (I went with the PompeiiMap app and it looks amazing). The information listed above was just what I needed.

July 29, 2019 at 3:52 PM

Let us know how you like the PompeiiMap app. We still like the audio tour in the app we’ve suggested.

Daniel E Herron says

December 26, 2019 at 4:11 AM

Is it still possible to freely walk through the city streets in Pompeii?

December 29, 2019 at 7:07 PM

Do you mean without a ticket? No, you can’t enter Pompeii without a ticket. The site is ticketed in order to preserve it. But you don’t have to visit with a guide.

Maryanne says

July 10, 2020 at 3:16 PM

Pompeii is so amazing though i find it difficult.

March 11, 2021 at 8:00 PM

I come from a volcanic country (New Zealand) and was always terrified and fascinated by Pompeii. Lucky enough to go there a few years ago. Italy is a museum, incredible!

I would recommend spending a couple of days at Pompers… it’s huge. As you say, a small tour, then maybe download a guide and self navigate.

And Herculean next time too!

Maybe hire a campervan and follow the coast.

What a wonderful world…

Cheers Elle

Carole Eglash-Kosoff says

May 8, 2023 at 6:57 PM

Hi…my friend and I are both elderly. Are there any vehicles, such as golf carts, that are available at Pompeii and Herculaneum for those who struggle with extended walking?

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• Amalfi Coast

Visiting The Ruins of Herculaneum

As opposed to Pompeii , it's possible to visit all of Herculaneum in just a few hours. The archaeological park is ideal stop for those who have limited time but want to experience the thrill of walking in the footsteps of the ancient Romans!

Herculaneum has been preserved like no other site in the world, not even nearby Pompeii . The city was buried beneath 16 meters of ash and mud during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, and this layer of detritus saved two-story domus homes with the internal architecture and décor intact, including features in wood and marble, decorations, jewelry, and even organic remains like food, providing a unique view into the daily lives of the ancient population of Herculaneum.

We suggest spending at least a half day exploring the Herculaneum Archaeological Site; follow our itinerary to see the most important buildings in the site in 2-3 hours . In addition to an itinerary, we suggest the top sights to see along the route on this page, which are marked with the same numbers as the official map provided free of charge at the entrance to the ruins. You can also download the official map following the link below.

Opening time: From 16/03 to 14/10: from 8.30am to 7.30pm (last entry 6.00pm; the archaeological area must be left by 7.00pm) From 15/10 to 15/03: from 8.30am to 5.00pm (last entry 3.30pm; archaeological area must be left by 4.40 pm) Closing days: 1 January, 25 December Tickets: Ordinary ticket: €13. Under 18: free. Young people between 18 and 25 years of age: €2.

A Brief History of Herculaneum

Herculaneum is named for the mythical Greek god, Hercules , who, according the legend told by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, founded the city in 1243 BC. Historic analysis, however, suggests that the city was founded by the Oscans or the Etruscans in the 7th century BC , conquered by the Samnites in the 5th century BC. In 90 BC the city was dominated by Rome and transformed into a municipium . In the final years of the Roman Republic, Herculaneum reached the height of its splendor thanks to its coastal location, clean air, and mild climate, making it a popular resort town for many of Rome's patrician families. The city was vibrant and densely populated when the earthquake struck in 62 AD, causing serious damage; work to rebuild the city was still going on when the tragic eruption of Mount Vesuvius happened in 79 AD. The cloud of toxic gases from the eruption wiped out the inhabitants, while the entire city was literally sealed under a flow of ash and volcanic rock 16 meters deep that solidifiedi , preserving almost perfectly intact organic remains like fabric, food, vegetation, and wooden structures.

Visiting the Crater on Mount Vesuvius

The discovery of the ruins at Herculaneum was a complete accident: while a well was being dug in 1707 by order of Emmanuel Maurice, Prince of Lorraine , a number of marble fragments and statues that once decorated the ancient theater of Herculaneum were unearthed. In 1738, work began again under Charles III of Bourbon led by the Spanish military engineer De Alcubierre. In 1755, after a number of important discoveries were made, the Accademia Ercolanense was established, and was active until 1792. Excavations were suspended a number of times over the years until 1927, when the site began to explored in a more systematic way. Important artifacts were unearthed in the 1980s, along with sites like the Temple of Venus, the baths, and the ancient Greek port where the inhabitants tried to find refuge in 79 AD. The site has been home to intense excavation since 2000, especially around the Villa of the Papyrus and the library.

Two to Three Hour Itinerary

Sites to visit beginning from the Corso Resina 187 entrance ( Circumvesuviana “Ercolano Scavi” stop long the Sorrento - Naples line)

• House of Argus (40)
• House of the Skeleton (42)
• Thermopolium (38)
• Men's Baths (26)
• Double Atrium House (25)
• Hall of the Augustals (24)
• House of the Beautiful Courtyard (28)
• House of Neptune and Amphitrite (29)
• Women's Baths (27)
• Samnite House (31)
• House of the Wooden Partition (36)
• Large Taberna (10)
• House of Relief of Telephus (7)
• House of the Deers (8)
• Terrace of M. Nonius Balbus (2)
• Fornici (1)

The main sights to visit Area + number on the official map in parenthesis

Visiting the Herculaneum Archaeological Park with Kids

Visiting the Herculaneum Archaeological Park with small children can be difficult as the site's ancient Roman roads and sidewalks are not easy to navigate with strollers and pushchairs. We suggest using an infant carrier or backpack for children who are too young to walk, and leaving any wheeled strollers at the free bag check area at the entrance. Otherwise, you can follow the walkway that encircles the perimeter of the site with a stroller or pushchair, viewing the ruins from above.

Older children enjoy visiting the MAV (Virtual Archaeological Museum) , located a short walk from the entrance to the Herculaneum Archaeological Park. This museum has a virtual, interactive exhibition that recreates ancient Herculaneum as it was before the violent eruption in 79 AD that destroyed the city. There are 70 multimedia displays with reconstructions, installations, and holograms that illustrate the Herculaneum, Pompeii, Stabia, Baia, and Capri ruins in an entertaining and engaging way.

MAV - Hours Tuesday - Sundays from 10am to 16:00pm (last entry) MAV - Tickets Museum + 3D Film: EUR 11 adults; EUR 9 children under 13, seniors over 65, students, teachers, and Artecard members; free entrance for children under 5. Family tickets (2 adults + 2 children): Museum + 3D Film EUR 34. Museum tickets can be purchased at the ticket office or online. Purchase MAV tickets online.

Where to Eat

There are no picnic areas or restaurants/cafés inside the Herculaneum Archaeological Park. Before entering, there is a small snack bar next to the book shop where you can purchase beverages and snacks. To eat nearby, you can walk to a number of restaurants and cafés in the immediate area for either a sit-down meal or take-away.

We suggest: Viva Lo Re (tel: +39 081 739 0207 ) Located along Corso Resina, this restaurant has an excellent wine cellar with a number of Italian and international labels and a menu that varies weekly. Tubba Catubba (tel: +39 081 344 3503 ) This delicious informal eatery is also on Corso Resina just minutes from the ruins and serves fish, meat, and traditional regional dishes. Pizzeria Luna Caprese (tel: +39 081 777 1543 ) For an delicious Neapolitan pizza at great prices, this is an ideal choice.

Top Herculaneum Sites

1. men's baths (26).

The Terme Centrali (Central Baths) date from the second half of the 1st century BC and were fully excavated in 1931. Like all baths, they were divided into areas for men (Termi Maschili) and for women. Walk through the apodyterium (changing rooms) with the wall niches to store clothing to the three bathing areas: the frigidarium (cold room), the caldarium absidato (hot room), and the tepidarium , with its beautiful black and white mosaic depicting Triton surrounded by dolphins, octopi, squids, and a cupid.

2. Hall of the Augustals (24)

This magnificent square structure was seat to the College of the Augustales, free men who were devotees of the cult of the Emperor Augustus. Columns, arches, cocciopesto floors, and two splendid frescoes: on the left wall, there is a depiction of Hercules entering Mount Olympus accompanied by Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva; the fresco on the right wall depicts Hercules wrestling Achelous. The skeleton of the building's custodian was found in his quarters, laid out on the bed.

3. Samnite House (31)

One of the oldest houses in the city, the House of the Samnites was built in the 2nd century BC and is famous for its beautiful Greek-style atrium painted in the Fourth Style (characteristic for its depiction of fantastical architecture and dramatic scenery), floors in cocciopesto, marble impluvium (rainwater pool), and a faux loggia upstairs with three sides lined in Ionic columns and the fourth (east) side open.

4. House of the Wooden Partition (36)

The name of this home comes from the wooden partition (tramezzo di legno) that survived the eruption and is still standing in its original location. This folding door separated the atrium from the rest of the room, lending the inhabitants privacy, and has a series of folding panels with brass handles and holders for hanging lanterns.

5. House of Relief of Telephus (7)

Built between 27 BC and 14 AD on the panoramic ridge overlooking the marina, this three-story home was decorated with a number of sculptures from the Neo-Attic school, including one with a relief of Telephus (Rilievo di Telefo), son of legendary found of the city, Hercules. The atrium is lined with columns supporting the upper floor, and the spaces between them were decorated with oscilla, or marble discs with reliefs of Dionysus used to guard against evil spirits.

6. Fornici (1)

The fornici were the port warehouses (also used to shelter boats) located along the beach that was about 500 meters closer to the city in Roman times. In 1980, 300 human skeletons were unearthed here belonging to residents attempting to flee the eruption in 79 AD and killed by the scorching clouds of toxic smoke and ash created by the volcano. Along with their remains and personal objects like jewelry and coins, a nine-meter long Roman ship with skeletons of the rower and a soldier with his belt, two swords, chisel, and purse with coins were found.

Herculaneum Photo Gallery

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

Are the herculaneum ruins accessible by wheelchair.

The archaeological site of Herculaneum is accessible by wheelchair thanks to two paths on platforms. Bathrooms accessible to people with disabilities are also available.

Are the Herculaneum Ruins free for people with disabilities?

People with disabilities do not pay the ticket for the Herculaneum Ruins. Admission is also free for an accompanying person.

Is there a binding time for entrance tickets?

Skip-the-line tickets for the Herculaneum Ruins are valid for the whole day. There is, therefore, no entry time, but keep in mind that you can only enter the site up to an hour and a half before closing time.

Visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF POMPEII with the

Audio guide, book your skip-the-line entrance ticket with audio guide and enjoy the tour of the best preserved city of the ancient world, where we are, audio guide, book your visit.

Discover the ruins of Pompeii thanks to this skip-the-line entry ticket and the multilingual official audio guide

WHAT IS INCLUDED

With this experience you will secure a skip-the-line entrance ticket to the Pompeii excavations and the Park’s official audio guide , which will allow you to visit the excavations in total autonomy, orienting yourself within the vast archaeological site.

Skip-the-line Entry ticket

Show the voucher received via email to the Audiguide Desk staff located at the entrance to PORTA MARINA. You will receive the entrance ticket, with which you can directly access the turnstiles at the entrance to the Archaeological Park.

The Official Audio guide

Together with the entrance ticket, you will also receive the official audio guide of the Park: a touchscreen device with which you can visit all the most salient points of the archaeological site, accompanied by a narrator.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT US:

• [email protected]
• Desk audioguide c/o Ingresso Porta Marina - Parco Archeologico di Pompei

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