Begin in the Forum, walk Via dell’Abbondanza, step inside one great house, and finish at the Amphitheatre. Then decide whether the Villa of the Mysteries, Vesuvius or Herculaneum deserves the rest of your day.
Pompeii covers about 66 hectares, and roughly two-thirds of it has been excavated. You will not see it all in one visit. Build a route that mixes public spaces, one or two houses, a street, and an entertainment building.
Pompeii’s civic centre is a long open square framed by the Temple of Jupiter, with Vesuvius rising behind it. The Basilica (the city’s law court and business hall), the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Macellum market and the Building of Eumachia all open onto it.
The city’s main east–west street links shops, bars, fountains, workshops and homes. Street-front food counters (thermopolia) with sunken jars show how people ate on the go, and painted election slogans still survive on some walls.
Built in the 2nd century BC, this is one of the largest private houses in Pompeii. It fills an entire city block. The bronze dancing faun in the atrium and the Alexander Mosaic in the exedra are copies; the originals are in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN).
It reopened in 2023 after about 20 years of restoration. The house belonged to two freed slaves, Aulus Vettius Restitutus and Aulus Vettius Conviva. Its Fourth Style frescoes, including the cupid friezes, show how new wealth displayed itself.
These are Pompeii’s oldest public baths, dating to the 2nd century BC. They have changing rooms, cold, warm and hot rooms, and an exercise yard. Romans went to the baths to exercise, gossip and do business, not just to wash.
This small purpose-built brothel on a side street near the Forum has stone beds, explicit painted panels and scratched graffiti. It is tiny and often has a queue, so go early or late in the day.
The Large Theatre, the smaller covered Odeion and the colonnaded Quadriporticus (later used as gladiators’ barracks) sit together in the south of the city. They show the performing side of Roman entertainment, separate from the arena.
Built around 70 BC, Pompeii’s Amphitheatre is the oldest surviving stone amphitheatre in the Roman world and held roughly 20,000 spectators. Next door, the Palestra Grande was a vast exercise ground with a central pool.
In this former vineyard near Porta Nocera, casts of 13 victims lie where they fell as they tried to escape. It is the most moving place in Pompeii, and it links the city’s daily life to its final hours.
The museum below the Temple of Venus, next to Porta Marina, was relaunched in 2021. It displays frescoes from the House of the Golden Bracelet, the Moregine silver treasure, finds from recent excavations and victim casts.
Individual buildings keep their own hours (many open at 09:15 and close before the park does), and some close temporarily for restoration. Check the official open buildings list on the day, and treat any single house as a bonus within a wider route.
Official prices from 12 January 2026. Every ticket is issued in the visitor’s name, allows one entry only, and counts toward a limit of 20,000 visitors a day.
Covers the ancient city of Pompeii only. It does not include the suburban villas, so the Villa of the Mysteries is not included.
Covers the ancient city plus the Villa of the Mysteries and Villa of Diomedes, Villa Regina in Boscoreale with its Antiquarium, and the shuttle bus.
Valid for 3 days with one entry to each site. It adds Oplontis (Villa Poppaea), the Stabiae villas, the Stabiae museum and Boscoreale, plus the shuttle.
The ancient city is open every day. From 16 March to 14 October it is open 09:00–19:00 (last entry 17:30); from 15 October to 15 March it is open 09:00–17:00 (last entry 15:30). It closes on 25 December and 1 January. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month, which brings big crowds. In high season, most of the daily capacity is allocated to morning slots, so book early for a popular date.
Don’t add every nearby attraction automatically. Choose one based on your ticket, your energy and how much time you have after the ruins.
This suburban villa outside the Herculaneum Gate has a famous painted room: a life-size fresco cycle from the 1st century BC on red backgrounds, usually read as an initiation into the cult of Dionysus. It adds an elite country residence to your route rather than more city streets.
The Gran Cono trail (Path 5) climbs to the crater rim at about 1,170 m. The route is roughly 4 km and takes about 2.5 hours in total. It explains the landscape behind Pompeii’s burial far better than any photo.
Herculaneum was buried under deep volcanic material, not ash fall. That preserved upper floors, wooden beams and furniture. The site is smaller and more complete than Pompeii and is managed by a separate park with its own ticket.
Villa Regina in Boscoreale was a working farm, and its wine cellar still holds 18 dolia (large storage jars) set in the ground. Its Antiquarium extends the story to the countryside and to what Pompeii produced.
This lavish seaside villa in Torre Annunziata is linked to Nero’s wife, Poppaea Sabina. It has some of the finest wall paintings in the region and a fraction of Pompeii’s crowds.
The modern town has cafés, trattorias and the landmark Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary. It is a good change of pace before your train or car journey.
You get a second Roman town with different preservation and a different atmosphere. Give it proper time.
The volcano gives you the landscape and scale of the eruption, not another urban excavation.
Take a proper rest before travelling rather than forcing in another timed entry.
A guide connects the city quickly in about two hours. Independent visitors need 3–4 hours and a map.
The Forum, one great house, and one street or entertainment building. Anything else is a bonus.
The Villa of the Mysteries, Vesuvius or Herculaneum. Do not try to do all three in one day.
The ticket name matters less than what you need: interpretation, transport, a smaller group, or a second site.
You set the route and pace. Audio guides (about €9) are available at the main entrances, but nobody will tell you which buildings are open that day.
An archaeologist-led visit gives context and an efficient route. It usually lasts about two hours and may not reach every house or the far eastern areas.
A capped group size makes it easier to hear the guide and ask questions. It still follows a set route.
A day trip bundles logistics with the visit. Some add Vesuvius, lunch or train tickets, and these inclusions vary by product.
It runs from Napoli Garibaldi to Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri, right by the Porta Marina entrance, in about 35–40 minutes. Trains are frequent, cheap and busy, and there is no air-conditioning guarantee.
This seasonal tourist train on the same line has reserved seats and air conditioning and makes only a few departures a day. It is useful in peak summer.
It runs from Napoli Centrale to Pompei station in the modern town, then it is about a 15-minute walk to the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance.
Compare them by what each one solves: a guided explanation, a small group, Naples transfers, Vesuvius, or travel from Sorrento.
Most reviewedChoose this if you want admission and an archaeologist-led route in one booking, without arranging entry and a guide separately.
Small groupA good match if you want an archaeologist guide in a smaller group than a standard large tour.
Pompeii + VesuviusChoose this for one organised day from Naples that pairs the ancient city with the volcano and includes a pizza lunch.
Naples departureUseful if you are based in Naples and want a guided Pompeii visit arranged for you, with fast-track entry.
Sorrento by trainPick this if you are staying in Sorrento and want the train journey arranged along with a focused Pompeii visit.
Ticket + transferA practical choice if you want transfer, entry ticket and guide from Naples in one booking.
Pompeii Guided Tours is an independent visitor guide and is not the official Pompeii Archaeological Park website. Some links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. *Ratings, review counts and starting prices come from the booking provider’s data at the time of writing and can change. Check the live booking page for your date and option.
Plan food around your route rather than squeezing it between timed attractions. Pompeii tickets allow one entry only, so if you leave for lunch you cannot come back in.
Have breakfast near your entrance or meeting point. Bring a refillable bottle and snacks, because shade is scarce and distances are longer than they look.
The site’s main refreshment point near the Forum has a self-service restaurant, café and wine bar, plus toilets. Eat there, not among the ruins.
Finish everything you want to see before you leave. Trattorias and pizzerias are a short walk from every entrance.
A good day and an exhausting one usually differ in how many separate things you fit around one timed visit.
Tickets are personal and non-transferable. Carry photo ID that matches the name on each ticket.
Pompeii Express covers the ancient city only. Choose Pompeii+ or a tour that confirms suburban-villa access.
A first independent visit usually needs 3–4 hours; a guided highlights tour about 2 hours. Don’t book the next thing too tightly.
Porta Marina is closest to the Circumvesuviana station. Piazza Esedra suits the Antiquarium. Piazza Anfiteatro starts the step-free Pompei per tutti route (over 3.5 km).
Bags larger than 30 × 30 × 15 cm are not allowed inside. There is paid luggage storage at Porta Marina and Piazza Anfiteatro.
Ancient streets have high kerbs, gaps and slippery basalt. Wear grippy shoes, a hat and sunscreen, and take breaks.
Last entry is 17:30 in summer and 15:30 in winter, and many houses close before the park does. Arrive early to be safe.
Individual houses keep their own hours and may close for works. Have a second highlight ready in case one is shut.
For most first-time visitors: book a guided format or Pompeii+, focus on the Forum, one great house and one street, then add just one extra, either the Villa of the Mysteries or a wider-day experience such as Vesuvius or Herculaneum.
