Pompeii is among the most well-known archaeological websites in Italy, and a preferred attraction for guests. We’ve visited Pompeii a lot of instances over time, (Laurence first visited in 1995) and on this information we’re going to share every little thing you should know to plan your personal go to to Pompeii.
There’s rather a lot to see and study at Pompeii, and there are additionally varied choices for visiting. You can take a guided tour or do a self-guided go to, and there are additionally varied transport choices for attending to Pompeii from totally different areas in Italy, together with Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
In this information we’ll cowl every little thing you should know to go to Pompeii, from attending to Pompeii, to which excursions are value it, to different sights within the space, and plenty extra. Let’s get began with some background.
What is Pompeii?
In AD 79, Pompeii (Pompei in Italian) was a comparatively massive and profitable city within the Roman Empire, dwelling to between 10 and 20 thousand folks.
That all got here to an finish within the autumn of 79 AD when the close by Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted. This had catastrophic penalties for the encompassing cities and villages.
Within 24 hours of the eruption, the large quantity of ash and pumice produced by the volcanic eruption had lined the cities within the area to a depth of 13 – 20 ft (4 – 6 metres).
Thousands of people that had tried to shelter misplaced their lives, and the cities had been successfully misplaced to historical past.
It wasn’t actually till the 18th century that Pompeii and neighboring cities reminiscent of Herculaneum surfaced again into public consciousness. This was when the primary scientific excavations on the website happened.
In the next centuries, big efforts had been taken to disclose the hidden metropolis, efforts that proceed right now.
Pompeii successfully serves as a snapshot of a Roman city on the top of the Roman Empire. The volcanic eruption was so violent and fast that a fantastic many inhabitants perished, with their our bodies trapped within the ash. Plaster casts of the imprints these our bodies left behind are a picture that’s inextricably linked with Pompeii.
Planning your Visit to Pompeii
I’ll now undergo some useful info that can assist you plan your journey to Pompeii, from the way to get right here to the place to purchase tickets and plenty extra.
Where is Pompeii?
Pompeii is discovered within the Campania area of Italy on the southern finish of the Bay of Naples. It’s round 27km (16 miles) to the southeast of Naples, or roughly a 30-minute journey by automobile, bus or prepare.
It’s round 250km (155 miles) south of Rome, or roughly a three-hour journey by automobile, bus or prepare.
It is feasible to go to Pompeii as a day journey from each Rome and Naples, choices I’ll cowl under.
How to get to Pompeii?
Pompeii is comparatively straightforward to succeed in, with good transport connections from varied areas in Italy. We’ll undergo the choices for visiting Pompeii from a few of the extra fashionable departure factors.
How to get to Pompeii from Rome?
It is feasible to go to Pompeii as a day journey from Rome as lengthy you are ready for a protracted day with a good bit of journey time. You’re usually taking a look at round 2.5 – 3 hours of journey time every manner from Rome to Pompeii.
The foremost choices you’ve are to drive, take public transport, or take a guided tour.
Drive from Rome to Pompeii
Unless you might be planning on taking a highway journey in Italy and persevering with on after Pompeii, we’d counsel taking public transport or a tour quite than driving.
If you drive, you’ll need to undergo the trouble of discovering and renting a automobile, coping with site visitors round Rome, navigating, and paying tolls and gasoline.
Taking public transport or a tour goes to be rather a lot simpler.
Public Transport from Rome to Pompeii
For public transport, you may take an categorical prepare from Rome to Naples Central prepare station. Then, from Naples you may take an area prepare to Pompeii.
See particulars under within the part on getting from Naples to Pompeii for the way to do that.
Tours from Rome to Pompeii
Our advisable manner for getting from Rome to Pompeii as a day journey is to take a guided tour. This will make your day much more stress-free as you gained’t have to fret about logistics.
You’ll even have a greater time at Pompeii with knowledgeable information to clarify what you might be seeing. There are a lot of tour choices to Pompeii from Rome, some advisable choices are as follows.
When evaluating excursions and costs, all the time verify how a lot time is definitely spent on the varied sights, in addition to group dimension and what’s and isn’t included.
Paying slightly additional for a tour that features extra may work out more economical!
How to get to Pompeii from Naples?
There are a number of choices for getting from Naples to Pompeii. You can drive, take the prepare, take a shuttle bus, take a prepare, or take a tour.
Drive from Naples to Pompeii
The drive from Naples to Pompeii is round half-hour by way of the A3 toll highway, and there’s paid parking on website.
This goes to be an choice to think about if you have already got a automobile rental in your journey in Italy, however we’d not suggest renting a automobile particularly for this journey as the opposite choices are seemingly going to be simpler.
Shuttle Bus from Naples to Pompeii
A very easy choice for getting from Naples to Pompeii is to take the devoted City Sightseeing bus. This departs from central Naples and takes you on to the ruins.
The journey takes round 40 minutes relying on site visitors, and also you get round 4 hours on website. Note that it’s a must to ebook a selected departure time, which ties you to a selected return time, you may’t select to remain longer and are available again on a later bus.
4 hours ought to provide you with sufficient time to see rather a lot, however in case you wished to spend longer on website then this may not be the best choice.
Find out extra and ebook tickets for this expertise on GetYourGuide right here.
Train from Naples to Pompeii
There are two direct prepare choices for getting from Naples Central prepare station to Pompeii.
First, you should bear in mind that Pompeii itself has a few prepare stations. When taking the prepare to the Pompeii historic website you need to get off at Pompeii Scavi-Villa dei Misteria Station as that is the one straight by the ruins.
Direct trains from Naples to Pompeii all depart from the Garibaldi prepare station, which is (slightly confusingly) situated straight beneath Naples Centrale prepare station.
The most cost-effective prepare choice from Naples to Pompeii is the Circumvesuviana service. This regional commuter prepare system runs trains throughout the realm, and you’ll want to take a prepare which is heading to Sorrento.
Tickets may be bought on the station, and there are usually a number of trains each hour. Journey time to Pompeii is round 35 minutes. You can see prepare instances on the official web site right here (Italian solely).
A barely dearer, however usually extra comfy prepare choice, is the tourist-oriented Campania Express prepare. This additionally operates from Garibaldi prepare station and takes you on to the ruins.
Trains run much less often and value extra, however are much less crowded and extra comfy.
See timetables and purchase tickets with seat reservation for the Campania Express prepare on-line right here. Tickets are additionally out there in particular person.
Note that Trenitalia runs trains from Naples central prepare station to Pompeii, however these go to the principle prepare station in Pompeii quite than the station by the ruins.
It’s potential to take a shuttle out to the ruins or stroll (20 – half-hour), however truthfully, we’d suggest taking one of many different choices because it’s going to be simpler. You gained’t be having a scarcity of strolling while you’re on website!
Tours from Naples to Pompeii
You may ebook a tour to Pompeii which incorporates round-trip transport to and from Naples. There are fairly a number of choices, with each half-day and full-day excursions out there.
Most full-day excursions embody a further attraction or two reminiscent of a go to to Mount Vesuvius or time on the Amalfi Coast.
Here are some choices to think about.
How to get to Pompeii from Sorrento
Sorrento is among the main cities on Italy’s fashionable Amalfi coast, a preferred and spectacular vacation spot for vacationers visiting Italy. Sorrento makes for a superb base for exploring the Amalfi Coast.
It’s additionally straightforward to get to, being linked by rail on to Naples. This is on the identical prepare line that goes to Pompeii, which means you may simply attain Pompeii by prepare from Sorrento as nicely.
Here are some choices for the way to get from Sorrento to Pompeii.
Driving from Sorrento to Pompeii
You can drive from Sorrento to Pompeii, so if you have already got your personal automobile rental that is positively an choice to think about. However, you may discover taking the prepare to be simply as handy.
The 28km (17 mile) drive takes round 40 minutes relying on site visitors. Just bear in mind you’ll have to pay for parking while you get to Pompeii.
Public Transport from Sorrento to Pompeii
Getting from Sorrento to Pompeii by public transport is straightforward. There is an everyday prepare service from Sorrento to Naples, which stops on the Pompeii Scavi prepare station. This is true by the Pompeii website entrance.
Tickets may be bought on the station, and there are usually a number of trains each hour. Journey time to Pompeii is round 45 minutes. You can see prepare instances on the official web site right here (Italian solely).
Tours from Sorrento to Pompeii
You may take a guided tour from Sorrento to Pompeii. These excursions usually embody round-trip transfers, and a guided tour of Pompeii lasting 2-3 hours.
Tours then differentiate by different additions reminiscent of lunch, and different locations like Mount Vesuvius or Herculaneum.
Note that not all excursions embody your Pompeii entrance ticket, and any extra sights could have extra ticket necessities, reminiscent of Mount Vesuvius and Herculaneum. So all the time verify what’s and isn’t included earlier than reserving something.
Here is a number of excursions from Sorrento to Pompeii to think about.
As you may see there are many choices. We’d all the time suggest evaluating a number of totally different excursions to see which fits your necessities and funds, and all the time verify what’s and isn’t included when evaluating excursions as nicely.
Pompeii Opening Times
Pompeii is often open year-round apart from twenty fifth December, 1st May, and 1st January.
Generally, every little thing at Pompeii opens at 9am, however closure instances can range. So if you wish to see every little thing, then we suggest visiting within the morning. This is often additionally the good time of day in the summertime months.
The foremost Pompeii website is open as follows:
- 1st April – thirty first October, 9am – 7pm (final entrance 5.30pm)
- 1st November – thirty first March, 9am – 5pm (final entrance 3.30pm).
There are additionally a number of areas throughout the principle Pompeii website such because the Amphitheater, Garden of the Fugitives, House of the Menander and so forth. which even have opening instances to concentrate on. You can see these right here.
Additionally, there are a selection of close by websites linked to Pompeii which have a final entrance time half-hour after the principle website final entrance time.
These embody Villa Regina, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco and Villa de Poppea. These areas are all closed on Tuesdays apart from Villa Regina.
These additional websites require a selected ticket to entry them and you should take a shuttle bus from the principle Pompeii website to succeed in them, so in case you plan to go to these areas you’ll want to give your self loads of time.
You can see extra info on opening instances in addition to any distinctive closure info for Pompeii on the official web site right here.
How Long to Visit Pompeii For
There is a good deal to see at Pompeii, nonetheless you even have to think about the time of yr you might be visiting and your private curiosity in historic archaeological websites when deciding how lengthy to go to.
The majority of tourists come for two – 3 hours, which can also be how lengthy the vast majority of guided excursions are.
If you assume you’ll want to spend extra time on website (there’s tons to see), then a superb choice is to take a guided tour that finishes on website, after which discover by yourself when the tour is completed. Your tour information ought to have the ability to direct you to specific highlights as soon as the tour is over.
We have performed this and it was an effective way to be taught rather a lot from a information, after which we had been capable of discover on our personal at our leisure.
One factor to notice, in case you are visiting in the summertime months it could actually get highly regarded right here, and there isn’t a number of shade, so visiting for for much longer than 2 or 3 hours may be fairly difficult.
However, in case you are actually eager to discover and spend extra time on website, and are both ready for the warmth or are visiting at a cooler time of yr, there’s actually tons to see! You may simply spend an entire day exploring Pompeii, particularly in case you head out to the villas. It’s fully as much as you!
Pompeii Ticket Information
We’ll now cowl ticketing info for Pompeii, together with ticket sorts and prices, discounted tickets, the place to purchase tickets and extra.
Do You Need a Ticket for Pompeii?
Yes, all guests want a ticket for Pompeii, even these eligible totally free and discounted entry.
You should buy tickets on-line prematurely or in particular person on website.
How Much does it Cost to Visit Pompeii?
There are a lot of ticket choices for Pompeii, relying on what you need to see. These are as follows. Prices are appropriate as of August 2024.
Tickets are for adults 18 and over solely. Children below 18 have free entry, though they do nonetheless require a ticket which may solely be collected in particular person on the ticket workplace.
If you arrive at Pompeii with an Express ticket and resolve you need to go to the villas, it’s potential to buy a ticket improve for €8 on the Herculaneum Gate – Street of the Tombs entrance. This solely accepts card fee.
Are there Discounted Pompeii Tickets?
Yes, discounted Pompeii Tickets can be found.
EU residents between the ages of 18 and 24 inclusive with ID can enter the park for €2.
All youngsters below 18 get free entry to Pompeii, though they nonetheless require a ticket.
There are at present no reductions for seniors.
Where to Buy Pompeii Tickets
You have a lot of choices for buying Pompeii tickets.
In particular person
First, you should purchase tickets for Pompeii on-site at Pompeii itself. There are ticket places of work on the three foremost entrances: Porta Marina, Piazza Anfiteatro and Piazza Esedra.
We’d usually advise towards this the place potential as you may find yourself standing in line for some time, however it’s an choice.
If you below 18, an EU resident aged 18-24, or fall into one other class for lowered worth tickets, then you will want to go to the ticket workplace in your ticket.
This is so your qualification for the lowered ticket may be verified, so be sure you deliver any vital paperwork, reminiscent of a authorities issued Photo ID doc (i.e. a passport or ID card).
Online
You should purchase Pompeii tickets on-line from a lot of web sites, as follows:
In our expertise, the official web site tends to have the bottom price on-line tickets, however they don’t include free cancellation.
Tickets bought by third events do usually price a bit extra, however can have advantages reminiscent of free cancellation in addition to the choice to ebook a guided tour.
We suggest evaluating costs and choices to see which fits you. It’s additionally essential to rigorously learn the redemption directions when shopping for a ticket on-line so you understand what you should do prematurely of your go to.
Often you may simply present a ticket in your smartphone, however typically you may have to print one thing out or acquire a ticket from a selected pick-up level.
By Phone
You should purchase tickets for Pompeii by telephone. The quantity is +39 811 865 8177. The workplace is often open weekdays from 9.30 to 6pm. There’s a surcharge of €1.50 for reserving by telephone.
Can you Skip the Lines at Pompeii?
There are two strains at Pompeii. First, there’s the road for the ticket workplace the place you should purchase tickets in particular person. Next, there’s an entrance line for going into the positioning, which features a safety verify.
If you pre-book your ticket, generally you may skip the ticket line. However, this can rely upon the ticket you buy, as some on-line tickets require you to swap a voucher for an precise ticket, so do verify if so with the ticket you’ve bought.
The safety / ticket-check line can’t be skipped by any guests, however in our expertise it strikes fairly shortly.
When is Pompeii Free in 2024?
Pompeii is free to go to on the primary Sunday of each month. On lately you’ll nonetheless want a ticket, however there isn’t any price for buying it.
Tickets for the free days may be bought on-line on the official Ticketone website right here, or in particular person on the ticket workplace on website.
We’d counsel doing the web ticket choice as the positioning can get very busy on the free days, and if it exceeds capability, the ticket places of work shut.
Note that some third-party websites will nonetheless cost you for the free ticket days, so solely purchase tickets for the free days on the official website!
What is the Pompeii Official Website?
There are a number of websites providing info on visiting Pompeii, together with this one.
However, for the newest info on visiting Pompeii together with ticket costs, updates, opening hours and extra, we all the time suggest consulting the official web site.
You can discover it on the following net handle, with content material out there in a number of languages together with English. The website is superb and has a wealth of data that can assist you plan your go to, and is nicely value testing.
Pompeii Layout and Maps
Pompeii is a big attraction, overlaying round 65 hectares (170 acres). From the east aspect to the west aspect is round a kilometer (0.67 miles), and it’s 0.8km (0.5 miles) from north to south.
Suffice to say, it’s not onerous to get misplaced in Pompeii. Whilst a lot of the positioning is specified by a grid, there are additionally loads of slender lanes and twists and turns. Navigation isn’t helped by pretty restricted signage.
To provide help to discover your manner round, it’s a good suggestion to have an thought of the format of Pompeii.
The very first thing to know is that Pompeii is split into 9 distinct areas, or “Regio“. This system was developed manner again within the nineteenth century when the positioning began to be excavated and stays in use to this present day.
Each regio is assigned a Roman quantity, from I (one) to IX (9). The regio is in a grid sample, 3 broad and three excessive.
The format of the areas isn’t fully intuitive. It’s a counterclockwise spiral ranging from the decrease center grid sq.. You can consider it like a tic-tac-toe board, or a desk that appears as follows.
| VI | V | IV |
| VII | IX | III |
| VIII | I | II |
Having an thought of this grid and the numbering system will provide help to orient your self if you end up on website, because the Regio quantity you might be in is often printed on partitions and in indicators.
Each Regio can also be divided into “Insulae” or “Insula”. In Roman instances, an Insulae was a metropolis block, or an condo constructing. For Pompeii, the Insulae are the blocks.
So, while you see an indication in Pompeii, it’s going to often inform you which Regio and Insulae you might be in, for instance REG VII INS XIII would imply you might be in Regio 7, Insula 13.
The Insula observe a format system which I’m certain is smart to an archeologist however appears designed to confuse the typical particular person in my view.
However, it doesn’t actually matter, as a result of the official map has each the Regio and Insula numbers marked. So, in case you have the map, all you should do is discover a signal to know the place you might be.
You can obtain a map and information to the positioning from the official web site right here.
We extremely suggest doing this prematurely and saving it to your smartphone for reference. You ought to have the ability to get a printed model of this information while you go to, however it’s good to be ready simply in case they aren’t out there.
There are additionally road names that can assist you orient your self. The foremost homes and sights even have names.
I’d additionally add that every home (and a few of the rooms within the homes) even have numbers. However, that is actually extra for cataloging and archaeological functions quite than one thing guests would need to use for navigating!
It can also be value noting that while most guests go to the principle Pompeii website, there are a selection of different websites which have been excavated, and which can be visited. These require you to have a distinct ticket, and to take a shuttle bus from the principle website.
In abstract, in case you are visiting Pompeii and not using a information, we suggest having a map readily available, and being conscious of the Regio and Insulae system. You may orient your self with close by apparent landmarks, with Mount Vesuvius typically seen for instance.
What to see and do at Pompeii
There’s rather a lot to see and do in Pompeii, and it may be a reasonably overwhelming place to go to. This is why we might suggest taking a guided tour, or on the very least getting an audio information.
To assist you determine what to see, we’re going to share what we predict are a few of the unmissable sights at Pompeii. Most excursions will embody no less than a few of these, though tour routes can range. If you’re taking a tour, all the time verify what they embody to make certain it covers your pursuits.
Top Sights at Pompeii
Obviously, everybody could have barely totally different pursuits, nonetheless we predict it is a good overview of the principle highlights at Pompeii. These are the sights that almost all excursions are more likely to go to as nicely, though in fact it’s going to range, and never all excursions will go to each sight we checklist.
These sights are ordered roughly as you’d encounter them coming into town from the western aspect. There’s a wonderful map right here you may obtain for reference as nicely.
- Porta Marina – arguably essentially the most spectacular of the unique seven gateways to town, and the one which led to the ocean, therefore the identify. The barrel-vaulted ceiling is produced from concrete and dates from 80BC.
- Plaster Casts of Pompeii’s victims – One of essentially the most well-known sights at Pompeii are the plaster casts of those that misplaced their lives within the eruption, together with folks and canine. The victims had been encased in ash and asphyxiated, and their our bodies entombed. Over time the our bodies decomposed, leaving gaps within the hardened ash layer. During the excavations, plaster was rigorously injected into these cavities to kind the molds you may see right now. These may be seen at varied areas in Pompeii, together with on the Antiquarium and the Forum Granary
- Antiquarium di Pompei (Pompeii archaeological museum) – discovered by the Porta Marina, this museum homes a set of artifacts from the positioning. It have to be mentioned that the most effective artefacts from Pompeii may be discovered within the Naples Archaeological Museum, nonetheless there’s a lot to see right here nonetheless, together with plaster casts of Pompeii’s victims.
- The Forum (Foro) – the center of any Roman metropolis or city is the Forum, the place you’d have discovered metropolis administration buildings, the principle temples and the market. If one thing essential was going to occur in Pompeii, this was most likely the place it was going to occur.
- Basilica – discovered within the south-western nook of the Forum, the Basilica dates from round 80BC. Despite the spiritual sounding identify, it was truly extra of a civic corridor, used for enterprise and as a court docket for dealing with authorized issues. Religious Basilicas got here later, basing their identify and format on the Roman buildings!
- Forum Granary – The Granary is situated by the Forum and would initially have been the principle produce market. Today it’s the dwelling of hundreds of artifacts which have been excavated from the ruins, in addition to plaster casts of a few of the victims of the catastrophe.
- Baths of the Forum (Terme del Foro) – No Roman city is full and not using a bathtub home (the extra the higher), and Pompeii had no less than 5 of them. The Baths of the Forum are the closest to the Forum. Here you may see the female and male bathing homes together with the recent bathtub room, heat bathtub room and chilly plunge room.
- Via Abbondanza (foremost road) – the principle road (Decumanus Maximus in Roman instances) of Pompeii runs west to east from the Forum all the way in which throughout the city to Sarno Gate. This would have been a busy, pedestrianized road crammed with retailers and foods and drinks distributors. The stretch which leads from the Forum has three upright stones, designed to dam chariot passage as this was a pedestrian road.
- Eateries – alongside lots of the streets, and particularly the principle streets, you will notice proof of historic Roman eateries. Look for marble counter tops with holes reduce out the place the meals would have been saved.
- Arches – Pompeii has a lot of arches which you will notice all through town. At the northern finish of the Forum is an honorary arch, while additional north on the intersection of Via Fortuna and Vicolo del Foro you will discover the Arch of Caligula. Some of those arches additionally served a extra sensible operate, hiding water tanks that equipped close by fountains. Today many of those fountains have been modernized and supply clear ingesting water for guests.
- House of the Tragic Poet (Casa del Poeta Tragico) – One of the numerous homes you may go to in Pompeii, this one is simply to the north of the Forum by the Arch of Caligula. It’s notable for the attractive mosaic flooring which depict scenes from Greek mythology, which is the place the homes identify comes from.
- House of the Faun (Casa del Fauno) – simply to the northeast of the House of the Tragic Poet, on Vicolo del Fauno, this is among the largest and most well-known of the homes in Pompeii, and is a must-visit. It occupies an entire block, taking over round 32,000 sq. toes, and would have been owned by a really rich household. The identify comes from a bronze statue of a faun which was discovered right here, the unique of which is within the Naples Archaeological Museum (a replica is viewable in the home).
- House of the Vetti (Casa dei Vetti)– discovered to the northeast of the House of the Faun, the House of the Vetti is a fantastically adorned property that includes many lovely fresco work which depict varied mythological scenes. It’s additionally a really massive property.
- Brothel (Lupanare) – virtually as fashionable right now because it seemingly was in its heyday 2,000 years in the past (though with a considerably totally different clientele), the brothel was the place residents got here to seek out intercourse employees, in addition to drinks and social interplay. The identify Lupanare comes from the Latin identify for a wolf-den, as prostitutes had been referred to as she-wolves. The brothel has pretty graphic frescoes and graffiti, and oldsters may need to skip this attraction.
- Stabian Baths (Terme Stabiane) – As beforehand talked about, Pompeii had no less than 5 bathtub homes, of which the Stabian Baths are the biggest and oldest. In truth, they’re one of many oldest Roman baths on the planet. They are discovered on the intersection Via dell’Abbondanza and Via Stabiana. Here you may see the totally different mens and ladies’s bathing areas. We’d most likely suggest selecting one bathtub home to go to, except you might be significantly into Roman bathtub homes.
Other websites that are slightly off the principle route and which aren’t all the time included on common excursions (though, once more, this varies!):
- Temple of Isis (Tempio di Iside) – this small and largely intact temple is discovered subsequent to the Grand Theatre, and is devoted to the Egyptian goddess Isis. The Cult of Isis was fashionable in Pompeii, regardless of proclamations towards it by the Roman Senate. It is believed that the composer Mozart visited this temple when he was 13, and it impressed his composition The Magic Flute
- Grand Theater (Teatro Grande) – Entertainment was a key a part of Roman life, and there have been a lot of venues throughout town the place performances would have taken place. The Grand Theater was constructed within the Greek fashion, which meant profiting from a pure hill slope to create the auditorium, which might have had seating for five,000 spectators. Much of the Theatre survives right now, and it’s nicely value a go to. It’s within the south a part of Pompeii, close to Porta di Stabia.
- Small Theater (Teatro Piccolo – Odeion) – Right subsequent to the Grand Theater is the Small Theater, a extra intimate efficiency venue which was additionally used for council conferences. It additionally had a roof, primarily to enhance acoustics. At the time, it was typically used for mime performances, which had been fashionable. It was additionally used for music.
- Viewpoint / Panoramic View of Pompeii – To grasp the dimensions of Pompeii, it’s best to think about visiting the perspective by Casina dell’Aquila, simply by the intersection of Via Dell’Abbondanza and Vicolo di Tesmo. The viewpoint is on the authentic degree of the bottom right here earlier than the excavation, and offers you an thought of simply how a lot floor needed to be moved with the intention to unearth town.
- House of Menander (Casa del Menandro) – owned by a excessive rating and rich household, this huge home (19,000 sq. toes) is called for the fresco which depicts the Greek playwright Menander. There are a lot of rooms that may be visited.
- Garden of the Fugitives (Orto dei Fuggiaschi) – discovered within the southeast a part of Pompeii, the Garden of the Fugitives accommodates the plaster casts of 13 of the victims who died attempting to flee town.
- Amphitheater – an essential leisure heart in a Roman metropolis or city was the amphitheater, basically an enclosed theatre which was used for gladiatorial battles, circuses and extra. The most well-known Amphitheatre is Rome’s Colosseum, however the one in Pompeii is definitely one of many oldest surviving amphitheaters from the Roman Empire. Much of the construction nonetheless survives, with seating for round 20,000 folks.
- Aqueduct – The Romans had been unbelievable engineers, and while they didn’t invent the aqueduct, their aqueducts had been positively engineering wonders of their time. They allowed the distribution of water throughout the Roman Empire, and allowed cities like Pompeii to get recent water to their residents. The water in Pompeii was carried by the Augustan Aqueduct, sourcing water from 96km away, utilizing solely gravity to maneuver the water! Today, you may see the place the aqueduct system arrived into town at Castellum Aqueduct, subsequent to Porto Vesuvio within the northern a part of town. From right here it was distributed to water towers and fountains throughout town.
As you may see, there’s loads to see and soak up at Pompeii!
Tours of Pompeii
One of the most effective methods to go to Pompeii is to take a guided tour. There’s rather a lot to see and a number of historical past and data to soak up, and having a superb information can positively enhance your expertise.
You have a number of choices for taking a tour. You can ebook a tour which incorporates transport from a serious metropolis reminiscent of Rome or Naples. Or, you can also make your personal solution to Pompeii and simply take a tour on website.
We’ll embody a lot of choices so that you can think about, relying in your preferences.
You may ebook a tour information on arrival at Pompeii. Tour guides can be found simply inside the positioning entrance and will have an official badge.
Note nonetheless that while accredited, the guides are freelance and costs aren’t fastened. You might want to negotiate worth, route and tour length with the out there on-site guides.
Generally, these guides could have a worth they cost for a tour, no matter group dimension. By having a bigger group you’ll pay much less per particular person, however clearly have a much less personalised expertise.
You can see extra on this course of right here.
Depending on how busy the day is, guides will not be out there. So, we might usually suggest reserving a guided tour prematurely as a substitute.
Practicalities for Visiting Pompeii
Dress Code at Pompeii
Pompeii is just not a spiritual website and as such there isn’t any particular gown code for visiting.
There are a few guidelines round clothes. First, you can’t be naked chested, you have to be carrying a prime. In addition, clothes that might be thought of disruptive can also be not allowed, and costumes, masks and banners aren’t permitted.
This clothes rule is often used to stop protestors utilizing the positioning, so is unlikely to have an effect on most guests. Steer away from any offensive clothes and also you’ll be high-quality!
You will nonetheless need to assume via your clothes selections previous to visiting. The majority of your go to can be spent outdoors, and there’s minimal shade or shelter out there.
See the part of what to put on and pack for Pompeii for some options on what to deliver in your go to.
Facilities at Pompeii
Pompeii has a lot of customer providers you should utilize. These embody:
- two on-site bookshops, one at Piazza Esedra and one contained in the Antiquarium.
- audio information rent, out there on the Porta Marina entrance and Porta Anfiteatro entrance.
- first assist providers, out there close to the Chora Cafe on Vicolo degli Augustali
- A restaurant known as Chora the place you may get drinks and snacks like desserts, pastries and ice cream
- Multiple free water fountains throughout the positioning
- Multiple free rest room amenities throughout the positioning
- Baby altering amenities. There are three of those, one on Via dell’Abbondanza, one on Via di Nola, and one on the nook of Via Stabiana and Via della Fortuna
Smoking at Pompeii
Smoking is forbidden at Pompeii besides at designated smoking areas. These may be discovered close to the Casina dell’Aquila and the bathroom amenities.
Security at Pompeii
All guests should undergo a safety verify at Pompeii. Bulky objects, umbrellas, and baggage bigger than 30x30x15 cm (12 x 12 x 6 inches) aren’t permitted on the positioning and have to be left on the cloakroom. This is a free service.
Otherwise, the foundations are fairly apparent, and largely concentrate on defending the positioning and guaranteeing a superb expertise for all. So you’re not allowed to play music, deface objects, climb on the ruins, decide fruits or flowers, construct fires, enter fenced off areas and so forth.
You can see the total checklist of guidelines and rules right here.
Accessibility at Pompeii
Pompeii is clearly an historic metropolis, and as such there are accessibility challenges. However, efforts have been made to make sure the positioning is as accessible as potential for all guests.
There are a lot of specifically designed accessible routes, known as Pompeii for All, that are designed to permit entry for mobility impaired customers, in addition to mother and father with buggies, to a big a part of the positioning.
These routes embody lots of the foremost buildings that guests would need to see, and canopy a complete of three.5km. You can see particulars of those routes on the Pompeii for All web page.
There are additionally accessible bathrooms discovered on website.
Pompeii has additionally developed a program to assist these onerous to listening to to benefit from the website. More on this program, and accessibility on the positioning usually, may be discovered on the Pompeii for All web page.
Luggage storage Near Pompeii
Visitors to Pompeii aren’t allowed to deliver any baggage bigger than 30cm x 30cm x 15cm on website. So nothing bigger than a small backpack basically. We’d counsel leaving baggage in your resort room the place potential.
If it’s essential to journey with a bag which is bigger than the allowed dimension, there’s a cloakroom at Pompeii itself the place you may retailer baggage and different gadgets freed from cost.
There are additionally baggage storage lockers on the decrease ground of the Pompeii Scavi prepare station out there for a charge.
Tips for Visiting Pompeii
Based on our experiences visiting Pompeii, we wished to share some ideas that can assist you get essentially the most out of your go to.
Plan your day prematurely
The very first thing we suggest doing is planning your day trip earlier than you go to. Decide what you need to see at Pompeii, after which resolve if you wish to take a tour.
If you resolve to take a tour, verify what it contains, after which think about in case you want extra time. If you’re taking a tour that features round-trip transport, you may not have a lot additional time.
If you’re taking a tour that begins on website, ensure you know the place the assembly level is and the assembly time, and plan how you’re going to get to and from Pompeii.
If you might be doing a self-guided go to for any a part of your time at Pompeii, we propose trying on the official map and planning out what you need to see. You could even think about arising with a common path to observe. This will assist orient you if you end up truly there.
Consider a Guided Tour or Audio Guide
We can extremely suggest taking a guided tour of Pompeii. An knowledgeable information goes to have the ability to deliver the positioning to life and actually provide help to perceive what you might be seeing.
On our most up-to-date go to to Pompeii we took this guided tour with Take Walks and may extremely suggest it. However, there are a selection of choices.
If you’re taking a guided tour that meets on website, we extremely suggest planning on staying no less than an hour extra on website as soon as the tour ends so you may see every other websites that the tour didn’t cowl.
If you decide to not take a guided tour, then we’d counsel both selecting up an audio information on website, or on the very least a guidebook that features a self-guided Pompeii tour just like the Rick Steves Italy guidebook.
Dress and Pack Accordingly
If you might be visiting Pompeii within the hotter months of the yr, you’ll want to deliver a good solar hat to maintain the solar off your face, unfastened becoming clothes, and sure a small daypack to hold suncream, water and any snacks.
If rain is a risk, a mild raincoat or poncho can also be a good suggestion. Umbrellas aren’t allowed on website.
If you might be visiting outdoors of the warmest months of the yr, then some hotter layers are a good suggestion simply in case it’s cooler on website.
Footwear can also be essential. The historic streets of Pompeii may be uneven, various between unfastened grime and cobblestones. A great pair of comfy sneakers that you’re blissful to spend time strolling in is a should.
For shoe options, see our guides to the greatest journey sneakers for males and the greatest journey sneakers for girls for some concepts.
You will certainly need to deliver a water bottle with you. Fresh ingesting water is offered at fountains throughout the positioning, and on a sizzling day you will want to drink loads of water. We use and love our Klean Kanteen water bottles for journey, however there are many choices on the market in fact.
We may suggest bringing some form of guidebook with you. We assume the Rick Steves guidebook is among the greatest choices, both his Italy information or Naples & the Amalfi Coast snapshot information.
Both have a self-guided Pompeii tour which is a superb choice in case you select to skip a guided tour.
Be Wary of on-site Touts at Pompeii
Like any fashionable vacationer vacation spot, Pompeii has a few pitfalls to be careful for.
First, if you wish to take a tour and haven’t pre-booked one, then we’d suggest taking one of many excursions with an permitted tour information.
These may be discovered at Piazza Esedra and Porta Marina, upon getting entered Pompeii, after the safety checks. These tour guides have official badges issued by the Tourist Board of the Campania Region. If you might be not sure if a information is accredited, verify with the ticket workplace.
Be conscious that these guides will almost certainly should be paid in money, and the worth of the tour goes to be one thing you’ll want to debate with the information prematurely.
When you arrive at Pompeii additionally, you will seemingly be provided excursions by guides outdoors the gates. These is not going to be led by Pompeii’s accredited guides, so the standard of the tour is just not assured. We’d counsel ignoring these choices and heading inside to discover a information if that’s of curiosity.
One different factor to notice is that as Pompeii is a well-liked vacationer vacation spot that may be crowded, there’s a danger, as with every vacation spot like this, of pickpockets. So simply be aware of your belongings and hold valuables in sight, or safely away in zippered pockets. This can also be the case on the prepare and on the prepare station in case you select to take public transportation.
We’ve by no means had a difficulty in Italy, however it’s all the time a good suggestion to take primary security precautions when touring anyplace, as you’d at dwelling.
Arrive Early and Head to the Back
Pompeii is a well-liked vacation spot, and as such it could actually get fairly busy. In addition, there’s restricted shade on website, and in the summertime months significantly it could actually get highly regarded on website.
All because of this for the most effective expertise we suggest arriving early within the day in case you can. If you might be planning on taking a tour, ebook it for earlier within the day. If you might be planning to information your self, plan out your route so that you head away from the doorway first, and work your manner again in direction of it.
Many guests solely go to the key sights, a lot of that are situated not too removed from the doorway areas, significantly Porta Marina. Tours teams additionally observe related routes. So if you’d like a much less crowded expertise, establish a number of sights that you’re excited about which can be off the overwhelmed path, and head to these first.
Bring a Water Bottle
We talked about this already within the “what to pack for Pompeii” part of this information, however we predict it’s value repeating. Pompeii will get extremely sizzling in the summertime months and there’s not a lot shade.
There are numerous free ingesting water fountains throughout the positioning, so deliver a water bottle and keep hydrated totally free as you wander!
Escape the Crowds at Pompeii
Pompeii is a massively fashionable attraction, and consequently it may be busy. The website has a restrict of 15,000 guests at anybody time, however regardless of the positioning being fairly massive folks have a tendency to move to a handful of areas such because the Forum, Brothel, and Bath homes, which means it could actually really feel extra crowded than it’s.
Here are some ideas for escaping the crowds at Pompeii.
- Visit at a quieter time of the week or yr. Peak season in Italy is mostly from May via August, with weekends being busier than weekdays. If you may’t keep away from visiting in excessive season, strive visiting on per week day if potential.
- Head to a quieter a part of the positioning in case you can, away from the teams. Most excursions observe the same path to a handful of highlights, and in case you head to the much less fashionable areas you could find your self wandering virtually abandoned streets, even at a busy time of yr
- Use a quieter gate. Many folks enter via the Porta Marina because it’s subsequent to the prepare station. The Anfiteatro gate tends to be quieter, and brings you in proper subsequent to the Amphitheater as nicely, from the place you may discover the positioning at your leisure
Attractions Near Pompeii
Pompeii is among the hottest sights within the Naples space, however it’s in no way the one attraction within the space! Here are another sights within the common space to think about including to your itinerary.
- Herculaneum – the opposite well-excavated city that was buried by the Vesuvius eruption is Herculaneum. This is nearer to Naples, and in addition simply accessible by the Circumvesuviana prepare service. It’s a smaller website however because it was a rich seaside resort, it has a excessive density of luxurious dwellings. It is often quieter than Pompeii, and a few excursions like this one go to each.
- Mount Vesuvius – the volcano which induced all the difficulty remains to be energetic and nonetheless posing a risk to the thousands and thousands of people that reside within the space. It’s a dominant a part of the skyline, and you’ll head all the way in which as much as the summit to look into the steaming crater and hike across the rim. There’s a small charge to go to the park, and it may be reached by public transport or on a guided tour like this.
- Amalfi Coast – one of the vital fashionable and spectacular areas of Italy, the 50km lengthy Amalfi Coast is true subsequent to Pompeii. Gorgeous seaside cities like Positano and Sorrento cling to the dramatic shoreline. It’s nicely value spending a number of days right here in case you can. Alternatively, you may get a style of what’s on provide by taking a tour which incorporates the Amalfi Coast like this.
- Naples – the capital metropolis of the area, Naples tends to divide customer opinion. It may be crowded, and chaotic sure, however it’s additionally dwelling to wonderful meals and quite a few sights. Pompeii guests ought to positively take the time to go to the Naples National Archaeological Museum, which has the vast majority of the most effective preserved artefacts from Pompeii out there for viewing.
- Capri – a preferred island for a day journey (though keep in a single day in case you can to keep away from the crowds!), Capri may be visited by ferry from each Naples and Sorrento. It’s a wonderful island with rather a lot to see, however it could actually get extremely crowded in the summertime months.
Of course, there’s far more to see on this space, however this could provide you with an thought of what’s on provide within the space round Pompeii!
Where to Stay Near Pompeii
If you’re on the lookout for someplace to remain close to Pompeii, you’ve fairly a number of choices. You can keep near the positioning, or you might keep in close by Sorrento or Naples.
It’s additionally potential to go to Pompeii as a day journey from Rome, however we’ll concentrate on nearer lodging for this a part of the information. See our information to spending 3 days in Rome for Rome lodging choices.
- Pompeii Ruins De Charme B&B – Literally throughout the highway from the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance this fashionable B&B provides air-conditioned rooms with breakfast included. Rooms even have a kitchen and dishwasher in case you favor to prepare dinner for your self. Parking is offered for a charge.
- Hotel Forum – additionally simply subsequent to the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance, it is a well-reviewed 4* resort providing free personal parking, air-conditioned en-suite rooms and a restaurant. Breakfast is offered.
- Habita79 Pompeii – only a few minutes stroll from the Anfiteatro entrance, this 4* resort provides en-suite air conditioned rooms in addition to an on-site spa and wellness studio. Breakfast is offered. Note there’s no on-site parking.
- Agora Hostel – 5 minutes stroll from the Anfiteatro entrance to Pompeii, this nicely rated hostel provides nice worth personal and shared rooms with air con. There’s a bar and low home on website however no eating or parking out there.
- La Ferrovia Guesthouse Sorrento – discovered simply subsequent to Sorrento prepare station, this guesthouse provides personal en-suite air-conditioned rooms with espresso makers. Paid parking is offered close by however there’s no on-site restaurant
- Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria Sorrento – in case you’re on the lookout for a 5* luxurious expertise in Sorrento, that is the resort to move for. Expect spectacular coastal views, a wonderful backyard, beautiful rooms, and two eating places to select from.
Of course, there are a fantastic many extra choices to select from! We suggest trying on reserving.com for every little thing from motels to guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels and flats.
We use them for our reserving lodging for journey all around the world and love how straightforward it makes it to filter and discover the correct property for our funds and necessities.
See all their listings for the Pompeii space right here.
Further Reading for Visiting Italy
Well, that completed up our information to visiting Pompeii! It’s only a small a part of our content material on Italy and Europe, which we hope you will discover helpful when planning your journey.
Here are a few of these guides, in addition to hyperlinks to 3rd occasion assets we suggest.
- We have a information to spending 1 day in Rome, in addition to guides for 2 days in Rome and 3 days in Rome, which ought to provide help to plan your time in Rome. We even have a information to the greatest meals excursions in Rome, the greatest gelato in Rome and the greatest cafes to drink espresso in Rome
- We have a information to visiting the Colosseum, in addition to a information to visiting the Vatican. These have every little thing you should know to plan your visits to this outstanding sights
- Beyond Rome, we now have a information to Florence, prompt issues to do in Milan, a information to spending 2 days in Milan, and ideas for a day in Venice
- We even have an in depth 10 day Italy itinerary that can assist you plan a visit on this great nation. We even have a prompt 2-week Europe itinerary which naturally contains Italy!
- If you’re on the lookout for a bodily (or Kindle!) guidebook, we suggest the newest version of Rick Steves Italy information, which has numerous sensible info that can assist you profit from your keep
And that’s it! As all the time, we hope you discovered this information helpful, and in case you have any questions or feedback about visiting Pompeii, simply pop them within the feedback under and we’ll reply as quickly as we are able to.
