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Last updated: 24 June, 2023
Expert travel writer: Nicky Swallow

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 famously smothered the thriving Roman town of Pompeii with molten lava and choking volcanic ash.

Today, you can stroll along Pompeii’s streets and see the town as it was that day in extraordinarily vivid detail – right down to ruts in the roads caused by chariot wheels. Peer into perfectly preserved homes and shops, and wander round the Forum and Roman Baths.

Before you go

Read Pliny the Younger’s account of the eruption to experience the horror of the disaster. Or try Mary Beard’s Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town or Robert Harris’s Pompeii.

While you're there

Nearby Herculaneum (easy to reach on the Circumvesuviana railway) was also destroyed by the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Only partially excavated (a large part of the ancient town still lies under modern Ercolano) it is much smaller but better preserved than Pompeii so in many ways more vivid.

Get the complete picture

Afterwards, be sure to visit Naples’ National Archaeological Museum to see all the artifacts gathered from Pompeii, Herculaneum and Villa Oplontis – including mosaic floors, statuary, cooking utensils and jewellery.

Price from: £13
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Google Maps and Street View cover Pompeii’s ruins just as they do any other city, so you can understand the layout before you go.

It’s possible to hire a guide but you should book one before you arrive, rather than trying to hire one at the site. There are excellent audio tours available from the ticket office, allowing you to wander the site at will – it’s worth working out what you want to see before you arrive.

You won’t need a taxi; regular Circumvesuviana trains run to Pompeii from Naples’ central station.

There are food stalls at the site, but they’re expensive and quality is poor – use in emergencies only. Eat in Naples before or after your visit.

When to do it

Arrive early before the crowds and take yourself to the furthest point you’d like to explore. Work backwards from there, thus avoiding bottlenecks at the earlier sites.

The site is exposed to the elements and there’s no shelter. Take the usual precautions if visiting on a hot or wet day.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Round-Trip Shuttle Transfer from Naples to Pompeii

Naples

Round-Trip Shuttle Transfer from Naples to Pompeii
This round-trip shared shuttle service between Naples and Pompeii gets you between these two popular destinations without the stress of driving and finding directions. Choose from three departure times for pickup at your hotel in central Naples for a coach ride to Pompeii, roughly 40 minutes away (depending on traffic). If you want to explore Pompeii independently, this affordable shuttle service offers comfortable transport without the guided portion, leaving you to soak up the UNESCO World Heritage city’s archaeological treasures at your own pace.

Price: €25

Min age: 0

Rating 4.22 / 5 [18 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii private small group tour - 4 hours including transfers

Naples

Pompeii private small group tour - 4 hours including transfers
Go back in time with this private 4-hour trip to Pompeii. Explore the archaeological site on your own or with a guide (if you select this tour option). You will have about two hours to visit the ruins of Pompeii itself, not including transportation time.

Price: €70

Min age: 0

Rating 4 / 5 [13 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Naples City and Pompeii Half Day Sightseeing Tour

Naples

Naples City and Pompeii Half Day Sightseeing Tour
See Southern Italy's highlights in one day on this combined Naples and Pompeii sightseeing tour. Visit top Naples attractions including Naples Cathedral, the Royal Palace, Castel Nuovo and San Francesco di Paola church, and enjoy sweeping views over the Bay of Naples from the Posillipo quarter. Then make your way to Pompeii to visit the largest archaeological site in Europe! Hear about the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD that destroyed the city as you explore the ruins by foot with your guide.

Price: €76

Min age: 0

Rating 4.41 / 5 [211 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private Tour: Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano Day Trip

Pompeii

Private Tour: Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano Day Trip
Depart your hotel or cruise ship to take a tour to the ancient town of Pompeii. Along the way, stop in places such as Positano to view the landscape and Sorrento to do a little shopping. Accompanied by your driver and private guide, if option selected, you will learn all about these quaint areas, all the while taking in the Mediterranean ambiance.

Price: €85

Min age: 0

Rating 4.79 / 5 [86 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano - Group Tour

Naples

Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano - Group Tour
A complete tour, a full immersion in the main archaeological and landscape sites of the Neapolitan reality. The journey opens extraordinarily with the first stop at the Ruins of Pompeii, the world-famous archaeological site that dominates the city center majestically. The historical atmosphere then changes shape, imbued with the smell of the lemons of the splendid Sorrento peninsula and right here, you can delight your palate through the tasting of this gold in a bottle inside one of the oldest factories of the whole coast. Continuing along the coast, you will begin to see wonderful and colorful little houses overlooking the sea, the emblem of the picturesque Positano, a true pearl of the Amalfi coast. A breathtaking spectacle, a spectacular panorama that will give you the last stop of the tour, through the view from the square to the city gates. The order of the itinerary is flexible

Price: €85

Min age: 0

Rating 4.65 / 5 [135 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private Tour: Day Trip Excursion to Mt. Vesuvius, Herculaneum and Pompeii

Pompeii

Private Tour: Day Trip Excursion to Mt. Vesuvius, Herculaneum and Pompeii
Guilty of decimating Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79, Mt Vesuvius looms over the Bay of Naples like a beautiful, silent menace. Stopped in their tracks by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, Herculaneum and Pompeii offer the best look anywhere at what life in Rome must have been like around 2,000 years ago.

Price: €89

Min age: 0

Rating 4.93 / 5 [159 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Day Trip to Pompeii Ruins & Mt. Vesuvius from Naples

Naples

Day Trip to Pompeii Ruins & Mt. Vesuvius from Naples
A fascinating tour from Naples that will give you the opportunity to visit an ancient roman town like Pompeii, explained by a professional guide (2 h. 30 min), investigate the amazingly preserved infrastructures and artifacts. You will then drive up to 1000m of Mount Vesuvius which nearly destroyed the town in 79 A.D. Take the last 200m meters by foot and enjoy the panoramic 360degree views from the smouldering crater.

Price: €104

Min age: 0

Rating 4.55 / 5 [237 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Full-day Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, and Pompeii Day Tour from Naples

Naples

Full-day Sorrento, Amalfi Coast, and Pompeii Day Tour from Naples
This all-day excursion takes you for a breathtaking drive along the Amalfi Coast to the picturesque hillside town of Positano (with 1 hour free time to explore on your own), then to serene Sorrento (where you'll have 1 hour free time to explore on your own), and before going back to Naples' port to the evocative ruins of Pompeii for a two-hour guided tour before returning to your ship.

Price: €116

Min age: 0

Rating 4.72 / 5 [576 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius - group tour

Naples

Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius - group tour
Enjoy this full immersion in the history of the region with our small group. Travel first to Herculaneum, the residence of Roman Patricians, completely submerged by volcanic mud. Wander through the streets and see colorful mosaics. Climb the Vesuvius, stroll around its crater and enjoy panoramic views of Napoli. Finally, stop at Pompeii, the impressive open-air museum that holds more than 2000 years of history. During the entire tour, your driver will be at your complete disposal, explaining to you on board the vehicle everything you need to know about the places you will visit. The tour ticket is not the entrance ticket to the archaeological sites. Guide services and audio guide within the archaeological sites are an extra service available on request to guarantee you total independence in the management of your leisure, whether you want to walk alone through the ruins or you want to enrich the visit with a guided tour.

Price: €120

Min age: 0

Rating 4.50 / 5 [285 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii Vesuvius day trip from Naples with Pizza or Wine tasting

Naples

Pompeii Vesuvius day trip from Naples with Pizza or Wine tasting
Visit the top of the volcano that destroyed Pompeii nearly 2000 years ago. With a 7-hour guided tour, stroll through the streets of Pompeii alongside an archaeological guide (or with the accompaniment of an audio guide)*. Drive 3280ft (1000 mt) up Mt.Vesuvius and walk the path to the crater's edge. Enjoy the view of the Bay of Naples and learn the geology of the volcano from an expert volcanologist guide. Maximum group size is 40 passengers. Choose between the different group sizes and preferences for pizza lunch or wine tasting!

Price: €129

Min age: 0

Rating 4.57 / 5 [962 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Day Trip from Naples to Mt Vesuvius & Pompeii

Naples

Day Trip from Naples to Mt Vesuvius & Pompeii
Pick-up at your hotel in the centre of Naples. Transport for Visit of the Vesuvius and Pompeii. Time duration is 8 hours. Possibility to visit a vesuvius winery with wine tasting. The entrance tickets are included

Price: €130

Min age: 2

Rating 4 / 5 [14 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii Day Trip with Mount Vesuvius or Amalfi Coast Option

Rome

Pompeii Day Trip with Mount Vesuvius or Amalfi Coast Option
Hike up Mount Vesuvius and then explore the UNESCO-listed ruins of Pompeii on a must-do day trip from Rome! Going at a steady pace, the hike includes a walk on the ridge of Italy’s famously feisty volcano, allowing incredible views down into the crater itself. Head to Pompeii to see the havoc that Mount Vesuvius reaped on it in AD 79. Tour the UNESCO-listed excavations, seeing fossils and well-preserved ruins while hearing the horrors that befell this intriguing ancient city. Mt Vesuvius is inaccessible from November 9 to March 27. During this time, the hike is replaced with a visit to the iconic City of Naples. We’ll take a panoramic bus tour and have some free time to walk around the city centre.

Price: €139

Min age: 0

Rating 4.60 / 5 [5303 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii Ruins Day Tour from Rome

Rome

Pompeii Ruins Day Tour from Rome
Spend an unforgettable day getting a panoramic tour of Naples. Visit the incredible archaeological site of Pompeii. Seize the opportunity to visit one of the most important archaeological sites in the world: Pompeii. You’ll spend a day surrounded by nature and culture. Reach the haunting ruins of Pompeii, travelling back in time to the fateful day in 79 AD when neighboring Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the prosperous Roman city in deadly volcanic ash. Have a lunch in a typical Italian restaurant.

Price: €157

Min age: 0

Rating 4.34 / 5 [421 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private Tour of Pompeii

Pompeii

Private Tour of Pompeii
Hello there My name is Luca and I am an official authorized tour guide of Pompeii since 1999. I will be your own exclusive tour guide with nobody else in the group. Be aware that private tours some times means with other people. Yes it is private but not exclusive. I have travelled all around the world and I know how to make my families feel good with me. If you need private transfers don't hesitate to ask that I can also arrange it. Grazie for choosing me

Price: €170

Min age: 0

Rating 4.61 / 5 [13 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii and Capri Island Day Trip

Naples

Pompeii and Capri Island Day Trip
If you have only one day at disposal in Naples this is the best tour to book. It collects the most famous places of the region and enables you to visit them in one day: the ruins of the Roman city of Pompeii and Capri most beautiful island of Italy. The preferred choice for cruise passengers or for a short break.

Price: €180

Min age: 0

Rating 4.22 / 5 [211 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii and Amalfi Coast - Private Tour

Naples

Pompeii and Amalfi Coast - Private Tour
Enjoy this Private tour visiting the ruins of Pompeii and the charming of the Amalfi coast in the same day! You will be picked up by an English speaking Driver in a Mercedes vehicle, holding a sign showing you name and ready to set the tour with you in order to decide together where to stop and for how long. We usually operate this tour stopping in Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii but others possibilities are aveilable in case you will like to see Amalfi town or Ravello. Everything can be re-setted with the driver in the morning. Tour start from any location in Naples or Salerno. Different departure time are available but if you are on board a a cruise ship we do raccomend to start at 8.00am. Covered by Viator's worry-free policy: guaranteed on time return to your ship

Price: €220

Min age: 0

Rating 4.59 / 5 [91 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private Full-Day Tour to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius with Winery Visit

Naples

Private Full-Day Tour to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius with Winery Visit
This 9-hour tour will allow you to know some unique places in the world such as: The volcano Vesuvius still active but dormant, the Roman ruins of Pompeii one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world and finally have a local experience such as the tour of the vineyards of a winery with a tasting of its own wines

Price: €246

Min age: 3

Rating 4.61 / 5 [13 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Small-Group Tour: Amalfi Coast and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome

Rome

Small-Group Tour: Amalfi Coast and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome
Enjoy a fantastic full day excursion in a small group departing from Rome, in a de luxe minivan maximum 6-7 passengers and a tour assistant for the whole day. The first stop will be at the archaeological site of Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a 2-hour visit with a professional guide of the excavations. You will visit the main areas of Pompeii, such as the Macellum (food market), the Baths, places where the Romans gathered to dine and drink wine, the houses of wealthy citizens, learn about customs and traditions. Continuation to Positano, the pearl of the Amalfi Coast, stop for lunch and free time for shopping and relaxation. Continuing along the Amalfi coast, you will admire the most famous cities with their unique scenarios: the sea with its colours, the coast and the roads that surround the mountains. A very emotional experience that will last a lifetime. On the way back to Rome, stop for a tasting and visit of the "Limoncello" factory.

Price: €248

Min age: 0

Rating 4.59 / 5 [240 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius Private Guided Tour

Naples

Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius Private Guided Tour
Your driver and your Tour Guide will come to pick you up ready to guide you all day long through the most significant archeological and naturalistic site of the Naples Bay. Your guided tour will start in Pompeii one of the most famous excavation in the world, buried for 1,700 years, has been brought to life again and you will experience how the citizens of the greatest empire the world has ever known lived and loved, worked and played, ate and drank and died. After Pompeii, you will drive to Herculaneum to admire its wonderful houses with impressive frescoes and mosaics, its buildings are much better preserved. After a lunch break begins your guided tour of Mt. Vesuvius with the slow trip up the windy road up the hill until the parking lot to the crater. If you are going to reach the top you must leave the car behind here and take a 30-minute hike of moderate difficulty, which reaches nearly 4,200 feet. The views and fresh air here are well worth the effort.

Price: €378

Min age: 1

Rating 4.83 / 5 [6 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private Tour: Amalfi Coast and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome

Rome

Private Tour: Amalfi Coast and Pompeii Day Trip from Rome
A great full day excursion of the ancient archaeological site of Pompeii and the suggestive Amalfi Coast, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Travelling in a private group of no more than 12 people with an air-conditioned minivan however, each van takes up to 6 people including children. This means that if you are a group of more than 6, we will supply 2 separate vans and each will have their own private driver and guide. With official Pompeii guide, you’ll explore the remains of the ancient city, which was frozen in time after an ancient volcanic eruption. Then head to the coast and stop at Positano in time for lunch. Finish with free time to explore and shop in nearby Amalfi, before your return to Rome. Note: In low season (Nov - Mar), most of the businesses in Positano town close. During this time we will visit Amalfi town instead, another beautiful town of the Amalfi Coast, where you will have time for lunch ,shopping and Limoncello Tasting .

Price: €428

Min age: 0

Rating 4.72 / 5 [191 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius - Private Tour

Naples

Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius - Private Tour
A full immersion in the archaeological history of Naples. You will walk the streets of the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum and climb to the top of one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. Your driver will accompany you throughout the trip, giving you an explanation of the places visited on board the vehicle. The visit inside the archaeological sites takes place in total autonomy and you will be free to move around the ruins as you prefer. Please remember to book your tickets in advance at Vesuvius because they sell out quickly. Recommended ticket time: 11:00pm. You can buy tickets for Pompeii and Herculaneum on site. The tour ticket is not the entrance ticket to the archaeological sites. Guide services and audio guide within the archaeological sites are an extra service available on request to guarantee you total independence in the management of your leisure, whether you want to walk alone through the ruins or you want to enrich the visit with a guided tour.

Price: €430

Min age: 0

Rating 4.83 / 5 [53 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano - Private Tour

Naples

Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano - Private Tour
Take a day trip to the ancient city of Pompeii and the panoramic cities of Sorrento and Positano. See the highlights of the Campania Region on board a deluxe vehicle with a professional English-speaking driver.Departing from your chosen meeting point and head to the ancient Roman town of Pompeii, a site of excellent preservation. Visit the richly decorated villas of the Roman upper classes as well as public spaces such as the Forum, that take you back in time. Explore the lovely city of Sorrento and relax in one of the nice cafés before heading on to the next stop:Positano. Famous for its cliff-side,candy.coloured buildings.Enjoy free time exploring its shaded alleways, shops and cafes. Enjoy live commentary from your driver. The tour expects the stop in Pompeii for 2hours.In Sorrento 2 hours, allowing plenty time to walk around.In Positano you will have 1 hour to take pictures and relax walking the beautiful narrows streets.

Price: €430

Min age: 0

Rating 4.92 / 5 [51 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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