How long to explore pompeii

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! 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! We saw tour groups and how they were rushed through.

Definitely not our style! I visited Pompeii a few years ago with a guided tour, next time I would definitely do a do-it-yourself tour as well. 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! This is very useful! I admit I usually plan my travels, so these recommendations and tips come in handy!

Awesome post thank you for sharing. Definitely keen to do our own tour rather than a group. Thanks for the great guide! Do you have any recommendations about a place to grab something to eat?

They have really good pizzas and other dishes typical of the area. Thanks for the great details here. 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 — Poggiomarino line, use the Pompei Santuario stop. Peak time at the ticket offices is from am when most groups and visitors arrive.

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? This private day tour that visits all 3 sites has a lot of great reviews on TripAdvisor. Was an amazing tour!! Pompeii is awesome but very hard to visit. We have used the app you suggest, Pompeii, a day in the past perfect! 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. No, there are toilet facilities throughout the archaeological site, not only at the entrance. It is about a 20 minute walk to the entrance of the archaeological site, and it is flat. Thanks for info.

Now about Paestum. Toilet facilities there? And far is the town of Pompeii from the ruins there? There is also a baggage check at the entrance.

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Bring hats and sunscreen no matter what season and you may even want umbrellas in the summer. There is very little shelter from the sun and two to three hours outside will leave you feeling more like the ashen city than your healthy self. Inside there is only one small convenience stand with slim offerings and unreliable hours of operation, but there are water fountains throughout the site that you can use to refill your water bottles. You can get more information, view prices or book ahead here.

The archeological site and ongoing excavations give visitors to the formerly bustling Pompeii the best look there is on ancient Roman life. Built in 70 A. Now covered in grass, it originally held up to 20, spectators.

Archaeologists found indentations in the ground that they were able to fill with plaster molds to exactly match what was originally there. On the other end of the social class spectrum is the House of the Vetti, the home of a wealthy merchant and one of the best preserved homes.

Many of the artifacts from Pompeii are housed in the National Museum of Archaeology since they were directly ordered to Naples in the s by the Neapolitan king. History and archaeology buffs should absolutely visit the museum — it offers the best look into the art of Pompeii that still exists, which ranges from enormous statues and mosaics to intimate objects of every day life. Pompeii archaeological site has all of the ruins but the Naples Archaeological Museum houses all of the objects found during excavations.

What remains of the second century Basilica. Before you end your visit to Pompeii, take a last look at the impressive view of Mount Vesuvius in the distance. For hours it spewed, causing most of the residents to flee.

It took just one moment for the eruption to change and an avalanche of lava and rock to race down the mountainside toward Pompeii. Though Vesuvius destroyed the city, it also effectively preserved it, stopping life in Pompeii in its track and providing us with most everything we know about the ancient town.

Hi, we will be traveling from Rome to spend 3 nights in Amalfi. I was wondering if it was a good idea to make the stop the day we travel from Rome to Amalfi. I was thinking we would take the high speed rail early in the morning from Rome to Naples, then the Circumvesuviana to the Pompeii site and visit for a few hours. Does that all sound reasonable? And if so, what could we do with our luggage while visiting the Pompeii site?

You could make a stop along the way, or you could take our day tour from Rome with an Amalfi Coast drive! Have a great trip. I was wondering if you would have any trigger warnings or grief counseling for those with past trauma in their lives? I plan on visiting this summer with my family.

My Grandmother has been through some very interesting parts of history and I am not sure how she will react to some of the visual sites during the tour. That sounds like a lovely tour. You might want to try another website for that. Authorized guides can be recognized by the wooden badges from the region of Campania worn around the neck that has a white shied with a red bar. You can join a group tour, or book a private guide in advance if you are a small group of family or friends, of if you are particularly interested in an in-depth look at the history of Pompeii.

Especially during summer and at the weekends you are likely to face with long queues to enter the site. For this reason we recommend buying in advance online tickets to avoid the line. Skip-the-line tickets for Pompeii. Large bags and backpacks are not allowed inside the park for security reasons maximum size is 30x30x There are free baggage checks at the entrance to the ruins, and at the Porta Marina Superiore entrance there is an automated system that prints a receipt with a code to claim your bags when you leave.

It is hard to get around Pompeii with a stroller or pushchair, so opt for a baby carrier or backpack and leave your stroller at the free bag check. There are Baby Points in Pompeii where you can stop to change or feed your infant in privacy. From the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance at Pompeii, you can take the three-kilometer trail specifically for wheelchairs or strollers that includes the amphitheater, gym, and a few houses.

Large dogs are not allowed inside the archaeological park, but small dogs on a leash and picked up while inside the homes can be brought inside the park. Yes, there are a number of picnic areas inside the park where you can eat a packed lunch or food purchased from the cafeteria near the forum area.

Most of the artifacts found at the archaeological sites are now displayed at the Naples Archaeological Museum, where there is also the "gabinetto segreto" holding the erotic artifacts found in Pompeii, which is closed to minors. To visit Herculaneum, you should consider about half a day. You can see the entire archaeological park in about two to three hours.

Herculaneum vs Pompeii. It's always a good idea to book a private guide or join a group tour at the entrance to the park to fully understand the ruins and the history of this ancient city. That said, there is a good audio guide at Herculaneum that is helpful for touring the small park without a guide. Herculaneum is smaller and definitely less crowded than Pompeii. Anyway, in case you got just a few hours for visiting the site, we suggest saving your time and purchase tickets to Herculaneum in advance to skip the line.

Skip-the-line tickets for Herculaneum. The Roman roads and sidewalks are hard to navigate with a stroller or pushchair, so we recommend using an infant carrier or backpack and leaving your stroller at the free bag check at in the park entrance.

We suggest stopping at one of the restaurants or bars just outside the park for a meal. Unfortunately, there are no special routes for the disabled inside the Herculaneum archaeological park, but you can easily navigate the walkway that encircles the ruins with a wheelchair and view the excavated sites from above.

You can take photos and videos inside both Pompeii and Herculaneum for private use and without a flash. The use of tripods must be approved by the park supervisor. It takes about three hours to visit Mount Vesuvius , considering departing from the ticket office on foot up the trail to the crater rim. We suggest putting aside at least half a day, including transportation to the ticket office and the hike. If you combine your visit with a stop at Pompeii or Herculaneum, hike up Mount Vesuvius first thing in the morning and visit the archaeological sites in the afternoon.