Pompeii is the world's most visited archaeological site — 4 million visitors a year across 66 hectares of Roman city buried by Vesuvius's eruption in 79 AD. It is reached from Naples in 35 minutes by Circumvesuviana (€3.20 return, Pompei Scavi station). The ticket is €18 — book online to skip the queue (in high season without booking you wait 1-2 hours). A complete visit requires 3-4 hours. Herculaneum (20 min from Naples by Circumvesuviana, €13) is smaller than Pompeii but better preserved — the organic materials (wood, food, carbonised textiles) that have disappeared at Pompeii are still legible here. The combined Pompeii + Herculaneum + Villa Oplontis + Stabia archaeological park costs €22. Naples National Archaeological Museum (MANN, €15) holds most of Pompeii and Herculaneum's portable finds — visit it before the excavations to understand what you are seeing.
Pompeii Priorities
The main route starts from the Porta Marina entrance and crosses: the Forum (the central square with the temples of Jupiter, Apollo and Vespasian), the Stabian Baths (the oldest and best preserved, with calidarium, tepidarium and frigidarium), the Lupanar (the official brothel with 10 cubicles and erotic paintings above each door — it was a catalogue of available services), the Casa dei Vettii (exceptional 1st-century AD frescoes, including the famous Priapus at the entrance). The Casa del Fauno (Pompeii's largest, 3,000 sqm) contained the Alexander mosaic now at MANN. Villa dei Misteri (500m from the main excavations, access included in the ticket) has the world's largest in-situ Roman fresco cycle — 29 life-size figures on Pompeian red background depicting a Dionysian initiation rite. Body casts (made by injecting plaster into voids left by decomposed bodies in the tufa) are found at multiple points in the site.
Herculaneum: Better Preserved than Pompeii
Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi station on the Circumvesuviana, 20 min from Naples, €13) is buried by a pyroclastic flow at 450°C rather than ash — this carbonised organic materials preserving rather than destroying them. Still found: wooden beds with intact structure, carbonised food on thermopolium counters (Roman hot food shops), textiles, ropes, eggs. Casa del Bicentenario has the sign of a cross on the wall (the oldest Christian symbol found at Pompeii/Herculaneum — a Christian was hiding their faith), Casa dei Cervi has the site's most refined mosaics. The theatre (not visitable but reachable) is where in 1709 the first sculptures were found — the beginning of the Vesuvian excavation story. The visit takes 2 hours.
Vesuvius: Climbing to the Crater
Vesuvius (1,281m) is reached from Pompeii by Vesuvio Express (€12 return, 30 min minibus to the car park at 1,000m altitude) or from Herculaneum by Busvia del Vesuvio (€10, 20 min). From the car park to the crater: 30-45 min on foot on a lapilli path (entry fee €10, mandatory). The crater is 450m wide and 300m deep — still active (last eruption 1944). The panorama over the Gulf of Naples, Sorrento Peninsula and the islands is unequalled. Recommended combination: Pompeii morning (9:00-13:00), Vesuvius afternoon (14:00-17:00), pizza in Naples evening. Vesuvius in summer is hot and shadeless — bring water and a hat.
Practical tips
Book the Pompeii ticket online — without booking the queue in August is 1-2 hours
Visit MANN in Naples before the excavations — the Alexander mosaics and Secret Cabinet explain what you will see
Herculaneum is worth the extra half day — the preserved organic materials do not exist at Pompeii
Villa dei Misteri (included in the ticket) is often ignored by tourists — the fresco cycle is the world's largest in-situ Roman one
The combination Pompeii morning + Vesuvius afternoon + pizza in Naples evening is the perfect day
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