Things to do in Herculaneum
Herculaneum is a town that overlooks the Gulf of Naples, famous throughout the world for the archaeological excavations of the ancient Roman city.
Legend has it that the city was founded around 600 BC by Hercules and eventually became an important trading center due to its prime location near the Gulf. The inhabitants of the town worshipped Hercules as also being the founder of the nearby Mount Vesuvius.
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city, leaving Herculaneum buried under approximately 50-60 feet of volcanic mud and ash. It wasn't until the early 18th century that the city was discovered by a well digger. Originally, Hercules and everybody was thought to have escaped from the town prior to the disaster, but there have been around 300 skeletons discovered during the excavations.
The road to the archaeological excavations up to Torre del Greco is called the Golden Mile due to the splendid villas built alongside it in the eighteenth century.
Many tourists from all over the world come to visit the ruins of Herculaneum, as well as the neighboring city of Pompeii which was also destroyed by the same Mt. Vesuvius eruption. When entering the ruins, you can see the many fine houses of Herculaneum that consists of lavish colored mosaics, wall paintings and marble cladding.
The excavations have been included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
Our recommendations in Herculaneum
Half-day guided tour of Herculaneum UNESCO World Heritage Site
Like nearby Pompeii, ancient Herculaneum suffered a similar fate at the hands of Vesuvius erupting in 79AD. Fortunately, archaeologists have managed to excavate parts of the city, and this half-day tour will show you what they've managed to unearth so far.
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Pompeii and Herculaneum Small-Group Tour From Rome
Experience an unforgettable excursion travelling from Rome to Naples by fast train and visiting the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum with an expert guide!
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Campania ArteCard 365 Lite with 34 Entry Passes and 4 Audio Guides
Unlock Naples and Campania's finest attractions with the ArteCard 365 Lite. Enjoy complimentary entries and immersive audio guides. Start your journey now!
Herculaneum 2-hours Group Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets
Step into 2000 years of history at Herculaneum's archaeological park. Marvel at vivid frescoes and intact artifacts on an expert-guided tour.
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Half-day guided tour of Herculaneum UNESCO World Heritage Site
Like nearby Pompeii, ancient Herculaneum suffered a similar fate at the hands of Vesuvius erupting in 79AD. Fortunately, archaeologists have managed to excavate parts of the city, and this half-day tour will show you what they've managed to unearth so far.
en
Pompeii and Herculaneum Small-Group Tour From Rome
Experience an unforgettable excursion travelling from Rome to Naples by fast train and visiting the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum with an expert guide!
en
Campania ArteCard 365 Lite with 34 Entry Passes and 4 Audio Guides
Unlock Naples and Campania's finest attractions with the ArteCard 365 Lite. Enjoy complimentary entries and immersive audio guides. Start your journey now!
Herculaneum 2-hours Group Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets
Step into 2000 years of history at Herculaneum's archaeological park. Marvel at vivid frescoes and intact artifacts on an expert-guided tour.
en
Herculaneum Skip-The-Line Ticket with Audioguide
Explore Herculaneum at your own pace with our audioguide rental. Skip the lines, immerse yourself in history, and navigate the site effortlessly.
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Private transportation to Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Mt. Vesuvius
Enjoy this self-guided tour of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and a drive up to Mt. Vesuvius and admire the ruins of these awe-inspiring ancient cities.
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Pompeii and Herculaneum shared tour from Naples
Book your tour now and enjoy a day trip from Naples to explore the ancient marvels of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
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Herculaneum shared tour from Naples
Book your tour and get ready to explore the inaugural archaeological site unearthed in the Vesuvian region.
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Vesuvio and Herculaneum transfer and skip-the-line tickets from Naples
Discover Herculaneum and Vesuvius in the same tour, enjoy stress-free transfers, learn the history and enjoy the scenery.
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Vesuvius and Herculaneum transfer and entrance tickets from Pompeii
Discover Herculaneum and Vesuvius in the same tour, enjoy stress-free transfers, learn the history and enjoy the scenery.
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Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius audioguided tour from Naples
Enjoy stress-free transfers, explore authentic itineraries, experience the benefits of visiting with a small group.
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Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius audioguided tour from Pompeii
Enjoy stress-free transfers, explore authentic itineraries, experience the benefits of visiting with a small group.
en, it, fr, es, de, +4 pt, ru, zh, he
How to get there
Herculaneum
Naples
Italy
Reviews Herculaneum
“We enjoyed our tour around Herculaneum. However the amount of time spent on the coach before arriving at Herculaneum made us wish we had visited independently. We were picked up at 7.45am (first pickup) and were still in Sorrento at 9.15am. We finally arrived at Herculaneum at 10.20am! If we had known this we would never had booked the trip.”
“We were unsure which bus was ours at the pick up point as it was twenty minutes late. We were overloaded with information in Herculaneum.”
“We given specific instructions that our pickup was at the hotel. However, this was incorrect it should have been the bus station. The coach did eventual ly collect us from the hotel. The drive there and the tour was fine. Our return journey was not a good experience. The driver dropped us off at the bus station not the hotel and as we did not know how tho get back it turned out to a traumatic experience. Not helped by the coach driver sending us in the wrong direction.”
“appalling tui organisation. on the return to Sorrento -it took over 1 hour to drop us off AFTER reaching Sorrento. Had a 1 hour trip around the area dropping people off at 8 different hotels over a wide area. Failure of tour rep at hotel to warn of this although we are now aware of previous complaints at our hotel the Bristol on this very issue.”
