Things to do in Ruins of Pompeii
UNESCO heritage listed since 1997, the ancient Roman city of Pompeii needs no introduction. Famously buried under a layer of volcanic ash and pumice, its detailed archaeological excavations offer an intimate look at Roman life - while also making for one hell of a cautionary tale about living next to a volcano.
Before almighty Vesuvius blew its top in 79 A.D, Pompeii was a rich commercial hub home to more than 10,000 inhabitants, with a dense network of residential buildings, shops and entertainment facilities that included an amphitheatre, multiple thermal spas and a brothel. While some of it still remains interred, most has been uncovered fantastically preserved.
Domenico Fontana accidentally discovered the lost city in 1594 while digging a tunnel, but it was only in 1748 that serious excavation began. Liquid plaster was used to take the place of organic material (including human bodies) creating emotionally fraught scenes. From the Forum, the center of political and social life in the city, to muted frescoes or scrawled graffiti on the walls, you’ll find evidence of a complex modern culture along with poignant details that tell its story.
The ruins of Pompeii are open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, with the last admission at 5:30 pm. There is a bookshop inside the archaeological site to help remember your visit.
Reaching the ruins is very easy by car, all you need to do is take freeway A3 to the Pompei Ovest exit. You will find many parking lots nearby. With the public transport service, the excavations can be reached with the Circumvesuviana, stop Pompei Scavi Villa dei Misteri.
Our recommendations in Ruins of Pompeii
Entrance tickets to the Ruins of Pompeii
Buy your tickets to visit the perfectly preserved ruins of Pompeii and to discover the history of a city stopped in time since 79AD!
Pompeii Ruins Small-Group Tour with Local Guide
Explore the UNESCO-listed ruins of Pompeii on this small group tour with an expert guide. Delve into ancient life from 79 AD visiting private and public spaces.
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Pompeii Skip-the-Line Tickets with Audio Guide
Learn more about Pompeii's history and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius with an audio guide, and access the site to explore the city's remains.
en, it, fr, es, de, +2 pt, ru
Pompeii Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets
Benefit from skip-the-line access to Pompeii Archeological Site, and follow an expert guide on a 2-hour guided tour.
en
Entrance tickets to the Ruins of Pompeii
Buy your tickets to visit the perfectly preserved ruins of Pompeii and to discover the history of a city stopped in time since 79AD!
Pompeii Ruins Small-Group Tour with Local Guide
Explore the UNESCO-listed ruins of Pompeii on this small group tour with an expert guide. Delve into ancient life from 79 AD visiting private and public spaces.
en, it
Pompeii Skip-the-Line Tickets with Audio Guide
Learn more about Pompeii's history and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius with an audio guide, and access the site to explore the city's remains.
en, it, fr, es, de, +2 pt, ru
Pompeii Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets
Benefit from skip-the-line access to Pompeii Archeological Site, and follow an expert guide on a 2-hour guided tour.
en
Pompeii's Villa of the Mysteries Exclusive Archaeologist-led Tour
Explore in the intimacy of a small group the best of Pompeii treasures with an expert guide, admire the ruins and jump back in time.
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Pompeii self-guided audio tour
Enjoy having your personal on-demand guide provided by this digital solution, explore the streets, houses and ruins that have been incredibly preserved for centuries and discover Pompeii's ruins at your own pace.
en, it, fr, es, de, +1 zh
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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Daily tour to Pompeii with transportation
Book your daily tour to Pompeii with transportation with Musement. Choose your departure time and get your skip-the-line entrance ticket and round trip transportation from Naples to Pompeii.
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Private and Personalised Pompeii Tour with Local Guide
Step into daily Roman life at the UNESCO site of Pompeii on this private tour. With a local guide, visit public and private spaces frozen in time since 79 AD.
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Pompeii, Amalfi Coast and Positano day trip from Rome
Join this guided tour from Rome and see Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast and Positano all in one day. Learn about history, soak up sea views and unwind.
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Discovering Pompei guided tour
Book your guided tour to discover Pompeii today and visit the ancient Roman city with an expert guide!
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Pompeii and Naples from Rome, enjoy a full-day tour with lunch
Discover ancient Pompeii and vibrant Naples on this full-day tour from Rome, visit remarkably preserved Roman ruins, and enjoy authentic Neapolitan lunch.
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Ruins of Pompeii
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Reviews Ruins of Pompeii
“Group of 36 far to big We spent hour & half before we left sorrento due to the number of pick ups it took us hour &40 minutes to reach our destination meaning we had been on the coach for over 3 hours! Longer than travel to Italy! Lunch was inedible, eldente is ok but uncooked pasta is vile, everybody on our table that had the dish couldn't eat the meal, restaurant absolutely packed we were herded into a small room, boiling hot without ventilation staff so busy imp to complain Guide fabulous”
“Enjoyed the tour but wasn't what was listed in the TUI experiences, it was listed as a half day tour that lasted 4-8 hours the tour was only 2 hours and was very rushed, very little time to look at anything and felt like we skipped over a lot of places that could have been seen. However the tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history behind Pompeii and surrounding areas.”
“Pompeii great visit. Lunch was cheap basic very small proschetta, small tomato pasta , 1 glass of water 1 glass of local red wine( not great) . Not value for money Versuvius very good although it would have been helpful to know what the walking terrain was like. It was steep, loose gravelly and quite dangerous”
“We were the first pick up on the day and fully expected there would be other passengers to collect but we didn't expect to be waiting over 30 mins at each pickup because people were late. I appreciate this wasn't the fault of the driver but by the time we got to Pompeii we had been on the minibus for 2hrs. The tour guide (Erica) was very friendly and knowledgeable but the tour seemed very rushed and we kept losing sound via the audio headsets. Overall experience 6/10.”
