During our European road trip through Italy, we stopped by the city of Naples. I could hardly wait to get to the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Finally, I would see the cities that I had learnt about in ancient history and read about in texts by Pliny the Younger. This guide to visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius will cover everything you need to know before you go, how to get there and also give advice on one of the most popular questions asked about visiting: can you visit both Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day?
Seeing Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day can be challenging unless you have a clear picture of what are the main things to see. If you have limited time and are a history nerd like me, make sure to follow my comprehensive self-guided walking tour which highlights the main things to see in Pompeii and Herculaneum.
What is the significance of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius?
History 101: Eruption of Mt Vesuvius
Vesuvius had been spouting smoke and ash for several days before the deadly eruption on August 24th. At approximately 13:00 in the afternoon on the 24th of August AD 79, Mt. Vesuvius erupted, sending a mushroom cloud of ash, dust, and rocks 12 miles into the air. Fortunately, most of Pompeii had already been evacuated when disaster struck: out of a total population of 20,000 it’s thought that only 2000 actually perished, asphyxiated by the toxic fumes of the volcanic debris, their homes buried in several meters of volcanic ash and pumice.
Pompeii was then rediscovered in 1748 and provided scientists and eventually tourists with an incredible window into middle-class Ancient Roman life.
In nearly 2,000 years, Pompeii hadn’t been updated, taken over, evolved, or altered in any way–it was, and still is, literally a way to look back in time.
Why you should visit Pompeii
Founded in 600 BC, Pompeii was a bustling city and thriving commercial center with a population of 20,000 inhabitants in the Roman Empire.
Pompeii was a city of shops, markets, and merchant houses, with paved streets, a stadium, two theatres, temples, baths and brothels. It gained popularity as a swanky holiday destination among Roman patricians who built lavish villas and enjoyed the town’s brothels and spas.
Visiting the ruins of Pompeii is like stepping in a time machine back to the age of Roman emperors. Time remains at a standstill here as if it were 79 AD, and Pompeii today is a poignant ghost town. The streets, workshops and public areas have been excellently preserved.
Remains such as furnishings, tools, jewelry and even food and drink shed light on how the people of Pompeii lived, from the high-class down to the slaves.
Casts made of impressions in the hardened pumice bear witness to the last seconds in many peoples’ lives. The apprehension of their way of death is evident in plaster casts made from their bodies left in the volcanic ash – with faces tormented with anguish, or protecting themselves from the dust and ashes.
No other place in the world compares to Pompeii and a visit to the ruins of Pompeii won’t leave you disappointed.
How to get to Pompeii
Naples makes the perfect base for exploring Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day. Located only 25 km from Naples, Pompeii is easily accessible by public transport and by car.
By Train:
You can catch a direct train from Naples Central Station on the Circumvesuviana Naples-Sorrento line. The Circumvesuviana terminal at Naples Central Station for trains going to Pompeii is also called Garibaldi Station. In general, you can easily follow signs for “Circumvesuviana.” The train journey between Naples and Pompeii usually takes 35-40 minutes but the fastest connection gets you there in about 25 minutes.
Pompeii & Herculaneum can also be visited in one day trip travelling from Rome. The fast high-speed trains between Rome and Naples only take a little over an hour, and there are over 30 connections a day.
By Car:
You may like to rent a car to get around. Parking is available both near the top of Mount Vesuvius and in front of Pompeii and requires a small fee in each place. You’ll also hit a toll driving between the two, so be sure to bring plenty of small bills with you if you choose to drive between Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius!
Tickets for Pompeii Archaeological Site
Pro tip: Ignore anybody on the side of the road or around the tourist information trying to sell you tickets to the park; you buy them at the entrance.
Opening times and ticket prices
Entrance in Pompeii is free on the first Sunday of the month. You can expect bigger crowds on these days, though!
Pompeii is open every day except 1st January, 1st May, and 25th December.
From 1st April to 31st October, the opening hours are 0900 – 1930.
From 1st November to 31st March, the opening hours are 0900 – 1700.
A single adult ticket costs €15.00, or €9 for concessions.
An overview of opening hours and ticket prices can be found on the official website.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Pompeii in One Day (5km)
When you get your entrance ticket to Pompeii, don’t forget to ask for a map of the ruins as well. If you feel that a self-guided tour is too daunting for you, you can hire a guide.
The self-guided Pompeii tour is 5 km (3.1 miles) long and takes about 3 hours to complete at a high pace or 4 hours at a more moderate pace. Pompeii is the biggest park so don’t feel like you can’t do both Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day as it only takes 1-2 hours to do Herculaneum.
Highlights of Pompeii-
Not only will this tour show you what are the main things to see in Pompeii, but it will also give you a taste of what really made a Roman city. On this self-guided walking tour of Pompeii you will see:
- Foro (Forum)
- Teatro Grande (Theater)
- Casa Del Menandro (House of Menander)
- Orto Dei Fuggiaschi (Garden of the Fugitives)
- Anfiteatro (Amphitheater)
- Via dell’Abbondanza
- Terme Stabiane (Stabian Baths)
- Lupanare (Brothel)
- Casa dei Vettii (House of the Vettii)
- Casa dei Dioscuri (House of the Dioscuri)
- Casa del Fauno (House of the Faun)
- Casa Del Poeta Tragico (House of the Tragic Poet)
- Necropoli di Porta Ercolano (Necropolis)
- Villa dei Misteri (Villa of the Mysteries)
- Antiquarium (Museum)
Foro (Forum)
The ideal place to start this self-guided tour of Pompeii is at the Forum. In ancient Rome, the forum was a public square and very much the heart of the city. It was primarily served for commercial activities, public debates or other social activities.
Teatro Grande (Theater)
A Roman theater was usually arranged in 3 parts, namely the main stage, a half-circle space for the orchestra in front of the stage, and elevated seats for the audience.
The large theater dates back to the 2nd century BC. It held up to 5000 spectators and was primarily used for gladiatorial performances. Interestingly, the theater is still in use today with performances taking place occasionally such as Bizet’s Carmen in 2014.
Casa Del Menandro (House of Menander)
In Pompeii, you will find plenty of well-preserved houses, particularly of the upper classes. One of the most lavish houses in is the House of Menander, one of the main points of interest in Pompeii.
Anfiteatro (Amphitheater)
Amphitheaters are distinguished from a classical Roman theater by the fact that they are circular instead of semi-circular. As such amphitheaters in ancient Rome were imposing structures (and are, in fact, still today). An average amphitheater could hold 40,000 – 60,000 spectators and it was used for the famous ‘bread and circuses’ (Panem et circenses). They were the location of gladiator games as well as animal sacrifices.
The amphitheater of Pompeii is of importance as it was the first amphitheater to ever be built of stone rather than wood. It could hold up to 20,000 screaming spectators and the stone tiers were separated into different sections for the various social classes. In more modern times, the amphitheater was the location of a Pink Floyd concert documentary, ‘Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii’.
Via dell’Abbondanza
You’ll now be walking up on Via dell’Abbondanza, Pompeii’s main street. Back in the day, this lively pedestrian-only zone was lined with shops, bars, and restaurants. The residences and contents depict a colorful picture of everyday life.
Each day, the citizens of Pompeii flooded the streets with water to clean them. The three basalt stepping-stones you see allowed pedestrians to cross without getting their footwear wet. A single stepping-stone in a road indicates it was a one-way street, a pair signifies an ordinary two-way, and three means a major boulevard.
Why you should visit Herculaneum
The other Roman town to be destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius, Herculaneum is located more than 20 meters below the present-day town of Ercolano. Unfortunately, the ruins of Herculaneum tend to get overshadowed by Pompeii.
Herculaneum was a residential fishing town of only 4000 inhabitants, much smaller than Pompeii and not a commercial centre.
However, as a result of 20 vertical meters of the viscous volcanic mud that enveloped and hardened around Herculaneum, its ruins are generally better preserved and feel more alive than those of Pompeii. Only part of Herculaneum has been excavated since contemporary dwellings surround it. In some cases, you can even see the original wooden beams, staircases, textiles, papyri, and furniture that emerged intact from the aftermath of the eruption and pyroclastic flows that engulfed Herculaneum.
Visiting the ruins of Herculaneum is definitely worth your time. It is remarkably well preserved and devoid of the annoying tourist crowds of Pompeii. Be awed by its wealth of archaeological treasures such as plunge pools, stylish mosaics, carbonized furniture, door moldings, and terror-struck skeletons.
How to get to Herculaneum
Herculaneum is only a 15-20 minute train ride away from Pompeii. You take the same train you would to go to Naples and disembark at Ercolano Scavi. It is important that you take the Circumvesuviana line as the intercity trains will take you further from the archaeological site.
If travelling by car the highway A3 Pompei Ovest exit leads directly to the archaeological park entrance, and there are a number of parking lots near the entrances.
Tickets for Herculaneum Archaeological Park
Opening times and ticket prices
As with most historical sites in Italy, entrance in Herculaneum is free on the first Sunday of the month. You can expect bigger crowds on these days, though!
Herculaneum is open every day except 1st January and 25th December.
From 1st April to 31st October, the opening hours are 0830 to 1930.
From 1st November to 31st March, the opening hours are 0830 – 1700.
A single adult ticket costs €11.00, or €5.50 for concessions.
Self-Guided Herculaneum Walking Tour (1.25 KM)
When you get your entrance ticket to Herculaneum, don’t forget to ask for a map of the ruins as well. If you feel that a self-guided tour is too daunting for you, you can opt for an insightful and highly rated private tour with an archaeologist. However, if you would like to see the highlights on your own, follow the self-guided walking tour of Herculaneum instead.
The self-guided Herculaneum tour is 1.6 km (1 mile) long and takes about 1-2 hours at a moderate pace.
On the self-guided walking tour of Herculaneum you will see:
- Entrance
- Fornici (Boat Houses)
- Casa dei Cervi (House of the Deer)
- Casa Del Rilievo Di Telefo (House of the Relief of Telephus)
- Palestra
- Casa Di Nettuno Ed Anfitrite (House of Neptune and Amphitrite)
- Casa Sannitica (Samnite House)
- Casa Del Atrio A Mosaico (House of the Mosaic Atrium)
- Casa Del Tramezzo Di Legno (House of the Wooden Partition)
- Terme Del Foro (Thermal Baths)
- Sede Degli Augustali (Hall of the Augustals)
- Casa Dello Scheletro (House of the Tragic Poet)
Entrance
After leaving the ticket building, go through the turnstiles and walk the path below the site to the entrance. The access ramp gives you a good overview of the Roman town, lying 25 meters below the modern street level.
The ramp curves around the southern end of the site from where you can take the metal ramp that leads down through a tunnel in the solid rock, emerging at the ancient shoreline. It’s a good spot for taking selfies!
Fornici (Boat Houses)
One of the most interesting attractions in Herculaneum would probably be arched fornici, a row of barrel arches which were used as storerooms or boathouses. Most of the city had been evacuated before the eruption of Vesuvius. The remaining residents were awaiting rescue from the sea in the boathouses. the sunken area just below. The sunken area just below is what was formerly Herculaneum’s beach.
Unfortunately, help did not arrive in time, and around 300 human skeletons were discovered here in the 1980s, together with items of jewelry and coins, keys to houses, and work tools. They died due to a sudden increase in temperature upwards of 500 degrees Celsius. Casts of their remains can still be seen at this location today. Perhaps nowhere else is the horror of the 79 AD eruption captured so dramatically.
Casa Di Nettuno Ed Anfitrite (House of Neptune and Amphitrite)
The aristocratic House of Neptune and Amphitrite is one of the most beautiful things to see in Herculaneum. It was thought to be the home of an affluent art-loving merchant and takes its name from the sparklingly well-preserved wall mosaic adorning the triclinium (dining room), depicting the ancient sea god and his nymph bride, with shells and lava topped with marble theatrical masks.
Another mosaic adorns the nymphaeum (bathing area) which is adorned with hunting-themed mosaics. The shop attached to the house has wooden shelves and furniture in perfect condition.
Sede Degli Augustali (Hall of the Augustals)
The house that the Hall of the Augustals is in once belonged to an association of freed slaves working together to ascend the ladder of Roman society. The quadrangular-shaped hall contains some of the best-preserved frescoes in Herculaneum.
Adorning the left wall is a depiction of the ancient hero Hercules about to enter Mt. Olympus, accompanied by the Roman goddesses Juno and Minerva. The fresco directly opposite alludes to the battle between Hercules and the Etruscan god Acheloo.
Tips for Visiting Pompeii & Herculaneum in One Day
1. It can get scorching hot in Campania and the hottest days in July and August approach 40 °C (104 °F). There is very little shade at Pompeii, so if you are visiting Pompeii in the summer wear a hat, bring sunblock, and make sure you have plenty of water.
2. Wear good, comfortable walking shoes as the ground at both Pompeii and Herculaneum is usually uneven.
3. When visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum, keep in mind that not all sites are open at all times. Invariably one or more of the top attractions are closed for restoration. Excavations are still ongoing, and new discoveries are periodically being made.
4. If you have decided to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day, the best option for food is to bring your own food to eat inside both the parks. There are no restaurants or cafés inside the Pompeii and Herculaneum Archaeological Parks. Alternatively, you can also pick up some food and beverages from one of the several cafés along the way to both sites.
5. Large bags are not allowed inside, so you should pack your food and beverages in small bags or backpacks.
Take in the incredible views from Mount Vesuvius for Sunset!
Why not finish off your one day of exploring Pompeii and Herculaneum with a visit to the volcano that caused the destruction of these beautiful 2 ancient cities?
On a clear day, the views of the Bay of Naples below are gorgeous, but the loose sand on the path means that you’ll want to avoid sandals and shoes that make it easy to slip and fall.
The climb from the bus stop/parking lot isn’t difficult, but be aware of it
If you get dropped off at the bus stop for Mount Vesuvius (which is where public transport, shuttles, and tours will bring you, and also the location of the parking lot), it’s about a 20-minute ascent to the crater of Mount Vesuvius, give or take.
Be prepared for a change in temperature, and bring an extra layer or two along with you
Mount Vesuvius has its own, somewhat unpredictable micro-climate, so regardless of what the weather is in Pompeii or nearby Naples, be prepared for a shift when you visit the crater.
Though you may not need it, consider bringing a light jacket with you even in the late spring and early fall, as it is often much cooler at the crater than down below.
Aim to visit on a clear day
The views of the Bay of Naples, the surrounding islands (including Capri), and the Amalfi Coast from the crater of Mount Vesuvius are incredible.
On a clear day, it’s hard to say whether the views are better peering into the crater or staring out!
Mount Vesuvius closes for inclement weather and unsafe conditions.
This can include snow or ice blocking the path to the crater–so be warned that in winter especially, Mount Vesuvius may not always be open for visitors.
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