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!
Ruins of Pompeii small group tour with a 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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Private and personalised tour of Pompeii with a 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.
en, it, fr, es, de
Pompeii Skip-The-Line Tickets with Audioguide
Learn Pompeii's history and its last moments, and access the site to explore the city's remains.
en, it, fr, es, de, +2 pt, ru
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!
Ruins of Pompeii small group tour with a 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
Private and personalised tour of Pompeii with a 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.
en, it, fr, es, de
Pompeii Skip-The-Line Tickets with Audioguide
Learn Pompeii's history and its last moments, and access the site to explore the city's remains.
en, it, fr, es, de, +2 pt, ru
Pompeii Augmented Reality Tour with Entrance Ticket
Go back in time to explore Pompeii before the terrible eruption and experience augmented reality with special glasses.
en, it, fr, es, de, +1 pt
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
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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Learn Pompeii's history in a fun and interactive way, while exploring the city ruins and listening to wonderful legends and stories from your guide!
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Pompeii, Sorrento And Positano Private Tour
Discover Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano during this private tour from Naples and immerse yourself in the magical southern Italian atmospheres.
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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 Ruins Day Trip From Rome with Hotel Pickup
Enjoy full day tour of Pompeii and Naples departing from Rome. Discover the pearls of Italy declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius Select Tour with Local Lunch
A real history fest, this tour first takes you to Pompeii, which lay buried under volcanic ash for centuries. After a guided tour and a light lunch, you'll then visit the summit of Mt Vesuvius, the only active volcano on Europe's mainland.
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How to get there
Ruins of Pompeii
Naples
Italy
Reviews Ruins of Pompeii
“We enjoyed Pompeii once we got there and guide was best we have had, having been on tours before. Travel time however was double the guided tour time. Next time we'll get the train! And perhaps, that option should be offered.”
“Guide was great but had 6 French only speaking people on an English speaking tour. In trying to include them with great difficulty it made our experience poor. Not sure this was the guides fault. Also 35 people on the tour which was far too many and spent most of the time trying to herd us together.”
“Needed a break. Due to early set off we missed our hotel breakfast. The 15 mins break when we got there wasn't enough time to have food - just about managed to queue for a drink. The heat was stifling - and really there should be a break. I would cut the tour time by half and allow people to explore on their own and give them enough time to have food.”
“Cinzia our guide superb. Pompeii amazing worth every minute there. Local lunch total disaster. Looked really impressive from outside! Restaurant with no air-conditioning!! Must have been 32deg inside. Food was terrible! Iron hard bread with chopped tomato, burnt pepper as starter. Main penna with veg (not used on starter by look of it)"served", or ladles out from a big pot. After some complaints got a salad and pizza. Other bus tours coming in welcomed with bottle wine on table!”
