Pompeii & Herculaneum Guided Tour

On the morning of 24 August 79 AD, the eruption of Vesuvius buried two thriving Roman towns under metres of volcanic material, and this full-day tour from Naples takes you through both of them. The itinerary opens at Pompeii, where the group enters through the Porta Marina gate and moves through the Forum, the amphitheatre, the thermal baths, and several well-preserved private houses, including the House of the Faun with its famous mosaic floor replica still in situ. The licensed guide explains daily life in a Roman commercial city — the bread ovens, the electoral slogans painted on walls, the stepping stones set into streets designed to keep feet clear of runoff. After approximately three hours at Pompeii the group travels the short distance to Herculaneum, the smaller and in many ways better-preserved of the two sites. Because Herculaneum was sealed by a surge of volcanic material rather than ash, wooden furniture, carbonised food, and painted walls survived in conditions impossible at Pompeii. The guide draws direct comparisons between the two sites to show the range of Roman urban life from a wealthy resort town to a working commercial centre. The tour includes skip-the-line entry at both sites. Comfortable flat shoes are essential on the uneven basalt streets; a hat and sun protection are strongly advised for the exposed sections of the Pompeii site, particularly between June and September.