pompeii audio tour

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Pompeii ruins.

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Pompeii Self Guided Audio Tour

Italy, Pompeii

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Self guided audio tour.

Free cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund

Visitors can explore the ruins at their own pace while listening to insightful commentary on various sites and artifacts. These Pompeii tours are popular for those who want to avoid the crowds of organized Pompeii sightseeing tours and enjoy a more personalized experience.

Our tour allows you to explore one of Italy’s most interesting and historical sites, Pompeii, which was once a thriving city. In 17 AD, a catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius destroyed the beautiful Roman city, leaving it completely buried in ash for years to come. Today, Pompeii is an important archaeological site where visitors can explore the streets, houses, and ruins that have been incredibly preserved for centuries.

The entrance ticket to Pompeii is not included and needs to be purchased separately.

With this app-based self-guided audio tour you will enjoy unlimited independent sightseeing of Pompeii. There's no need to meet up with a member of staff, simply download our App and start your experience straight away anywhere. Please note this is not the audio guide offered on the premises.

This self-guided audio tour is subject to the opening days and hours of Pompeii. The entrance ticket needs to be purchased separately.

Inclusions & exclusions

What you get: ✔️ Unlimited access to all self-guided features ✔️ Unlimited use for the duration of your stay  ✔️ Multilingual audio commentary in English , Chinese, German, French, Italian and Spanish

What you don’t get: ✖️ Mobile Device ✖️ Headphones ✖️ Entry to Pompeii or any special exhibitions ✖️ Public Transportation Tickets

Discover the masterpieces of this venue, including:

⚬ The Forum  ⚬ House of Sirico  ⚬ The Amphitheater ⚬ Teatro Piccolo ⚬ Stabian Baths

Know before you go

• To activate your digital guide, the Vox City app should be downloaded from the Apple or Android store • Open the Vox City App and scan your QR code • Choose your preferred language and download the map • Once downloaded, access will be immediately be granted to all self-guided features • This app is valid for 365 days from booking

Please note, this is a digital experience. There is no meeting point or staff on-site.

Frequently Ask Questions

What is a self-guided tour?

A self-guided tour is a type of tour where visitors explore a destination on their own using an audio guide or a map. Unlike a guided tour, visitors are not led by a tour guide and are free to choose their own pace and explore the sights that interest them the most. Self-guided tours offer more flexibility and freedom to visitors. They are a popular option for those who prefer to explore a destination independently. 

Is a Walking Tour suitable for all ages?

The walking tour is suitable for all ages, but keep in mind that it involves a fair amount of walking and standing, so participants should be able to walk for at least 2.5 hours. Additionally, wearing comfortable walking shoes and bringing a water bottle can help ensure that you're comfortable throughout the tour

What is a Multilingual Audio tour?

A multilingual audio tour is a type of tour that provides visitors with audio guides in multiple languages. Visitors can use headphones to listen to the audio guide as they explore a destination, with the audio guide providing information about the sights, history, and culture of the area. The audio guides are typically pre-recorded and offer visitors the option to choose their preferred language.

Rated By Vox Citizens.

Overall rating

Review summary

I've visited Pompeii before, but using Vox City for the audio guide made it feel like a whole new experience. The information was presented in a way that was easy to understand, and the app even includes interactive maps to help navigate the site.

I had a great time exploring Pompeii with the Vox City app. The audio guide was informative and helped bring the history of the site to life. I especially like and appreciated the ability to pause and replay sections as needed.

The audio guide was informative and engaging, and the app was easy to use.

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Visit the ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF POMPEII with the

Audio guide, book your skip-the-line entrance ticket with audio guide and enjoy the tour of the best preserved city of the ancient world, where we are, audio guide, book your visit.

Discover the ruins of Pompeii thanks to this skip-the-line entry ticket and the multilingual official audio guide

WHAT IS INCLUDED

With this experience you will secure a skip-the-line entrance ticket to the Pompeii excavations and the Park’s official audio guide , which will allow you to visit the excavations in total autonomy, orienting yourself within the vast archaeological site.

Skip-the-line Entry ticket

Show the voucher received via email to the Audiguide Desk staff located at the entrance to PORTA MARINA. You will receive the entrance ticket, with which you can directly access the turnstiles at the entrance to the Archaeological Park.

The Official Audio guide

Together with the entrance ticket, you will also receive the official audio guide of the Park: a touchscreen device with which you can visit all the most salient points of the archaeological site, accompanied by a narrator.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT US:

• [email protected]
• Desk audioguide c/o Ingresso Porta Marina - Parco Archeologico di Pompei

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Pompei audioguida 4+

D'uva workshop s.r.l..

• 2.3 • 3 Ratings

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Description.

Download the Pompeii app and you will get: useful information for your visit (times, site regulations, services, contacts etc.) one audio tour for adults and one for children the official map for visiting the Excavations list of the visitable houses The audio tour contains: the tour of the Park with 138 listening points for adults for a total of approx. 5½ hours of audio in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Portuguese the tour of the Park with 116 listening points for children for a total of approx. 3½ hours of audio in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish a short tour of the Park with 43 listening points for adults for a total of approx. 2½ hours of audio in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish an interactive and geo-located map a fascinating interpretation of the letter of Pliny the Younger access to the contents in offline mode to save on internet traffic or in streaming to save space on your phone. A bit of us D’Uva is a digital interpretation lab which offers multimedia contents for the description of the cultural heritage with audio guides, video guides, multimedia totems, mobile apps and web platforms. A laboratory where we have fun, we experiment, we discuss and we try to improve daily. Our aim? To set up deeper relations between museums and visitors. Together we form a close-knit, multi-disciplinary group of developers, designers, creative talents, technology freaks, audio and video operators, architects, art historians, narrators and technicians, who love museums, churches, art towns and tourist attractions. Our projects are based on the capacity of the digital media for involving people, and they are developed so as to transform interaction into experience and to add value and emotions to the audio- and video-guided itineraries.

Version 1.1

improved performance , bug fixes , tracking request .

Ratings and Reviews

Doesn't work.

Doesn't succeed in playing audio, which makes it useless.

App Privacy

The developer, D'Uva Workshop s.r.l. , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Used to Track You

The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:

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The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• App Support
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Family Sharing

Up to six family members can use this app with family sharing enabled., more by this developer.

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IULM Lezioni

• Pompeii Plus: Reserved Entrance
• Pompeii Express: Reserved Entrance
• Pompeii and Guided Tour
• Pompeii & Herculaneum: Skip The Line + Guided Tour
• Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius: Guided Tour from Naples
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• Guided tour of Pompeii with transport from Sorrento
• Pompeii: 3D Walking Tour with Entrance Ticket
• Vesuvius Tickets: Park Entrance & Guided Visit
• Vesuvius and Herculaneum: Round trip from Naples
• Mount Vesuvius: Day tour from Naples
• Mount Vesuvius: Roundtrip Shuttle
• Herculaneum to the top of Mount Vesuvius and back
• Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius: Entrance + Roundtrip from Rome
• Mount Vesuvius: Guided tour from Pompeii
• Tickets for Underground Naples
• Naples Walking Tour with Sansevero Chapel and Veiled Christ
• Guided Tour of the Catacombs of San Gennaro, Naples
• Sansevero Chapel Skip The Line Ticket + Guided Tour
• Galleria Borbonica: Guided Tour
• Treasure of San Gennaro
• Herculaneum: Priority Access
• Herculaneum: Guided Tour + Skip The Line

Opening hours

Get to Pompeii

Tickets for Pompeii + Audio Guide

Explore the lost city of Pompeii with an immersive audio guide, parking, and/or lunch (depending on your selection)

Additional information and buy ticket >>

Pre-pay for parking and the must-have Pompeii audio guide Pre-order a fresh sandwich lunch to enjoy in the picnic area

Hear the astonishing story of how the city perished in the disastrous eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and its subsequent discovery and excavation. Opt for a compelling audio guide that narrates the city's jaw-dropping ruins while you explore. You'll be transported back in time, and into the lives of the city's residents, moments before things got heated.

What's included

• Entrance to Pompeii
• IBT staff assistance
• Pompeii audio guide, parking, and/or lunch (depending on your selection)

Audio guide:

English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish.

Instructions

• Parking – there is a dedicated spot in front of the IBT office where you can temporarily park while you go to the office. The staff will then guide you to the parking spot, which is behind the IBT office, not far from the Porta Marina Inferiore entrance
• Audio guide & lunch – show your smartphone voucher at the IBT Info Point, near Porta Marina Inferiore, and pick up your audio guide and/or lunch

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Pompei Online è un'idea di  Tiberio Gracco   P.IVA 05674470652

Luxe Adventure Traveler

Adventure Travel With a Glass of Wine

The Do-It-Yourself Tour of Pompeii

By Jennifer Dombrowski 45 Comments

You know it. The tour with the guide holding up a sign, umbrella or some other object so you don’t lose your group. Though it doesn’t really matter if you do lose your group – it’s so large, you have to battle your way to the front to even hear what the guide is saying. And that’s not the only battle; if you want any decent photos, you’re no doubt sighing in annoyance as you try to avoid your fellow tour group members’ heads or, worse of all, their totally obnoxious iPads as they too try to snap photos of the sights. No, thank you! Instead, try this do-it-yourself tour of Pompeii.

In 79 AD somewhere around 20,000 Pompeians went about their daily lives giving nary a thought to the volcano they lived alongside. August 24th would change their lives forever. On that fateful day as Mt. Vesuvius spewed, though much of the city was destroyed, Pompeii was also buried under 20 feet of ash and pumice.

Centuries of history were sealed away until 1748. It was Rocque Joaquin de Acubierre that discovered Pompeii with intentional excavations after Herculaneum was accidentally discovered in 1738, when workers were digging the foundation for the King of Naples’ summer palace. Due to the lack of air and moisture, artifacts buried under the ash and pumice at both archeological sites were extremely well preserved. It’s no wonder that Pompeii is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy and some 2 million people make the trek south to see it every year.

There are several ways to visit Pompeii: on a pre-booked guided tour, to hire a Pomeii guide on the spot (the going rate is €100-115 and official Pompeii tour guides are identified by a badge and certified as guides by the Campania region), to rent a Pompeii audio guide (which is simply a recording of Pompeii’s Little Red Book that hawkers will be pedaling near the Porta Marina entrance), or on a self guided tour of Pompeii. Your Pompeii ticket includes a map and small pocket guide to the site, which is excellent and leads you number by number through the not-to-miss sights at Pompeii. You can also download a great guide right on your iPhone with the Pompeii app to make touring Pompeii on your own a piece of cake.

Planning Your Self Guided Tour of Pompeii

How long does it take to see Pompeii? That’s entirely up to you! With a pre-booked Pompeii guided tour, most tours spend 3-4 hours visiting selective sites within Pompeii. With a Pompeii self guided tour, you determine how much time you plan to spend or have to spend at Pompeii, and then plan your visit accordingly. You should allow at least 3 – 4 hours for your Pompeii self guided walking tour, and you can cover quite a bit of the site in that amount of time if you’re armed with the tools and a plan. Pompeii is big enough that you could easily make a full day of visiting it.

Download your Pompeii – A day in the past app in advance of your trip. We like this app, though there are several more DIY Pomeii guides in the app store, because you can break down your visit by the amount of time you have to spend at the archeological site with a 2 hour, 4 hour, or full day tour. Browse the app by building and mark your favorites right in the app. You can also look at seven different itineraries to see which monuments and sights that interest you most are located near each other.

If you really want to get a feel for the archeological site before your Pompeii visit, take a virtual walk through Pompeii’s ruins with Google Street View . You can also download this comprehensive free Pompeii guide PDF that is an explanation of all of the excavations by the Board of Cultural Heritage of Pompeii.

Finding Your Way Around on Your Self Guided Pompeii Tour

As I mentioned, your ticket includes a map and small pocket guide to Pompeii, which leads you number by number through the not-to-miss sights at Pompeii. And if you’re not a great map reader, you can use the app with location services turned on to guide you from sight to sight (this function will require an internet connection). If you’re not on any sort of time schedule, you can always wander the site and use the location feature to tell you more about which building you’ve stumbled upon.

The Guide on Your Do-It-Yourself Tour of Pompeii

The Pompeii – A day in the past app does a great job of providing information about each building and includes a Pompeii audio tour if you don’t want to read. If you use the audio guide feature, just be sure to bring headphones with you.

Our Recommended Must-See Sights at Pompeii

It’s best to enter Pompeii from the Porta Marina entrance. Don’t miss the Forum, which was Pompeii’s commercial, political and religious center. Alongside the Forum, visit the Grain Stores where you can see many of the plaster casts of Vesuvius victims.

Clear on the opposite end of Pompeii and following Via dell’Abbondanza is the Amphitheatre, which was built in on the outskirts of Pompeii. It’s well worth the walk as the Amphitheatre is the oldest building of its kind in the world. Like the Colosseum in Rome , gladiators had bloody battles with wild animals while some 20,000 spectators watched.

Continue wandering this end of the archeological site and make your way back toward the Porta Marina gate via the Necropolis. You’ll find many beautiful tombs and gardens and you’ll practically have the area to yourself. You’ll also pass by the Villa dei Misteri if you’re following this route, which is a project to cultivate grape vines and produce wine from the very spot where vines grew in Pompeii some 2000 years ago. Only 1700 bottles are produced and they are auctioned off, so you can’t purchase or taste this special wine unfortunately. But the vineyard set in the ruins is truly unique.

Other Tips for Visiting Pompeii

Wear flats. The streets are very uneven and heels or even wedges are completely unsuitable for walking around the site. For this same reason, if you have little kids you’ll want to bring a carrier as opposed to a stroller, which we imagine would be incredibly hard to push over the stepping stones.

Bring bottled water. It’s perfectly fine to bring it in and you’ll be glad you did with the sun blazing on all those ruins.

You can even bring food in if you plan to spend the day at Pompeii. There is a restaurant on the ground, but there is also a picnic area near Amphitheatre Square and Casina dell’Aquila.

It’s also good to know that any type of bag exceeding 30 x 30 x 15 cm is not allowed inside Pompeii. There are luggage deposit services available at all three entrance gates if you do have a bag that needs storing while you visit Pompeii.

If You’re Set on Taking a Tour, These are the Best Pompeii Tours

There’s definitely appeal in taking tours of Pompeii. You don’t have to plan it yourself, and in some cases like a day trip from Rome, you don’t have to get yourself to Pompeii either. But if you’re really set on taking a tour, book a small group tour where you’ll still feel you got value out of the experience. We’ve taken many tours with Walks and feel they’re one of the best small group tour companies around. They have several Pompeii tours we’re confident in recommending:

Walks of Italy offers a Skip the Line Best of Pompeii Tour , on which their expert archaeologist will guide your small group to the best sights and tell you all about what they are. This is a really good Pompeii walking tour for those not wanting to decipher a map.

If you’re visiting Rome and want to take a day tour to Pompeii, the Pompeii & Amalfi day trip from Rome is the way to go. It makes for a long day (about 13 hours), but you’ll be able to sit back and relax. With just one day to visit the south, this small group tour makes it count with the guided tour of Pompeii plus a drive along one of Italy’s arguably most beautiful coastlines, the Amalfi Coast , and a stop in Positano.

Know Before You Go

• By train: Pompeii can be reached by train on Circumvesuviana . On the Naples – Sorrento line, use the Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri stop. On the Naples – Poggiomarino line, use the Pompei Santuario stop.
• By bus: Pompeii can be reached by bus from Naples or Salerno on SITA . The stop is Pompei (Piazza Esedra).
• By car: Pompeii can be reached on the motorway A3 Napoli-Salerno (exit Pompei ovest) or motorway A3 Salerno-Napoli (exit Pompei est).
• Pompeii is open November – March daily from 8:30am – 5pm (last admission is 3:30pm)  and April – October from 8:30am – 7:30pm (last admission is 6pm). Pompeii is closed on January 1, May 1, and December 25.
• Admission is €13 and is a single day ticket. A global ticket (Pompeii, Herculaneum and Oplontis, Stabia, and Antiquarium of Boscoreale) is available for €22 and is valid for 3 days.
• Audio guides are available at Porta Marina entrance in Italian, English, French, German and Spanish for €6.50 or €10 for two.
• There is a storage room for bags, strollers, and anything else you might not want to lug around Pompeii located at the Porta Marina entrance.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites we’ve visited here .

This article contains affiliate links. When you book on Walks of Italy through our affiliate sites, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Loved this post? We love when you share our content! ~ Jen & Tim

About Jennifer Dombrowski

Jennifer Dombrowski is an independent travel publisher and an American expat who has lived in Bordeaux, France since 2016. She previously lived in Northern Italy in a small village near Venice for seven years where she fell in love with wine and wine tourism. She is an award-winning travel writer. She is also a travel correspondent on Traveling on the American Forces Radio Network. Luxe Adventure Traveler was named one of the top travel blogs to watch by the Huffington Post and TripAdvisor, and has been featured by top publications such as National Geographic, CNN, Buzzfeed, and Business Insider. Jennifer's photography has also been featured on publications such as USA Today and Travel + Leisure and on the Travel Channel.

Cheryl says

May 5, 2014 at 5:13 PM

Gosh, I’m dying to get here. It’s been on my Italy list forever. Thanks for the great tips!

Jennifer Dombrowski says

May 6, 2014 at 12:21 PM

You’ll love it Cheryl! I wish we’d had time to visit Herculaneum too when we were there, so be sure to include time for that as well.

Devlin Madden-Perdue says

May 5, 2014 at 6:51 PM

DIY Touring is the only way I like to tour a place – I just don’t like schedules, especially when I’m traveling. Sure it’s nice having a guide explain everything, but you can always overhear what some guide is saying if the place is busy enough, haha. I just prefer to wander about and read the plaques at the sites. Though having a little guide book/app sounds even better!

May 6, 2014 at 12:23 PM

When touring sites like Pompeii, we also much prefer DIY. We want to be able to spend time at the buildings or monuments that interest us and quickly move on from those that don’t. Group tours, even if they’re small group tours, just don’t give you that flexibility. There are other things, like say a walking tour of a city or a food tour, where we loved short small group tours though.

May 6, 2014 at 4:20 PM

I went such a long time ago as a young teenager – I’d love to go back and try a DIY version of the tour.

May 7, 2014 at 4:12 PM

It really is the best way so that you can linger over areas you enjoy and move on from other less interesting parts.

Tamara says

May 6, 2014 at 5:47 PM

Thanks for this, I went about 10 years ago with a guide and we are taking our daughter next month and I’ve been debating whether or not to get a guide upon arrival or do it ourselves between this app and some guidance from Rick Steves.

May 7, 2014 at 4:13 PM

We really think that you can get just as much out of a DIY visit as with a guide – and save a whole lot of money in the process. Let us know what you decide and how your trip goes Tamara!

January 16, 2017 at 3:00 PM

go to the beach

Rhonda Krause says

May 10, 2014 at 12:59 AM

I think I would have enjoyed my visit to Pompeii much more, if I wasn’t part of a tour group. Like you said, the groups are too big to hear anything anyways and, my least favourite part is how they rush you through the site. I much preferred my visit to Ostia Antica over Pompeii because I went alone and could linger as long as I liked, plus there were no crowds. I had the place practically all to myself!

I would go back to Pompeii though to give it a second chance, but next time I would do a do-it-yourself tour!

Jennifer says

May 18, 2014 at 11:17 PM

We saw tour groups and how they were rushed through. Definitely not our style! We haven’t been to Ostia Antica yet. We’ll have to check it out. Any place that doesn’t have a crowd entices us.

May 11, 2014 at 10:50 PM

I visited Pompeii a few years ago with a guided tour, next time I would definitely do a do-it-yourself tour as well.

May 12, 2014 at 12:19 AM

I’ve definitely got to go here…and I would much rather explore on my own rather than with a group!

May 19, 2014 at 3:49 PM

This is such a rad guide! You went super in depth with detail…looking to visit Pompeii myself while in Rome this week! Cannot wait! Again, amazing guide =)

August 20, 2014 at 9:22 AM

This is very useful! I admit I usually plan my travels, so these recommendations and tips come in handy!

June 24, 2016 at 11:16 PM

Awesome post thank you for sharing. Definitely keen to do our own tour rather than a group. We’ve downloaded the apps you suggested and can’t wait to see it tomorrow!

Alberto C. says

August 3, 2016 at 9:38 PM

Great post! I recently had the chance to visit Pompeii and it was just amazing!

Happy travels!

January 23, 2017 at 12:31 AM

Thanks for the great guide! We were planning to do an organized tour, but they are only 2 1/2 hours long! I think we\’ll try it on our own. Do you have any recommendations about a place to grab something to eat? Thanks!

January 23, 2017 at 12:04 PM

There are several places just outside of the Pompeii ruins, but we’d suggest Il Ristorante Maccarone. They have really good pizzas and other dishes typical of the area.

Sylvain Belanger says

May 7, 2017 at 4:27 PM

Thanks for the great details here. I’m planning a visit to Pompeii on a cruise stop at Naples. I had planned to take a guided tour that included the Vesuvius but my wife thought it would be to hard so after some research, I ended up on your Do it yourself guide of Pompeii so we’ll give it a try based on your tips.

I’m also taking note of one of your restaurant tip Il Ristorante Maccarone as we’ll have some time to eat before getting back to the ship.

Do you have some useful information to get to Pompeii from Naples’ port (taxi, train, bus, else)?

Thanks! Sylvain

May 13, 2017 at 10:49 PM

It would be quite expensive to take a taxi to Pompeii and the traffic in Naples can be atrocious. The center of Naples is easy walking distance from the cruise port, so you can easily take the train to Pompeii. Pompeii can be reached by train on Circumvesuviana. On the Naples – Sorrento line, use the Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri stop. On the Naples – Poggiomarino line, use the Pompei Santuario stop.

Caroline Gregory says

June 30, 2017 at 10:36 AM

We are visiting Pompeii on 22nd July and I keep seeing different views on booking ‘skip the line’ tickets for Pompeii Ruins. We are going independently and this post is the best I’ve seen so I’m confident that the replies will be very useful.

June 30, 2017 at 12:02 PM

Hi Caroline,

We didn’t have to wait in line long, and that’s typically the case if you arrive at opening. Peak time at the ticket offices is from 10-11am when most groups and visitors arrive. Especially in July, it’s best to go early anyway because it just gets so incredibly hot.

karen escalera says

August 14, 2017 at 6:37 PM

TErrific article, thanks. I want to go to Opolontis and Herculaneum. Any info on DIY tours or tour companies offering that? Can one combine two of these in one day?

August 20, 2017 at 10:17 AM

We don’t have any personal recommendations. This private day tour that visits all 3 sites has a lot of great reviews on TripAdvisor. https://benvenutodriver.com/

Lisa Vergara says

July 7, 2018 at 9:36 AM

Was an amazing tour!! Thanks. Pompeii is awesome but very hard to visit. We have used the app you suggest, Pompeii, a day in the past) perfect! We’ll follow you everywhere .

Bronnie Q says

January 20, 2019 at 10:21 AM

We are coming over for a European holiday from Australia and Pompeii is on our to do list in November. Do we just pay the entry when we get there or do you have to pre book entry tickets for a self guided tour. We have zero interest in being on any kind of tour anywhere as we also prefer to do our own thing. Any help would be appreciated 🙂

WINIFRED JENSEN says

April 8, 2019 at 10:20 PM

PLANNING ONE DAY AT POMPEII ARE THERE TOILET FACILITIES???? AT ENTRANCE ONLY? PLEASE EXPLAIN…….. AND HOW LONG A WALK AFTER YOU GET ON YOUR BUS, TRAIN ETC???? THANKS

April 16, 2019 at 2:38 PM

No, there are toilet facilities throughout the archaeological site, not only at the entrance. As for the walk from the train/bus, the closest stop is the Pompeii stop. It is about a 20 minute walk to the entrance of the archaeological site, and it is flat.

Winifred jensen says

April 16, 2019 at 7:16 PM

Thanks for info. Now about Paestum. Toilet facilities there? And far is the town of Pompeii from the ruins there? We ll. Be there in middle October this year. We are in our later years and all info is greatly appreciated ? Also lodging at Parstum

June 10, 2019 at 6:30 AM

Hi Jennifer & Tim,

I’m Fiona from Singapore. Nice to e-meet the both of you.

I have some questions with regards to travelling to Pompeii.

Are you able to send me your travel itinerary and do you recommend that I do not purchase the online ticket with the gudied tour. As I am looking at a cheaper alternative to go for a day tour in Pompeii.

Kindly let me know your thoughts, thanks!

Cheers, Fiona

June 10, 2019 at 11:47 AM

We lived in Italy, so we just made a day trip to Pompeii while staying on the Amalfi Coast.

If you are looking for the cheapest way to visit Pompeii, then that would be by the do-it-yourself visit as we recommend here. You can download the free PDF we linked to that tells you about Pompeii. You would pay the admission at Pompeii and it’s a few euros more if you also get the audio guide there.

We don’t not recommend taking a tour. As we mentioned in our article, Walks of Italy has very good tours and we do recommend them. It’s worth considering doing the day tour with Walks as their guides are very good and you skip the line. Their groups are small with no more than 15 people, so you’re not fighting a bus load of others to hear the guide and see inside the buildings. That’s this tour: https://www.walksofitaly.com/pompeii-tours/best-of-pompeii-tour/?tap_a=8993-5dea35&tap_s=47168-63b831

We’re just telling you how you can also do it yourself if you don’t want to take a tour. What we DON’T recommend is the overpriced private guides available for hire at Pompeii itself or massive bus tours with huge groups.

Hope that helps!

Georgie Ray says

June 15, 2019 at 4:31 PM

Hello Jennifer and Tim,

Your Pompeii info was so helpful! Just about to download the apps you suggested.

Off to Naples next week!

Kind regards,

Georgie Ray

June 17, 2019 at 12:09 PM

Hi Georgie,

Thanks so much for the note and we’re happy to hear you found the information about Pompeii helpful. Enjoy your trip!

Jennifer & Tim

July 11, 2019 at 9:27 PM

Jennifer and Tim: Thanks for your great article. We are coming to Naples on a cruise, the itinerary states that we land at 7 am and depart at 6 pm. We are three adults, from Canada, and we like walking, We are not too keen on driving to Pompeii ourselves.

What do you suggest is the best way to see Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius given our time frame. It will be on Aug 9 – yes likely extremely hot!

Thanks, Vita

July 16, 2019 at 2:12 PM

You can easily get to Pompeii from Naples on your own. Is the ship docking right in Naples? If so, you can by either bus or train from Naples to Pompeii.

By train: Pompeii can be reached by train on Circumvesuviana. On the Naples – Sorrento line, use the Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri stop. On the Naples – Poggiomarino line, use the Pompei Santuario stop. By bus: Pompeii can be reached by bus from Naples or Salerno on SITA. The stop is Pompei (Piazza Esedra).

As for Mt. Vesusvius, there are tourist buses that go right from Pompeii train station. I’d recommend taking the bus company Busvia del Vesuvio https://busviadelvesuvio.com/en/ . It departs hourly between 9am – 3pm and the tour to Mt. Vesuvius takes 2.5 hours.

If the ship isn’t docking right in Naples, you may want to check if the ship offers an excursion to Pompeii as it may be difficult and expensive to get from the ship to Naples to change to the bus or train.

Just take a big bottle of water since the day will be hot!

Peterina Spanjers says

July 27, 2019 at 4:56 PM

Hi, Thank you for the information, it is a great help in the decision to do the tour by ourselves at our own pace.

It has been recommended that we book on-line entrance and the audio-guide, but I was wondering it this is absolutely necessary. There are a number of different sites with different prices for on-line tickets, with or without audio-guide so it is confusing which to use.

We are pensioners, going on August 14th and not all too Iphone/smart phone savy so prefer printed tickets.

Any suggestions regarding the tickets/audio-guide would be greatly appreciated! And yes we will be using the PDF as a reference!

Kind Regards, Peterina Spanjers.

July 29, 2019 at 3:56 PM

Hi Peterina,

The official online ticket office for Pompeii is TicketOne. You can get your tickets online in advance, which I do recommend doing as the busiest time will be in August and you don’t need to wait in line at the ticket booth. You can buy and print the tickets here: https://www.ticketone.it/biglietti.html?erid=988882&doc=artistPages/tickets&action=tickets&fun=artist&language=en

Enjoy your trip to Pompeii!

Sinohe says

July 27, 2019 at 11:06 PM

This was incredibly helpful! The suggested App does not seem like the best choice now based on app reviews (I went with the PompeiiMap app and it looks amazing). The information listed above was just what I needed.

July 29, 2019 at 3:52 PM

Let us know how you like the PompeiiMap app. We still like the audio tour in the app we’ve suggested.

Daniel E Herron says

December 26, 2019 at 4:11 AM

Is it still possible to freely walk through the city streets in Pompeii?

December 29, 2019 at 7:07 PM

Do you mean without a ticket? No, you can’t enter Pompeii without a ticket. The site is ticketed in order to preserve it. But you don’t have to visit with a guide.

Maryanne says

July 10, 2020 at 3:16 PM

Pompeii is so amazing though i find it difficult.

March 11, 2021 at 8:00 PM

I come from a volcanic country (New Zealand) and was always terrified and fascinated by Pompeii. Lucky enough to go there a few years ago. Italy is a museum, incredible!

I would recommend spending a couple of days at Pompers… it’s huge. As you say, a small tour, then maybe download a guide and self navigate.

And Herculean next time too!

Maybe hire a campervan and follow the coast.

What a wonderful world…

Cheers Elle

Carole Eglash-Kosoff says

May 8, 2023 at 6:57 PM

Hi…my friend and I are both elderly. Are there any vehicles, such as golf carts, that are available at Pompeii and Herculaneum for those who struggle with extended walking?

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The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Pompeii

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an archeologist. I loved history, and the thought of uncovering temples and tombs in jungles excited me. I used to read books on Greek and Roman history and have discussions with my history teacher, even as young as 13. In short, I was a huge geek from the get-go.

Being such a huge history geek, visiting Pompeii, the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, has always been high on my list of things to do.

The falling ash came so quickly that it preserved the city just as it was, burying the city in 4-6 meters (13-20 feet) of ashes. It’s a city frozen in time.

The earliest settlements in the area date to the 8th century BCE, though most people know Pompeii as the Roman city that it was at the time of its demise. The rich agricultural land combined with its location on important trading routes meant that over time, Pompeii became a wealthy provincial city with a population of over 20,000 people.

The city was also a regional cultural center, with a large amphitheater, forum, public baths, various temples, and an extensive aqueduct system providing clean water. Many of these buildings, including expansive private villas in the surrounding countryside, were buried during Vesuvius’s eruption.

The eruption itself lasted over two days, with the first phase of falling ash and pumice lasting over 18 hours. While the 1,150 bodies discovered is significant, it was only a fraction of the overall population. Most inhabitants likely had a chance to escape during this initial eruptive phase, though the final casualty count is unknown.

While the eruption was the biggest tragedy of its time, the falling ash also kept the buildings, frescoes streets, pots, and bodies incredibly well preserved. And while there was some looting after the eruption, eventually Pompeii’s location was lost with the passage of time.

It wasn’t until the rediscovery of the nearby town of Herculaneum (buried in the same Vesuvius eruption) that interest was renewed in the area. The first excavations at Pompeii occurred in 1748, with archaeological work continuing to this day. There is still a significant portion of the site that remains unexcavated so who knows what they will discover here in the future?

I’ve traveled the world for a while and have seen plenty of marvelous ruins over the years. But this is one of the best. Even though a lack of upkeep has taken its toll on the site, I still found it a fascinating place to spend the day. My only hope is that the Italian government will get its act together to keep this site from falling into further disrepair.

Located near Naples in Italy , Pompeii takes a full day to see. If you truly want to indulge your inner Indiana Jones and visit every building here, schedule an extra half day. At over 160 acres, it’s a huge site and you could easily spend even more time than that.

I saw a lot on my full day, but there was a lot that I missed. To help you make the most of your visit, here are some of the main highlights of Pompeii.

Table of Contents

• The Top Attractions in Pompeii

Tips for Visiting Pompeii

How to get to pompeii.

• Visiting Pompeii FAQ

The Top 12 Attractions in Pompeii

The ancient lupanar (brothel) is a tiny house with stone beds and scenes of the acts customers might pay for. It’s essentially ancient porn, though whether the frescoes served a practical purpose or were merely decoration is unclear.

Unsurprisingly, this is one of the most visited houses in all of Pompeii (it was probably just as popular before the eruption — no pun intended — too).

While the forum baths are the smallest of the various bath ruins in Pompeii, they are arguably the most elegant. There were separate areas for men and women, including separate entrances. The bath not only had hot baths but cold and tepid baths as well.

The villa, which is on the outskirts of Pompeii proper, was excavated long after the rest of the city (excavation of the villa began in 1909). Since it’s a bit of a walk, not many people come here either, giving you the place virtually to yourself.

The bath area also had a gym and workout area (for wrestling, as well) and a large, almost Olympic-sized, swimming pool.

The sloped roof was used to collect rainwater and doubled as a fountain, a great example of innovation at the time.

It’s one of the most complete surviving examples of a wealthy and luxurious private residence from the time — even better preserved than many sites in Rome itself!

Located in the back of Pompeii, this old vineyard has preserved casts of people who didn’t make it out of the city alive. There are 13 bodies in the garden, frozen in a grotesque and agonizing tableau that reflects the horrible final moments of the city. It’s both incredibly interesting and unsettling at the same time.

The house was actually under renovation when Vesuvius erupted and was also damaged during the bombing in World War II (though it was restored in the 1950s).

Built in 70 BCE, it was one of the first amphitheaters to be built of stone. Today, it is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheater in existence.

It’s another a great place to escape the crowds as not so many tourists make it here.

There’s a small garden and covered porch in the back, a fresco of the goddess Diana, a bakery, and even a little food shop in the front. During World War II, a bomb partially destroyed the back walls, though these were restored in the 1970s.  

• Watch out for closings – Not all the attractions are open, even if they say they are. I found a number of places you were supposed to be able to get into closed. They even started closing one while I was looking around.
• Start in the back – To avoid the crowds, move from the farthest temples toward the front. The majority of people stick to the center of Pompeii, and you can visit the main area when the crowds have gone by late afternoon.
• Don’t do the audio guide – I bought the audio tour for 10 EUR and found it to be a waste of time. The free book they give you includes enough information. The audio guide doesn’t explain much more.
• Limited time? Do a guided tour – I listened to a number of guided tours while I was walking around and I was impressed with their knowledge. Plus, I like being able to ask questions that can further explain things. The guided tours simply take you to the highlights, unless you do a personal tour.
• Bring lots of water – During the summer, it gets scorchingly hot. Bring lots of water and some sunscreen to avoid getting burnt.
• Pack snacks – There are a few cafes and snack bars here, but if you wander far into the ruins, you might not be near them for a while. It’s best to bring some food with you for the day’s explorations.
• Take the train – This is the easiest way to visit. Just make sure you go to Pompei Scavi – Villa Dei Misteri station as the main Pompeii station only takes you to the modern city.
• Watch out for scams and pickpockets – As Pompeii is such a popular attraction, there are many people who try to take advantage of visitors. Common scams include trying to sell fake (or overpriced) train and bus tickets or saying that the entrance is closed (but they can get you in). Also watch out for pickpockets around the entrances and train station.
• Don’t bring a large backpack – Security likely won’t let you bring in a large rucksack, so only come with a smaller purse or day bag.
• Choose your tour carefully – If you’re going to do a tour, do an official tour from inside the gate. There are plenty of tours offered outside of the gate, but they are much larger and not as good (though they are cheaper).

Get off at the Pompei Scavi/Villa dei Misteri stop, which is just a 5-minute walk from the heritage site. The train ride is around 45 minutes.

There’s also a train called the Campania Express that only stops at the main tourist sites in the area. It’s about 20 minutes but also costs 15 EUR round-trip. Personally, I don’t think it’s really worth the steep price increase.

If you’re coming by car, it’s about a 30-minute drive. Note that there is no free parking lot for the site, though there are many paid municipal and private parking lots nearby.

From April 1 to October 31, the entire site is open from 9am-7pm. From November 1-March 31, the site is open from 9am-5pm. However, each individual attraction has its own opening and closing times, with last entrances starting 1-1.5 hours before closing time of the entire site. For updated hours, check pompeiisites.org .  

FAQ on Visiting Pompeii

How long do you need in Pompeii? You’ll want to spend a full day here to really see everything, though if history isn’t your thing and you just want to see the main sites, 3-4 hours will suffice.

Do you have to pay to visit Pompeii? Yes! Tickets are 16 EUR per person.

Should I book a guided tour? If you don’t have a guidebook or if you want a deeper, more insightful visit then getting a guide is a good idea. There is minimal signage here so you’ll get much more from your visit if you have a guide.

You can either book a guide on arrival (you’ll see a bunch hanging around the entrance) or go with a reputable company like Take Walks . They have a comprehensive and informative 3-hour tour of the site as well as a full-day tour that includes Pompeii and a drive along the Amalfi Coast. Tickets are 55 EUR for the 3-hour tour and 165 EUR for the full-day tour (including tickets that let you skip the line).

Do you need to book tickets in advance for Pompeii? Tickets can be bought online in advance, which includes access to Pompeii, Oplontis, and Boscoreale. If you’re visiting on a Saturday or public holiday, you must book online in advance.

How many tourists visit Pompeii each year? Pompeii is one of the most popular attractions in Italy, bringing in over 3.5 million tourists each year.

When should I visit Pompeii? The summer offers the best weather, but it is also incredibly hot and busy. Consider visiting in the shoulder season (May or October) in order to beat the crowds but still have nice weather.

In the time I was there, I barely scratched the surface of Pompeii, and I filled a whole day! One day, I’d love to go back and visit all the buildings I missed. But then again, I’m a history geek and could spend days upon days among ruins. If you don’t live and breathe history as I do, one day would be enough to see the highlights.

Make sure you move away from the city center to see some of the lesser-known and less crowded sites. Walking among the ruins is an eerie but beautiful feeling.

Book Your Trip to Italy: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned!

Book Your Train ItaliaRail is a great resource to use when planning your trip via train around Italy. You can compare prices, routes, and schedules and save up to 60% on your tickets.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out Agorà Hostel Deluxe .

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• Safety Wing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Need a guide? Take Walks runs my favorite paid tour. Their Best of Pompeii Tour: Unveiling the Buried City will give you an incredible behind-the-scenes and historical Pompeii experience. If you want a tour, take that one.

Want More Information on Italy? Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Italy for even more planning tips!

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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Skip the line at the ticket office and buy online with Pompeii Tickets your admission ticket to the Pompeii archeological Site. Buy online a skip the line ticket and visit the ruins of Pompeii, one of the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage sites. You can also customize it with an audio guide service to enjoy your guided tour of the Pompeii ruins in peace and autonomy. Enjoy your tour by customizing it according to your needs with an audio guide in 8 different languages

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