Visiting Pompeii: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

How to Visit Pompeii: What You Need to Know

Here are a few key things to know before your trip to Pompeii:

• The Pompeii excavation site is enormous. You should definitely set aside a full day.
• Pompeii has three entrances. Porta Marina is the main entrance and also the best starting point for your tour.
• Plan your visit carefully — it’s worth studying the map at home before you go.
• It’s much easier with a tour guide. We explored on our own and felt pretty lost at times.
• If you’d rather explore Pompeii on your own, definitely grab an audio guide. You can pick one up at the Porta Marina entrance or at the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance.
• Cell service inside the archaeological park is pretty poor. Don’t count on Google Maps to help you navigate.
• Bring a water bottle — there are plenty of free water fountains throughout the park.
• There’s almost no shade in Pompeii, so pack a hat and sunscreen.

Where Is Pompeii? How to Get There

Pompeii is located in southern Italy, 30 kilometers south of Naples.

It’s also worth staying overnight in Naples and visiting Pompeii as a day trip — Naples is absolutely worth a visit in its own right!

From Naples to Pompeii

Getting from Naples to Pompeii is pretty straightforward. It’s so close that Pompeii is often counted among the top highlights of Naples.

The cheapest way to get there is by train, and the fastest is by car.

We wouldn’t recommend taking a public bus — they stop frequently along the way, making them the slowest option by far.

Note: If you’re coming by train, make sure you get off at Pompei Scavi (“Pompeii Excavations”) and not at the Pompei city station. Pompeii is also the name of a separate town nearby, but it’s not particularly worth visiting.
From Naples to Pompeii by Train

The local rail line Circumvesuviana connects Naples with the towns around Mount Vesuvius. Tickets cost a few euros and trains depart every half hour from the Porta Nolana station. The ride to Pompei Scavi takes about 50 minutes.

The Pompei Scavi station is conveniently located almost directly across from the main entrance to Pompeii.

Note: The Circumvesuviana isn’t the most modern train — the cars aren’t air-conditioned and are a bit run-down. But it will get you to and from Pompeii very reliably.
From Naples to Pompeii by Car

Driving in Naples is pretty stressful — traffic is incredibly chaotic. But if you already have a car in the city, driving to Pompeii is worth it, especially if you’re traveling with family. The drive takes about half an hour.

There are several parking lots in Pompeii. The largest is right at the entrance and is called Pompei Parking Zeus. Parking costs 3 euros per hour or 20 euros per day.

You can park more cheaply by moving a bit further from the main entrance — for example at EuroParking Turistico. Here you pay 10 euros per day, but you’ll need to walk about five minutes to the entrance.

From Rome to Pompeii

Based in Rome and wondering how easy it is to get to Pompeii? It’s totally manageable, but your best bet is to go with a private tour operator.

Using public transportation for a day trip would be quite an undertaking, since you’d have to transfer in Naples.

From Rome, tours by private bus to Pompeii run daily.

These tours include a two-hour guided walk through Pompeii. You won’t see everything in two hours, of course, but it’s better than missing Pompeii entirely.

Day trip from Rome to Pompeii

Pompeii Admission: Which Pompeii Tickets Are Worth It

In peak season, you should buy your Pompeii tickets in advance — there’s a maximum daily quota, and it does sell out.

These are the tickets we recommend:

Pompeii Map & Tour Route

At the entrance, you’ll receive this foldable map of Pompeii for free. You can also download it directly from the official Pompeii website and save it to your phone.

Official Pompeii Map as PDF

Pompeii has three entrances:

• Porta Marina,
• Porta Esedra
• and Piazza Anfiteatro.

To get your bearings quickly, use the main entrance at Porta Marina. From there, you’ll walk straight onto the main street that runs through the heart of Pompeii.

The Ideal Pompeii Tour Route

We’ve mapped out the ideal walking route through Pompeii for you.

It starts and ends at the main entrance, Porta Marina. Plan on spending the entire day on this route.

And don’t worry: Pompeii has a restaurant, a café, restrooms, and free water fountains. You can easily spend the whole day here without any issues.

Top Pompeii Sights

Pompeii is large and there is seriously a lot to see.

So you don’t feel overwhelmed, we’ve picked out the Pompeii highlights you absolutely can’t miss.

Along the way, you’ll pass plenty of other interesting spots as well.

The order follows the walking route starting from the Porta Marina entrance.

The Forum — Pompeii's Most Important Square

The Forum is the rectangular, 142-meter-long main square of Pompeii.

As was typical in all Roman cities, this is where the most important public buildings stood: several temples, the slave and wool market, the marketplace Macellum, and the granary.

A bronze statue of a centaur stands in the square — though this is a modern sculpture by artist Igor Mitoraj.

Terme Stabiane — Pompeii's Largest Bathhouse

Pompeii had several bathhouses, and the Stabian Baths were the largest in the city.

The complex included a sports court, a swimming pool, a changing room, a cold bath, a warm bath, and a hot bath. The Romans really knew how to live!

Everything was divided into men’s and women’s sections.

Particularly impressive is the heating system that supplied the entire building with hot air — you can still see it clearly beneath the floors today. The whole system is considered one of the oldest of antiquity.

Quartiere dei Teatri — The Entertainment District of Antiquity

Across from the Terme Stabiane lies the theater district, with two theaters, a gladiator barracks, and several temples — including two sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess Isis from Egyptian mythology.

Wait, an Egyptian deity in a Roman city? Yes — the Romans were remarkably open to gods from other cultures.

The two theaters are incredibly well preserved: the Teatro Grande held around 5,000 spectators, while the smaller Odeon held 1,000. The smaller one in particular is said to have had outstanding acoustics.

Orto dei Fuggiaschi — Garden of the Fugitives

If you want to see the plaster casts of people in Pompeii, the Garden of the Fugitives is the place to go.

In this garden — where grapes were grown back then, just as they are today — you can see behind a glass case the plaster casts of 13 individuals, including three children.

Plaster casts appear throughout Pompeii, but the Orto dei Fuggiaschi is where you’ll find the largest group in one place.

The Amphitheater

The amphitheater of Pompeii is one of the best-preserved structures in the city.

It’s also one of the oldest of its kind still standing, built around 100 years before the Colosseum.

It could hold up to 20,000 spectators — more than the entire population of Pompeii at the time. Visitors from the surrounding area must have traveled in for the gladiatorial games.

The amphitheater is so well preserved that it’s still used for concerts today. Pink Floyd famously played a legendary show here.

Via dell'Abbondanza — Pompeii's Main Street

The Via dell’Abbondanza is the main street of Pompeii. Just like the main thoroughfares of modern cities, it was lined with taverns, bakeries, shops, and craftsmen’s workshops.

Make sure you stroll down this street and take a close look at the remarkably well-preserved counters of the street food stalls.

One standout along the way is the villa Casa della Venere in Conchiglia. Here you’ll find especially well-preserved wall paintings — honestly, it was one of our personal favorites in all of Pompeii.

Villa dei Misteri — Pompeii's Most Famous Building

The Villa of the Mysteries is arguably the most famous building in Pompeii — and it’s easy to see why. Here you can see some of the most beautiful and best-preserved frescoes of antiquity.

The villa gets its name from the stunning wall paintings depicting the Dionysian mystery cult — the cult of the Greek deity Dionysus.

But why “mystery”? A mystery cult was a religion whose rituals were kept secret. The word itself comes from Greek and means “secret.”

The Villa of the Mysteries sits outside the city walls, about 300 meters from the city gate Porta di Ercolano — but you’re still within the boundaries of the Pompeii archaeological park.

Antiquarium — Pompeii's Museum

Inside the archaeological park, you’ll see many ruins but very few actual artifacts. Those are all kept in the Antiquarium, a small museum right at the main Porta Marina entrance.

On display are everyday objects used by the people of Pompeii, remains of animals and food, jewelry, tools, and some of the famous plaster casts.

We recommend saving the Antiquarium for the end of your visit. After you’ve walked through the city and seen everything in context, the exhibits will hit a lot harder.

Note: Very little is explained in the museum. So again — an audio guide is an absolute must in Pompeii!

The Pompeii Disaster in a Nutshell: What Exactly Happened?

You probably already know the basics: Pompeii was caught off guard by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and completely buried. But how did it all unfold?

At the time of the eruption, Pompeii was already 700 years old and a thriving Roman trading city.

People back then didn’t even know Vesuvius was a volcano. The last eruption had been 300 years earlier and left no written records behind. It looked like an ordinary mountain.

When the eruption began — in late October of 79 AD — the summit of Vesuvius virtually exploded, shooting a cloud 32 kilometers into the sky.

At first, only small stones rained down on Pompeii. Because of this, many people didn’t immediately flee — they took shelter in their homes instead.

The rain of stones lasted 18 hours, eventually causing roofs and walls to collapse. Those who survived that faced something far worse: pyroclastic surges — waves of gas heated to 300–400 degrees Celsius that swept away all remaining life in Pompeii.

The entire city was buried under hot ash and rock and remained hidden and forgotten for centuries. It wasn’t until the 18th century that it was accidentally rediscovered.

What's the Story Behind the Petrified People?

“Petrified people” isn’t quite the right term. The stone-like figures are negative impressions of bodies found beneath the cooled ash.

In the 19th century, archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli discovered voids in the ash during excavations — cavities left behind by decomposed bodies.

To make them visible, he had them filled with plaster, allowing them to be lifted out of the ground.

The result is these incredibly lifelike figures, showing the people of Pompeii in their final moments.

Pompeii Guided Tour or On Your Own?

We visited Pompeii independently, but only had three hours. That was far too little time.

As we walked through the streets, we quickly realized a tour guide would have been really helpful — the park is simply so large and easy to get turned around in.

We spent a lot of time just trying to get our bearings. So if you only have an afternoon, we’d strongly recommend a guided tour.

Guided Pompeii Tour

If you have a full day, exploring on your own is totally doable — but you’ll need to prepare thoroughly. An audio guide is then a must.

Note: Audio guides are only available at the main Porta Marina entrance and at the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance.

Herculaneum or Pompeii?

When Vesuvius erupted, Pompeii wasn’t the only city buried. Herculaneum was another town in the area that was caught in the eruption.

Herculaneum had 4,000 to 5,000 inhabitants, making it smaller than Pompeii. It also wasn’t a trading center — its residents lived mainly from fishing.

That doesn’t make Herculaneum any less interesting than Pompeii, though. Because the city was much closer to Vesuvius, it wasn’t covered by ash and stones but by boiling mud and lava.

This meant that wood, fabrics, and human remains were preserved far better than in Pompeii.

Why Is Pompeii More Famous Than Herculaneum?

Figures like Goethe and Mark Twain visited Pompeii and helped make it famous.

Also, only Pompeii has the famous plaster casts, which are regularly featured in the media. That’s what gives Pompeii its wider name recognition.

So Which Is Better: Herculaneum or Pompeii?

It’s not that simple. Pompeii is larger and has more to see — but you’ll need at least a full day for it. Herculaneum can comfortably be explored in a few hours.

Pompeii is also better connected and easier to reach by public transportation.

It really comes down to how much interest you have in archaeology. If you just want a glimpse of a lost ancient city, head to Herculaneum.

But if seeing some of the most important archaeological finds of antiquity matters to you, take the time and go to Pompeii.

Pompeii & Vesuvius in One Day: Our Experience

We visited Pompeii and Vesuvius in a single day, and here’s our honest take:

Half a day is enough for Vesuvius — but not for Pompeii.

So if you have the option to dedicate a full day to Pompeii, do it. If not, an afternoon is still better than skipping it altogether.

Day tours to Vesuvius and Pompeii depart from Naples daily and typically include lunch.

We did one of these tours, and if you’re short on time, it’s a solid way to see both. You’ll explore Pompeii on your own, but you’ll only have three hours.

Day Trip: Pompeii & Vesuvius

Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Pompeii