With a short trip down the Amalfi Coast, you can go back to the 8th century BC to experience how the Ancient Romans lived. The Archaeological site of Pompeii is an excellent day drip whether you are coming off a cruise ship in Napoli or visiting the lovely city of Rome.
Stepping into Pompeii is like traveling back to an ancient world in 79 AD, when Mount Vesuvius unleashed its fury and froze this vibrant Roman city in ash. As you wander through the eerily well-preserved streets, you’ll find yourself immersed in a world that has captivated historians, archaeologists, and tourists for centuries.
Pompeii offers a unique window into daily life in the Roman Empire, from grand villas adorned with colorful frescoes to humble bakeries where bread carbonized by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius still sits in ancient ovens. The site’s remarkable preservation allows visitors to walk in the footsteps of long-gone inhabitants, glimpsing their homes, workplaces, and gathering spots.
But Pompeii is more than just a historical curiosity. It’s a powerful reminder of nature’s destructive force and the fragility of human civilization. As you explore the ruins, you’ll encounter poignant reminders of the city’s tragic end, including plaster casts of victims frozen in their final moments.
Today, the ruins of Pompeii are a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by thousands of people everyday. Whether you’re a history buff, an art lover, or simply curious about the past, a tour of Pompeii promises an unforgettable journey through time. In this post, we’ll guide you through what you need to know in order to enjoy your time there.
Getting to the Pompeii Ruins
The archeological site is just a 45-minute train ride outside of Naples. You can take the Circumvesuviana high-speed train from the Napoli Centrale train station or the Napoli Garibaldi Station for about 3.60€ one way. Beth signed us up for a tour with an expert archaeologist guide on-site, but we got a bit…well, I got a bit confused with the trains and got off at the wrong stop—twice.
The trains are not that confusing to navigate, really. I just didn’t do enough reading and research to understand where I was. So for future reference, make sure you take the Sorrento train and get off at the Pompeii Scavi stop. This puts you right in front of the main entrance gates.
If you are coming from Napoli or Rome, you can also take a guided tour from there. They will pick you up and drive you to the site which is very convenient. Having a knowledgeable local guide does help since there is an extensive amount of history.
Quick Tips for touring the Pompeii Ruins
My mistake cost us about 45 minutes, so we missed our tour. However there are so many tour guides there, it would be easy to find another. We decided to shop a little at the tourist markets and have breakfast at the nearby cafe. Here you have access to a bathroom, ATM, and snacks and water. Bring cash because it makes the transactions much easier.
The ticket office lines can be rather long but they seem to move quickly. Pompeii tickets are €18 to enter if you are an adult. If you can handle the afternoon heat, the best time to go is then. The morning crowds are leaving and it does cool down a little in the late afternoon. The park is ope until 7 in the summer months and the last entry is at 5:30pm.
The site is extensive, covering about 170 acres. Plan for at least 3-4 hours to have enough time to see the main attractions, or a full day for a more comprehensive visit. Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes. The terrain is uneven with cobblestone streets and ruins. Pompeii can be hot, especially in summer. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. There’s little shade on site.
There are not many facilities on site so make sure you hit the bathrooms when you can, especially during peak season. You do not want to get caught in a long line where you really have to go!
Before you enter, pick up a map. This will help you navigate the ruins as well as figure out what you are looking at. There are street signs and the occasional residence sign but those do not tell you who lived there or if there was any significance to statues or frescoes. Fortunately, there were so many tours around us, that we were able to pick up bits and pieces.
Exploring The Pompeii Ruins
Exploring Pompeii on your own is totally doable, but there is a lot we missed since we didn’t have a guide. Make sure you pick up a map and a guidebook in the gift shop. These are very helpful. We also tried the map on our phones but it was so small and bright outside, it was often hard to tell where we were.
You can also get an audio tour. It’s about €10 per person and can be purchased at the train station. There are all kinds of audio tours out there to buy in advance. Rick Steves has one too. Apple has an app called Discover Pompeii that can be used offline.
Walking around the site
As you walk further and further into the city, you can see just how close Mt Vesuvius is. It towers in the background to remind us just how small we are in comparison and just how quickly the smoke and volcanic ash could bury a city this size.
First of all, Pompeii is massive. And there is more than one gate to enter the city walls. Porta Marina is the main entrance and probably the best way to enter. There is also the Piazza Anfiteatro which is close to the ampitheather. We entered close to the small amphitheatre on the other side of the forum at Piazza Esedra. The lines were not as long here.
As we walked along and picked up a few bits and pieces from other tour groups, we gradually realised how amazing these ruins are. So many statues and paintings are well preserved.
Places you should not miss in Pompeii
- Roman Forum: The main square and heart of ancient Pompeii’s civic life.
- Villa of the Mysteries: Famous for its well-preserved frescoes depicting a mysterious ritual.
- House of the Faun: One of the largest and most impressive private residences in Pompeii.
- Amphitheater: The oldest known permanent stone amphitheater in Italy.
- Plaster casts: Haunting casts of victims preserved in their final moments.
- Lupanare: The city’s former brothel, with preserved erotic frescoes.
- Garden of the Fugitives: Where several victims’ bodies were found and cast.
- Thermopolium: An ancient snack bar with well-preserved food counters.
- House of the Tragic Poet: Known for its “Cave Canem” (Beware of Dog) mosaic.
- Baths: Both the Forum Baths and the Stabian Baths offer insight into Roman bathing culture.
- Temple of Apollo: One of the oldest religious buildings in Pompeii.
- Street of Tombs: The main entrance road lined with elaborate tombs.
You can see a good bit of the Pompeii ruins in two hours, less if it is hot!
There is a restaurant inside the ruins where you can stop for food and drinks but the line outside of it was pretty long. At almost every square, there is a water fountain where you can fill up your water bottles. I can see how this is super helpful in the summer since it was still quite warm in April and there is very little shade there.
The forum is the largest part of the city and has the great statue of the centaur. This area accentuates the vastness of the city.
Gift Shop and Museum at the Pompeii Ruins
As you near the exit, it of course leads you through the gift shop where you can buy many souvenirs and has a very good collection of books on Pompeii.
This is also where they have the reconstructed molds of the people and animals that were found buried under the ash. The site itself is a bit haunting, but this made it rather real.
National Archaeological Museum and Herculaneum
Not too far from the Pompeii ruins is another archaeological site called Herculaneum. From what I understand, it too is incredible to see. That village was wealthier than Pompeii so it has a few more artifacts to see.
We highly recommend that you visit the National Archaeological Museum in Naples before or after going to Pompeii. They have many artifacts from both Herculaneum and Pompeii and give a great deal of information about what life was like during this period of time. You can read about that visit here!
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Shelley is a full time traveler, blogger and podcaster currently living in Portugal with her wife, 2 dogs and a cat. She is a former history teacher originally from Winston-Salem, NC but wanted to see what life was like abroad. Now she travels all over Portugal and Europe writing about what she sees and does and tells you all kinds of fun stories on the podcast at Wandering Works for Us.