Visit Pompei

Paved streets worn by cart ruts, thermopolium counters, Pompeian red frescoes and the casts of inhabitants caught by the eruption: Pompeii is explored like a town, across dozens of hectares. Allow a full day, good shoes and water, because shade is scarce.

Why visit Pompeii?

Pompeii is a Roman town in Campania buried under the ash and pumice of Vesuvius during the eruption of AD 79. The archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, shows an entire ancient city: forum, houses, shops, baths, theatres and amphitheatre. It lies about 25 km south-east of Naples.

Pompeii's must-sees

Eight places to spot on the map before going in, as the site is vast and the distances real.

Villa of the Mysteries

A large villa outside the walls, famous for a room covered with a great red-ground fresco depicting an initiation rite. About 15 minutes' walk from the forum.

House of the Faun

One of the largest homes in the city, named after its dancing faun statuette. The Alexander mosaic that once adorned it is now in the Naples museum.

House of the Vettii

The home of two wealthy freedmen, reopened after a long restoration, with some of the best-preserved frescoes in Pompeii.

Amphitheatre

The oldest known stone Roman amphitheatre, built around 70 BC at the eastern end of the site. It could hold a large share of the population.

Lupanar

A small building of narrow cells decorated with explicit frescoes, the only structure in Pompeii identified with certainty as a brothel. Queues are frequent.

Stabian Baths

The town's oldest public baths, with hot, warm and cold rooms, stuccoed vaults and a palaestra. They show exactly how Roman baths worked.

Garden of the Fugitives

A former vineyard where thirteen victims of the eruption were found. Their plaster casts, displayed on site, are among the most striking in Pompeii.

Large Theatre

A theatre built into the slope, with seating for several thousand spectators. It still hosts some performances in summer.

How to explore Pompeii, area by area?

The forum area and the Porta Marina entrance

Most visitors enter through Porta Marina, the closest gate to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri station. A ramp leads in ten minutes to the forum, the civic square framed by the basilica, the temple of Apollo and the temple of Jupiter, with Vesuvius as a backdrop. The forum granaries hold casts and everyday objects. Allow an hour for this area. It is busiest in late morning: start here if you arrive at opening time, otherwise save it for the late afternoon.

The patrician houses of the north-west

North of the forum lies a district of large mansions arranged around atriums and peristyle gardens. Several open on a rotating basis, which means the list of visitable houses changes from season to season: check the park's official app on the day. Allow one to two hours for this area. Further on, beyond Porta Ercolano, the street of tombs runs past funerary monuments for about 500 metres towards the Villa of the Mysteries.

Via dell'Abbondanza, the shopping street

A long east-west artery, Via dell'Abbondanza crosses the site from the forum towards the amphitheatre for nearly a kilometre. It is lined with shops, thermopolia, the ancestors of fast food counters, fulleries and electoral slogans painted on the facades. The large stepping stones across it served as pedestrian crossings, spaced to let cart wheels through. Walk it in an hour, stepping into the open shops. It is the site's best lesson in everyday Roman life.

The theatre district

In the south of the site, around the Stabian Gate, stand the large theatre, the small covered theatre known as the odeon, and the gladiators' barracks, a large porticoed courtyard. The whole area takes about 45 minutes. The large theatre, set into the natural slope, offers one of the few patches of shade of the day. It makes a good break between a morning at the forum and an afternoon towards the amphitheatre.

The eastern site and recent excavations

The eastern part, around the amphitheatre and the great palaestra, is less crowded and greener, with vines replanted in ancient gardens. Excavations resumed in Regio V since 2018 have uncovered frescoes, a decorated thermopolium and new casts, regularly presented to the public. Allow two hours for this area. The Piazza Anfiteatro entrance, to the east, lets you start here and avoid the Porta Marina queues.

Beyond the site: Vesuvius, Herculaneum and ancient villas

Pompeii belongs to a wider group of sites around the Bay of Naples. Herculaneum, smaller and better preserved, is about twenty minutes away on the Circumvesuviana train. Oplontis, with the frescoes of the Villa of Poppaea, and the villas of Stabiae complete the picture. The crater of Vesuvius is reached by shuttle and then a path of about 30 minutes uphill, booked in advance, and access closes in strong wind. Allow two to three days for the lot, the richest archaeology stay in southern Italy.

Frequently asked questions about Pompeii

Is half a day enough to visit Pompeii?
Not unless you stick to the forum. Allow at least four hours for the essentials, and a full day to include the Villa of the Mysteries, the amphitheatre and the houses currently open. The site is huge and many visitors underestimate the distances to cover in the sun.
Which Pompeii entrance should you use: Porta Marina or Piazza Anfiteatro?
Porta Marina is closest to the station and the forum, but also the busiest. Piazza Anfiteatro, to the east, is calmer: starting there lets you cross the site from east to west and end at the forum once the groups have left.
Pompeii or Herculaneum, if you only have half a day?
Herculaneum, more compact, is easily seen in two to three hours and preserves upper floors and carbonised wood. Pompeii needs more time but conveys the scale of an entire city. With just half a day, Herculaneum is the more comfortable choice.
Do you need a guide to visit Pompeii?
It is not compulsory. The park's official app and a map are enough to find your way. A licensed guide, however, brings the context that makes the ruins come alive, and a two-hour guided tour is a good compromise for a first visit.
Can you see the casts of Pompeii's victims?
Yes, several casts are on display, notably at the Garden of the Fugitives, in the forum granaries and in some exhibition rooms. They were made by pouring plaster into the cavities left by bodies in the hardened ash.
Can you combine Pompeii and Vesuvius in one day?
Yes, shuttles link Pompeii to the Vesuvius car park, from where a path climbs to the crater in about thirty minutes. Do Vesuvius in the morning when the air is clearer, and book your slot online, as access is limited and closes in strong wind.
Can you visit Pompeii in the height of August?
Yes, but it is tough going. April, May, October and November bring temperatures bearable for walking for hours on a site without shade. In July and August, arrive at opening time and leave before the hottest part of the afternoon.
Is Naples or Sorrento the better base for Pompeii?
Naples or Sorrento are the most practical bases, both on the Circumvesuviana line. Sleeping in the modern town of Pompei puts you at the gate for opening time without transport, with a smaller choice of hotels.
Are excavations at Pompeii still going on?
Yes, part of the city has never been uncovered and excavation campaigns continue, notably in Regio V. New discoveries are regularly presented on site and in the park's temporary exhibitions.

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