Elena Mallia 
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii, famous for its huge archeological site, is a must-see for your holiday in southern Italy, and I am sure you agree with me.
If you want to visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site and you’re looking for the perfect Pompeii tour, this is exactly where you’ll find it!
In fact, in this post I collected all the best Pompeii tours available out there, and divided them by the starting point: Pompeii, Rome, or Napoli, so you can visit it as a day tour from wherever you are spending your vacation.
Whether you’re looking for a DIY Pompeii day tour from the capital, a guided walking tour from Pompeii, or a private group tour combined with other famous sites (Mount Vesuvio, the Amalfi Coast etc.) I have the right option for you, and I also included a DIY guide if you want to visit the attraction by yourself.
Whichever tour you will choose, remember to buy your tickets online in advance so you can reserve yourself a spot at your preferred time (most of them offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance).
So, are you ready to explore them all with me? Let’s go!
Contents
Quick Picks for Your Stay
If you don’t have time to read the whole post, check out the main tours to visit Pompeii from Rome, Naples, or Pompeii itself:
Here are the main Pompeii guided tours to book in advance:
- Best tour from Pompeii – Small Group Tour
- Top full-day tour from Rome – Pompeii Day Trip with Wine Tasting
- Top combo day trip – Full-Day Shore Excursion
1. Tours starting in Pompeii
If you are staying in Pompeii or you plan just to get there by yourself (check out the DIY guide at the end of the post for all the info you need, and you want to join an amazing tour directly from there, check out the following options:
1.1 Pompei walking tour
If you want to have a good historical insight about Pompeii, explore the ancient city on this small-group tour with an expert local guide. It’s limited to a maximum of 20 people and includes skip-the-line access for €53 per person.
During this two-hour guided tour, you’ll meet your archaeologist guide at Via Villa dei Misteri and follow them through the ancient ruins to discover how the Pompeii inhabitants’ daily lives were, before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Get ready to gaze at the Basilica, the Forum, the thermal baths, some residential homes, and more… and to travel back in time!
If you prefer to have a customized experience with fewer people, check out this 3 hour private tour for €292 per person!
PRICE: €53
Visit Pompeii on a Guided Walking Tour
1.2 Self-guided tour with audio guide
If you want to have a tour of Pompeii at your own pace and skip the rush of a group visit, this self-guided tour offers a skip-the-line admission ticket and a Pompeii audio guide for €34, so you can still learn about everyday life under the Roman Empire.
The tour usually lasts around 3 hours, but of course you can stop and start the guide so you can stay there as long as you want to explore all this incredible archaeological site has to offer.
P.S.: If after your tour you get hungry, the Hortus restaurant is located right between the train station and the Porta Marina entrance, and is perfect to enjoy a delicious light lunch with local dishes served in the cool citrus garden.
PRICE: €34
Take a Self-Guided Tour of Pompeii
1.3 Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast private tour
Do you want to explore Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast on the same day? Then check out this full-day guided tour limited to 7 people. It even includes hotel pick up and drop off (either from Pompeii, Naples, or other cities in Southern Italy).
During this customized private experience, you will visit the ruins of Pompeii with an archaeologist guide and then head to the Amalfi Coast on a scenic ride. Here you will stop when and where you want for sightseeing on foot, dining on the waterfront, and shopping in the local venues… What else could you ask for?
PRICE: €590 for 7 people (price changes depending on the group size)
2. Tours to Pompeii from Rome
If you want to visit Pompeii, but you’re staying in Rome, check out the best tours from the capital, located around a 2 hour drive from Pompeii.
2.1 Guided day trip with lunch in Naples
Join this guided tour for a full day, including round trip transportation from Rome on a bus, a visit of the Pompeii Ruins (entrance fees included), and a delicious lunch for €131 on a small group tour.
After meeting at Viale Luigi Eunaldi, you will go on a ride through the beautiful countryside of southern Italy and have a panoramic tour of Naples, where you’ll enjoy a real, delicious Neapolitan pizza for lunch (forget about a light lunch for this day!).
After that, you will head to Pompeii to learn about its unique history and the fateful day of the Mt Vesuvius volcanic eruption (in 79 A.D.).
PRICE: €131
Join a Guided Day Trip from Rome
2.2 Pompeii group day trip with wine tasting and lunch
This full-day tour from Rome includes round-trip high-speed train tickets, skip-the-line entrance to Pompeii, a visit with an archaeologist guide and a delicious lunch with wine tasting for €198 per person.
You will meet your guide at the train station in the morning (they’ll give you instructions), head to Naples in 1h on an express train, and then transfer to Pompeii aboard a spacious bus.
Once there, you’ll enjoy a guided walking tour of Pompeii and savor a fresh lunch with local specialties and wines in a local restaurant. The perfect way to end your trip right before going back to Rome!
PRICE: €198
Book Your Pompeii Day Trip with Wine Tasting
2.3 Pompeii private tour from Rome
If you want to have a customized experience, check out this private day trip from Rome, with luxury transport included, hotel pickup and drop-off, and skip-the-line tickets for €629.
When you get to Pompeii UNESCO archaeological site, you’ll meet a local guide and start an amazing walking tour while learning all the history behind the once-buried ancient city and its ruins.
After the tour, you will have a lot of free time to enjoy a delicious meal or coffee in one of the bars/restaurants on-site and just stroll around the city!
PRICE: from €170 per person
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3. Tours to Pompeii from Naples
Naples is the closest city to the Pompeii ruins, located at only a 30-minute drive from it. Check out the best tours from Naples:
3.1 Pompeii private tour from Naples
Check out this private half-day tour of Pompeii from Naples, including entrance fees, pickup, and drop-off from your hotel or the port with a private driver, skip-the-line access, and official tour guide in Pompeii.
The price changes depending on the group size, but it starts from €103 per person.
After visiting Pompeii ruins, your private guide will also bring you to see the Stabian Thermal Baths (Terme Stabiane), and then you’ll go straight back to Naples!
PRICE: from €103 per person (price change depending on the group size)
Go on a Pompeii Private Tour from Naples
3.2 Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius tour (with wine tasting/lunch)
Combine a Pompeii guided tour with a visit to Mount Vesuvius on this guided day trip, including skip the line access to the ruins and round trip transportation from the main hotels in Naples.
After arriving in Pompeii on this group tour, you will have a guided tour of the ruins with a local guide and then walk along the crater of Vesuvius with a volcanologist expert.
NOTE: If the group does not reach the minimum size of 6 participants, the guide will be replaced by an audio guide
When you book your ticket online, you can choose the option with a pizza lunch or a wine tasting included, and to join either a big group tour or a smaller one, prices will change depending on your final choice, but it starts from €85 per person.
PRICE: from €85 per person
Book Your Full Day Tour from Naples
3.3 Full-day Sorrento, Positano, and Pompeii day tour from Naples
Go on this small group full-day shore excursion, you will explore two of Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed attractions: Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. This tour includes pickup and drop-off from the port and a local guide’s explanation for €116 per person.
During this amazing experience, you will journey along the picturesque Amalfi Coast where they’ll give you free time to explore the hilltop towns of Positano and Sorrento, and then head to Pompeii to marvel at its archeological wonders on a guided tour.
NOTE: This tour doesn’t include the entrance fee to the Pompeii ruins. The ticket is pre-purchased by the company but it needs to be paid in cash on the spot (€16 per person).
PRICE: €116
Book Your Full Day Tour from Naple
4. DIY tour of Pompeii
If you don’t want to join any of the tours mentioned here, but prefer to organize your own visit to Pompei and have full flexibility, you can definitely do that, and here’s how.
First of all, you should allow a full day to explore Pompeii, counting the time to get there (around 2 hours one-way from Rome), the time for exploring the ruins, which is usually 3-4 hours, and some leisure time to have a delicious meal in one of the charming restaurants or relax in a cafe.
Getting to the Pompeii ruins
Most tourists visit Pompeii as a day trip from Rome, so I included below all the transportation options available to get to Pompeii from the capital.
- By Car: If you have your own rented car, the journey from Rome to Naples will take you around 2.5 hours via the E45 road, southbound.
- By Public Transport: Take a high-speed train first to Naples from Rome for around 1h (it will cost you about €35). Then, from the Naples Centrale station, take the Circumvesuviana train towards Sorrento for 30 mins (€3) and get off at Pompeii stop. The entrance to the ruins of Pompeii will be right in front of you.
- Flixbus: Taking the flixbus from Rome to Pompeii will take you around 3h and cost you more or less €10 (prices change depending on how much in advance you book your ticket).
Pompeii Tickets
To enter Pompeii ruins, you can either book your tickets online on Ticketone for €16 or buy them at ticket offices located at Pompeii’s main entrances (Porta Marina, Piazza Anfiteatro, and Piazza Esedra).
The ticket includes a map and a small audio guide to the archaeological site, which will guide you through all the must-see sights at Pompeii. Alternatively, you can download a guide right on your iPhone with the Pompeii app, and you can use it online.
Buying the ticket onsite costs the same price, but you’ll probably find long queues, so I don’t recommend it.
PRO TIP: If you want to skip the line at the entrance, check out this self-guided tour, including a Pompeii audio guide and priority access for €34!
Another option is to book a group tour with a local guide directly from Pompeii. It is more expensive, but you’ll have a deeper historical insight into the archaeological site (check out section 1 for more details!).
By the way, if you visit the attraction by yourself make sure you don’t miss the following, they are some of the most important attractions of the site:
- Villa Dei Misteri (a building from the first century BC, built right outside the city walls)
- The Marina Gate
- Casa Del Fauno
- Teatro Grande theater
Open hours
The ruins of Pompeii are open every day and last entrance is available 1.5h before the closing time:
- November to February – 9 am to 5 pm
- March to October – 9 am to 7 pm
Visiting Mt Vesuvius
If you have some time left after visiting the ruins, I suggest you hike to the summit of Mt Vesuvius to enjoy the views down into the crater of the still-active volcano and of the stunning landscapes all around!
Reaching the trailhead from Pompeii will take you around 30 minutes by bus, and the visit will cost you €12. The hike itself is only around 30 mins to reach the top on a well maintained path.
| 🤩 Best private tour: | Half Day Pompeii Tour |
| 🏛️ Top tour from Rome: | Pompeii Day Trip with Wine Tasting |
| 🍕Tour from Naples: | Pompeii Private Tour |
| 📍Best Pompei tour: | Small-Group Guided Tour |
| 2️⃣ Best combo tour: | Full-Day Shore Excursion |
| 🎟️ Skip the line ticket: | Self Guided Tour |
FAQs about Pompeii tours
🤩 Which are the best Pompeii tours?
The best Pompei tours are this small group tour from Pompeii, this private tour from Naples, including round trip transportation, or this Pompeii day trip with wine tasting from Rome.
🏛️ Which are the best Pompeii tours from Rome?
The best Pompeii tours from Rome are this Pompeii day trip with wine tasting and lunch included, this full-day guided Pompeii tour including a delicious pizza in Naples, or a private day trip from Rome, with luxury transport included, hotel pickup and drop off, and skip-the-line tickets.
👍 Is a guided tour of Pompeii worth it?
Yes, a guided tour of Pompeii ruins is definitely worth it if you want to have a deeper historical insight into the site, especially if you are visiting the ruins as a day trip from Rome, so you also have round trip transport included.
⏱️ How long should I spend in Pompeii?
You should reserve one full day in Pompei, counting the time to get there (around 2 hours from Rome),3-4 hours to explore the ruins of Pompeii, and some leisure time to have a delicious meal in one of the charming restaurants or relax in a cafe.
Conclusion
Now we’ve reached the end of this useful guide about all the best Pompeii tours, including options from Pompeii, the capital city of Rome, and Naples, the closest town to the attraction, plus a DIY guide if you want to visit the ruins by yourself.
Among all the great tours we’ve been through, I suggest you book this small group tour from Pompeii with an Archeologist guide or this guided Pompeii tour from Rome, including a delicious pizza in Naples.
Remember to make sure you buy your tickets online in advance so you can reserve yourself a spot at your preferred time (they both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance).
And if you have any tour suggestions or questions for me, please share them in the comments below, I am looking forward to answering you!
Have an unforgettable tour!
Elena
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