Pompeii is the most complete Roman city anywhere - streets, bakeries, brothels, frescoed villas, and plaster casts of the people Vesuvius killed in 79 AD. It is also a huge, shadeless archaeological site that rewards planning. Here is how tickets, tours, and transport work as of 2026.
Here’s a quick comparison of top-rated tours on GetYourGuide:
Top Tours at a Glance
| Tour | Duration | Price (from) | Group Size | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pompeii skip-the-line guided tour from Naples | 3 hrs | from €35 | Up to 15 | Licensed guide, reserved entry |
| Pompeii + Herculaneum combined day trip | 7 hrs | from €75 | Up to 20 | Both sites, expert guide throughout |
| Pompeii + Mount Vesuvius half-day from Sorrento | 5 hrs | from €80 | Up to 12 | Crater rim walk + Pompeii skip-the-line |
| Full-day Pompeii day trip from Rome | 12 hrs | from €110 | Up to 25 | Coach transfer, guide, skip-the-line entry |
| Pompeii private tour (2-hour licensed guide) | 2 hrs | from €55 | Private | Customised itinerary, House of the Vettii |
Browse all Pompeii tours → GetYourGuide
Tickets and prices (as of 2026)
| Option | Approx. price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pompeii Express entry | EUR 18 + fee | The main city - enough for most visitors |
| Pompeii+ ticket | EUR 22 | Adds Villa of the Mysteries and suburban villas |
| Licensed guide (2h, group) | EUR 35–50 | On top of entry; small groups bookable online |
| Pompeii + Vesuvius half-day tour | EUR 80–120 | From Naples/Sorrento, transport included |
| Full day trip from Rome | EUR 100–150 | 12-hour day, train or coach |
Official tickets are sold at ticketone.it / pompeiisites.org. Since 2024 the park caps daily visitors at 20,000 with personalised tickets, so summer entries should be booked at least a few days ahead. Deciding at the last moment? Our last-minute tours page lists Pompeii and other Italy tours with confirmed availability in the next three days. Under-18s enter free; EU citizens 18–25 pay approximately EUR 2.
Opening hours
April–October: 9am–7pm (last entry 5:30pm). November–March: 9am–5pm (last entry 3:30pm). Closed 1 January and 25 December (as of 2026 - confirm on pompeiisites.org). The Antiquarium museum near Porta Marina is included and worth 30 minutes for the casts and gold jewellery.
Getting there
- From Naples: Circumvesuviana train from Napoli Garibaldi to Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri, ~35 minutes, under EUR 4. The station is 50m from the Porta Marina entrance. The Campania Express tourist train runs the same route with guaranteed seats for around EUR 8 in season.
- From Sorrento: Same line in the opposite direction, ~30 minutes.
- From Rome: High-speed train to Naples (~70 minutes, from EUR 20–45 booked ahead), then Circumvesuviana. Realistically a 10–12 hour day - organised day tours with door-to-door coach are the low-stress option and usually include a guide.
How to plan your visit
- Arrive at opening or after 2:30pm. Tour-bus waves dominate 10:30am–2pm. Early morning in summer also beats the heat - the site has almost no shade, and August afternoons regularly exceed 33°C.
- Allow 3–4 hours minimum. The greatest hits - Forum, Stabian Baths, House of the Vettii, Lupanar, the amphitheatre, Garden of the Fugitives - cover about 4km of original Roman paving. Wear proper shoes; the stones are polished and uneven.
- Bring water. Fountains around the site refill bottles; the on-site café is mediocre and queued.
- Use Porta Marina or Piazza Anfiteatro entrances strategically. Most groups enter at Porta Marina, so entering at Piazza Anfiteatro and walking the route in reverse halves your crowd exposure.
- Adding Vesuvius: the crater rim walk takes about an hour from the car park (entry approximately EUR 12 as of 2026, timed slots) and combines well with Pompeii on a half-day tour. The road closes in bad weather.
When to go across the year
Pompeii is a different site by season. April–May and October are the sweet spot: mild walking weather, long opening hours, and gardens in leaf without August’s crowds or heat. June–August demands the 9am entry, a hat, and two litres of water per person - the lava-stone streets radiate heat well into the evening. November–March brings the shortest hours (last entry 3:30pm) but also the emptiest forum you will ever photograph; rain makes the stepping stones slick, so save it for a dry day if your schedule allows. Weekday visits beat weekends year-round, and Italian public holidays - especially around Easter and 1 May - produce the densest crowds of the calendar.
Pompeii or Herculaneum?
Herculaneum, one Circumvesuviana stop toward Naples, is smaller, better preserved (carbonised wood, upper floors intact), and far less crowded - entry approximately EUR 16 as of 2026. If you have two days, do both; with one day and a first visit, Pompeii’s scale wins.
For the full historical background - what happened on the day of the eruption and how the casts were made - see our Pompeii history guide. Basing yourself nearby? Our Naples things to do guide and southern Italy itinerary put Pompeii in a wider route.
Our recommendation
Stay in Naples or Sorrento and do Pompeii independently with a pre-booked 9am entry plus a 2-hour licensed guide - about EUR 55–65 all-in and vastly better than coach-tour pacing. From Rome, accept the organised day tour: the EUR 120ish price buys you back three hours of connection logistics.