Pompeii
Pompei (near Naples), Italy
Pompei (Parco Archeologico di Pompei)
A whole Roman town buried by Vesuvius in AD 79, its streets, houses and frescoes intact.
Checked 6 October 2026
Pompeii is the Roman town that the eruption of Vesuvius sealed under ash in AD 79, now an archaeological park run by the Italian Ministry of Culture. Since November 2024 every ticket carries the visitor's name and the park admits at most 20,000 people a day, and since March 2026 the only official online seller is the park's Vivaticket shop, linked from pompeiisites.org. Plan for heat, very little shade and long distances on uneven stone streets.
About Pompeii
Pompeii was a prosperous Roman town on the Bay of Naples, home to roughly 11,000 people, with a forum, temples, theatres, an amphitheatre, public baths, bakeries, bars and grand private houses. On 24 August AD 79, by the traditional date, Vesuvius erupted and buried it under several metres of ash and pumice within two days. The town was never rebuilt, and that is why so much of it survives: the street grid, the shop counters, the graffiti on the walls and the paintings inside the houses.
Excavations began in 1748 under the Bourbon kings of Naples and have never really stopped. In the 1860s the archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli began pouring plaster into the hollows left by bodies in the ash, which gave us the casts of people and animals caught in their last moments. New finds still turn up every year: recent digs in Regio V and Regio IX have uncovered painted rooms and houses, and the park publishes each find on its site.
No other site shows ordinary Roman life so completely. You walk on the same paving stones, with ruts left by carts and stepping stones for crossing, past takeaway counters with their sunk-in jars, into houses with mosaics such as the House of the Faun and wall paintings such as those of the Villa of the Mysteries. Pompeii has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, together with Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata (Oplontis).
The park is far bigger than most visitors expect, and only part of it is open on any given day: the houses open to visitors change through the year, so check the park's list of open buildings before you plan a route. The park also runs Oplontis, Boscoreale and the Stabiae villas, which some tickets include and which are linked by a free shuttle bus.
What to see
The Forum
The civic heart of the town, with the Temple of Jupiter framed by Vesuvius at the north end, the Basilica (law court), the Temple of Apollo and the Macellum market around it. It is a five-minute walk from the Porta Marina entrance, so it gets the tour groups first; arrive at 9:00 or come back late in the day.
House of the Faun and House of the Vettii
Two of the grandest houses. The House of the Faun takes up a whole block and is named after its small bronze dancing faun; the famous Alexander Mosaic from its floor is now in the Naples archaeological museum. The House of the Vettii has some of the best-kept wall paintings in the town. Both were on the list of open buildings in October 2026 (Vettii 9:15–18:20).
Villa of the Mysteries
A suburban villa outside the Herculaneum Gate with a room of life-size paintings on a deep red background, thought to show initiation into the cult of Dionysus. It is only included in the Pompeii+ ticket or with an €8 supplement (card only) bought at the Herculaneum Gate; the last access to that route is 17:30 in summer. It is a long walk from the centre, and it is often quieter than the rest of the site.
Plaster casts and the Large Palaestra
The casts of victims are found in several places, notably the Garden of the Fugitives in Regio I. The Large Palaestra by the Amphitheatre holds a permanent exhibition about the casts and the organic finds (food, wood, cloth), open 9:15–18:20.
Amphitheatre
Built around 70 BC, it is the oldest surviving stone amphitheatre in the Roman world, at the far east end of the site by the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance. During summer events it may only be visible from the southern entrance, so check the open-buildings list.
Lupanar and the Stabian Baths
The Lupanar, the town's purpose-built brothel, has small stone beds and painted scenes, and a queue in the middle of the day. The Stabian Baths nearby show the full Roman bathing sequence of changing rooms, warm and hot rooms, with stucco ceilings.
Via dell'Abbondanza and the Regio I houses
The long main street running east from the Forum, lined with shops, bars and painted political slogans. Houses off it, such as the House of Menander (reopened on 15 August 2026), the House of Octavius Quartio with its garden and the Fullonica of Stephanus laundry, are open 9:15–18:20.
Large Theatre and Antiquarium
The Large Theatre and the smaller covered Odeion sit next to the Triangular Forum in the south of the site. The Antiquarium, a museum of finds near the Piazza Esedra entrance, is included in the ticket and has a lift that is part of the step-free route.
Pompeii tickets: which to buy and where
Most visitors should buy Pompeii Express (€20) on the official Vivaticket shop, or Pompeii+ (€25) if they want the Villa of the Mysteries. Every ticket is in the visitor's name and staff may check it against an ID: a ticket with someone else's name, or a changed date, means no entry and no refund.
The official ticket site
Parco Archeologico di Pompei (Italian Ministry of Culture), sold through Vivaticket
The park's site is pompeiisites.org; its 'online ticket purchase' link goes to pompeii.vivaticket.it, a Vivaticket shop branded with the park's logo that names the park as promoter. Since 9 February 2026 Vivaticket has been the only online seller for visits from 2 March 2026; the old TicketOne sales ended with visits up to 1 March 2026. You need a My-Vivaticket account to buy. On site, the only ticket offices are inside the park at the Porta Marina, Piazza Esedra and Piazza Anfiteatro entrances. Info point +39 081 8575 347, pompei.info@cultura.gov.it.
Pompeii Express
€20 adult; €2 EU citizens 18–24; free under 18
Official ticketsSkips the ticket line
- Includes
- The ancient city only, including the Antiquarium; not the suburban villas. One entry, no re-entry. From 16 March to 14 October you choose a slot: 9:00–13:00 or 13:00–17:30
- Best for
- Most visitors; a half day or more in the city itself
Official site (Vivaticket) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Pompeii+ (Pompei Plus)
€25 adult; €2 EU citizens 18–24; free under 18
Official ticketsSkips the ticket line
- Includes
- The ancient city plus the suburban villas (Villa of the Mysteries and Villa of Diomedes), Villa Regina and the Antiquarium at Boscoreale, and the free Artebus shuttle. One entry; last access to the villas route at Porta Ercolano 17:30 in summer, 15:30 in winter
- Best for
- Anyone who wants the Villa of the Mysteries
Official site (Vivaticket) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Suburban villas supplement
€8 (card payment only)
Official ticketsDoes not skip lines
- Includes
- Turns a Pompeii Express ticket into the Pompeii+ route (Villa of the Mysteries, Villa of Diomedes, Villa Regina and Boscoreale Antiquarium). Bought only at the start of the route at the Herculaneum Gate (Street of the Tombs), not online
- Best for
- Deciding on the day whether you have the energy for the villas
Official, on site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Pompeii and other sites (3 days)
€30 adult; €2 EU citizens 18–24
Official ticketsSkips the ticket line
- Includes
- Pompeii+ plus Oplontis (Villa of Poppaea), Villa Arianna and Villa San Marco at Stabiae, the Stabiae archaeological museum and the shuttle bus. Valid 3 days, one entry per site; the Stabiae and Oplontis sites close on Tuesdays
- Best for
- Two or three days in the area, or a slower visit split over two days
Official site (Vivaticket) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)MyPompeii card (annual pass)
€45; €10 for EU citizens under 25
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- Unlimited entry for one year to all sites of the park, plus current exhibitions. Named and non-transferable; bought online and collected at a Pompeii ticket office with ID
- Best for
- Anyone visiting Pompeii three times or more in a year, or staying nearby
Official site (Vivaticket) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Entry ticket with audio guide
from €35
ResellerSkips some lines
- Includes
- A Pompeii Express or Pompeii+ ticket plus an official audio guide device (collected at the park's desk at Porta Marina, ID as deposit) and a digital audio guide app
- Best for
- People who prefer to book everything on one platform; costs about €6 more than the official ticket plus the €9 official audio guide
GetYourGuide · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)
How to buy
- Start from pompeiisites.org, Visiting info, Timetables and tickets, and follow the link to pompeii.vivaticket.it. Choose Pompeii Express, Pompeii Plus or Pompei and other sites, then the date (and, from 16 March to 14 October, the morning or afternoon slot).
- Register for a My-Vivaticket account and enter each visitor's name as on their passport or ID card. Online, free under-18 tickets can only be added to an order with at least one paid ticket (up to 4 free per paid ticket). The €20 and €25 prices already include the booking fee.
- Show the PDF on your phone or on paper and go straight to the turnstiles. Take an original ID for every visitor, children included: staff may check names at the gate and at random inside, and there is no refund for a mismatch, nor any change of name or date.
- Without a ticket, buy at the ticket offices inside the Porta Marina, Piazza Esedra or Piazza Anfiteatro entrances, with ID, until the day's quota runs out. In early October 2026 the online calendar started the next day, with thousands of places left for every date.
Look-alike sites
Searches for 'Pompeii tickets' bring up resellers and tour sites with Pompeii in the name or 'official' in the advert, often charging €27–38 or more for the same €20 ticket. The real chain is pompeiisites.org (the park's own site) to pompeii.vivaticket.it (its Vivaticket shop, with the park's logo and 'Back to Pompeii Sites' at the top). The official prices are €20 for Pompeii Express and €25 for Pompeii+, booking fee included. Older guides and cached links still send people to TicketOne, which was the seller until 1 March 2026; it no longer sells tickets for new dates. Big platforms such as GetYourGuide are legitimate resellers that name themselves; the problem is sites that pretend to be the park.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Guided tours of Pompeii
Pompeii has few signs and many look-alike streets, so a guide or the official audio guide makes a big difference. A 2-hour group tour covers the Forum area and the best-known houses, and then you can stay on with the same ticket. Day trips from Naples or Sorrento save you the Circumvesuviana but give you only about 2–2.5 hours on site.
Official guided visit
Educational tour: Civic Pompeii or Daily Pompeii
Parco Archeologico di Pompei with Opera Laboratori
The park's own themed tours. Civic Pompeii (squares, markets, streets) starts at Porta Marina in English or Italian; Daily Pompeii starts at Piazza Anfiteatro in Italian. Sold on the official Vivaticket shop for dates up to 31 December 2026.
€8 plus entry ticket; free under 10
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Group guided tour
Pompeii: 2H Archaeologist-Led Tour with Priority tickets
Tempio Travel Pompei Tickets (sold on GetYourGuide)A local operator with its office on the first floor of the Pompei Scavi Circumvesuviana station, facing Porta Marina; it also offers paid luggage storage. Covers the Forum, Temple of Apollo, Forum Baths, Houses of the Faun and Vettii and the Lupanar, with headsets for groups over 15; groups can reach 35. English, Italian, Spanish. The tour ends inside, so you can keep exploring.
from €35, entry ticket included
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Day trip with coach and guided tour
Pompeii Guided Day Trip with Fast-Track Entry, from Naples
WORLDTOURS S.r.l. (sold on GetYourGuide)Coach from central Naples (hotels, Stazione Marittima, Molo Beverello), about 40 minutes each way, a 2-hour guided tour with entry, and a stop at a cameo workshop. A live guide only if 6 or more book; otherwise audio guides. Suits cruise passengers and anyone who wants to avoid the train.
Full-day combo tour
Naples or Sorrento: Full-Day Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius Tour
IAMME IA! - Gray Line Amalfi Coast (sold on GetYourGuide)Transport from Naples or Sorrento, a 2.5-hour guided tour of Pompeii, then the bus up Vesuvius and a 1.5-hour walk to the crater and back on your own (the guide may not go into the Vesuvius park). Entry to both included. If Vesuvius is closed by weather, you get a Herculaneum ticket instead.
Full-day combo tour
Pompeii and Herculaneum Archaeologist Tour from Naples
WORLDTOURS S.r.l. (sold on GetYourGuide)Van from central Naples, 2 hours guided in Pompeii, an optional lunch, then 2 hours guided in Herculaneum, entry to both included. Timed to cruise-ship departures from Naples and Salerno. Some reviewers found the 'small group' larger than promised.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Pompeii deals and discounts
The official ticket is the best buy: €20, or €25 with the Villa of the Mysteries, booking fee included. The real savings are free entry for under-18s, €2 for EU citizens aged 18–24, the free first Sunday (crowded) and, possibly, the Campania Artecard if you are also seeing Herculaneum and Naples.
Free for under-18s
Visitors under 18 get in free but still need a named ticket and ID. Online, a free ticket can only be added to an order with at least one paid ticket (up to 4 free per paid ticket); otherwise collect it at a ticket office.
€2 for EU citizens aged 18–24
EU citizens from 18 up to their 25th birthday pay €2 for Pompeii Express, Pompeii+ or the 3-day ticket; non-EU residents with an Italian residence permit qualify too. Bring the passport or ID card that proves age and citizenship. EU under-25s also get the MyPompeii annual card for €10.
Free first Sunday of the month
Entry is free for everyone on the first Sunday (Domenica al Museo) and on other national free days. You cannot book: you go straight through the turnstiles, with no named ticket, until the 20,000-a-day limit is reached. It is the busiest day of the month (over 36,000 people came on one free Sunday in 2024, before the cap), so come at 9:00.
Campania Artecard 3 days: Pompeii plus transport
The regional 3-day pass (transport included) counts Pompeii Express as one of its two free entries; further sites are reduced. The Artecard site lists it at €41, a price dated November 2023, so check the current price before you count on the saving. The Artecard site says card holders do not need to book a slot and can use the Piazza Esedra entrance reserved for them and for groups. The suburban villas cost the usual €8 supplement. It pays off if you add Herculaneum or the Naples archaeological museum and use the trains.
Free entry to four small local sites with your ticket
A Pompeii ticket gives free entry, within 30 days of issue, to the Castle of Lettere, the Longola archaeological park at Poggiomarino, the Terzigno archaeological museum and the Volcei museum at Buccino. They are minor sites, but free if you have a car.
Best time to visit Pompeii
Time of day: come at the 9:00 opening, before the tour coaches and the midday heat, or after about 15:00 when the groups thin out. From 16 March to 14 October, 15,000 of the 20,000 daily places go to the 9:00–13:00 slot and 5,000 to the 13:00–17:30 slot, so the afternoon is quieter.
Season: April–May and October are the most comfortable. July and August are very hot, and the site has almost no shade. From 15 October to 15 March the park closes at 17:00 (last entry 15:30), so start early in winter. Some reseller and pass sites still say winter hours start in November; the park's own timetable says 15 October.
Avoid the first Sunday of the month and Italian holidays (such as 1 November) unless saving money matters most: entry is free and the site fills to its 20,000 limit. Check the park's open-buildings list and service notices the day before, as houses open and close in rotation.
Tips and tricks
Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.
Use the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance
Porta Marina, across from the Circumvesuviana stop, takes most visitors and all the tour groups. The Piazza Anfiteatro entrance at the east end, about 15 minutes' walk from the Trenitalia Pompei station and near the modern town, is far less congested. Starting there also puts the Amphitheatre and the Regio I houses first, while the groups are still at the Forum.
From Rick Steves Travel Forum, Italy threads, 2023–2026
Plan a one-way route
The site covers 44 hectares, and you cannot exit and re-enter on the same ticket. Enter at one end and leave at the other: for example in at Porta Marina, then the Forum, Via dell'Abbondanza and out at Piazza Anfiteatro, or the reverse. Fit the Villa of the Mysteries in early or late, as it is outside the walls at the north-west corner.
From Rick Steves Travel Forum, Italy threads, 2023–2026; pompeiisites.org, 2026
Bring a bottle and refill it
There are many free drinking-water fountains inside the site, and only a few places to buy food: the self-service restaurant and café at the Casina dell'Aquila. Visitors suggest a hat, sunscreen and even a small umbrella for shade in summer; wetting a cloth at the fountains helps.
From pompeiisites.org FAQ, 2026; Rick Steves Travel Forum, 2023; GetYourGuide reviews, 2026
Check which houses are open
Many houses open only 9:15–18:20 and the set rotates: on 15 August 2026 the House of Menander, House of the Tragic Poet and House of Octavius Quartio reopened while the House of the Ceii and the Praedia of Julia Felix closed. Look at the 'Open buildings' page on pompeiisites.org before you plan, and download the park's free MyPompeii app, which shows crowding on a live map.
From pompeiisites.org service notices and MyPompeii page, 2026
Travel light
Bags larger than 30x30x15 cm are not allowed in. There is paid left luggage at the Porta Marina and Piazza Anfiteatro entrances, which helps on a travel day between Naples and Sorrento. Tripods, drones and professional video gear need permission; flash photography is not allowed.
From Parco Archeologico di Pompei visitor regulation and visitor services, 2026
Rent only the official audio guide
Only audio guides rented inside the park are allowed. They cost €9 for one, €14 for two, and €5 for a child's, with ID as deposit, at Porta Marina, Piazza Esedra and Piazza Anfiteatro. The Rick Steves Audio Europe app also has a free downloadable Pompeii audio tour.
From pompeiisites.org Visitor services, price list from 1 March 2025; Rick Steves Travel Forum, 2026
Wear proper shoes
The streets are original Roman paving with high kerbs, deep cart ruts and big stepping stones, and the site regulation itself warns of drops and uneven ground. Trainers with a good grip beat sandals.
From Parco Archeologico di Pompei visitor regulation, 2026; Rick Steves Travel Forum, 2023
Stay a night nearby instead of a day trip from Rome
Forum users say day trips from Rome spend most of the day on the bus and give you only 2–4 hours on site. Sleeping in Pompei town (hotels face the Amphitheatre entrance) lets you be at the gate at 9:00, and some hotels keep luggage while you visit.
From Rick Steves Travel Forum, 'Pompeii Day Trip from Rome (2026 version)', 2026
How to get to Pompeii
- From Naples: the Circumvesuviana (EAV) Naples–Sorrento line from Napoli Garibaldi (beneath Napoli Centrale) or Porta Nolana to Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri, about 35 minutes, with trains roughly every half hour. The Porta Marina entrance is across the road from the station. Take a Sorrento-bound train; trains to Sarno or Poggiomarino do not stop there. A single costs about €3.30 (check the current fare on eavsrl.it); buy it at the station, in the GoEav app, or tap a contactless card at the Tap&Go turnstiles.
- The Campania Express, EAV's air-conditioned tourist train with reserved seats, is suspended from 1 October 2026 until further notice, so as of October 2026 the ordinary Circumvesuviana is the only EAV option.
- By Trenitalia: regional trains on the Naples–Salerno line stop at Pompei station in the modern town, about 15 minutes' walk from the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance. Frecciarossa passengers from Rome can buy a FrecciaLink train-plus-bus ticket via Napoli Centrale or Afragola to Pompei Scavi, but the bus runs Monday–Saturday only until 17 October 2026 (plus Sunday 11 October).
- From Sorrento: the same Circumvesuviana line north, roughly 40 minutes to Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri. The Piazza Anfiteatro entrance is closer to the Pompei Santuario stop on the Naples–Poggiomarino line.
- By car: A3 Naples–Salerno motorway, exit Pompei Scavi. The park has no car park of its own; there are paid municipal spaces (blue lines) and private car parks around the entrances.
- Between the park's sites: the free Pompeii Artebus shuttle runs from Piazza Esedra to Boscoreale (and to Oplontis and Stabiae) for ticket holders, hourly from 9:30, with a break 13:00–14:00.
Scams and problems to watch for
Touts between the station and Porta Marina
On the short walk from the Circumvesuviana stop to the gate, people with lanyards or 'info point' signs offer tickets, 'reservations' or a guide, sometimes saying the online tickets are sold out. The park's only ticket offices are inside the archaeological area at its three entrances, so anyone selling entry on the street is not the park.
Look-alike ticket sites and old TicketOne links
Reseller sites with Pompeii in the name charge well above €20 and €25, and some old links still point to TicketOne, which stopped selling Pompeii tickets for dates after 1 March 2026. The tell-tale sign is any address other than pompeii.vivaticket.it reached from pompeiisites.org, or prices other than €20 and €25.
Paying for a free-Sunday ticket
On the first Sunday of the month entry is free and there are no tickets at all: you walk through the turnstiles. Anyone selling a ticket or 'priority entry' for that day is selling nothing.
Tickets in someone else's name
Tickets are personal and non-transferable, and staff can check names against ID at the gate and at random inside. A ticket bought from a stranger, or one with a friend's name on it, is refused with no refund.
Pickpockets on the Circumvesuviana
The trains from Napoli Garibaldi are often packed and hot, full of visitors with luggage and phones out: the setting pickpockets and bag thieves look for. Keep your bag in front of you, phone in a zipped pocket, and do not leave a suitcase unwatched at the doors.
Shopping stops on cheap day trips
Many coach trips from Naples, Rome or Sorrento include a stop at a cameo or limoncello shop, which eats into the short time at Pompeii. Read the itinerary before you book: if it lists a workshop or tasting, that is a sales stop.
Accessibility
The 'Pompeii for All' route, over 3.5 km long, starts at the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance and follows the main streets to the most important buildings as far as the Sanctuary of Venus, with the option of returning via the lift in the Antiquarium to the Piazza Esedra exit. The park warns that some ramps exceed 8%, there are small sudden steps under 5 cm, stretches of ancient uneven paving, no wheel stops and few places where two wheelchairs can pass. The rest of the site, with high kerbs and stepping stones, is hard going in a wheelchair or with a pushchair. Tactile maps, 3D models, Braille captions and videos in Italian Sign Language were added in 2025, and baby-changing rooms are at Via dell'Abbondanza, Via di Nola and the corner of Via Stabiana and Via della Fortuna (keys at the entrance). Disabled visitors can reach the Villa of Diomedes from the road by phoning ahead (081 8575400 or 081 8575347). The Artebus shuttle has no wheelchair ramp, and the Pompei Scavi Circumvesuviana station is step-free only in the Sorrento direction, while Napoli Garibaldi is not step-free at all; use Napoli Porta Nolana instead. Ask at the ticket office about free entry for disabled visitors and a companion.
Combine it with
Herculaneum (Ercolano)
The smaller, wealthier town buried by the same eruption, better preserved, with upper floors and carbonised wood. It is a short Circumvesuviana ride towards Naples (Ercolano Scavi stop) and fits in a morning or an afternoon.
Mount Vesuvius
The volcano itself: a bus or car up to about 1,000 m, then a 30-minute walk to the crater rim with views over the bay. Combo tours from Naples and Sorrento do Pompeii in the morning and Vesuvius in the afternoon.
National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN)
Holds many of Pompeii's best finds, including the Alexander Mosaic from the House of the Faun and the frescoes and objects taken from the houses. It works best on a separate day: forum users found Pompeii plus the museum too much for one day.
Oplontis (Villa of Poppaea)
A huge luxury villa at Torre Annunziata with some of the finest wall paintings in the area, and few visitors. It is included in the 3-day ticket and reached by the Artebus shuttle or the Circumvesuviana; closed on Tuesdays.
Naples
The base most visitors use: the historic centre, underground Naples and pizza. It is 35 minutes away by Circumvesuviana.
Questions people ask about visiting Pompeii
Where do I buy official Pompeii tickets?
On pompeii.vivaticket.it, the Vivaticket shop linked from the park's own site pompeiisites.org, or at the ticket offices inside the Porta Marina, Piazza Esedra and Piazza Anfiteatro entrances. Pompeii Express costs €20 and Pompeii+ €25, booking fee included (October 2026). TicketOne stopped selling Pompeii tickets for visits after 1 March 2026.
Do you need to book Pompeii tickets in advance?
It is strongly advised: since 15 November 2024 the park admits at most 20,000 people a day, and from 16 March to 14 October tickets are for a morning (9:00–13:00) or afternoon (13:00–17:30) slot. In early October 2026 every date shown still had thousands of places, so a few days ahead was enough; for summer weekends and Italian holidays, book earlier. A booked ticket also lets you skip the ticket-office queue.
Is Pompeii free on the first Sunday of the month?
Yes. On the first Sunday of every month and other national free days, entry is free for everyone and cannot be booked: you go straight through the turnstiles until the 20,000 daily limit is reached. Expect the busiest day of the month and come at opening time.
What is the difference between Pompeii Express and Pompeii+?
Pompeii Express (€20) covers the ancient city only. Pompeii+ (€25) adds the suburban villas, the Villa of the Mysteries and Villa of Diomedes, plus Villa Regina and the Antiquarium at Boscoreale with the free shuttle. With an Express ticket you can still add the villas for €8, by card only, at the Herculaneum Gate (October 2026).
Do I need my passport to visit Pompeii?
Bring an original ID for everyone. Tickets have been in the visitor's name since November 2024, and staff may check that the name matches your ID at the entrance or during the visit. If it does not match, you are refused with no refund, and names and dates cannot be changed.
How long do you need at Pompeii?
The park itself says at least 2–3 hours; 3–4 hours lets you see the Forum, the main houses, the baths and the Amphitheatre, and a full day adds the Villa of the Mysteries and the quieter regions. In summer the last entry is 17:30 and the gates close at 19:00; from 15 October the last entry is 15:30 and closing 17:00.
Is a guided tour of Pompeii worth it?
For a first visit, usually yes: the site is huge and has few signs. A 2-hour group tour with entry costs from about €35 on the platforms, and the park's own 1.5-hour themed tours cost €8 plus the ticket. If you prefer your own pace, the official audio guide costs €9 (October 2026).
More sights in Italy
Accademia Gallery
Florence, Italy
Michelangelo's David, his unfinished Prisoners, and a museum of Medici musical instruments.
- From
- €20 at the door, €24 booked; €2 EU citizens 18–25; free under 18
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours; the museum's own estimate is about 1 hour 30 minutes
Colosseum
Rome, Italy
Rome's great amphitheatre, with the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill on the same ticket.
- From
- €18
- Time needed
- 4–5 hours for Colosseum, Forum and Palatine; 75–90 minutes inside the Colosseum itself
Galleria Borghese
Rome, Italy
Bernini's marbles and Caravaggio's paintings in a cardinal's villa, in a strict 2-hour slot.
- From
- €18
- Time needed
- 2 hours inside (the slot is fixed); add 1–2 hours for the Villa Borghese park
Before you go
The things that apply at every big sight: booking ahead, what skip-the-line really means, and the scams that follow tourists everywhere.