Pompeii is the Roman town that Vesuvius buried in AD 79: a whole city of streets, houses, temples, bakeries and baths, frozen under the ash. As of October 2026 a Pompeii Express ticket (the ancient city) costs €20 and Pompeii Plus, which adds the Villa of the Mysteries, €25. Tickets carry your name, the park admits no more than 20,000 people a day, and until 14 October you book a morning or afternoon slot. Allow at least four hours, start early, and bring water and a hat: there is very little shade.
Right now in Pompeii
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Tickets and tours for Pompeii
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What you’ll see
- The Forum: the civic heart of the town, with the Temple of Jupiter framed by Vesuvius, the Basilica (the law court) and the Sanctuary of Apollo. It is the classic first stop from the Porta Marina entrance.
- Houses and daily life: the vast House of the Faun, the House of the Vettii with some of Pompeii’s finest wall paintings, the House of Menander, the Stabian Baths, the Lupanar (the brothel), bakeries and street-food counters.
- The Amphitheatre and Great Palaestra: one of the oldest stone amphitheatres of the Roman world, at the eastern edge of town. Next door, the Great Palaestra shows the plaster casts of victims, and the Garden of the Fugitives a group of casts where they fell.
- The Villa of the Mysteries: outside the walls beyond the Herculaneum Gate, famous for its room of life-size red frescoes of a Dionysian ritual. It is on the suburban villas route, included in Pompeii Plus or a €8 add-on (card only) to the Express ticket at the Herculaneum Gate.
The park publishes a list of open buildings, which changes with restoration work. Many of the best mosaics, including the Alexander Mosaic, are in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.
How long to allow, and route ideas
Three to four hours covers the highlights; a full day adds the villas and the quieter eastern streets.
- The essentials (3 hours): from Porta Marina, the Forum, the Basilica, the Stabian Baths, the Lupanar and the House of the Faun.
- West to east (a full day): add the House of the Vettii and the theatres, then walk Via dell’Abbondanza to the Amphitheatre and the casts, and leave at Piazza Anfiteatro.
- Villas and tombs: with Pompeii Plus, follow the Street of Tombs to the Villa of Diomedes and the Villa of the Mysteries. Go early: last access to the villas route is 17:30 in summer and 15:30 in winter.
Heat, shade and what to bring
From June to September the stone city is very hot by late morning. Take the first entry or come in the late afternoon, wear a hat, sunscreen and shoes with good grip for the rough Roman paving, and carry a refillable bottle for the drinking fountains. The houses and the restaurant at the Casina dell’Aquila are the only real shade. Bags larger than 30 × 30 × 15 cm are not allowed; paid left luggage is at Porta Marina and Piazza Anfiteatro. Only the park’s official audio guides may be used (€9).
Accessibility: the Pompeii for All route
“Pompeii for All” is a 3.5-kilometre step-free route for wheelchair users, people with limited mobility and parents with buggies. It starts at the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance and follows the main streets to the Sanctuary of Venus, and you can leave through Piazza Esedra by the Antiquarium lift. The park warns that some ramps exceed an 8% slope, there are small steps and ancient paving, and in places only one wheelchair fits. Download the map from pompeiisites.org. The shuttle bus between the park’s sites is not wheelchair accessible.
Getting there
Take the Circumvesuviana Naples–Sorrento line from Porta Nolana or Garibaldi (next to Napoli Centrale) to Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri, about 35–40 minutes; the station is steps from the Porta Marina entrance. From Sorrento the same line takes about half an hour. The Naples–Poggiomarino line stops at Pompei Santuario, near Piazza Anfiteatro, and Trenitalia’s Naples–Salerno trains stop at Pompei. Trains are crowded: watch your bags. By car, leave the A3 at Pompei Scavi.
Herculaneum or Pompeii?
Herculaneum (Ercolano), 20 minutes from Naples on the same line, was buried by the same eruption under deep volcanic mud, which preserved upper floors, wooden beams and furniture. It is far smaller, takes two or three hours and has its own ticket (€16). With half a day, choose Herculaneum; with a full day, Pompeii; with two, see both.
Combining Pompeii with Vesuvius
The crater is about 10 km north of the ruins, and buses run from Pompeii to the car park below it. The Gran Cono path is a 4 km round trip of about two and a half hours, booked online for a time slot on the national park’s official site (€11.68). Ruins in the morning and volcano in the afternoon is a long day, and in October the path closes at 16:00; pairing Vesuvius with Herculaneum is easier.
Practical information
From the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, as of October 2026:
- Tickets: Pompeii Express €20; Pompeii Plus €25 (with the suburban villas, the Villa Regina at Boscoreale and the Artebus shuttle); €30 for three days adding Oplontis and Stabiae. EU citizens aged 18–24 pay €2. The MyPompeii card (€45, €10 under 25) covers a year. Each ticket allows one entry.
- Named tickets and slots: staff may check ID against the name; names and dates cannot be changed. The daily cap is 20,000; from 16 March to 14 October choose 9:00–13:00 or 13:00–17:30.
- Hours: until 14 October 9:00–19:00 (last entry 17:30); 15 October to 15 March 9:00–17:00 (last entry 15:30). Closed 25 December and 1 January; free on the first Sunday of the month.
- Where to buy: Vivaticket, the official seller linked from pompeiisites.org, or the ticket offices at Porta Marina, Piazza Esedra and Piazza Anfiteatro. Avoid resellers charging more.
- Works: until 8 October 2026 the Large Theatre is seen only from its upper ring, and the Amphitheatre is viewed from its southern entrance.
Combine it with
Base yourself in Naples for the Archaeological Museum, Herculaneum and Vesuvius, or in Sorrento for the Amalfi Coast. Pompeii pairs well with Rome, about 1 h 10 by fast train to Naples, where the Colosseum makes a fine comparison with Pompeii’s older arena. Naples also links to Sicily. See our hiking guide for the crater walk, our city sightseeing guide, and our Italy guide.
Pompeii FAQ
How much is a ticket to Pompeii in 2026?
As of October 2026, €20 for Pompeii Express or €25 for Pompeii Plus, which adds the Villa of the Mysteries. A three-day ticket with Oplontis, Stabiae and Boscoreale is €30.
Do I need to book Pompeii in advance?
It is strongly advised. Tickets are named, entries are capped at 20,000 a day, and from 16 March to 14 October you choose a morning or afternoon slot on the official Vivaticket site.
How long do you need at Pompeii?
Three to four hours for the Forum, the main houses and the baths, and a full day to add the Amphitheatre and the Villa of the Mysteries.
Is the Villa of the Mysteries included in the Pompeii ticket?
Only in Pompeii Plus and the three-day ticket. With Pompeii Express you can add the villas route for €8, paid by card at the Herculaneum Gate.
How do I get from Naples to Pompeii?
Take the Circumvesuviana Sorrento line from Porta Nolana or Garibaldi to Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri, about 35–40 minutes. The station is next to the Porta Marina entrance.
Is Pompeii wheelchair accessible?
Partly. The 3.5 km “Pompeii for All” route from the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance reaches the main streets and buildings without steps, though some ramps are steep and the paving is uneven.