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Heading to Naples soon and planning to visit Pompeii? Perfect!
Pompeii is an amazing and must be on your Italy bucket list! It’s one of the most fascinating sites in the world and if you are interested in Ancient History and Roman times, you will absolutely love it.
Even if history is not really your thing, you will love Pompeii. It’s a very unique place and in my opinion, it’s as good as Petra in Jordan or Machu Picchu in Peru.
In that having been said, there are a few things you should know before visiting Pompeii. With 2.5 million visitors per year, it’s a busy place so here are some tips that will help you plan your visit.
1. Get there early
Pompeii can get very busy. Getting there early is the best way to beat the crowds.
If you bought your ticket online (or a skip-the-line) you won’t need to wait at the entrance however there will be a lot of people everywhere!
If you get there before 9 am, you will get to enjoy the place pretty much for yourself!
2. Get a guide
Although you don’t need a guide to visit Pompeii, if you can you should book a tour with one.
Pompeii is a big town and there is so much to learn about it!
There aren’t many signs and you will miss out on a lot if don’t have a guide.
Of course, you will still be able to appreciate the beauty of the place but you won’t get to understand what is what.
The roman civilisation is amazingly interesting. With a guide, you will learn about the history of Pompeii but also how Romans lived!
It’s very interesting and definitely worth your money!
That having been said, if you don’t want to learn more about the history of Pompeii, again, you don’t have to book a guide.
3. Book your tour online
Another important thing to note is that it’s way better to book your tour online!
You will find loads of so-called guides outside Pompeii but they will usually charge you more and the quality of the tour won’t be as good.
Booking a tour with an archaeologist also means you get the skip-the-line ticket for free! Prices here.
4. Don’t take a big bag
Firstly, you will be walking so much that dragging a big bag will be very tiring.
Regardless, visitors are not actually allowed to enter the site with a big bag which means you will have to leave at the entrance.
5. Pack your lunch
If you can, take a sandwich with you.
There are a couple of places where you can get food in Pompeii. The best one is the cafeteria behind the forum however it’s very busy and a bit pricey.
There are loads of places in Naples where you can get a sandwich before heading to Pompeii.
It will be way better, cheaper and you won’t have to wait for ages to get it!
6. Wear a hat and take loads of water
There is barely any shade in Pompeii and it can get very hot. No matter what, make sure you are wearing a hat as you may not feel well otherwise.
There are only a couple of places where you can get drinks and food in Pompeii so I also recommend taking a bottle of water with you!
7. Put sunscreen on
Make sure to take a tube of sunscreen and apply it on your skin every 2 hours! It’s very sunny and you will end up with a bad sunburn if you don’t put sunscreen on!
8. Wear good walking shoes
Every street in Pompeii is made of stones. On top of that, it’s a fairly big town so you will be walking a lot!
If you think that you will be able to visit Pompeii in less than an hour, you are mistaking! It really is big! You will need at least 3 hours to see the highlights!
I highly recommend wearing good walking shoes. Even Converse will do.
If you opt for sandals, make sure they are very comfortable and that you can walk a long time with them.
9. Visit Herculaneum too!
Located between Naples and Pompeii, Herculaneum (Ercolano in Italian) is also a town that was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum was a wealthy seaside town and was covered by mud (not a cloud of ashes). This means that it was way better preserved.
You can walk in the houses and even see beautiful colourful mosaics and paintings!
It’s way smaller than Pompeii. A couple of hours are enough to visit it and I highly recommend to go on a guided tour. Prices here.
Herculaneum is less popular than Pompeii so it’s a good way to get away from the crowds too.
You can stop on the way back from Pompeii with the Circumvesuviana. Make sure you buy your entrance ticket online too. Prices here.
Alternatively, you can also buy a combo ticket with entrance and tour. Prices here.
Now you know everything to plan your day trip from Naples to Pompeii! I promise, you are going to love it!
