Pompeii, and to some extent its sister site Herculaneum, are notable for being destroyed by a particularly ferocious eruption of Vesuvius. Time stopped at that very moment. The archaeological site became a vast museum of that moment in time, which is why it is so compelling--and why archaeologists have learned so much from the ruins of Pompeii.
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Pompeii is one of the top Roman era attractions in Italy. It's also pretty easy to get to from Naples, so you can do it as a day trip from the big city. See the details below.
As you can see from the map, the ancient town of Pompeii to the north of the modern Pompei is not so much smaller than the modern town that's grown up around it. You can take quite a long time exploring it--the whole city is at your feet.
It takes a while. The ancient streets and sidewalks aren't exactly flat. It'll tire you out sooner than you think. There is a cafe inside the archaeological site so you can have a break, but it's still an amazingly complex site.
It used to be said that the modern town, differentiated from the older one by its spelling--Pompei, with one "i"--wasn't worth staying in. But it's a pleasant enough town, especially if you stay in one of our recommended hotels, chosen for their quiet locations. Remember that lots of folks do Pompeii on a day trip, so nights can be nicely quiet and relaxing. Pompeii, in fact, has a nice passiagiata, an evening stroll that citizens participate in, walking up and down the main street, Via Plinio, that marks the southern boundary of the ancient Pompeii excavations.
Pompeii is also notable for a recent event: a new barrier free route through the ruins is the country's longest:
Unveiled on the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a new barrier-free route through the Pompeii ruins now allows wheelchair-users access to this world-renowned archaeological site. The three-kilometer trail features smooth pathways, access ramps and a very doable grade. Previously a steep ash covered path led through the site, which prevented wheelchair access. ~ Pompeii Accessible to All
How to get to Pompeii from Naples
The Campania Express will take you directly to the Pompei Scavi Villa Dei Misteri Train Station from the Naples Piazza Garibaldi Train Station or the Naples Porta Nolana Train Station for around 15 Euro. The trip takes around half an hour.
Recent Discoveries
A segment of the fast-food counter was partially dug up in 2019 during work to shore up Pompeii’s oft-crumbling ruins. Since then, archaeologists kept digging, revealing a multi-sided-counter, with typical wide holes inserted into its top. The countertop held deep vessels for hot foods, not unlike soup containers nestled into modern-day salad bars. -- Chicago Tribune
These kinds of places have been discovered in Pompeii before, but as a recent excavation, the frescoes surrounding bar the bar are as vivid as the last day of Pompeii. The containers still had food left in them, so ongoing analysis will provide a menu of the food served at the time.
Valeria Amoretti, a Pompeii staff anthropologist, said “initial analyses confirm how the painted images represent, at least in part, the foods and beverages effectively sold inside.” Her statement noted that duck bone fragment was found in one of the containers, along with remains from goats, pigs, fish and snails. At the bottom of a wine container were traces of ground fava beans, which in ancient times were added to wine for flavor and to lighten its color, Amoretti said.
Map: Location of Ancient Pompeii
The dashed lines on the map indicate the streets of the Pompeii Archaeological Park. In the lower left is the rail station, Pompei Scavi-Villa die Misteri and the A3 autostrada exit. Pompeii is very easy to access, as you can see.
If you zoom into a structure in Ancient Pompeii, you can see a great bit of detail, including individual floor plans.
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Pompeii Attractions
The recommended things to see in Pompeii are labeled on our map. The top-left quadrant is the ancient city. It takes a while to see if you want to see all of it. The modern city of Pompei is on the right, east of the ancient city of Pompeii.
Ancient Pompeii is your main target here. You'll see villas, Roman baths, the forum, and the city of Pompeii. Don't skimp on the time you spend here. Before you go, you might want to check the event page.
Santuario di Pompei is the main church of Pompei and gives its name to the stop on the Circumvesuvius stop on the train from Naples. There is a small museum downstairs. It has quite a stunning facade, and marks the spiritual center of the new Pompei.
La Bettola del Gusto Ristorante on Via Sacra across from the FS station offers good food at reasonable prices. It's especially convenient if you're staying at the Hotel Diana, which doesn't have a restaurant of its own.
Map of Place Names for Ancient Pompeii
The map below shows the major named structures as well as the train station for Pompei Scavi - Villa Dei Misteri.
How the Wealthy Lived at Pompeii
This is a sketch plan of what was known as the "house of Salust" located in the northwestern corner of the site.
The house is one of the most significant examples of a dwelling in the Samnite era (dated around 180 BC), which retains much of the original layout, the severe façade made of limestone blocks, the atrium equipped with an impluvium made of tuff and the small rear portico with tuffaceous columns. Even the wall decoration of many rooms is original and is one of the most remarkably preserved in Pompeii. -- House of Salust
Pompeii and Wine
Near the entrance to the excavations of Pompeii, you will see thriving vineyards. The wine here is produced in the ancient way that Romans did it before Pompeii was covered in ash.
The vineyards were excavated in the 1980s. Archaeologists called in wine maker Piero Mastrobeardino to find out how the ancient wine was produced. By studying casts of vine roots, fragments of farming texts, and frescoes, Mastrobeardino and his team determined that the Pompeiians were growing Piederosso Sciacinoso and Aglianico, just like the local farmers. But the similarity ends there.
"Pompeii wines were fermented in open-topped terracotta pots, called dolia. These were lined with pine resin filled with wine and buried deep into the earth. Asking a modern wine-lover to drink ancient wine would be foolish. The Romans knew their system was far from perfect but didn't have the technology to change it."
15 of the vineyards have been replanted and some 1,700 bottles of Villa dei Misteri are produced.
You can buy it online. Cheap it is not.
Tickets and Tours to Pompeii
Tickets you can easily purchase online are available from our partner Tiqets, these include entrance tickets, guided tours, a Pompeii and Vesuvius pass, and half-day trips from Naples.
If you are in Rome and you'd just like to hit a couple of the south's high points, the Tour Guy (formerly the Roman Guy) offers a day trip from Rome to Pompeii that includes Sorrento.
If you are already near Pompeii, you can also get the Skip the Line Pompeii Ruins Tour with Villa of the Mysteries from the Tour Guy, a very highly rated tour. On either of these tours you can get a 5% discount by using the links for these two Pompeii tours.
Where to Stay
Hotel Diana Pompei a reasonably priced three star hotel in a quiet area near the FS station with good Internet connection and helpful staff. Highly rated by folks who've stayed there, which includes your humble scribe. Nice public areas where you might have a coffee or glass of wine outside while relaxing from your day of sightseeing.
Hotel Visagi is a highly rated hotel 800 meters from the excavations, also a three star hotel. Reasonable.
The B&B La Casa Di Plinio is very close to the excavations, inexpensive and highly rated by visitors.
Pompeii & Herculaneum Articles
Cucina Povera in Pompeii Herculaneum: Archaeology as a Gentleman's GamePompeii Opening Times and PricesPompeii News
Pompeii Body Casts
Folks come to see these ancient people whose poses are frozen in time.
Recent developments in Pompeii
The Forum Granaries
There is a lot of archaeological work taking place in Pompeii these days. One of the most fascinating for me is the work done on the Forum Granaries. The work of the common folks is often the last to be studied, unfortunately.
An exhibit opens summer of 2021, and a reservation is recommended.
Video in English: The Forum Granaries at Pompeii
The House of the Vetti
After a 20 year restoration, the house of the Vettii is now open for viewing. Famous for the erotic art collected by the owners, former slaves who were freed and became rich wine merchants, it was the place where everyone with a camera took pictures, especially of Priapis.
Here is the story:
Revealing the Risqué Art of Pompeii’s House of the Vettii
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