In our opinion, Vesuvius and the archaeological site of Pompeii are two must-sees on your visit to Naples. Only 25 kilometers separate the two sites, so it’s entirely possible and conceivable to visit them in 1 day.
We’ve spent a lot of time organizing our stay in the Naples area. We’ve put together all our tips for visiting Vesuvius and Pompeii on the same day in this article: how to get to the sites? where to buy tickets? where to park? what to do there?….
Where are Vesuvius and Pompeii (map)?
Vesuvius and Pompeii are only a few kilometers south of Naples.
To give you an idea of the distances involved, there are around 22 kilometers between the center of Naples and the Vesuvius parking lot. The Vesuvius parking lot is 25 kilometers from the archaeological site of Pompeii.
How to visit both sites in 1 day?
Several options are available to you depending on your time and your desires:
By car or public transport
➡️ You can rent a car or take the bus from Naples, then devote the morning to Mount Vesuvius and the afternoon to Pompeii. Afterwards, you can choose to sleep in Pompeii or return to Naples. We explain everything below.
Vesuvius and Pompeii and Pompeii in 1 day from Naples
➡️ To save time and make life easier, you can book your ticket for an excursion that combines a visit to the archaeological site of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius on the same day. Pick-up in Naples is possible from your hotel, train station or port.
In the morning, you will walk around the incredible site of Pompeii with your guide, in French, who will give you explanations and anecdotes, then after your meal (included), you will have 1h30 to go up, around the crater and back down. Then your driver will drive you to Naples.
Your ticket for this tour includes transportation, entrance tickets, guides and lunch for a very attractive price.
In short, you won’t have to worry about anything, neither your transportation nor your tickets. The other interesting point is the presence of a guide who will accompany you throughout the day and during your visits, the story, and especially the anecdotes of a professional will bring you a better reading of the sites.
We tell you more about it below, most of the other visitors walk around the site with the help of a guide. We were very surprised, because on both sites, there are very few explanatory panels even though Pompeii welcomes 3 million tourists every year.
How long do you need to visit each site?
In order to visit both sites in the same day, we advise you to spend 1h30 at Vesuvius and then 2 to 3 hours at Pompeii. If you organize this day yourself, we advise you to prepare your itinerary well in order to see a maximum of buildings in a few hours.
Vesuvius: in the morning
We advise you to start your day with Vesuvius, because it is the closest site to Naples and it is also quicker to visit, so you can take full advantage of your afternoon to visit Pompeii.
Vesuvius, an active volcano, has left its mark on the region’s history. Today, you can climb to its summit.
The climb is fairly easy, with a 30-minute walk along a pleasant path. Once at the top, you can observe and explore the contours of the crater, and you’ll also have a breathtaking view of the magnificent Bay of Naples.
How to get to Vesuvius from Naples?
- Car: if you have rented a car, from Naples you can reach the Vesuvius parking lot in about 40 minutes. As already mentioned in our previous articles about Naples and its region, we advise you to be vigilant, because driving in this city is sporty and the traffic rules are not always respected. The Vesuvius site has a parking lot, places along the road, to be reserved in advance on the official website (price 6€). Then, a shuttle will take you up to the beginning of the hiking trails (3€).
To compare rental prices, we recommend the RentalCars website, which compares the prices of hundreds of car rental companies to find the best price. To give you an idea of prices, we found a car for €50 a day at Naples airport.
- Bus: to reach Vesuvius, you can take a bus from Piazza Piedigrotta ( EAC company) in Naples, count about 10€ one way for 1h30. The bus will drop you off at the public parking lot and then a shuttle bus (3€) will take you to the ticket office and the beginning of the hiking trail.
Where to buy tickets for Vesuvius?
You can buy your tickets and book your time slot online. We advise you to book in advance, as the number of visitors per day is limited.
If there are no more tickets available on the day of your visit on the official website, don’t panic, you can book an excursion with a driver from Naples (+ guide on site). Agencies reserve seats in advance.
Our tips for visiting Vesuvius
We have written a complete article following our visit to Vesuvius. We have put together all our tips (buying a ticket, parking, hiking trails on a map…) and we explain the mistakes you should not make if you go by yourself.
- Surprisingly, the on-site ticket office doesn’t sell admission tickets. Remember to buy your tickets before you arrive on site. If you arrive without a reservation, you won’t be able to access the site even if you’ve already paid for parking and the shuttle bus…
- Download your tickets before you get to the site, as there is virtually no connection to the site.
- Make sure you have the right equipment, good footwear and warm clothing , as it’s often windy at the summit.
Pompeii : the afternoon
Pompeii is a must-see Roman archaeological site and aUNESCO World Heritage Site. This ancient Roman city was buried under a thick layer of stone and ash in October 79, following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
A visit to Pompeii today is a must, at least once in your life, to understand how Roman cities were organized. The ruins have been extremely well preserved, and you can visit dwellings as well as public buildings (amphitheatre, gymnasium, taverns) and religious buildings.
We recommend that you spend 2 to 3 hours visiting the archaeological site of Pompeii. From November 1st to March 31st the site closes at 5pm and from April 1st to October 31st the site closes at 7pm.
How to get to Pompeii from Vesuvius?
- Car : if you have rented a car, from the Vesuvius parking lot, you can reach Pompeii in about 40 minutes.
- Bus: to reach Pompeii, you can take a bus from the parking lot at Vesuvius(EAC company), it costs about 10€ each way for 1h30. The bus will drop you off at Piazza Anfiteatro in Pompeii, right next to the entrance to Piazza Immacolata. We advise you to start with this entrance which is less frequented than the main entrance.
How to get to Naples from Pompeii?
- Car: we reached the site with our rental car, several free or paying parking lots are available next to the archaeological site.
- Train: Both cities are extremely well served since several train lines connect them. The fastest way is to take the Circumvesuviana train, at the “Pompeii Scavi dei Misteri” stop, 500 meters from the “Porta Marina” entrance., and then stop after 45 minutes at the “Napoli Centrale” station.
Where can you buy tickets for Pompeii?
High season is from May to October and during school vacations. We recommend that you purchase your queue-cutting tickets + audio guide in advance online, in order to save time and avoid waiting in line for long minutes before entering the site.
Lhe price of the entrance ticket to Pompeii is 18 € (+1,5€ for administration fees), full price. All the information on the discounts (for 18-25 years old, the entrance is only 2€) on the official website in English or a ticket cut file on this website in French.
Our tips for visiting Pompeii
We’ve written an article about visiting Pompeii in 1 day with our itinerary for seeing the main sites. Here are some tips from the article:
- Plan your itinerary in advance, so you can see as many buildings as possible, as the site is huge, with 12 hectares open to the public. Our itinerary takes in the main public buildings (baths, gymnasiums, taverns, theatres…), major religious buildings and private homes, where some decorative elements are still visible.
- Update your knowledge by watching the documentary “C’est pas sorcier Pompei“, which helped us to understand the organization of the site more quickly once we were there.
- Don’t hesitate to book a guided tour, as there are hardly any explanatory panels on the site. (generally, the duration is 2 hours)
- Take away, enough water and food, as there is only one snack bar on site. The fountains on the site do not always work. For the record, our guide indicated that many fountains were present on the site, we ran out of water in the middle of our visit…
- A small backpack , because it is forbidden to enter the site with a bulky bag.
Where to sleep?
After your visit, you have several options: either book a hotel close to Pompeii, or stay at one of the region’s other points of interest: Naples or Herculaneum.
We stayed at Il Vecchio Fauno, a 5-minute walk from the ruins, the town center and the train station. Our room was spacious, clean and well decoratedAs an added bonus, there are paintings on display in the hotel’s common areas. The breakfast is very good, homemade cake, blinis, eggs, ham, fruit etc…
The hosts are lovely and will gladly answer all your questions, which is always great! If you’re coming by car, parking is free, which saves you ten euros or so and a lot of stress! In short, excellent value for money!
To make your search for accommodation in Naples easier, we’ve put together an article detailing the most interesting neighborhoods and those to avoid, as well as our best hotel addresses.
We recommend the Hotel Garibaldi Rooms, ideally located right next to the main railway station, and therefore the airport shuttle bus stop right in the historic center, so you can do everything on foot. We slept there for 3 nights in a quiet place.
Feel free to leave us a quick note or 5 stars below, to tell us if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, here or on Instagram, we’ll get back to you with great pleasure.
