Visit Vesuvius and Pompeii in 1 day

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 just a few kilometers south of Naples.

To give you an idea of distances:

• 22 kilometers from the center of Naples to the Vesuvius parking lot
• 25 kilometers separate the Vesuvius parking lot and the archaeological site of Pompeii.

How to organize your day

To help you organize your day, here’s a summary table with key information.

To book admission tickets, we recommend using the online booking platform Get You Guide (official reseller), as tickets benefit from flexible cancellation conditions and can be refunded up to 24 hours before the activity. Prices are the same as on the official website.

This guide is completely independent, based on our own experience. We visited Lake Como by creating our own itinerary (after extensive research) and selecting our own activities.

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 sleep in Naples. We explain everything below.

Vesuvius and Pompeii and Pompeii in 1 day from Naples

Schedule for the day :

• Morning: visit Pompeii ‘s archaeological site with your guide, who will give you explanations and anecdotes in French (approx. 2 hrs.) ,
• Meal : Neapolitan pizzeria next to the site (included),
• Afternoon: visit to Mount Vesuvius (approx. 1.5 hours to go up, around the crater and back down)
• Then your driver will drive you to Naples.

🎟️ Your ticket for this combined tour of the 2 sites includes transport, entrance tickets, guides and lunch for a very attractive price.

In short, you don’t have to worry about anything– neither your transport 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 above all the anecdotes, of a professional will give you a better understanding of the sites.

We’ll tell you more about it below, but most other visitors walk the site with the help of a guide.

We were astonished, because on both sites there are very few explanatory signs, even though Pompeii welcomes 3 million tourists every year.

How long do you need to visit each site?

In order to visit both sites on the same day, we recommend that you spend :

• 1h30 to Vesuvius
• 2 to 3 hours in Pompeii

If you’re organizing this day trip yourself, we advise you to plan your itinerary carefully so as to see as many buildings as possible in just a few hours.

Vesuvius: in the morning

We recommend that you start your day at Vesuvius, as it’ s the closest site to Naples and also the quickest to visit, so you’ll be able to take full advantage of your afternoon to visit Pompeii at your leisure.

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’ve hired a car, you can reach the Vesuvius parking lot from Naples in around 40 minutes.
  
  As already mentioned in our previous articles about Naples and its region, we advise you to be vigilant, as driving in this city is sporty and traffic regulations are not always respected.
  
  The Vesuvius site is equipped with a parking lot, with spaces along the road, to be reserved in advance on the official website (price €7). Afterwards, a shuttle bus will take you up to the start of the hiking trails (bookable on site, only €3).

• 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?

➡️ Attention! Tickets for Vesuvius are sold almost exclusively online. No tickets are sold on site.

Here are the different options:

• Tickets for Vesuvius: book online. We advise you to book in advance, as the number of visitors per day is limited.

• If no tickets are available on the official website on the day of your visit, don’t panic, you can book a chauffeur-driven excursion 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 spending 2 to 3 hours visiting the archaeological site of Pompeii.

It’s a great visit for the whole family. We really recommend taking a guide: to help children better understand this period of history, especially as Roman history is part of the school curriculum from elementary school onwards.

From November 1 to March 31 the site closes at 5pm, and from April 1 to October 31 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 runs from May to October and during school vacations. We recommend that you buy your Pompeii plus & audio guide tickets online in advance, to save time and avoid queuing for long minutes before entering the site.

Entrance tickets to Pompeii cost between €25 and €38, depending on the options chosen, at the full price.

There are 3 types of tickets to visit Pompeii:

• The Pompeii Express ticket: allows you to visit the interior of the ancient city walls.
• Pompeii Plus ticket (our recommendation): allows you to discover the interior of the ancient city walls, as well as 2 suburban villas adjoining the site (the Villa of Diomedes + the Villa of the Mysteries) + the Villa Regina in Boscoreale.
• 3-day ticket with access to the entire site

Full details of discounts (for 18-25 year-olds, admission is just €2) are available on the official website in English, or you can purchase a ticket in French on this site.

🎟️ Book your ticket for Pompeii plus, cut file & audio guide

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 of Pompeii, 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.
• To complete your visit, many of the objects and frescoes found in Pompeii are on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
• First Sunday of each month: Free admission (please note: very busy).

Find out more in our complete guide to Pompeii.

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.

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.

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.