To book: Tour with the Villa of the Mysteries, from $87 per person. Check dates Tour details
You won’t see everything in one day across 44 hectares. The Park recommends at least two or three hours, and in that time it’s best to pick one area and explore it thoroughly.
The names below come from the routes of guided tours and the Park's official pages. Before you leave, check the list of visitable buildings: some houses are only visible from the outside or closed for work, and individual houses have their own opening hours, different from those of the excavations.
The answer in brief
With 2-3 hours: the Forum with the Basilica, the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Apollo and the Macellum, then the Forum Baths, the House of the Tragic Poet, the House of the Vettii and the Large Theatre. With more time: the House of the Faun, the House of Menander, the Lupanar, the Large Palaestra with the casts and the amphitheatre. The Villa of the Mysteries requires Pompei+ or an 8 euro supplement.
What to see in Pompeii in 2-3 hours?
The Forum and the surrounding buildings: this is the heart of the routes of the guided tours we highlight, from Porta Marina to the Large Theatre.
Entering from Porta Marina you reach the Basilica and the Forum, the civic square of the city. Around it are the Temple of Jupiter, the Temple of Apollo and the Macellum; a little further on are the Forum Baths. This is the sequence of the two-hour archaeologist-led tour, which continues to the houses and ends at the Large Theatre, with exit at Piazza Esedra.
Which houses to visit in Pompeii?
The most featured in guided tour routes are the House of the Vettii, the House of the Faun, the House of the Tragic Poet and the House of Menander.
These are houses with frescoes and mosaics, and they appear in the programmes of tours with an archaeologist; in the two-hour visit, the House of the Faun is optional. Do not take them for granted: the Park publishes the updated list of visitable buildings, with houses open, those visible only from outside and those temporarily closed. The list changes, and with it the opening hours of individual houses.
The three-hour tour with an archaeologist passes through the House of the Vettii and the House of the Faun, then reaches the Villa of the Mysteries.
Check dates for the tour with the Villa of the MysteriesAre the casts of Pompeii real?
They are casts, not bodies: plaster poured into the voids left by the victims’ bodies in the ash. The method was introduced by Giuseppe Fiorelli, who led the excavations from 1863.
When the bodies decomposed under the ash, a void in their shape remained. Fiorelli had plaster injected into those voids and obtained the casts; today a transparent resin is used. At the Large Palaestra the Park hosts a permanent exhibition dedicated to the casts and organic finds. These are the victims of the AD 79 eruption, and that’s how they should be viewed.
What to see besides the Forum: theatres, amphitheatre and Lupanar?
The Large Theatre, the amphitheatre and the Lupanar. The Large Theatre ends the two-hour archaeologist-led tour; the amphitheatre gives its name to the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance.
At the quadriportico of the theatres there is also one of the Park’s bathrooms. In the tour with the secret excavations option, the programme includes half an hour of free time at the amphitheatre and half an hour at the House of the Faun. The Lupanar is an optional stop on the two-hour tour and a fixed stop on the Villa of the Mysteries tour. For theatres and amphitheatre, the Park’s list is authoritative: visiting arrangements may change.
How do you visit the Villa of the Mysteries?
With the Pompei+ ticket, €25, or by adding €8 to the Pompei Express at the start of the villas route.
The Villa of the Mysteries and the Villa of Diomedes are suburban villas: the route starts from Porta Ercolano, on via delle Tombe. The supplement is paid only cashless and the route cannot be bought on its own. The last entry at Porta Ercolano is at 15:30 in winter and 17:30 in summer, so do not leave the villas for last. Pompei+ also includes Villa Regina in Boscoreale with the Antiquarium, reachable by shuttle.
Three hours with an archaeologist and the Pompei+ ticket: the House of the Vettii, the Large Theatre, the Forum and then the Villa of the Mysteries, with the frescoes explained.
Discover the tour with the Villa of the Mysteries Tour detailsWhat has been discovered recently in Pompeii?
The excavations continue: since 2018, new discoveries have emerged in areas never investigated, including a charcoal inscription that reopened the debate on the date of the eruption.
According to English Wikipedia, in April 2024 a banquet hall with black walls and frescoes, including Helen and Paris, was excavated, and in June 2024 a small shrine with blue walls and female figures interpreted as the Seasons. Among the tours we highlight, the tour with archaeologist and new excavations includes access to the new excavations, with departure from Piazza Esedra.
What to do in Pompeii besides the excavations?
Visit the other sites of Grande Pompei: Boscoreale, Oplontis and Stabia, connected by the free Pompeii Artebus shuttle.
Pompei+ already includes Villa Regina at Boscoreale with the Antiquarium. Grande Pompei, at €30 for 3 days, adds Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco and the Archaeological Museum of Stabia, which close on Tuesdays. With a valid ticket, you enter free of charge, within 30 days, even at four sites in the area. Vesuvius is another destination: the day trip from Naples combines it with Pompeii in the full-day option.
Which route to follow inside the excavations?
Choose an area and an entrance. From Porta Marina you are right at the Forum; from Piazza Anfiteatro the accessible route «Pompei per tutti» starts.
The Park offers different itineraries depending on the time available, with a map and guide of the excavations. A concrete example is the route of the tour with an archaeologist: Porta Marina, Basilica, Forum, Temple of Jupiter, Temple of Apollo, Forum Baths, Macellum, House of the Tragic Poet, House of the Vettii, Large Theatre, exit at Piazza Esedra. Along the way, drink from the fountains: the water is drinkable.
Do you prefer to explore alone with commentary? The ticket with audio guide offers Pompei Express or Pompei+.
Check dates for the ticket with audio guideFrequently asked questions
Can you see the casts of the victims?
Yes. At Palestra Grande there is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the casts and organic remains. The tour with archaeologist and new excavations ends the tour in front of the casts.
Is the House of the Vettii open?
Check the Park's «Visitable Buildings» list before you leave: the open houses and their hours change.
How much time do you need to see Pompeii?
The Park recommends at least 2-3 hours, over 44 hectares. With the suburban villas and Palestra Grande, more hours are needed.
Does Pompei Express include the Villa of the Mysteries?
No. You need Pompei+ at €25 or a supplement of €8, paid cashless, at the start of the villas route at Porta Ercolano.
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Choose your visit
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are starting prices in USD and change with the season.
Pompeii and Villa of the Mysteries with archaeologist
Pompei+ and Villa of the Mysteries ticket, with an archaeologist
Guided tour with archaeologist and ticket
- Archaeologist and licensed guide
- Pompei Express ticket
- Headphones
Tour with archaeologist and new excavations
Two hours with an archaeologist, new excavations included
