Pompeii Archaeological Park’s standard entry fee is €18 as of 2025, granting access to the vast ancient city frozen in time. Young adults between 18 and 25 years old enjoy a greatly discounted ticket at just €2 (a special rate for EU citizens and some international students), and all children and teens under 18 years enter free of charge.
If you happen to visit on the first Sunday of the month, entry is free for everyone – though be prepared for larger crowds on these free days. The site is open daily year-round, with operating hours varying by season: from April through October, the ruins welcome visitors from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm (last entry at 5:30 pm), while from November through March the closing time is earlier at 5:00 pm (last entry at 3:30 pm). Pompeii is closed on December 25 and January 1, so plan around those holidays. For those keen on exploring beyond Pompeii itself, combination tickets are available – for example, a €26 pass covers Pompeii along with nearby sites like Oplontis and Boscoreale over three days.
Tickets can be bought on-site or online in advance (we found booking ahead saved time, as the lines at the gate can get long). We visited on 28 August 2025, and all the details were accurate as of that day.
Exploring Pompeii’s Ruins – A Walk Through a City Frozen in Time
We arrived from Naples via a short train ride – the Circumvesuviana local train took about 30–40 minutes from Napoli Centrale to the Pompeii Scavi station, which sits just outside the archaeological park’s entrance. Stepping off the train with Mt. Vesuvius looming in the distance, we already felt the anticipation.
Ever wondered what it’s like to wander a perfectly preserved ancient Roman city? Pompeii answers that question in spectacular fashion. The moment we passed through the old city gates, we found ourselves strolling along streets paved with stone slabs worn by chariot wheels nearly two millennia ago. Walking through the forum,with its tumbled columns and the outlines of temples (like the Temple of Jupiter) against the sky, we felt as if we’d slipped back in time.
Forum of Pompeii with Temple of Jupiter and Vesuvius
Forum and Temple of Jupiter with Vesuvius
The city’s tragic history is well known: in 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted violently, burying Pompeii in ash and pumice and abruptly freezing everyday life in its tracks. Today, that entombment by volcanic ash means that everything from grand villas to humble shops has been remarkably preserved, offering an unparalleled glimpse into ancient Roman life.
What makes Pompeii so special among archaeological sites? For one,it’s expansive – about 44 hectares (109 acres) of a real Roman city where you can roam freely through a whole neighborhood of antiquity. We spent hours exploring and still felt we uncovered only a fraction of its secrets. Highlights of our visit included the amphitheater (built around 70 BC, it’s one of the oldest surviving Roman amphitheaters in the world) and the Stabian Baths, where we could still see vibrant frescoes and mosaic floors in the old thermal bathing rooms. In one narrow street, we stepped into an ancient bakery complete with millstones and ovens; in another, we peeked into the Lupanar, the city’s brothel, famous for its eye-opening erotic frescoes that depicted the services once offered. We were particularly impressed by the Villa of the Mysteries, a grand suburban villa on the edge of the site – its rooms are adorned with vividly colored frescoes depicting mysterious initiation rites, and seeing those paintings up close was breathtaking. Because there’s so much to see, you’re gonna have to prioritize your time. We’d recommend planning for at least half a day here; we spent roughly five hours walking the dusty lanes and still left wishing we had more time. A tip from our experience: start early in the morning if you can. Pompeii can get very hot at midday (there’s not a lot of shade among the ruins) and it’s a popular destination, so arriving when the gates open helps you beat both the heat and the crowds.
Forum Baths tepidarium, ribbed vaults and Atlantes
Forum Baths Atlantes, tepidarium wall details
As we wandered through Pompeii’s homes and public squares, certain scenes really made the ancient world come alive for us. We paused at the House of the Faun – one of the largest homes in the city – and imagined its wealthy owners hosting lavish parties in the mosaic-lined courtyard (the famous Alexander Mosaic, now in a Naples museum, was found here). In the Garden of the Fugitives, we came face to face with plaster casts of Pompeii’s victims: the forms of people and even a dog caught in their final moments. It was a poignant and sobering sight that reminded us that this isn’t just a collection of rocks and ruins – it’s a city where real people lived, worked, and tragically died.
We noticed details like political graffiti still visible on walls and the stepping-stones at street crossings (Romans used these to avoid stepping in floodwater or… other street debris). It’s details like these that sparked our imagination: walking in the footsteps of Pompeii’s residents, you can almost hear the bustle of the market or the rumble of wooden carts on the stones. If you have a map or guidebook, it’s easier to appreciate each building’s story,but even without one, simply roaming the site is an awe-inspiring experience. We found ourselves continually surprised by how advanced the city’s infrastructure was – from the clever street drainage systems to the remnants of second-story apartments. By the time we took a break near the ancient forum, we were both exhilarated and overwhelmed by the scope of history around us.
Pompeii is definately a place that can capture the imagination of just about any visitor, not just history buffs.It’s one of those rare destinations where education and adventure go hand in hand, and we left feeling like we had traveled not just to southern Italy, but also back through the centuries.
Beyond the Ruins: Nearby Sights and Places to Unwind
After immersing ourselves in Pompeii’s past we looked around for what else to do nearby and where to relax. One obvious next stop is the site of Herculaneum, another Roman town destroyed by the same eruption. Herculaneum is a short train ride away (on the route back toward Naples, about 15 minutes from Pompeii) and we visited it the day after Pompeii.
It’s smaller and less famous than Pompeii, but in some ways even better preserved – we saw two-story houses with intact wooden balconies and carbonized furniture there. If you have time, we absolutely recommend seeing Herculaneum as a complement to Pompeii, as it offers a deeper understanding of how that fateful eruption impacted the region.
Herculaneum ruins, Ercolano archaeological area
Herculaneum excavations with preserved upper stories
Another adventure that tempts many visitors is climbing Mount Vesuvius itself. In fact, right outside Pompeii’s entrance we noticed shuttle buses offering rides partway up the volcano. We decided to hop on one and later found ourselves hiking the last stretch to Vesuvius’s crater, peering into the quiet mouth of the volcano that changed history. Standing on the rim with a panoramic view of the Bay of Naples below was an unforgettable experience – it made our Pompeii visit feel complete, having seen “the culprit” up close.Just remember to wear good shoes if you plan to hike Vesuvius; the trail is rocky but not too difficult.
When it comes to amenities and a bit of rest after walking the ruins, the modern town of Pompei (which surrounds the archaeological area) has plenty to offer. We ended our Pompeii tour at the Piazza Esedra exit, right as our stomachs started rumbling, and luckily there were several eateries just a few minutes’ walk away.
We stopped for lunch at a unique restaurant called Caupona, which was an experience in itself – it’s styled like an ancient tavern and even serves dishes inspired by ancient Roman recipes. Sitting there in a shaded courtyard, eating authentic-style bread and cheese with modern pizza on the side, was a fun way to unwind and reflect on all we had seen. If you prefer something quick and casual, there are also pizzerias and cafes along the main streets outside the site (we spotted plenty on Via Plinio and around the train station).
After our meal, we couldn’t resist getting gelato from a little stand across the street – a cold scoop of creamy pistachio gelato tasted like heaven after a long, hot day of exploring. For anyone in need of souvenirs or just a break before heading back, there’s an official gift shop at the Pompeii exit where we browsed a bit; they sell guidebooks, replicas of Pompeian art, and even small bottles of local limoncello. We walked out of the shop with a couple of postcards and then made our way back to the station. As we relaxed on the train returning to Naples, dusty and tired, we realized how full of memories our day had been. Whether you’re a passionate historian or just a curious traveler, a visit to Pompeii offers an extraordinary journey into the past – one that we wholeheartedly recommend.