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Art in Naples

Small groups · 2 hours

Herculaneum tour with an archaeologist, entry ticket included

Two hours in the Herculaneum ruins with an archaeologist, in a group of no more than fifteen, with ticket and earpieces included. Herculaneum is smaller than Pompeii but better preserved: the eruption of AD 79 covered it with a layer that kept the air out, so the charred wood of beams and furniture survived, along with mosaics and paintings whose colours are almost intact. It was a town of merchants and nobles, and it shows.

4.9(1,212 reviews on Viator) Herculaneum ruins (Scavi di Ercolano)
Herculaneum tour with an archaeologist, entry ticket included
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0 · credits

Duration

2 hours

Group

up to 15

Languages

German, English, Spanish, French, Italian

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

Days

every day

Start

Herculaneum ruins (Scavi di Ercolano)

What you’ll do

You meet at the ruins and go in with the ticket already bought by the operator. With the earpieces you can hear the archaeologist even when you drift a little away from the group. You start at the ancient shoreline: the remains of more than three hundred people who were waiting to escape by sea were found along the waterfront, and it's the hardest moment of the visit.

Then you climb up into the streets of the town. The planned stops are the Samnite House, the baths, the Temple of the Augustales, the forum, the House of Neptune and Amphitrite with its mosaic, the gymnasium and the House of the Wooden Partition. The archaeologist explains what you're looking at and what sets Herculaneum apart from Pompeii, starting with the charred wood and the colours of the paintings.

Two hours isn't enough to cover the whole site: the visit is a considered selection, with time for questions, which is the real advantage of a group of fifteen. The pace is relaxed and you stop for a good while in front of the best-preserved mosaics and frescoes.

Who it’s for

Ideal if you have half a day and want to really understand what you're looking at: the archaeologist makes all the difference compared with going on your own. The small group also helps with teenagers. You walk for two hours outdoors on ancient streets, so you need proper shoes. If you want to see the whole site at leisure, add some time after the tour.

Local tip

You reach Herculaneum from Naples on the Circumvesuviana, getting off at Ercolano Scavi, and the two-hour tour leaves the afternoon free to add Vesuvius, just a few kilometres away. In summer pick the morning slot: there's little shade inside. Hat, water and closed shoes.

What’s included

Entry + earpieces + archaeologist.

Price, availability and details come straight from Viator and are kept up to date. If you book through us, we get a small commission; it costs you nothing extra.

Frequently asked questions

Is the entry ticket included?

Yes. The price includes entry to the Herculaneum ruins, the two-hour guided visit with an archaeologist, and earpieces so you can follow the explanation even from a distance. The group is limited to fifteen people.

What languages is the tour in?

The tour is available in Italian, English, German, Spanish and French. You choose the language when you book and the group is formed accordingly, always with an archaeologist as guide.

How long does it last and how do I cancel?

About two hours, all inside the ruins, starting from the site entrance. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the tour's start time.

Read before you go

from€35Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
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