Mount Vesuvius Tour from Pompeii Led by an Expert Guide

I dislike giving poor reviews but we were very disappointed by this tour. It was run by Askos Tours in Pompei. A couple of hours before the tour we received a message from them advising that there was an emergency and instead of having a tour guide accompanying us they asked us to download an audioguide. We paid substantially more for the tour than what would be expected for an audioguide tour. We were not advised what was wrong with the guide however the tour began at 2.30 and it was a very hot day... We wondered if this outcome was always going to eventuate. The instructions to download the audioguide were very polished and preprepared. We arrived at the meeting point outside Pompeii early and waited looking out for someone holding an Askos Tours sign as outlined. Eventually I went over to a group of ladies who were huddled in a corner of the Pompei entry. Luckily I noticed they had a bag that said Askos Tours. There was no sign nor were they actively looking for tour participants. There was 2 other people making 5 for the tour. The other 2 were not sure if they were able to play their downloaded audioguide. The driver was very good and we felt sorry for him. He was required to leave the vehicle and we were ferried in a local shuttle bus to the base of the walk. The driver then waited for 2 hours in the heat for us to complete the walk. We then had to push in in front of many people waiting for the shuttle to be able to get back down to the tour vehicle. The walk itself was spectacular. However the audioguide to be polite was a very ordinary AI generated short series of rubbish. I feel I could have created a much more interesting audioguide myself. Afterwards we contacted Askos Tours expressing disappointment. Surely such a tour group would have a plan B if a guide was unable at short notice to attend. The audioguide substitution felt like that was the plan from the beginning. Beware. Askos did refund 10% of the cost of the tour but even so it was a very expensive tour for the experience we received. If we had our time again we would have done it independently. I cannot recommend this tour, nor would I book with Askos Tour again.

We did the tour of the Vesuvius crater with Mario, departing from the main entrance of the Pompeii site in an air-conditioned shuttle. During the trip, Mario explained the eventful history of Vesuvius and its successive eruptions, including the one that wiped 4 surrounding cities, including Pompeii, off the map. Arriving on site, we made a 30-minute ascent to the summit of the 2nd caldera and walked around half of the crater. The view is very interesting, especially with the explanations from our guide. He showed us the discreet fumaroles that we would not have detected ourselves. Furthermore, he explained to us how the volcano still affects Naples despite the absence of a recent eruption. The decoding in connection with last week's seismic activity (4.5 on the Richter scale, no less!) was fascinating. I recommend it.

A great experience. Mario was an exceptional guide. He was informative, kept everyone engaged and made the tour very enjoyable! Highly recommended and well worth the cost.

The tour was great, and Mario was an amazing guide. My son and I had such a great time!

A fabulous trip to Vesuvius that included guide Mario who was extremely knowledgeable and friendly plus a vulcanologist once we reached the summit Despite it being a low cloud day, the views were stunning (in fact that leant an air of mystery to the whole experience) Highly recommended

Excellent, if difficult, trip up Vesuvius. The bus journey was an experience, on very winding mountain roads with breathtaking views around every corner. The walk to the top was hard for me due to some health issues, but Stefano was very understanding and encouraging,asking sure I was ok and allowing short rest stops. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the mountain, its history and wildlife. Well worth the effort to get to the top, and I learned a lot from Stefano's talks.

Missed the tour through miscommunication and several phone calls. Paid for another tour at the Pompei train station. Would like a refund for the tour but assuming it would be too late. 🤌🤷‍♂️

The Mount Vesuvius visit was expertly led by, Mario, from Askos Tours. Mario's knowledge of the regions volcanos and the history and scale of the eruption that covered Pompei was very interesting. Spectacular views as you walk up the path and luckily we saw puffs of steam from inside the crater. A very enjoyable afternoon and recommended. Denis

Very easy to meet the tour operator at the entrance to Pompeii. Everything was on time. Silvia our tour guide was very knowledgeable and super friendly. She pointed out interesting details on the drive and on the hike. Overall an excellent tour!

Mario was our guide for this tour. Picked up from Pompei Scavi , mini bus to Vesuvius, 45min of walking and return. Marion was excellent he knew not only about Vesuvius and the volcanic activity of the region but much more and was happy to answer our questions. This tour is not a hiking tour (dont worry) The views are spectacular, well worth it