Pompeii and Herculaneum Small-Group with an Expert Archaeologist
Description
Embark on an unforgettable journey back in time with our exclusive Pompeii and Herculaneum tour, departing from either Sorrento or Naples. Unlike other tours, we offer a personalized, small-group experience, ensuring you get the most out of your visit to these iconic archaeological sites. Our expert guides bring the history of Pompeii and Herculaneum to life, sharing fascinating insights about the daily lives of the Romans before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. With comfortable, air-conditioned transportation, you’ll enjoy stunning views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius as you travel. Skip the long lines and dive straight into exploration, with time to fully immerse yourself in the ruins. Visit both Pompeii and Herculaneum, two cities preserved in different ways by the eruption, and gain a unique perspective on ancient Roman life. Book today for an enriching, seamless, and exciting historical adventure!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pompeii is an extraordinary archaeological site, an ancient Roman city preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. During your visit to Pompeii with the guide in two and a half hours, you will discover its most famous areas frescoes.
Have a look of the so called Teatro Piccolo of Pompeii.
Visit the most important Theater in Pompeii
The house of Menander is one of the richest and most magnificent houses in ancient Pompeii in terms of architecture, decoration and contents.
These occupy a vast area between the Brothel lane, the Holconius crossroads and the Via Stabiana. They represent the oldest thermal complex in the city.
Visit the most famous brothel in the ruined Roman city of Pompeii.
Via dell’Abbondanza
The house of Faun was one of the largest and most impressive private residences in Pompeii.
Have a look of the ancient main square of Pompeii.
Basilica was an open portico that gave shelter to merchants and other activities.
A quick lunch break is available before the transfer (own expense). After the visit of Pompeii, continue to Herculaneum. Here you will enjoy a two-hour guided visit of this remarkably well-preserved ancient town, where wooden structures, mosaics, and everyday objects survived the eruption, offering an intimate and vivid glimpse into Roman life.
The house receives its name from marble statues of stags/deer found in the peristyle.
M. Nonius Balbus was the city's major benefactor restoring and building many public buildings. On his death he was made patron and feted with many honours, detailed in the long inscription on his funeral altar.
It is thought that the building was a centre of the cult of the Emperor Augustus and the headquarters of the Collegium Augustalium (or possibly even the local curia).
The house possibly belonged to one of the town's leading benefactors, Marcus Nonius Balbus and is somewhat unusual in that it has its own private access to the adjoining Suburban Thermae to the south.
It is very important house for the elegant wooden partition remained.
The House of the Skeleton probably the aggregation of three smaller buildings, derives its name from the discovery of human remains in a second floor room in 1831.
The Central Thermae were built around the beginning of the 1st century AD and were divided, as was then the common practice, into men's and women's baths, each with their own separate entrances.
The house has an arrangement that was typical of the Samnites (an ancient people of the Sabine race who occupied this mountainous part of central Italy). The splendid atrium is skirted by a gallery with Ionic columns. The rooms are decorated with frescoes.
This is one of the most original houses in Herculaneum. It has a courtyard with a stairway and a stone balcony instead of an atrium.
Beautiful domus in the Centre of the archaeological area, with various environments, collonnati, frescos e-com everywhere at Herculaneum-charred remains of wooden parts.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum numbers of 6 people per tour apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- At Pompeii and Herculaneum Children under 18 y.o. enter for free, showing a valid form of ID.
- Please note that the drop-off point depends on the tour option you selected.
Reviews(68)
My guide was amazing. Very knowledgeable and funny. If you are going to Pompeii, I highly recommend this tour, because going on your own would be very confusing. I learned a lot about daily life of the civilization that I would have missed without a guide.
It is hot, quite a bit of walking, but an excellent experience! We highly recommend a guided tour and our guide "Andrea" was awesme and we would give him 10 Stars out if 5! He went out of his way to make sure everyone in his tour got special attention and was well taken care of throughout the tour!
Be cautious with this tour operator! The day before this Pompeii Herculean tour was scheduled they called and said they would have to cancel which was very disappointing as we really wanted to see both locations less than 1 hour from our port. They pitched an alternate trip that would have 3 stops and be “even better for our kids because they would have a chance to swim” at 2 of these locations plus we would still visit Pompeii. The next day we found ourselves on a bus for over 4 hours. The first stop was only 60 minutes and in no way was it enough time to get down to the beach to swim and back to the bus. The second stop was 1 hour and 15 min giving us just enough time to get lunch for the kids in this long day. Again nothing was offered or mentioned about an opportunity to swim and no other members of the tour knew anything about swimming. We were told we would end with a 2 hour tour of Pompeii and it started almost 90 min late. We ended up rushing, running 15 minutes behind the planned time and we’re cutting it very close to our ship cutoff. After the tour I complained to the operator that the tour was not anything like where he described for our kids and I felt a refund was in order. The first response, you. Tipped the staff so it must have been ok and the tour ended on time, no refund. I complained to Viator. They first said no refund then when I called a second time they offered only 10% on an a tour that cost almost $800 for a family of 4. If it had been made clear what the trip really was I never would have accepted it. Very disappointed at the bait and switch by management. I should say the lady who did conduct our tour was very polite, very knowledgeable and did have a tough agenda to keep on track. Really that tour is trying to squeeze too much into one day.
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are genuinely sorry to learn that the experience did not meet your expectations. However, we would like to clarify several important facts regarding the circumstances surrounding your booking. The original Pompeii and Herculaneum Small-Group Tour requires a minimum number of participants in order to operate. As clearly stated in the published tour information available prior to booking: "Minimum numbers of 6 people per tour apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund." Unfortunately, due to cancellations from other participants, the departure no longer met the minimum number of guests required to operate and only your family remained on the booking. At that point, we could have simply cancelled the excursion and issued a full refund, exactly as outlined in the published tour conditions. Instead, because we understand how valuable vacation time is and how disappointing last-minute cancellations can be, we chose to go the extra mile. Rather than cancelling the excursion and leaving your family without the opportunity to experience some of Southern Italy's most iconic destinations, our team proactively contacted you and arranged an upgraded full-day experience including Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii. Most importantly, accepting the alternative experience was entirely optional. Guests were free to accept the proposed excursion or decline it and receive a full refund. The alternative was explained in advance, and the experience was voluntarily accepted prior to departure. We would also like to clarify that the excursion operated exactly as described. Guests enjoyed free time in Positano, free time in Sorrento, and a guided visit of Pompeii with a licensed guide. The itinerary was completed, the excursion operated successfully, and all guests returned safely and on time to their cruise ship. While we understand that different travelers have different expectations regarding how they spend their free time, the stops provided opportunities to explore the towns, admire the coastline, enjoy local restaurants, relax, shop, take photographs, and, for those who wished, enjoy the sea. We were also pleased to see many guests express their appreciation to the guide during the excursion. We are particularly grateful for your kind words regarding her professionalism and knowledge, as she worked extremely hard to ensure guests enjoyed their day despite the logistical challenges involved in coordinating a full-day excursion along one of the world's most celebrated coastlines. We respectfully disagree with the characterization of the experience as a "bait and switch." The original tour could no longer operate because the minimum number of participants was no longer met, a possibility clearly disclosed in the published tour information available prior to booking. Rather than simply cancelling the excursion and issuing a refund, we personally contacted affected guests and offered an alternative experience, which remained entirely optional and was accepted prior to departure. At Mondo Guide, we believe that exceptional customer service is demonstrated when unexpected situations arise. Transparency, flexibility, communication, and a genuine commitment to our guests are values that guide every decision we make. While we regret that the alternative experience ultimately did not meet your personal expectations, we remain proud that our team chose to proactively communicate with guests, provide options, preserve their travel plans, and ensure that travelers could continue enjoying Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii rather than simply receiving a cancellation notice. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for giving us the opportunity to clarify the circumstances surrounding your booking. Mondo Guide +39 331 708 0962 www.mondoguide.com
Andrea was an excellent guide. We really enjoyed learning about Pompeii and Herculaneum from his store of knowledge. He took us through the two sites efficiently in the blazing heat. Definitely recommend this tour.
Please be aware if you book this tour from Rome with the train tickets included, it is very likely you will get a call 48 hours before to say they cannot provide your train tickets and will give you two options … either make your own way to Naples or cancel for a refund. The tour operator called me two days before the trip was due to leave to tell me no train tickets could be provided. This tour was to be the highlight of our holiday which we didn’t want to miss, so we had to buy train tickets ourselves which were VERY expensive as it was so close to the day of travel. The tour operator refunded the original price of the tickets but we ended up being £350 out of pocket. When we raised this with Mondo guide they told us it’s in their terms and conditions and there was nothing they could do. We raised a complaint with Viator who said the same. The tour itself was good BUT it advises it is a small group tour no more than 21 people , but there were 23 on our tour and Mondo guide were ok to breach their own terms and conditions and displayed no customer service at all. I would NOT recommend Mondo guide as a tour company and I have never been so disappointed. It put us in an impossible situation and put a real dampener on our holiday.
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We fully understand your disappointment and appreciate the opportunity to clarify the circumstances surrounding your booking for future travelers. First and foremost, the possibility of cancellation due to insufficient participation is clearly disclosed in the published tour information available prior to booking. The tour description states: "Minimum numbers of 6 people per tour apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund." We would also like to clarify that guests booking through Viator benefit from a cancellation policy allowing reservations to be cancelled up to 24 hours prior to departure. Unfortunately, due to cancellations made by other travelers within this permitted cancellation window, the departure no longer met the minimum number of participants required for the tour to operate. Rather than waiting until the last possible moment, our team proactively contacted affected guests approximately 48 hours before departure to explain the situation and discuss available options. This was done specifically to provide travelers with as much notice as possible and to help them make informed decisions regarding their plans. At that point, we could have simply cancelled the booking and issued a full refund, exactly as outlined in the published terms and conditions. Instead, because we understand how important these experiences are to our guests and how many travelers plan their holidays months in advance, we chose to go the extra mile. Rather than cancelling the experience and leaving guests without the opportunity to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, our team personally contacted affected travelers and worked to find a solution. The solution offered allowed guests to participate in the exact same Pompeii and Herculaneum Small-Group Tour with an Expert Archaeologist, visiting the same UNESCO World Heritage Sites, enjoying the same type of guided experience, and taking part on the same date. The only difference was that guests would need to reach Naples independently rather than utilizing the train tickets included in the Rome departure option. Most importantly, accepting this solution was entirely optional. Every guest remained free to either accept the proposed arrangement or decline it and receive a full refund. The choice always remained with the traveler. We therefore regret reading a review suggesting that guests were left without options, as the exact opposite occurred. Rather than cancelling the departure and ending the matter there, we invested additional time and effort to preserve the experience and give guests the opportunity to enjoy what many consider to be one of the highlights of a trip to Italy. Regarding the group size, the published tour information states that the experience accommodates a maximum of 21 travelers. On this particular departure, two additional participants were young family members travelling together. Rather than separating a family and negatively impacting their experience, we chose to keep them together. We believe most travelers would agree that keeping families together is the most reasonable and considerate solution. Most importantly, the review itself acknowledges that the tour experience was good. We are pleased that guests were ultimately able to enjoy Pompeii and Herculaneum with an expert archaeologist despite the operational challenges created by last-minute cancellations. At Mondo Guide, we believe that exceptional customer service is demonstrated not when everything goes perfectly, but when unexpected circumstances arise. Transparency, communication, flexibility, and a genuine commitment to our guests are values that guide every decision we make. While we fully understand your disappointment regarding the transportation arrangements, we remain proud that our team chose to proactively contact guests, provide advance notice, clearly explain the situation, offer options, and work hard to ensure travelers could still experience one of Italy's most extraordinary archaeological journeys rather than simply receiving a cancellation notice. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for giving us the opportunity to clarify the circumstances surrounding your booking. Mondo Guide +39 331 708 0962 www.mondoguide.com
Vincenzo was a fantastic guide, so far - the best we had experienced in the previous two weeks. Very knowledgeable, with a gift of relating what was on display to what the science already knew about the daily realities of ancient Pompeii. He was very smart and tactful in suggesting available options vs. things like walking distance or angles of slopes, took good care about everyone on the tour to make sure nobody was left behind without loosing anything from his presentation dynamics.
Pompeii is truly an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience which can only begin to be fully appreciated with a knowledgable tour guide. Our archeologist guide Vini was very knowledgeable, going into incredible depth on the history of Pompeii and the Roman culture of the time. While the city is beautiful to walkthrough, it's difficult to truly appreciate without the proper context. Thank you again for the amazing tour Vini, I’ll definitely be recommending this tour to family and friends.
Actually I am unable to review this tour, because it was cancelled at the last moment and replaced with another one which included a trip to Positano and Sorrento, and two hours in Pompeii. I was very disappointed. I met another person who had planned to be on this visit and was also transferred to the other visit.
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We completely understand your disappointment that the original Pompeii and Herculaneum Small-Group Tour did not operate as initially planned, and we appreciate the opportunity to clarify what happened. Like many small-group experiences, this tour requires a minimum number of participants in order to operate. Unfortunately, due to last-minute cancellations made within the platform's permitted cancellation window, the departure no longer met the minimum number of guests required to confirm the tour. At that point, we could have simply cancelled the departure and issued full refunds to all affected guests, which would have been fully consistent with the platform's policies. Instead, because we understand how valuable vacation time is and how many travelers plan these experiences months in advance, our team chose a different approach. Rather than cancelling the experience and leaving guests without plans for the day, we personally contacted every affected traveler, explained the situation transparently, and worked to find an alternative solution. To avoid disappointing our guests, we offered an upgraded full-day excursion at no additional cost, allowing travelers to enjoy some of Southern Italy's most iconic destinations, including Sorrento, Positano, and Pompeii, rather than losing an entire day of their holiday. Most importantly, no guest was ever required to accept the alternative experience. Every traveler remained completely free to either accept the upgraded excursion or decline it and receive a full refund. The choice always remained with the guest. For this reason, we were naturally disappointed to read that the alternative experience did not meet your expectations, particularly since the situation was discussed directly, explained in advance, and the proposed solution was voluntarily accepted before departure. While we fully understand that some travelers may prefer one itinerary over another, we remain proud of the effort our team made to proactively communicate with guests, provide options, and preserve their travel plans rather than simply cancelling the experience. At Mondo Guide, we believe that exceptional service is often demonstrated when unexpected circumstances arise. Transparency, flexibility, communication, and a genuine commitment to our guests are values that guide every decision we make. While no alternative can perfectly replace a specific itinerary for every traveler, we remain proud that our team chose to personally contact guests, clearly explain the situation, offer an upgraded experience, and provide the freedom to choose the option that best suited their needs. We appreciate your feedback and thank you for giving us the opportunity to clarify the circumstances surrounding your booking. Mondo Guide+39 331 7080962 www.mondoguide.com
Very knowledgeable tour guide! We learned a lot. He was smart and fun and funny. Tour was well organized.
An absolutely fabulous day! Our guide was archaeologist Gianluca was so knowledgeable and made the day interesting and funny. Highly recommend
