Private Pompeii and Herculaneum with Wine Tasting - Full Tickets
Description
When the fury of Vesuvius buried Pompeii and Herculaneum during the eruption of 79 AD, the two cities were in full splendor. Pompeii was a chaotic port town with a bustle of people from all over the place; Herculaneum a sumptuous Summer resort. I am a professional tour guide with a devastating passion for Archaeology and History. So this is definitely my Tour! Far from the crowds, we will explore Pompeii and Herculaneum walking into the foot-steps of their ancient citizens: an unscrupulous merchant, a lazy patrician, a powerful matron, a slave or an invincible gladiator. You will learn about their everyday life but also political and love intrigues. We'll admire amazing frescoes and mosaics and enter ancient taverns, bath-houses and "stinky" latrines. I will also be your driver. During our break, I softly drive you to a family-run farm on the slopes of Vesuvius for an incredible culinary experience based on local wine and genuine food. Relax, flavors and views.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pompeii is a real time machine. Far from the crowds and the beaten path we will step back 2000 years to discover the largest archaeological site of the world. We will cross the city from the Ancient Walls to the Grand Theatre. I will show you the Forum, political and religious center of the Town, and all the administrative buildings surrounding it: The Basilica (Palace of Justice), the Temple of Apollo, the Macellum (fish, bread and meet market), the Temple of Jupiter and the Granaries. Here there are stored plaster casts of victims who died suffocated during the eruption. We will enter luxury Private Homes to discover their majestic gardens and to admire vibrant frescoes and sophisticated mosaics. We will explore Bath-Houses and ancient taverns, bakeries (Pistrinia) and Thermopolia (wine and food bars). I will introduce you about the everyday life of the ancient citizens and comment about their secrets, political and love intrigues. The tour is at your own pace and flexible.
This experience is designed to make you enjoy the local wines and a simple but very genuine and typical lunch. Our family-run organic Farm is located by the foot of Mt Vesuvius. From there the view of the Bay of Naples is spectacular. First, there will be a short-guided walk to the vineyards and the olive groves to discover the way the Family produce the “Lacryma Christi” wines and the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. During lunch, you will taste several wines. Lunch consists of a set menu: Appetizers: Bruschetta, provolone cheese, salame and capocollo cured pork meat Main: Spaghetti with the cherry tomatoes “del Piennolo” from Vesuvius Dessert: “Pastiera” - wheat and ricotta cake 5 different wines will be served (Rosè Sparkling, White, Rosé. Red, Red Riserva and finally Malvasia - sweet Dessert Wine). There is a special menu for kids and for vegetarians. The experience is not included in the price of the tour. The cost is € 28 per person that can be paid on the spot by credit card or cash.
Herculaneum was a luxury Roman resort when it was swallowed by Mount Vesuvius during the eruption of 79AD. Here the visit is mostly centered on the exploration of majestic Domus, ancient private homes with their intact gardens (House of the Deer). We will admire vivid frescoes (House of the Skeleton) and the best glass-pasta mosaics like the ones located into the House of Neptune and Amphitrite. A special focus will be about the differences from Pompeii site: the second floor of buildings, the sewer system and the presence of carbonized wood are just some samples. We will appreciate the elegance of the “female section” of the bath-house and walk into the pool of the ancient city gymnasium. Finally, I will take you to ancient city beach where the skeletons of 200 citizens who died during the eruption are crammed into the ancient yards. The tour is at your own pace and I am ready to answer to all your questions and curiosities.
We will enjoy this tour in the shade of Mount Vesuvius. It is 4000 feet high and it takes too long driving up to the crater. But we can take spectacular pictures of it from the sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
I pick up from hotels, vacation rentals, train stations, and cruise terminals/ports. Please specify the pick up place required while booking.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(11)
Natalia was a great tour guide of Pompeii and Herculaneum for our party of (7) including teens. It was the hottest day and we are from Florida. We had a wine tasting lunch in between at an organic winery located on the side of Mt. Vesuvius. That was a pleasant surprise. If we had to do it again, doing both places in one day is not necessary. Pick Pompeii.
Our guide Guiseppe was extremely well informed and precise on the history of Pompei and Herculanum. We were very fortunate to have such a professional and knowledged person to show us around these two magnificent places. We highly recomend Guiseppe as a guide.
Fabulous experience. We were fortunate to meet Giuseppe as a couple in 2024 for a tour of Pompeii and Amalfi coast. We so enjoyed our experience that we booked again for our family trip with our teen daughters back to Pompeii and then for the wine tasting as suggested by G who then took us to Ravello where this time we stayed. We had another great time. Highly recommend his services!
What a fantastic tour of Pompeii and Herculaneum! I couldn’t thank our guide, Giuseppe, enough for making this experience absolutely unforgettable. There is so much to see in these ancient cities—such incredible pieces of history, and Giuseppe truly brought them to life. He guided us through the ruins with passion and expertise, painting vivid pictures of what life was like nearly 2,000 years ago. Not only is he a wealth of knowledge, but he is also an incredible teacher, listener, and guide. He answered every question with patience and genuine interest, making the tour feel personal and engaging. After exploring, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch and wine tasting at the beautiful Cantina Del Vesuvio Winery, which was the perfect way to reflect on everything we had just seen. It was a truly memorable day and one of the highlights of our two-week journey through southern Italy. If you have the opportunity to visit Pompeii, you would be very fortunate to have Giuseppe as your guide.
My Dearest Keith, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a beautiful review. I’m truly grateful for your kind words. It was a joy for me guiding you through Pompeii and Herculaneum and sharing the stories of these extraordinary ancient cities. I’m delighted that you felt the history come to life and that the experience was both engaging and memorable for you. I’m also very happy you enjoyed the lunch and wine tasting at Cantina Del Vesuvio. This is the special way to recover energies after the visit of Pompeii and on the way to Herculaneum. Knowing that this was one of the highlights of your journey through southern Italy means so much to me. I hope our paths cross again in the future!
We had such a wonderful time with Giuseppe! His communication leading up to the tour was great. We even made a last minute decision to skip Pompeii because we wanted to get off the beaten path. He was overly accommodating and took us on the perfect custom trip! He was so knowledgeable about all the places we visited and took us to some hidden gems we would have never otherwise seen. Would definitely recommend his tours.
Dear Shannon, Thank you so much for your kind words! It was truly a pleasure spending the day with you. I’m glad we could create a custom experience that felt special and off the beaten path. I really appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you back again in the future! Arrivederci a presto Giuseppe
Natalia had all of the knowledge, experience, organization and warmth that are hallmarks of a good guide. With her we learned more about Pompeii and Herculaneum than we ever would have on our own, and since it was a private tour, we covered far more ground than a large tour could have in the same time. Lunch and wine tasting at the Cantina Del Vesuvia (45€ each) made for a perfect break in the middle of the day. If you are interested in a private tour, I highly recommend this one.
Dear James, Thank you very much for your spectacular feedback. You are right! Natalia is the perfect Guide! Super knowledgeable and professional but also warm and communicative. We are very happy you also enjoyed your wine tasting and typical lunch at the suggested winery. I am sure that the food, the wine as well as the scenery of the location will be in your memories for a long time. Thank you and Arrivederci Giuseppe
Giuseppe was a wonderful private guide. He made sure my husband was always taken care of since he was on crutches and Giuseppe was extremely knowledgeable
Thank you Alisa! Nothing can stop Us!! Thank you for your cooperation! The tour was successfully also thanks to your helps and patience. I am amazed by the courage of your husband! Thank you and see you for further explorations Giuseppe
Both sites were fascinating. Dario did a very good job of explaining what we were seeing and why it was important. He really helped bring it all to life.
Hello Honoria, Thank you very much for you super review. I am super happy you had a real archaeological experience in Pompeii and Herculaneum and an excellent lunch and wine tasting at the winery we suggest! Grazie mille Giuseppe
Guiseppe, of Travel Italy (I believe), took care of us from the minute he picked us up in Sorrento in his air conditioned minivan (which seated 7). He narrated what we were seeing in the hour drive to Pompeii and his personal tour of Pompeii was the highlight of our tour of Italy. He also arranged for the wine tasting and vineyard tour and drove us all the way back to our villa in Massa Lubrense as opposed to making us drop off in Sorrento. His pre-visit email communication was the BEST. Thank you, Guiseppe, for making our tour that day so memorable and relaxing.
Hello Lisa, Thank you very much for your sensational review. I am super happy you enjoyed the tour! We had an incredible fun. Your party was fantastic and I tried to show you Pompeii and Herculaneum like being on a time machine. I loved that Thank you Giuseppe
Would highly recommend private tour to Pompeii with guide. Are driver and guide were 1st. class and really added to the experience. However I wouldn’t recommend the wine tasting/tour. Although the wine was very good, the food was not. Also be aware the Hercaluem is closed on a Wednesday.
Dear Tara, thank you very much for your feedback. You are completely right: Our private guides and drivers plus vehicles are first class. But also the Wine Factory experience is excellent. It's an optional within the tour and both, food and wine served, are high quality. I am sorry if you didn't like the food which is based on ingredients and products we say Km ZERO because they are produced on site!! Thank you Giuseppe
