Full-Day Tour Vesuvius Herculaneum

Full-Day Tour Vesuvius Herculaneum

Revisit an explosive point in Italy's history on this 7-hour tour of Herculaneum and Mt. Vesuvius from Naples. Visit the volcano that buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79AD. Walk through the remarkably well-preserved ancient streets of Herculaneum to imagine what life was like for its inhabitants so long ago.

Get picked up from your hotel or other accommodation, or at the port or train station of Naples for this 7-hour trip back in time.

Head for the enormous volcano of Mt. Vesuvius, which looms across the bay from Naples, 5.6 mi (9 km) away from the city. It is the only mainland European volcano to have erupted in the last hundred years, although it is currently sleeping. Most famously it erupted in 79 AD, burying Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash, killing an estimated 10,000 to 25,000 people. Today it is still regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes because 3 million people live nearby and Vesuvius eruptions tend to be explosive rather than gentle. The last eruption was in March 1944 which destroyed several nearby villages.

Next, visit the excavation of the city of Herculaneum. Here is a city frozen in time, stopped in action when Vesuvius erupted. Remains of temples, villas, and streets have been uncovered and they look eerily like they might have 2,000 years ago. You will even get to see the people who were turned to stone trying to flee the city in its final hours. While it's somewhat overshadowed by Pompeii, Herculaneum is actually better preserved. Rather than being buried in hot ash, it was engulfed by a mudslide, thereby conserving a lot of the wooden beams roofs domestic items.

At the end of your visit to Herculaneum, you'll be returned to your original departure point.