The biggest mistake you could make in planning your visit to Pompeii or Herculaneum is to start unprepared. Both Pompeii and Herculaneum are wonderful places that you will probably only see once in your life.
Therefore, it is essential to know what you will find before you leave so that you can plan your visit in the best possible way so that it does not become burdensome and nerve-racking.
Here in my guide, you will find all the useful tips for visiting Pompeii or Herculaneum.
1. Wear comfortable, non-slip shoes
The first important piece of advice for visiting Pompeii or Herculaneum is to wear comfortable but above all non-slip shoes. You should know that Pompeii and Herculaneum have been unearthed exactly as they were 2000 years ago.
So the moment you enter, you will be totally immersed in an ancient Roman city, with sometimes very uneven stone streets, sometimes gravel and sometimes uneven and not perfectly level pavements.
So that your visit does not become dangerous, especially during rainy periods. I advise you to use comfortable non-slip shoes to avoid sudden slips on the cobblestones now eroded by time and the rain of millions of years.
2. Bring a bottle of water
Another important tip for visiting Pompeii or Herculaneum, especially if you are making your excursion in summer or in the company of children, is to take a water bottle with you.
Pompeii, unlike Herculaneum, has public fountains in some places that you can use to drink. While Herculaneum, unfortunately, due to its small size does not have fountains.
So I advise you to be prepared beforehand and bring water with you. As the temperatures are very high in summer and you will need to stop several times during the tour to drink.
3. Book a tour with an expert guide
Pompeii and Herculaneum are the perfect representation of two ancient Roman cities; the moment one enters the site, one seems to be catapulted totally into another world.
Every time you enter a house or walk down a street you feel a strong urge to know but, above all, to listen to its history, told by those who know those places perfectly well.
So I advise you not to make the mistake of embarking on your visit to Pompeii or Herculaneum without a guide. It would be like taking a trip halfway through and I assure you that you will be left with many gaps in this unique experience.
Below, you can find wonderful tours with knowledgeable and helpful guides who will make your trip truly unique, (Tour of Pompeii or Herculaneum).
4. Buy tickets online
The large influx of tourists to Pompeii, but also to Herculaneum, causes long queues at the ticket office for entrance tickets to the excavations at peak times.
My advice to avoid the very long queues that form is to buy your skip-the-line ticket online.
Especially if you are in the company of small children or elderly people, who might get tired and bored from the enormous wait.
Or if you visit the excavations during summer periods to avoid queuing in the hot sun.
Below you will find the link to conveniently purchase your ticket from the authorised retailer of the Scavi Archeologici Ticketone .
5. Protect yourself with sun cream, hat or umbrella
Another very useful tip for visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum is to wear a hat or use an umbrella and protect yourself with sun cream. Temperatures during the summer period reach up to 35-40° and there are very few shady areas, especially in Pompeii.
So if you want to take it easy on your tour and do not want to risk leaving the site totally stunned, I advise you to wear a hat or use an umbrella.
If you don’t have one, don’t worry, there are plenty of kiosks outside the excavations where you can buy everything you need.
6. Choose the route you want to take
Before setting off to visit the Pompeii excavations, I advise you to choose the itinerary you want to take, if you have decided not to book a tour. The choice of itinerary is fundamental so that you don’t miss out on beautiful places to visit.
In my article WHAT TO SEE IN POMPEI you can read about the possible routes to take and also download the map for each itinerary. Moreover, if you decide to visit the marvellous Villa dei Misteri, I advise you to see it last.
The Villa of the Mysteries is located outside the walls of Pompeii and by visiting it at the end you will be able to take advantage of one of the exits, without having to go back to visit the rest of the excavations.
7. Visiting the excavations with small children
Both the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum are not suitable for visiting with a pram because of the presence of paving stones and very high pavements that make it difficult to use the pram.
So, if you want to visit the excavations with small children, I recommend using a comfortable baby carrier.
8. Make your visit early in the morning
I recommend visiting Pompeii or Herculaneum early in the morning, mainly in summer, so you avoid having to walk for hours in the hot sun.
