Indice:
- Evening opening of the Pompeii excavations 2025
- Evening opening of the Herculaneum excavations from July 4 to August 8, 2025
Once again, the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum will be open in the evenings during the summer of 2025.
This is an unmissable opportunity to admire the two cities buried by the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD in a completely new and extraordinary light.
The evening event in Pompeii is completely innovative, with a double itinerary that will allow visitors to admire the famous Villa dei Misteri and the Boscoreale Antiquarium, as well as the exhibition set up in the Palestra Grande, “Being a Woman in Ancient Pompeii.” But that’s not all: you can also watch theatrical performances in the Odeion (Small Theater) of the excavations, dedicated to historical and mythological female figures.
As usual, the evening openings will also include Herculaneum, which for the occasion will be decked out in lights and colors, recreating a breathtaking landscape.
Pompeii by night, opening in 2025
It will be possible to visit Pompeii in the evening from Friday, September 5, until Saturday, October 4. This event will take place every Friday and Saturday of the week from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (last admission at 10:00 p.m.).
As mentioned above, it will be possible to choose between two different itineraries.
- One with entrance from Piazza Anfiteatro, which provides access to several domus such as Praedia di Giulia Felice, the house of Loreio Tiburtino, the house of Venus in the shell, and the Palestra grande, where the exhibition “Being a woman in ancient Pompeii” is on display (duration of the tour: approximately 1 hour – cost €7).
- Another option includes access to the Villa dei Misteri, with the possibility of taking a shuttle bus to the site of Boscoreale with the Villa Regina and the Antiquarium (duration of the tour: approximately 40 minutes for the Villa dei Misteri + approximately 1 hour for Boscoreale, cost €7).
But it is not only the Archaeological Park that wanted to make visiting Pompeii in the evening even more magical, entertaining visitors with theatrical performances dedicated to the women of Pompeii, with entrance from Piazza Esedra, preceded by a short guided tour (lasting 30 minutes – cost €7).
The shows (with limited seating) can be attended by purchasing an evening ticket to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii at www.ticketone.it, selecting the option “POMPEII. VOX FEMINAE event.”
The shows will take place from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (duration 30 minutes) on the following dates:
- Villa Arianna September 5 “Arianna”
- Pompei, Odeion (Teatro Piccolo) September 6 “Giulia Felice”
- Villa San Marco September 12 “Ifigenia” Pompeii, Odeion (Small Theater) September 13 “Eumachia”
- Oplontis September 19 “Poppea”
- Pompeii, Odeion (Small Theater) September 20, “Flavia Agatea”
- Archaeological Museum of Stabia – Reggia di Quisisana September 26, “Fedra”
- Pompeii, Odeion (Teatro Piccolo) September 27, “Amaryllis”
- Villa Regina, Boscoreale September 27, “Wilhelmina”
- Pompeii, Odeion (Small Theater) October 4, “Asellina”
At 5:30 p.m., there will be a performance for visitors already present at all sites.
Villa dei Misteri itinerary – Boscoreale
This itinerary will allow you to visit the Villa dei Misteri and the Villa Regina in Boscoreale with the adjoining Antiquarium, where the ceremonial chariot is on display in the room dedicated to the suburban villa of Civita Giuliana, which is still being excavated.
Two examples of suburban villas in the area, one located in Pompeii, an example of a large residential dwelling dedicated to wine production. The other is located in Boscoreale, a typical rustic villa and a real wine farm, where a very important Antiquarium has been created, which preserves most of the finds discovered during the excavations in Pompeii. To make the route more accessible, the Villa dei Misteri and Villa Regina will be connected by the Pompeii Artebus shuttle service, which will depart from Piazza Esedra to the two villas and back.
The visit will last approximately 40 minutes for Villa dei Misteri and approximately 1 hour for Boscoreale at a cost of €7 (with free admission and reductions as per regulations).
Tickets can be purchased online on the official Ticketone website, or with a credit card/contactless debit card at the Villa dei Misteri entrance, or in cash at the Boscoreale ticket office.
The entrance to the Villa dei Misteri is from the external city road. The Pompeii Artebus shuttle service departs from Piazza Esedra with stops at Villa dei Misteri and Boscoreale. Please note that there is no car parking at Villa dei Misteri. We invite you to park in the parking areas along Via Plinio and/or use the POMPEII ArteBus shuttle to reach Villa dei Misteri.
Exhibition itinerary – Domus Pompeiane
The second tour, which starts at Piazza Anfiteatro, will allow you to visit the most important domus in Pompeii, including: the Praedia of Giulia Felice, the House of Venus in the Shell, and the House of Loreio Tiburtino. But that’s not all: you will also have access to the exhibition set up at the Palestra Grande, entitled “Being a woman in ancient Pompeii.”
The tour lasts approximately one hour and tickets can be purchased on the official Ticketone website and at the ticket offices, at a cost of €7, with free admission and reductions as per regulations.
The evening opening will also include other sites linked to Pompeii, Villa Poppea in Oplontis, the Villas of San Marco and Arianna, and the Stabia Libero D’Orsi Archaeological Museum in Castellammare di Stabia. Again, from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., with last admission at 10:00 p.m.
Herculaneum by Night, open from July 4 to August 8, 2025.
As usual, this summer 2025, the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum renews its evening appointment with “Herculaneum Fridays,” now in its eighth edition.
An unmissable opportunity for the public to return to the unique experience of an evening visit to the ancient city, made even more fascinating by the evocative night lighting.
This year, the evening visit will not be limited to a specific area, but visitors will be able to freely explore the entire archaeological site illuminated at night, strolling through the streets, shops, and prestigious domus of ancient Herculaneum
But it’s not just with the Ercolano Digitale app, which can be downloaded for free on site, that visitors can learn more about the site with educational content and an itinerary dedicated to the event.
The entire route will be enriched by dance performances, theatrical and musical performances, designed to interact with the archaeological heritage in a new and evocative way.
Evening opening hours for the Herculaneum excavations 2025
The evening opening at the Herculaneum Excavations will begin on July 4 and end on August 8, 2025.
Access to the Park will be organized in two shifts:
- First session: admission from 8:00 p.m., with visits until 9:30 p.m. Visitors must leave the archaeological area by 9:30 p.m. and exit the park by 10:00 p.m.
- Second shift: admission from 10:00 p.m., with visits until 11:30 p.m. Mandatory exit from the archaeological area by 11:30 p.m. and complete exit from the Park by midnight.
The visit will last approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Each evening, there will be a maximum of 500 visitors per time slot, for a total of 1,000 visitors per evening.
Tickets can be purchased online via the official website ercolano.coopculture.it or through the call center at +39 081 0106490.
The ticket price is €10.00 for everyone. Reduced to €5.00 for EU citizens aged 18-25 and Campania Artecard holders. It is free for minors, disabled people, and their companions.
Where to park during evening opening hours at the Herculaneum excavations
During the evening opening of the Herculaneum excavations, you can park for free at the Rodinò School (Via IV Novembre), the Iovino Scotellaro School (Traversa Via IV Novembre), and the Villa Favorita car park (Corso Resina) until all available spaces are taken.
Alternatively, you can park for a fee at the municipal car park “Herculaneum Parking” in Via dei Papiri Ercolanesi.
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