Two Days Among the Vesuvian Sites
Pompeii is a day trip or a half day trip, not a multi-day destination in its own right. There are no organised multi-day tours to describe here. What does work is a two day plan that uses the park’s 3 day ticket and the other Vesuvian sites, with Naples or Sorrento as the base. Prices are in euros.
The 3 day ticket
The 3 day ticket costs EUR 30. It covers everything in the Pompeii+ ticket (the ancient city, the Villa of the Mysteries, the Villa of Diomedes, and the Villa Regina and Antiquarium at Boscoreale) and adds Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco, the Stabiae museum and the shuttle. Each site is one entry only. Every paid ticket carries the holder’s name, and ID is shown at ticket offices. Buy through Vivaticket , the official seller.
Day one: the ancient city
Give the first day to Pompeii itself. The ancient city is large and mostly open to the sun, so a half day is the minimum, and a full day suits anyone who wants the Forum, the houses and the suburban villas along Via dei Sepolcri. From 16 March to 14 October the site opens 09:00 to 19:00 with last entrance at 17:30. From 15 October to 15 March it opens 09:00 to 17:00 with last entrance at 15:30.
Day two: Herculaneum and the villas
Herculaneum at Ercolano Scavi is a short ride on the Circumvesuviana, about 20 minutes, and costs EUR 16. It opens 08:30 to 19:30 from 16 March to 14 October, and 08:30 to 17:00 the rest of the year. You can add Oplontis in Torre Annunziata if you have the 3 day ticket, since Villa Poppea sits there. On Thursdays an excavation viewing runs from 10:30 to 12:00, in Italian, in groups of up to 10 people. Oplontis, Boscoreale and Stabiae are all closed on Tuesdays, so avoid planning your second day for a Tuesday.
An optional Vesuvius morning
If you can add a third day, the Gran Cono walk on Path No. 5 fits a morning. Tickets are online only at the authorised Vesuvius seller , cost EUR 10 before fees, and are for 10 minute slots with a guide. The walk takes up to 2 hours return on the short route. Check the closure notices on the park site , because access closes automatically when Civil Protection issues an orange weather alert or higher.
Getting around from Naples or Sorrento
Both bases sit on the Circumvesuviana network. The line from Napoli Garibaldi to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri takes about 30 to 40 minutes on the Sorrento line, with a single fare of about EUR 3.30. Check EAV for current times. The Trenitalia station called Pompei is a different station in the modern town.
Where to stay
Search for a base on Booking.com , and choose one near a Circumvesuviana stop. For travel from Rome, plan to change in Naples.
Read more: day trips from Pompei covers each site on its own.