How to Visit Pompeii and What to See

The day after our hike to the summit of Mt. Vesuvius, we took the train down to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. While I'd already been there twice, my friends had never seen it, and I was actually excited to visit it again as an adult and get some good pictures for the blog.

The History of Pompeii

Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site outside of Naples, Italy. It is a very well-preserved example of an ancient Roman city, and the park saw more than 4 million visitors in 2025. The earliest settlements in the area date back to the 8th century B.C., and in the nearly nine centuries of its existence, it was controlled by different Italian peoples, the Greeks, and finally the Romans. As a result, you can see various architectural styles across Pompeii's buildings, temples, and homes.

At the time Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., the city of Pompeii was home to between 10,000 and 20,000 people. It was also considered a rather wealthy city, as evidenced by some lavish homes (more below). Archaeologists have only found just over 1,150 bodies, suggesting that actually most of the city's inhabitants were able to escape when the volcano first erupted. On the first day of the eruption, Mt. Vesuvius rained small rocks (pumice rain) down on the city, and inhabitants who didn't flee thought they could survive by just sheltering in their homes. The second day, however, the pyroclastic flow—an avalanche of toxic gases and ash and temperatures of more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit—raced down the mountainside and instantly killed anyone remaining in its wake.

This is what preserved the city so well: it buried everything it touched in nearly 20 feet of ash, which remained until the site was discovered in the 16th century and excavated beginning in the 18th century. In addition to providing archaeologists with a great example of what ancient urban design looked like—from roads and running water to markets and temples—Pompeii also provides linguists with myriad examples of colloquial spoken Latin via graffiti and writing around the city, which apparently differs notably from the more literary Latin writing published by poets and philosophers.

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5 Top Sights to See in Pompeii

The ancient city of Pompeii is enclosed within a 2-mile circumference area. It spans nearly 170 acres, but not all of that has been excavated. About a third remains uncovered, so who knows what treasures have yet to be discovered. At the moment, just over 100 acres are open to the public, and this is still a lot of area to walk through, especially with the hot sun beating down on you. Here are a few of the main sights you'll want to check out to get a good feel for the city and its history.

1/ Lupanar

The brothel in Pompeii is definitely the most popular sight in the park. It was the only place there was a line to get into, and actually you will wait in line a lot longer than you'll be inside. It's quite small and just offers a quick peek inside the rooms and of the well-preserved, visual menu, let's say, of the services available.

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2/ Central Baths

I think the central baths in Pompeii were my favorite thing we saw. The painted ceiling and baths were really pretty, and the architecture of the building itself was cool to see. A lot of the mosaics in Pompeii are quite damaged and only visible in small chunks, so the central baths are a great place to go and see a better example of the art and decor. I also thought the wall reliefs were really cool here as they are so detailed and interesting.

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3/ The Temple of Apollo

The Temple of Apollo was built in 120 B.C. and excavated beginning in 1817, and this was my second favorite part of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. I really enjoyed seeing all of the brick Ionic columns, especially the visual contrast with the iconic Italian cypress trees.

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4/ Amphitheater

The main amphitheater in Pompeii is one of the oldest surviving Roman amphitheaters, built in 80 B.C. It is said to have been an influence during the building of the Colosseum, as it is older. This amphitheater could hold up to 20,000 people, and I particularly liked the sculptures at the ends of the stairs (seen in the left photo).

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5/ Casa del Citarista

This massive three-level home belonged to a wealthy and influential family in Pompeii. It features garden courtyards, a pool, and a number of statues that made it so famous when they were discovered, including the statue of Apollo (photo on the right). I enjoyed visiting it to see the statues and the trees growing in the indoor garden, and it is an excellent example of the city's prosperity.

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Bonus/ Antiquarium

Don't forget to make a quick detour through the Antiquarium on your way out of Pompeii. Not only is the space air-conditioned, which you'll surely appreciate, but it also contains some cool statues and ceramic pieces recovered from around the park.

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How to Visit the Ancient City of Pompeii

I highly recommend you buy a ticket in advance for your visit to Pompeii. (It's about $30 USD for a standard ticket of just the main park area, and I think it's definitely worth it.) You'll wait in a bit of a line for your timed entry, so don't make your wait even longer by failing to get a ticket in advance.

Is two hours enough to spend in Pompeii?

We spent a bit more than two hours walking around Pompeii. I feel like we could have spent even more time and seen more if the weather was less punishing, but I was feeling a hint of heat exhaustion, so we left as soon as we felt like we had gotten our fill. We also visited in the middle of the tourist season (July), and that influenced our experience of many of the places we visited feeling overly crowded.

I think you definitely could do Pompeii in under two hours if you aren't a huge archaeology person, but under one hour would really be pushing it, especially since it is rather large and there are so many tourists that the lines may be long. Also note that we did not do a guided tour. If you do want to go on a guided tour, plan to be there for more like three hours.

How to get to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Getting to Pompeii from Naples is so easy. It's a thirty-minute train ride from Napoli Porta Nolana to Pompeii Scavi, and once you get off the train, you're just a few short steps to the Porta Marina entrance of Pompeii. This is the main, ticketed entrance to the park, and it is also where you'll meet your tour guide if you choose to book a tour. The train station conveniently has a cafe and a small store so you can stock up on water before heading into the park. All up, Pompeii is a great half-day trip from Naples and absolutely worth a visit!