how long to spend in pompeii?

I would say 4-5 hours assuming you're really interested in archeology. I spent at least that much time there. There are others for whom 2 hours is enough, but I don't think that will do the site justice.

2-3 hours for me was plenty. If you are interested get a guide to expedite your visit. Might be worth it.

I'm in the 4-5 hours group. We spent 5 there and weren't able to cover it all (and it was my 2nd time.) Depends on how into the details you are, though? I found umptybumpty details to pore over so did a lot of dawdling.

(edited typo)

2-3 hours to see some of the basics with the short itinerary.
6 hours to see everything in the long itinerary.

We got to the archaeological site early to beat the crowds and stayed 2.5 - 3 hours. We felt we covered the highlights and we're ready for something new after that time. We also enjoyed walking around the town and the cathedral so you should plan a little extra for that as well. It you decided to eat then more time. Pompeii was a great experience!

Another dawdler (and daydreamer) here, I would say 4-5 hours or more, but it depends on your pace and interests. I would say not less than 3 hours, 2 if you just want a check-off visit. It's a big piece of property.

I was there 4 hours and could have stayed longer. I am really into that type of thing. My friend who had a more general interest was ready to go in three hours. So I think it depends on your interest level. I definitely agree if you are really interested, but want to be sure to manage your time, get a guide.

I'd say about 4 hours, although with a break or two, and some food, you could stay much longer if really interested. (You can visit Herculaneum on the same day, much smaller and quite different.) I do think Pompeii is a site that merits arranging a guide at the entrance. Talk to a few to see whose personality and accent seems compatible. They are not very expensive for a 2-hour walk around. I wish I had had a guide, rather than just the RS audio guide, which had me lost a lot. The signage at the site is not great and often does not match the written or audio material you might have. The guide will assure you see the main aspects of the site, with the accompanying history and stories. Also, the guide knows which streets or rooms might be inaccessible due to repairs or whatever, so you won't spend your time trying to get to them. Then after that tour you can go back to places that interested you most or were not included in your walk. Somewhere after my visit to Pompeii, in a train station shop I think, I found a great paperback tourist book called "Pompeii -- 2000 years ago and today". Have it in my hands right now. It accompanied the ruins, with explanations of many places within the ruins. For some major places, it showed the ruins today along with an artist's rendition of what they would have looked like when in use long ago, with people, vehicles, etc. I really wish I had had this book in hand when visiting the ruins, as it is very helpful in bringing the stones to life. Enjoy!

I found a great paperback tourist book called "Pompeii -- 2000 years
ago and today".

Larry, I bought that same book at the entrance, and that's what we used as our guide for self-touring the scavi. Just had it out a couple of days ago!

I used an hour or more just to walk leisurely and view leisurely the Villa dei Misteri and it was one of the highlights for me. I skipped the long walk to the amphitheatre. Don't miss the theatre though. I was there for 7 hours and left exhausted but happy.

Tell me a bit more about guides at the gate. What do they usually charge? What are the signs to look for for a knowledgeable guide (not being ripped off)?

I don't know what the guides charge, but they are licensed after taking a course of study and a series of exams.

I was the one to mention the guides, although I did not utilize one, and wish I had. I hope someone with personal experience with one or more guides will chime in. My recollection is that they hang around near the main entry (inside or outside, or both, I can't remember.) Memory has the normal fee at about 10 or 12 euros, in 2014, but I don't know if that is per person, per family, or what. Certainly a guide for just you and your group would be more intimate than joining a larger group. I don't think the danger is getting ripped off. I don't know if these guides require certification or permits, if so they probably display some kind of badge. I believe you can talk to whichever guides are there, gauge if you like their quiet or enthusiastic personality, and if you can daily understand their English, and hire one. A while ago, Mondo Tours also offered very reasonable Pompeii walking tours especially for RS travelers, most mornings, meeting at the ruins, so just a tour of the site. Maybe someone with current experience can comment on those.

as of last April, to my recollection it was 16 EUR for the tour. The guides are wearing badges, and the tour is about an hour. It covers (briefly) many of the things most people have heard of and a little background daily-life and construction type information. You can go on by yourself after that, I think it's meant more for people blowing through and knocking things off their to-do list ("Been to Pompeii"). It's decent to orient yourself so I think this in combination with the audio tour would be good, or you might get a more comprehensive tour from an outside source.

In 3 hours you could do that, wander with the audio tour for another hour, and get to Villa dei Misteri. If you are really into archaeology/history probably closer to 5 hours.

A shorter visit probably wouldn't allow time to see the Villa dei Misteri, which is about a 15 minute walk each way from the main town. It's definitely worth the extra time and effort, so I'm with the group suggesting 4-5 hours to cover the site at a leisurely pace.

We only had 2 hours there. Although we saw quite a bit, it was very rushed. We did not use a guide. I am going back this year and planning 5 hours, 2 with a guide and 3 on our own. I could probably even stay there longer ;).

It really depends. We did the early morning day trip from Rome via train, were in Pompeii for about 3.5 hours and went onto Sorrento for early dinner (Inn Buffalito) and the dash back to Naples to catch our train back to Rome. We had a 10 year old with us. I would have loved to spend another half day there. Perhaps a little more - with kids - whew...its always tough. Amazing place, well worth the trip.

We are also going to Pompeii and have the same exact questions on using a guide/joining a tour. We always find this the best use of our time, then wonder around a bit on our own afterwards. From what I am reading using one of the guides advertising at the gates is fine and you just join up as they leave? I was also wondering if anyone pre-booked a tour and with who. Saw Mondo mentioned, will look into that. We will be getting there by train from Sorrento in the morning, wondering what time is best to arrive?

Yes, it really does depend. Our tour leader hired a local guide (an expert) and we covered everything in 2.5 hours with great detail and a lot of history. The guide answered questions along the way. At the end, we had a little free time to wander around on our own...

I was in mental overload after 3 hours.

We had a guide for our small group of 8, and we spent about two hours inside Pompeii and that was plenty. Now, we didn't see the museum that's in town, and I've heard that's really worth seeing as well. There are lots of sexual things in the museum, according to my friends, as well as the drawings in the brothel in Pompeii, so be forewarned if you have your kids with you. I don't personally think it's a big deal, but I know some parents might be concerned. And there will be giggles and snickers from the kiddos, no matter what.

LOL, Scully! Those Pompeians were big on virility and fertility and all. On my first visit, back in the early 70's, they'd placed wooden shutters in front of some the, er, more graphic of the graphics -like the fresco of Priapus - and you paid a little man a few lire to take a peek? They've since done away with that nonsense so what hasn't been moved to Naples is right out there in plain view.

Be prepared for some interesting and very funny questions if you'll have small persons in tow!

We are looking for a Pompeii guide. Does anyone have a recommendation?