Looking for suggestions for Guided Tours of Pompei

Despite his schmalzy website, there is no one better than Gaetano Manfredi. Seriously. We took his tour once and were thrilled. A second time, seeking to save a few Euro, we went with a less expensive but still private tour. Waste of money. Go with the best: Gaetano!

Thanks for the response. Do you know anything about magniticosud.com? That tour co was recommended to us by an acquaintance.

I do not know any other company I would recommend. As I said, the time we did NOT use Gaetano was awful.

There is always the option to hire one of the guides that are available right at the gate to Pompeii. They are accredited and you do get an opportunity to chat with them for a moment to see if you understand their accent before making a commitment for a 2-hour tour. And they are quite reasonably priced.

Accredited does not guarantee excellence, as we found out. Get a specific person whose reviews you can read. Check teh R.S. book. he may have a recommendation other than Gaetano.

During one of my Rick Steves' Italy tours, Gaetano Manfredi was my Pompeii tour guide and DR. PINA ESPOSITO was my guide to the extraordinary Naples Archeological Museum that houses the Pompeii & Herculaneum treasures.

I LOVED DR. PINA ESPOSITO'S Naples Museum tour so much that I toured POMPEII AGAIN with Dr. PINA ESPOSITO the next year, & I also had DR. ESPOSITO as my FABULOUS guide to the Herculameum, Oplontis & other AAMAZING archeological sites.

PINA -- as she is known to her many adoring loyal fans -- is an EXTRAORDINARILY GIFTED ITALIAN ARCHEOLOGICAL GUIDE & she is ONE OF THE MOST HARD WORKING, ETHICAL, GENTLE & MODEST HUMAN BEINGS I HAVE EVER MET.

PINA has an OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC BACKGROUND: 2 PHDS IN GRECO-ROMAN ARCHELOLOGY, ART HISTORY, & LITERATURE. I am told that Italy DOES NOT VERIFY THE ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS OF ITS ARCHEOLOGICAL TOUR GUIDES.

PINA makes ITALY'S ARCHEOLOGICAL RUINS COME ALIVE! Pina has a NATURAL TALENT for imparting her vast academic Greco-Roman archeological & art history knowledge in a VERY LIVELY, ENGAGING & ENTERRAINING WAY!

PINA is a TOTAL JOY to be with & she has a WONDERFUL SWEET personality. Dr. Esposito LOVES sharing her LOVE & RICH KNOWLEDGE OF Italy's archeological treasures & she has great multi-language skills.

I'll be very happy to be contacted re: DR. PINA ESPOSITO'S magical gifts as an academically trained Greco-Roman archeological & art history tour guide. DR. PINA ESPOSITO'S email is: [email protected]

We did a Walks of Italy tour of Pompeii last May. The tour is 3 hours and starts at 2:30, after the heat of the day and a lot of crowds. The groups are 15 people or less, and everyone has headphones to easily hear the guide. Our guide was Francesca, and she was very knowledgeable and excited about Pompeii. The site is open for another 2 hours after the tour ends, so you can stay and explore more on your own. It's not private, but feels intimate because of the small group and easy communication.