National Museum and Pompei in 1 day

We went to Pompeii from Sorrento and filled the entire day just going through the site.

It may be logistically possible, but you will likely end up rushing through both and doing neither well.

I agree with Joe, the Archaeological Museum in Naples took me 3 hours or so to see, it is fascinating! I think you will get more out of the experience if you take your time. Many original artifacts from Pompeii! I went to Pompeii the next day. I stayed in Naples and took the train to Pompeii and arrived about an hour before the cruise shippers ruined the ruins, if you get my drift! I tried to avoid the masses by going onto the side streets. I had the Rick Steves guidebook and followed his walking tour directions. Very enjoyable day. Lunch was a mob scene but I still enjoyed myself!

Roy, what does your larger itinerary look like, as in where are you coming from before Sorrento, and where are you going after? Instead of trying to do both attractions in a day, you might consider doing one of them on your way to or from Sorrento? There are luggage check services at both Napoli Centrale and at Pompeii.

Agree with Kath. It's doable, but really depends on what you've done before and what you plan to do after. We did 4 hours at Pompei in March 2015, saw about 70% of the ruins. We did the Arch Museum in March 2017, did 2 hours almost exclusively at the Pompei exhibit and we missed a helluva lot (esp. the Farnese exhibit!) but were kinda pressed for time. That was an error in planning, in hindsight.

However, it would be very cool to try them both on the same day as they're bookends to each other.

Absolutely in agreement with Jay here that it would be nice to be able to do both on on the same day - they are "bookends" indeed! - but per his firsthand experience, better, if possible, to split them up versus having to rush through one of them to get to the other?

I know, with more wonders in Italy than one can shake a stick at, seems there's NEVER enough time for getting to the oodles we want to see. I need another lifetime! :O)

I will be a contrarian and say yes, it can be done. It will be a bit tiring, but here is how I would do it based on personal experience.

Arrive at the Museum at opening, which is 10:00 am. We were on the doorstep a few minutes prior the day we went. As I recall, this meant leaving Sorrento on a train around 8:30. Check times.

We spent about 90 minutes in the museum. Fast? Yes. We are not dawdlers in museums. \

Make a beeline back to Napoli Centrale and take the train to Pompeii. You can grab some lunch at Cafe Vyta in the station or wait and eat at one of the places by Pompeii. Nothing fancy, but you can fuel yourselves.

So you'll be at Pompeii and fed by about 13:00-13:30. Make an appointment with a good guide, like Gaetano Manfredi. (we used him once and cheaped out the second time, when we went with our son, and ended up with a ditzy woman we all wanted to throttle by the end of the tour.) He gives 2-hour tours. It will give you a terrific feel for Pompeii. Then you can wander to your heart's delight as the site is open until 19:30 in April. Check times on trains returning to Sorrento, of course.

A guide really saves you time and mental energy. It is wonderful to let someone else take you about at an important site like this.

Even if you spend 3 hours at the museum, you have time for both, but you need to commit to a time to meet the guide and also be aware of how much time you will be on your feet at both sites.

We will arrive by cruise ship the day before and travel to Sorrento by train. We plan to be in Sorrento from Wed mid day to Saturday morning. We are planning a day to Capri and a day to Amalfi coast. Of course we have the Pompeii day as well. thanks for all the input.

Laurel--I know you lived in Rome and have been to both places discussed here, but here's a question about your plan:

Is it better or worse (or doesn't really matter) to do the Archeological Museum first, before the ruins? RE: the Pompei portion, I kind of liked going to the ruins first--albeit two years before--and then seeing that art at the Museum and just being amazed that it was nearly 2000 years old and was so well-preserved!

Because the visit is in April, perhaps sun and temperature are not factors. But in May or later (so maybe you want to decided closer to the date ... ) I would strongly recommend going to Pompeii as early as possible, to avoid the worst heat, and (May or later ... ) crowds of tourists. Because the Museum is not beside the Circumvesuviana station, it's takes time to get there and back. (We slept one night in Naples, so that was not a problem for us.)

I AM a museum guy. But the two best things at the Arch. Museum (for me) were the .. er ... Brothel frescoes, in a an adults-only gallery, and the Farnese Marbles, which have nothing to do with Pompeii. I mean, the Pompeii frescoes and sculptures are great, but they are (contrary to many other opinons here) absolutely not necessary. (The Alexander Mosaic is worth seeing.) It's perhaps more important to understand how many replicas you are seeing at the ancient Pompeii site.

The high point of our Pompeii visit is unpredictable in general: We found the Villa di Misteri (sp.) OPEN and virtually empty. Those are the actual frescoes, and unique. This villa is (perhaps) more often closed than open, and a very special monument.

Is it better or worse (or doesn't really matter) to do the
Archeological Museum first, before the ruins? RE: the Pompei portion,
I kind of liked going to the ruins first--albeit two years before--and
then seeing that art at the Museum and just being amazed that it was
nearly 2000 years old and was so well-preserved!

Jay - I am not sure it matters. I like to go to museums at the opening time and to my farthest destination for the day first, working back toward "home."

If you want to visit archeological Museum in Naples my suggestion is to visit also Capodimonte museum it is fascinating! I don’t think you ca do all in one day!