Question, we are doing a guided walking tour of Pompeii with Mondo Guide from 11 AM to 1 PM. We’d like to leave Pompeii via train to visit Herculaneum and then get up to Vesuvius via bus or train using a timed entry ticket at 450 PM, before then using public transport afterwards to get back to our Airbnb in Sorrento. My questions are a) is this a realistic schedule for one day and b) what is the best mode of transportation to get up to and back from Vesuvius?
Thanks.
Though I did not do all three of those things when I visited Pompeii in 2022, I believe that I can offer some insight.
Your schedule might be a bit tight for a reason: You might want to linger in Pompeii even if you're on a guided tour. Pompeii is a fabulous site. It overwhelmed me. I was in Pompeii for about three to almost four hours but wanted to see more. However, if tour is on a tight schedule, lingering might not be possible, though I have been on site tours for which extra time was allotted.
Also, you might want to see the National Archeological Museum in Naples, which is about 20 miles away from Pompeii, to deepen your understanding. All the artifacts from Pompeii are in the museum.
A tip: Read the novel Pompeii by Robert Harris. Though it's fiction, it taught me a lot about the city and volcanic explosion that engulfed it than any nonfiction book would have. My review: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/books-movies/review-of-pompeii-by-robert-harris
Pompeii and Herculaneum can both be visited in the same day, but I'd not try to see all three. That would be too rushed. Even then, two hours for Pompeii is a bit rushed. If possible, a much earlier start will give you time to do justice to both sites.
a) is this a realistic schedule for one day
What time of year is this planned to happen?
If sometime from mid-June to end of Aug., you likely to end up being 'crispy critters'
There probably is a way to arrange the transportation logistics to do all 3, but I suspect at the end of the day, you will be saying "we did one too many".
Two hours for Pompeii is like doing a day trip to Yellowstone.
EDIT
our trip will be from March 23-April 20, give or take by a day or two…
( from another post by OP)
Presumably you are there now? If so, my 'crispy critter' comment is probably not applicable.
Joe is correct. You could barely walk in and out of Pompeii in two hours. Personally there is little to nothing to see at Vesuvius. Stop on the road, walk up a loose, gravelly slope, and peer into a deep hole in the ground that might be smoking a bit. There is really nothing to see -- and it is hot. Pompeii, itself can easily be a half day or more depending on guide and interests. Second, you really should visit the museum in Naples - another half day but it where all the good stuff from Pompeii is on display. And it well done. Even visit the room that use to require permission from the Pope to enter.
That's a lot to pack in, we did the Mondo Tour last April and because other people were late and unorganized, we started a half hour late. Pompeii is huge and the tour just touches on some areas, we ended up spending 12 hours over two days. We spent about 3 hours at Herculaneum. We ran out of time on our two week trip and never made it to Vesuvius.
Echoing the others I agree you have time for 2 things but not 3. We did Pompeii first thing and, although I could have seen more, limited it to the 2 or 3 hr guided tour as our kids were fairly young still. We wandered a bit more after to help them understand/enjoy it more. Then we had lunch near the train station/entrance area. Then we took a bus for a trip to see Vesuvius. It was frustrating because there was a lot of waiting around for (I think) them to sell more tickets. And I think some problem with the bus.
At the top the most interesting thing to me was a large sign that showed where the harbor used to be before the eruption-it was very close to Pompeii! So basically all that volcanic ash filled in the harbor significantly. The crater was smoking but still, not all that interesting.
If you don't love sweeping views and instead love the half buried cities, then see Herculaneum. Personally I wish we had fit in then museum in Naples, but that's for another trip.
Thanks, great feedback everyone. We have two free days in Sorrento and another full day set aside for Naples so we’ll just spend all day tomorrow in Pompeii and then maybe see Herculaneum and Vesuvius together on one of the other days.
Are there any beaches near Sorrento (we don’t have a car) that are quiet this time of a year and a hood place to spend a day with a good book, an umbrella, and some quiet and tranquility?
