We are planning on visiting Rome after our Sicily tour next summer and are spending a day in Naples visiting the museum and either Pompeii or Herculaneum. Anybody been to both? Is one easier to get to than the other? I am guessing Herculaneum has less crowds which is a plus, but would we be missing out on a lot at Pompeii? Any thoughts are appreciated.
Posted by
3258 posts
In April 2022, we visited both on separate days. I would go with Pompeii, because I would have hated to miss the Villa of the Mysteries and the Amphitheater.
IMHO, a day in Naples for MANN plus either Pompeii or Herculaneum would not be much fun. I would skip the museum for more time at your choice of sites.
If you decide to visit Herculaneum, I highly recommend adding Oplontis and Stabiae to your itinerary. Our guides from Askos Tours were wonderful, and I am so glad they suggested that we add Stabiae to our private tour.
http://pompeiisites.org/en/oplontis/
Posted by
Fredericksburg, VA
237 posts
We visited both a few months ago and enjoyed both equally. I believe that they complement one another as Pompeii reflects what a working, commercial city looked like and Herculaneum is more of what a smaller, resort town for the elites of Rome looked like. If you are into archaeology and Roman history, visit both. If not, do some quick internet research and figure out which of the two interests you most. Whichever you choose, you can't go wrong and it should be an enjoyable experience. Enjoy your visit!
~Darrel