Visiting Visuvius on the RS Southern Italy tour

RoxAnn,

There are a couple of possibilities. The current Itinerary doesn't specify which town on the Amalfi Coast you'll be staying, so not possible to say for sure when the best time would be to fit in Vesuvius.

There appears to be a free day on Day 8, and if boat service is available in the town you'll be staying, that would be a good time to go to Capri for the day. Make sure you don't miss the return boat! There's another free day on Day 10 and that would be perfect for a visit to Mt. Vesuvius. The RS Italy guidebook has suggestions for bus and other options to get there.

The hike to the top is a bit steep, so be sure you're in reasonably good condition. In some ways, the downhill walk is harder on the knees!

The RS tour department will be able to provide more specific information.

Additionally about Vesuvius:

You must purchase an advance, timed-entry ticket to access the trail to the cone, and you must be on time for your slot.

https://vesuviopark.vivaticket.it/en?qubsq=2ef71e57-3741-4433-88d3-f31a07e39958&qubsp=8e397c29-989e-483a-b92c-63962d9d6258&qubsts=1655376013&qubsc=bestunion&qubse=vivaticketserver&qubsrt=Safetynet&qubsh=8cbb2cc76210f97c4f52b2f373b2130f

More from the park:
https://www.parconazionaledelvesuvio.it/en/visit-the-park/the-paths/the-great-cono/

And some reviews on TripAdvisor (scroll down the page to them):
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1602959-d195494-Reviews-Vesuvius_National_Park-Ottaviano_Province_of_Naples_Campania.html

Full disclosure: we skipped this one during our stay in the region and weren't sorry, even though we normally enjoy a hike; it's very visible from many points around the gulf, including Pompeii and Sorrento. I don't know how long your tour of Pompeii is but I'm guessing not more than a couple of hours? It's a HUGE site that you could easily explore for additional hours after the formal tour has wrapped up. As well, looking at your itinerary for that day of the RS tour, I wouldn't lay money that you'd have enough time for the volcano before needing to be back at Pompeii and on the bus to Sorrento. If you were to do it, I'd probably choose that free afternoon in Naples, although Herculaneum might be a better choice if you're interested in archeological excavations.

The only opportunity to visit Vesuvius would be on your free day in Sorrento or if you are spending an extra day in Naples. We did not do this so I cannot advise you on the logistics on doing this so hopefully someone who has done this will chime in. You will see Vesuvius from a distance in Pompeii. For us that was sufficient especially as it was a hot day so keep the temps in mind if you plan to visit although maybe at altitude it will be a bit cooler. Another poster suggested that you spend extra time in Pompeii after your tour visit. That will not be possible on the day of the tour as you leave Pompeii directly after the visit for Sorrento. If you want more time in Pompeii, this could be done on your free day in Sorrento. I am sure the guide can help you with those logistics. The two hours we spent in Pompeii were not enough. The tour gives it very short shrift. The museum there alone merits more time. We were grateful that we had visited Pompeii previously and had spent a good part of a day there. Visiting the coliseum/stadium in Pompeii and seeing Vesuvius looming in the distance was chilling knowing what happened to that city in 79 AD. We found the tour visit barely scratches the surface and was disappointing having been there before. Others on the tour who had not been to Pompeii before said the tour visit was disappointing and I pointed out to them that they hadn’t really seen Pompeii. I believe the recently renovated House of the Vetii (sp?) is now open and well worth a visit if the tour does not take you there.