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Pompeii Tours
Discover Pompeii On An Expert-Led Group Tour
Nowhere in the world gives a deeper insight into Roman life than the dramatic seaside town of Pompeii and neighbouring Herculaneum. Before the cataclysmic eruption of Vesuvius, these were thriving, lively towns – Pompeii was a trading town equipped with many bars, shops and brothels, while nearby Herculaneum was an affluent, elegant area.
All this came to an abrupt halt in the autumn of AD 79, when Vesuvius - which had done little more than rumble for years - erupted with incredible force. Two thousand years later, the sites of the Bay of Naples confront the modern visitor with a vivid, haunting immediacy like nothing else in the ancient world.
Visiting Pompeii is an unforgettable experience and we believe that there’s no better way to explore it than in the company of an expert. We have a range of archaeological group tours on offer that will see you walk in the footsteps of senators, slaves and even gladiators, as our Guide Lecturers shed light on everything from the ordinary lives of everyday citizens to the new discoveries being unearthed here. Many of our guides have personally excavated at Pompeii and their individual specialisms will illuminate different elements of this iconic site.
Our flagship and all-inclusive Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania tour is a great place to start for the first-time visitor. We have run this eight-day tour consecutively for over 30 years now and it offers an incredible overview on everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Pompeii and the people who met such grisly fates there.
If you’re looking for an expert-led tour with a broader focus, we have a handful of other southern Italy itineraries that still include visits to Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Four Reasons To Choose Andante Travels For Your Pompeii Tour
1) Special access you won’t find elsewhere
Choose our best-selling Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania tour and we’ll treat you to a selection of money-can’t-buy private access experiences. You’ll enjoy private access to the Theatre of Herculaneum, to Paestum Museum’s store rooms and to the Cave of Sejanus.
2) Travel in the company of an esteemed expert
All of our tours that include visits to Pompeii are led by expert Guide Lecturers. Our roster of experts ranges from a best-selling author to a specialist in ancient glass, and from an archaeologist who was a frequent contributor to Channel 4’s popular series Time Team to a Roman Empire specialist with a particular interest in Roman coinage.
3) You’ll explore both Pompeii and Herculaneum
Many tours that explore Pompeii don’t visit neighbouring Herculaneum, a once beautiful coastal city. Herculaneum was buried beneath 23 metres of pyroclastic flow that allowed it to be preserved in much greater detail than Pompeii, and is so worth exploring that all of our Pompeii tours also spend time there. This means you won’t have to choose one or the other or return home feeling as though you’ve missed out.
4) We will share other unmissable highlights of the area with you
The tours we offer that visit Pompeii also include a fabulous collection of other regional highlights, which range from the Flavian amphitheatre in Pozzuoli to a chance to hike the crater of Vesuvius and peer into the void. View our individual itineraries to see what else is included.
Upcoming Departures
8 days
$3,870
4 September 2023
8 days
$3,875
30 October 2023
5 days
$2,445
12 November 2023
What to expect
Pompeii – an incomparable archaeological site
No site compares in revealing the details of daily life in a Roman town. Discover some of the most well-preserved buildings as well as an amphitheatre, theatre, forum, bath-houses, bars, and brothels. Fountains in the street are worn where countless people rested their hands to take a drink and Roman graffiti still marks the walls, the experience of visiting Pompeii truly is unlike any other.
Herculaneum – it perfectly complements a visit to Pompeii
All of our featured tours visit both Pompeii and Herculaneum, and rightly so. This ancient seaside town was sealed by 23 metres of pyroclastic flow from the same eruption that buried Pompeii and the nature of the eruption has meant that organic materials have survived, making this a more poignant site than the all-important destination of Pompeii. Here, you’ll find newly reopened houses, the Theatre of Herculaneum – which is still buried beneath the pyroclastic flow – and a tunnel filled with humans remains that were found huddled in the boathouse.
Expert insight every step of the way
Standing before breathtaking mosaics, gazing at historic frescoes, being granted special access to fascinating sites and exploring houses that are newly opened – these unforgettable experiences are only enhanced by the expertise of our Guide Lecturers. They can tell you everything from the names, professions and personal histories of the people who owned the villas and shops we visit, to the routes best taken to avoid crowds.
