I'm really enjoying this site- great information.

I'm headed to the Amalfi coast in two weeks. I plan to tour Pompeii as a day trip.

What is the best way to see Pompeii: guided tour, audioguide, or guidebook only? I don't mind paying for the tour if it's worth it.

Any other advice?
Thanks in advance!

I took a daytour with my Mom and sister a few weeks back. It was very superficial and we really didn't see too many things. I noticed while we were there that most people had audiophones that they were listening to. I would probably bring a guidebook also. Another alternative is to spring for an archaeological tour if you're in a group...


Lil

Hi Lil-
Thanks for the quick response. I really enjoyed your recent trip report.

An archaeological tour would be so neat! But I'm traveling by myself and would not be able to afford something that extravagant. I've gotten several guidebooks of Southern Italy to read up on the site before I arrive.

Any other advice, Lil?
Thanks!

Hi mama bear-

I rented the audioguide. It was very informative and detailed. A budget option if you don't want to hire a guide. With the audioguide, I never had to use my own guidebook.
When you buy a ticket, you get a free map and an small information booklet as well - which has description of each building that is open to the public.

i will tell you what not to do...i tried to read two guide books as we toured. it was too distracting. looking up info and dragging around the two books.we also found several spots locked up and learned afterwards ( as i was still reading on the train back to sorrento)that a tip to the closest guards would have provided the magic to open them up! i have no idea how the audiotour is but i would choose that or a guide.

The audio guides for Pompeii are very good. The sites are numbered and you can select what you want to see from your map and just enter the number. No rewinding or having to see things in a certain order as with some other types of audio guides at some museums etc.

I highly recommend that you do some reaing in advance, ideally making a little list of the must-sees you really want to see while you're there. Then you can either use a guide (which is what we did) or use the audio guide. Our guide was good, but the audio guides (which we did not try) also sound good. Advance research will help either way, though, so that you see what you REALLY want to see.

Have a great trip!

Thanks to everyone who responded. It sounds like the audioguide is the way to go. I'll let you all know how it turns how in a few weeks.

Thanks again!

I seem to remember having to leave an ID at the audioguide rental until you returned it. I usually don't take my license but I prefer to let someone hold that than my passport.

I took a guided tour and I think that if I did it again, I would do it with an audio tour. I felt that there were too many places we didn't go to and our time was limited. I assume that we the audio guide, you can stay as long as you want to wander around.

I'll be interested to read your report when you come back.

We did a tour with one of the guides at Pompeii. The fee was small because he divided the cost amongst the number of people taking the tour. When you enter Pompeii, there are usually guides waiting for people to join the group, and most of the groups we saw had about 10-12 people which is small enough to enjoy.

Our guide was Stefano and he was wonderful...he had lots of personality and was very informative. Afterwards, we wandered around taking photos and spent as much time as we wanted in areas that he did not cover.

I would definitely recommend one of these guides.

Andrea or anyone else who has visited Pompeii recently, do you know if the night tours are still running? The "official" website doesn't give any information about this. I've read that the night tours are (were?) great and we are hoping to be able to do it this summer when we visit the area. Thanks.

The night tours were not running when I was there (not surprizing given that it was January!), but they said they would start again in March. My hotel had NO idea what I was talking about, but they knew right away what I meant in the tourist office.

Good luck!

Thank you, Andrea.

hi! i just visited pompeii this past friday and we followed the hints from this site and just took the train from Rome to Naples, then the Circumvesuviana from Naples to Pompeii. It was very easy to do and when we got to Pompeii, we were approached by an Italian man trying to get us to pay 80 Euros for a guided tour. Of course, it may have been fine for a larger group, since the cost could have been split up, but since it was just my husband and myself, we just got the audioguide and had a guidebook we bought back at home on Pompeii. It was fine for us! The one thing i wasnt ecxpecting was how big Pompeii was.....5 hours wasnt enuf for us to see it all. But we are pretty into history, so we took our time....it was great and we would definitley return there!

Does anyone know how long the audio guide runs? Is it a set time or does it have something for all the "exhibits"? (Guess that would run for a week). Also, what about the Villa dei Misteri--I have read it is really worth seeing but from my map it appears to be away from the main area? Thanks.

mimipam-

The audioguide is long, and there is no "time limit". Each building/site that is open to the public is assigned a number. When you get to that spot, just punch in the number and the audioguide will "load" that particular segment. So, you don't need to follow a particular route. The guide is very detailed, often describing each room one by one. I didn't have time to listen to it all, but your guess of "a week" is possible...

The map they give you is also numbered so you can plot a route. There are sample itineraries on the map that you can follow - 2 hour, 4 hour or 6 hour. I suggest going to Villa dei Misteri first and then work your way back toward the front.

Villa dei Misteri is WELL worth a visit - one of the best preserved villas in Pompeii, with well-preserved paintings, mosaics, and even a wine press!

Regarding the guides (human, not audio) - we were there in January and were only charged 30 Euro because it was low season.

Mimipam: The Villa is 600m from the Circumvesuviana station.
Unless things have changed in the past couple of years, the Villa is an exit-only site you cannot reenter Pompeii.
If you have time it's definitely worth the short detour. Regards, Walter