Herculaneum  Tickets






































































TL;DR

  • Ways to explore: Enter with timed entry tickets for a relaxed, self-guided visit, or choose a guided tour to understand the site’s layout, homes, and remarkably preserved details. Audio guides are available for flexible pacing.
  • What guided tours add: An archaeologist-led tour brings daily life, street structure, and preservation methods into focus, making it ideal if you want the story behind what you’re seeing rather than just walking the ruins.
  • Combo options: You can pair Herculaneum with Pompeii for a fuller picture of the 79 AD eruption and how each site was impacted differently.
  • Queues & access: The site is calmer than Pompeii, but timed entry helps during weekends and peak months. Some areas can be temporarily closed for conservation.
  • When to book: Secure tickets 1–2 weeks ahead in high season to guarantee preferred time slots and tour availability.
  • Good to know: Arrive 10–15 minutes early. Surfaces are uneven — comfortable walking shoes recommended. Tickets are generally time-specific and non-refundable.
  • Best upgrade: Choose a guided tour that includes transport from Naples, Sorrento, or Pompeii to avoid navigation hassles and enjoy a richer, more connected understanding of the site.

Which Herculaneum ticket is best for you?

Ticket typeQueues bypassedIncludesWhy pick this?Price fromRecommended tours

Self-guided visit

✅ Ticket queues

Site entry + Multilingual audio guide or English guidebook

You decide the pace and path, with optional add-ons to deepen context

€16

Timed Entry Tickets

Archaeologist-led tour

✅ Ticket queues

Site entry + Expert guide

Gain a clearer picture of daily life and how the site was preserved

€35.55

Guided Tour w. Priority Entry

Day trip with transfers

✅ Ticket queues

Site entry + Transfers from Naples, Sorrento, Pompeii

Everything’s arranged for you, no need to figure out transport or timings

€70

Guided Tour with Transfers

Private tour

✅ Ticket queues

Site entry + Expert guide (Small group)

The guide focuses on your interests and questions throughout the visit

€330

Private Guided Tour

Roman ruins combo

✅ Ticket queues

Entry to both sites

Covers both major Vesuvian ruins in one straightforward combo

€41.14

Pompeii + Herculaneum Entry

What to expect at Herculaneum?

Ruins of Herculaneum entrance with ancient stone structures and arches, Italy.
Herculaneum ruins with tourists exploring ancient streets on a guided tour from Naples.
Wooden partition in Herculaneum house interior, Italy.
Carbonised wooden shelves in an ancient room at Herculaneum, Italy.
Samnite House interior with ancient frescoes in Herculaneum, Italy.
Herculaneum ruins with Mount Vesuvius in the background, Italy.
1/6

Start at the ancient shoreline

Begin your visit near what was once the town’s waterfront. The first impression is striking: quiet stone arches and boathouses where residents once gathered, offering an immediate sense of the site’s human history and its close relationship to the sea.

Explore streets frozen in time

Walk along narrow lanes lined with houses, workshops, and public buildings. The scale feels personal, closer and more intact than Pompeii, allowing you to imagine everyday Roman life in detail, from family routines to neighborhood activity.

Step inside remarkably preserved homes

Enter villas where colorful frescoes, mosaics, and wooden furnishings are still visible. Some upper floors and balconies remain in place, giving you a rare view of how multi-level Roman homes were designed, decorated, and lived in.

See objects that survived the eruption

Because Herculaneum was buried in volcanic mud rather than ash, organic materials endured. Charred wooden beams, doors, shelves, and food remains reveal the textures of daily life with surprising clarity, bringing the ancient world closer than expected.

Learn through thoughtful interpretation

Signs, reconstructions, and optional guides help explain architecture, family life, commerce, and the community’s final moments. Rather than just examining ruins, you follow a narrative that connects the site to real people and real stories.

Pause at the panoramic viewpoints

Towards the end, elevated walkways give sweeping views of the excavated town framed by the modern city above. It’s a moment to take in the layers of time, and reflect on how a thriving coastal town was both lost and preserved in an instant.

Things to know before booking your Herculaneum tickets

  • Book ahead: Slots can book out on weekends and during peak travel months. Reserving earlier ensures you enter at your preferred window.
  • Standard timed entry: Ideal if you want to explore independently. You’ll bypass the ticket queue and walk through homes, bathhouses, and ancient streets at your own pace. You can add a multilingual audio guide or a digital guidebook for extra context during your visit.
  • Guided walk with expert insights: A highly recommended upgrade for first-time visitors. Your archaeologist guide explains how the site was buried and preserved, highlights daily Roman habits, and points out architectural and artistic details that are easy to overlook. This makes the experience more engaging and meaningful.
  • Convenient day trip options: Perfect if you're staying in Naples, Sorrento, or Pompeii. Round-trip transfers and priority entry are included, so there’s no need to figure out routes or timings. You simply travel with your group, explore the site, and return comfortably, a seamless and time-efficient option.
  • Private tours for a more intimate visit: Explore Herculaneum at a pace that suits you, with your small-group private guide leading the way. Ask questions freely, focus on the details you care about most, whether that's daily life, fresco techniques, or volcanic history, and enjoy a more personal, conversational experience that’s ideal for families, couples, and small groups.
  • Roman ruins combo: A smart pick if you're visiting both sites. You get entry to Herculaneum and Pompeii under a single booking, simplifying your planning while offering better overall value. 
  • Site conditions: Ongoing restoration means some rooms, houses, or viewing areas may be closed without prior notice. The layout of accessible areas can change.
  • Accessibility: Paths are uneven with steps and narrow walkways. While more compact than other archaeological sites, Herculaneum may still be difficult for wheelchair users or visitors with limited mobility.
See More, Miss Less with a Guided Tour

Herculaneum is filled with details that are easy to overlook. Going with an expert guide means you’ll understand the homes, frescoes, daily life, and the eruption’s timeline, not just walk past the ruins. Perfect if you want the site’s story to truly come alive.

Archaeologist explaining Herculaneum ruins to tourists in Naples, Italy.

Herculaneum highlights

Amphitheater at Villa of the Papyri with visitors exploring the site.

Villa of the Papyri

A luxurious seafront villa believed to have belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. It once held the only known library of ancient carbonized papyrus scrolls, alongside a remarkable collection of bronze and marble statues. The scale and layout reflect the refined leisure and cultural life of Rome’s elite.

Mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite at Herculaneum's House of Neptune, Italy.
Samnite House interior with ancient frescoes and mosaic floor in Herculaneum, Italy.
Wooden partition in Herculaneum house interior, Italy.
Tourist exploring ancient Herculaneum baths interior, Italy.

Plan your visit to Herculaneum

Tips & Guidelines

  • Start with the boat houses: This is where the 300 victims were found. It frames the emotional context of the site from the beginning.
  • Walk the main street: It’s the clearest visual of daily Roman life, shops, counters, and second floors still intact.
  • Look for preserved wood: Herculaneum’s unique carbonization lets you see doors, furniture, shelves, and beams still in place.
  • Wear good shoes: The Roman paving stones are irregular and can be slippery when wet.
  • Shade is limited: Carry water, a hat, and sunscreen, especially in summer.
  • Photography: Allowed throughout, but flash photography and drones are prohibited
  • Please carry a small backpack or a purse as large bags aren’t allowed.
  • Children below the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
  • Infants must be carried in a sling or baby carrier as it is difficult to handle strollers in the cobblestoned areas.

Frequently asked questions about Herculaneum tickets

This ticket grants priority entry and access to the full archaeological park. You’re free to explore the preserved streets, houses, baths, and shoreline areas at your own pace.

More reads