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How to visit Herculaneum

Visiting Herculaneum offers a unique window into a Roman town frozen in time. From luxurious villas to humble homes, public baths, and marketplaces, every corner tells a story of how people lived, worked, and socialized before the eruption of Vesuvius. Taking the time to plan your visit ensures you can fully explore these treasures and appreciate the extraordinary preservation that makes Herculaneum one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world.

Navigating your way

Herculaneum is compact yet layered with history, and its narrow streets and preserved buildings can be overwhelming without a plan. Taking time to prepare your visit makes exploring the site much more rewarding.

Timed entry

Tickets are released in timed slots to manage visitor flow and ensure a smooth experience. Booking in advance is highly recommended, especially during peak season, to avoid long queues and make the most of your visit.

Walk the ancient streets

Follow the main path through narrow streets lined with homes, workshops, and public spaces. Along the way, you can see original wooden doors, staircases, and carbonized furniture, all preserved in remarkable detail.

Key highlights

Herculaneum’s highlights include the Villa of the Papyri, Roman baths, the forum, colorful frescoes, intricate mosaics, and well-preserved homes and kitchens. Each area reveals everyday life in a Roman town and the extraordinary level of preservation here.

Nearby insights

A visit to Herculaneum can be combined with Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius for a fuller understanding of the 79 AD eruption. Exploring these sites together allows visitors to see the scale of the disaster and how it transformed the towns and surrounding region.

How to make the most of your time

Visit typeDurationRouteWhat you get

Snapshot visit

1-2 hrs

Main entrance → Central streets → Forum → Villa of the Papyri → Exit

See the key highlights of Herculaneum in a short visit, including mosaics, frescoes, and well-preserved streets.

Balanced visit

2-3 hrs

Main entrance → Forum → Baths → Villas → Ancient homes → Exit

Explore a mix of public and private spaces, gaining insight into both daily life and Roman civic culture.

Full experience

Half-day

Main entrance → Forum → Baths → Villas → Ancient homes → Streets & Shops → Exit

Tour the site thoroughly, from grand villas to bakeries and workshops, for a complete understanding of life in this Roman town before the 79 AD eruption.

Handy tips

  • Book in advance: Herculaneum can get busy during peak season, so reserving timed tickets ensures a smooth visit without long waits.
  • Comfortable footwear: The ancient streets are uneven, with steps and narrow passages, so sturdy shoes make exploring easier.
  • Stay hydrated and protected: Much of the site is open-air; bring water, a hat, and sunscreen, especially in summer.
  • Visit the Villa of the Papyri first: Start here to avoid crowds and have more time to admire this famous villa and its remarkable details.
  • Explore off the main path: Quieter streets and smaller houses reveal a more intimate view of Roman town life away from the busiest areas.

Explore Herculaneum

House of Neptune

Admire the famous mosaic depicting Neptune and Amphitrite, showcasing Herculaneum’s artistic skill.

What to look out for: detailed mosaics, preserved floors, decorative motifs, Roman craftsmanship

Villa of the Papyri

Explore a luxurious villa famed for its library of ancient scrolls and elegant architecture.

What to look out for: marble floors, frescoes, courtyards, carbonized scrolls

Public Baths

Discover the town’s social and bathing spaces, highlighting Roman engineering and daily life.

What to look out for: hot and cold rooms, heating systems, mosaic floors, communal areas

College of the Augustales

The headquarters of Herculaneum’s elite priests, where members of the imperial cult combined religious and social life.

What to look out for: frescoed walls, atrium, ceremonial rooms, inscriptions tied to the cult

Before you get there

Skip the line

👉 Avoid long queues

Guided tours

👉 Expert insights on site

Timings

👉 Peak hours & closures

Getting there

👉 Train, bus, or car

Herculaneum & Pompeii

👉 See both ancient towns

Day trips

👉 Transfers from Naples & Sorrento

Best time to visit Herculaneum

Herculaneum Plan Your Visit

The best time to visit Herculaneum is during the shoulder and lean seasons (November to March), when the site is quieter and temperatures are milder. For the most comfortable experience, plan your visit for early morning or late afternoon, when the light is softer and crowds are thinner. In winter, afternoon visits offer the warmest conditions and better natural lighting for photos.

If you're visiting in the peak summer months (June to September), expect hot temperatures and higher visitor numbers. Bring sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water, and consider arriving right when the site opens to explore comfortably before midday heat sets in. This time of year still offers a great experience, just pace your visit and take advantage of shaded areas where possible.

Know more about Herculenaum opening hours

Where is Herculaneum located?

Address: Corso Resina, 187, 80056 Ercolano NA, Italy.

Herculaneum is located in southern Italy and on the foot of Mount Vesuvius. Once well-equipped with urban infrastructure including bath houses, ancient theaters and country houses, Herculaneum is touted to be a wealthier neighborhood than its sister site Pompeii.

Detailed directions to Herculaneum

How to get to Herculaneum?

From Naples

  • Travel time: 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on mode of transport
  • Distance: 11.6 km
  • Transport options: Train/bus

By train: Circumvesuviana train from the Naples Piazza Garibaldi station
Nearest stop to Herculaneum: Ercolano Scavi

Bus routes: 254, 195
Nearest stop to Herculaneum: San Ciro

Recommended tours:

​From Naples: Herculaneum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Transfers

From Pompeii

  • Travel time: Approximately 45 minutes
  • Distance: 18.8 km
  • Transport options: Train

By train: L44088 from Pompeii Santuario station
Nearest stop to Herculaneum: Ercolano Scavi

Recommended tours:

​From Pompeii: Herculaneum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Transfers

From Sorrento

  • Travel time: 70 minutes to 1 hour and 44 minutes, depending on mode of transport
  • Distance: 40.3 km
  • Transport options: Train/bus

By train: Take the L111018 from the Sorrento station train
Nearest stop: Ercolano Scavi

By bus: Sorrento - Afragola 1012 towards Afragola
Nearest stop: Ercolano

Recommended tours:

​From Sorrento: Herculaneum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with Transfers

Getting to Herculaneum by car

Herculaneum Plan Your Visit

Take the A3 Napoli-Salerno highway to reach Herculaneum. Once you arrive, there are a number of parking spots you can choose from:

  • The site has an underground parking lot where you the hourly charges are between 2 and 5 euros.
  • You can also park in the municipal parking lot on Viale dei Papiri Ercolanesi.
  • There are also unguarded free parking spots near the ruins.

Know before you go to Herculaneum

Herculaneum Plan Your Visit
  • Entrances with ramps: There are two wheelchair ramps at the entrance that leads to an accessible bridge that welcomes you into the site.  
  • Accessible toilets: Herculaneum is well-equipped with accessible and disable-friendly bathrooms around the site including at the entrance, visitor center and ticket office.
  • Wheelchair-friendly areas: The route along III Cardo street allows wheelchair access. Most the streets and sidewalks are step-free making most areas wheelchair-friendly and easy to access. You’ll spot plenty of metal bridges installed for wheelchair users and strollers.
Herculaneum Plan Your Visit
  • Locker room: Right beside the ticket counter, there’s a luggage storage room where the visitors can leave their bags and other personal belongings free of cost. 
  • Audio Guide: Visitors can access maps and audio tours to navigate through the site. However, for a richer experience, it is recommended to go with a certified guide who is also a trained archaeologist.
  • Parking: There’s parking available at an underground parking garage located near the entrance of the site. The approximate cost of parking is 2-5 euros per hour.   
  • Refreshments: There is a snack counter from where you can grab a quick bite.

Additionally, Herculaneum also has a book shop and an information desk.

Herculaneum Plan Your Visit
  • Bags or backpacks larger than 30x30x15 cm cannot be brought into Herculaneum.
  • It's easier to combine trips to Herculaneum and Vesuvius in one day rather than Herculaneum and Pompeii. Visiting Herculaneum and Pompeii on two separate days gives you a better chance to appreciate the two sites without being overwhelmed.
  • Tourists are strictly forbidden from touching artifacts like frescoes and mosaics, wooden structures, etc. as these have been carefully restored and are fragile.
  • Enhance your visit with a guided tour. As Herculaneum is filled with rich history, visiting each ruin with an expert guide (who is also an archeologist) is sure to help you appreciate the deeper significance of what you see.
  • Dogs are allowed inside the archeological park, provided they are leashed and muzzled.

Frequently asked questions about visiting Herculaneum

Herculaneum is open year-round for the public except on January 1 and December 25. From 16 March to 14 October, timings are from 8:30am to 7:30pm. From 15 October to 15 March, you can visit between 8:30am and 5pm. The last entry to the site is 90 before closing time.

More reads

Timings

Directions

Guided tours