When Mount Vesuvius erupted, every village, town, and city within a 15-kilometer radius of the volcano was destroyed.
That’s why numerous ruins exist in the region, such as Pompeii, Herculaneum (also known as Ercolano), Oplonti, Stabia, etc.
Pompeii and Herculaneum get the maximum number of visitors because of their size and extent of preservation.
But even between them, the disparity is enormous – more than 2.5 million tourists visit Pompeii ruins annually, while Herculaneum gets only 300,000 visitors.
In this article, we share everything you must know about visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum on the same day.
Top Pompeii and Herculaneum Tickets
# Our recommendation
# Pompeii and Herculaneum tour tickets
# Amazing private tour
Herculaneum or Pompeii?
Some tourists wonder if they must visit Pompeii or Herculaneum.
The city of Herculaneum is better preserved than Pompeii.
The houses, thermal baths, temples, and statues are less damaged than in Pompeii.
The Romans living in Herculaneum were much more lavish because their houses and other attractions amongst the ruins were bigger and better.
Even the Frescos and artwork found in Herculaneum are better than those found in Pompeii.
However, Herculaneum is much smaller in size when compared to Pompeii – while the former housed approximately 5,000 people, Pompeii was known to have 20,000 people living there.
As for the question “Herculaneum or Pompeii?” our answer is: “It depends.”
If you don’t mind taking a short public transport to move between Herculaneum and Pompeii, we suggest you explore both the ruins.
Since these two ruins are only 16 km (10 miles) apart, tourists with extra time, money, and energy prefer Herculaneum and Pompeii combo tours.
If you don’t have much time or believe in exploring one site thoroughly, we recommend you spend all your time in Pompeii.
And save Herculaneum for your next visit (or the next day!).
Check out the 12 must-see highlights of Pompeii
Visual Story: 13 must-know tips before visiting Pompeii
Transport between Pompeii and Herculaneum
If you have decided to visit both the sites, you have two travel options – private transport and public.
If money isn’t an issue, getting a private car with a driver is the best option.
The second option is to take the Circumvesuviana train, which starts from Porta Nolana station in Naples.
The final destination of this train is Sorrento.
To go to Herculaneum ruins, you must get down at Ercolano Scavi station, and to get to Pompeii, you must get down at Pompei Scavi – Villa Dei Misteri.
You can decide which ruins to see first and plan accordingly.
Our recommendation
After boarding the train at Naples, get down at Pompei Scavi station first.
The train ride from Naples to Pompei Scavi station is 30 minutes, and the entrance to Pompeii ruins is 25 meters outside.
Once you have explored Pompeii, return to the station and board the Circumvesuviana train towards Naples.
After 18 minutes of travel time, get down at Ercolano Scavi, and just outside the train station, you will spot the entrance to the Herculaneum ruins.
Once you have explored the Herculaneum ruins, return to Ercolano Scavi station and board the Naples-bound Circumvesuviana train.
Your trip from Herculaneum to Naples will last less than 20 minutes.
To enter both the ruins, you will need tickets –
Pompeii and Herculaneum tour tickets
Many visitors don’t want to manage their travel, which is understandable because sometimes it can get confusing.
For such tourists, we recommend the below-given 8-hour tour of Pompeii and Herculaneum, starting from Naples.
The inclusions of the tour package are:
- Hotel pick-up
- Entry tickets to Pompeii
- Local guide to help explore Pompeii ruins
- Transportation from Pompeii to Herculaneum
- Entrance fee to Herculaneum
- Drop back to the hotel
Tour price: All 4+ tourists pay €92
FAQs about Pompeii and Herculaneum tours
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the Pompeii and Herculaneum tours:
At Pompeii, you will see the ruins of homes, streets, an amphitheater, temples, and preserved artifacts like mosaics and frescoes. However, at Herculaneum, you will see similar ruins, which are better preserved because they were buried under volcanic material.
Yes, you can book your tickets online for Pompeii and Herculaneum tours or an amazing private tour of Pompeii and Herculaneum. You can also book Herculaneum’s priority entrance ticket and tickets for Pompeii.
Canceling and rescheduling is usually possible until 23:59 the day before your visit. Always check the terms and conditions before purchasing.
If you prefer private transport and a private guide for exploring the ruins on the same day, check out this amazing private tour.
Must read
The masturbating man of Pompeii
Interesting trivia about Pompeii ruins
The funniest Pompeii graffiti
Sources
# Pompeiitours.it
# Wikipedia.org
# Britannica.com
# Khanacademy.org
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