Pompeii from Rome with Optional Mt. Vesuvius & Pizza Lunch
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Rome, Italy
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Visiting Pompeii from Rome independently means hours on crowded trains and buses. Save time and travel in comfort on this escorted day trip by air-conditioned coach. Take an expert-led tour through the ancient ruins of Pompeii and opt to customize your adventure by adding a steady-paced crater hike or scenic walk with a local geologist at Mt. Vesuvius or a 3-course Neapolitan lunch with views of the Bay of Naples.
- Guarantee your tickets to Pompeii by booking in advance
- Skip-the-line access to Pompeii’s UNESCO-listed ruins with a guide
- Choose an optional Vesuvius crater hike or a scenic geologist-guided walk
- Skip the hassle of train transfers and taxi rides with round-trip transfers
What's Included
- Skip-the-line entrance ticket to the Pompeii Archaeological Site
- Official licensed English-speaking guide for a 2-hour tour in Pompeii
- Round-trip transport from Rome in a private, air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi
- Vesuvius National Park entry-valued at 10€ pp; 1.68€ reservation fee (if Vesuvius option selected)
- Crater Hike with an English-speaking tour leader (if Hike option selected)
- Scenic geologist-guided walk in the Vesuvius area (if Geologist option selected)
- 3-course lunch at an authentic Neapolitan restaurant (if option with lunch is selected)
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup/drop-off not included, unless booking the private tour
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Piazza del Popolo, Roma RM, Italy
At the center of Piazza del Popolo, by the large fountain with the lions and the obelisk. The nearest metro stop is Flaminio (Line A). Our City Wonders coordinators will be wearing blue City Wonders polo shirts or jackets to be easily recognizable at the meeting point.
End point
- Viale Giorgio Washington, Roma RM, Italy
Viale Washington, next to Piazza del Popolo
Itinerary
Meet your guide and group in central Rome, and travel south together by air-conditioned coach. After a relaxing journey, arrive in Pompeii to meet an official guide for your tour of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pompeii Archaeological Site. The site is large, and excavations are still ongoing, but you go straight to the highlights to maximize your time. Check out the homes and shops of ancient Pompeii that lay buried for centuries beneath the volcanic ash of Mt. Vesuvius, and learn about the eruption of AD 79.
If you upgrade, continue to Ercolano, a town on the Bay of Naples, and relax over a pizza lunch with views that sweep along the coast. Three courses are included, leaving you recharged for your afternoon at Mt. Vesuvius.
Depending on the option you booked, either hike up to Vesuvius’ crater or enjoy a stroll along the slopes with a geologist guide. After, regroup for the coach journey back to central Rome.
If you upgrade, continue to Ercolano, a town on the Bay of Naples, and relax over a pizza lunch with views that sweep along the coast. Three courses are included, leaving you recharged for your afternoon at Mt. Vesuvius.
Depending on the option you booked, either hike up to Vesuvius’ crater or enjoy a stroll along the slopes with a geologist guide. After, regroup for the coach journey back to central Rome.
City Wonders (Pass By)
1
Archaeological Park of Pompeii
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Ercolano
1 hour 45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Vesuvius National Park
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- IMPORTANT INFORMATION REQUIRED FROM ALL PASSENGERS: You MUST provide all passenger names at the time of booking in order to visit Mount Vesuvius or you may be refused entry.
- Please note: Access to the Vesuvius crater trails is subject to weather conditions and may be closed from November to March, or at other times due to high winds or adverse weather. If this occurs, the itinerary may be adjusted accordingly.
- While our day trips are typically of a fixed duration, external factors may occasionally extend tour times slightly. We appreciate your understanding and planning as we strive to provide you with the best possible experience.
- If you have any dietary restrictions, please inform us at the time of booking and remind your guide on the day of your tour.
- Children under the age of 18 might be requested to show their ID card at the entrance of the site, so please bring it with you on the tour
- If you select the Private Tour option, please ensure to add your accommodation details in the "Special Requirements" field on the check-out page
- The hike up to the crater of Vesuvius requires a good level of general fitness. The walk is uphill at a 14 degree angle and takes roughly 20 minutes.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 42 travelers
Supplied by
Frequently Asked Question (1)
Q:Are restrooms available onboard the bus?
A:Restrooms are not available on the bus, however, your driver will make stops to allow for restroom breaks.
Jun 2023
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Kristin_E
This was a great family trip! I highly recommend it. The restaurant was had a spectacular view of the water and Naples. The tour in Pompeii was informative and interesting. Loved seeing the ancient ruins. The bus driver navigated the twisted roads that took us to Mt Vesuvius like a pro.
Reviews
4.6
based on 6,442 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Ruth_P, Aug 2026
Fabulous day. Errica was amazing. Informative and enthusiastic. Pompeii was just something that you have to do it was incredible. It did seem a bit rushed at times but we did get to see all the highlights. Vesuvius was well worth the steep climb. I would do it again
Margo_T, Aug 2026
Amazing experience. . .except for the extreme heat. Our guide (I apologize because I neglected to write down his name) for the 2-hour tour was professional, knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor. If we return, I will certainly try to arrange another tour with him (City Wonders bus tour from Rome on 8/12; Pompeii tour 12-2 pm). It is difficult to comprehend Pompeii without walking amongst the ruins. Don't miss this opportunity. . . just go when it is cooler!!
Zach_R, Aug 2026
Fantastic tour and Marius 😘🤌 absolutely fantastic. He was an unbelievable tour manager. He consistently checked in on us and gave us a list of recs for Rome and our time in Positano. The tour guide at Pompeii was incredible, too. See if you can request Marius. You won’t be disappointed!
Hina_A, Aug 2026
What a day! It was a last minute decision for this tour but I’m so glad I booked it. My partner and I had a fantastic time. Our guide was Marius. What a lovely man. Not only was he knowledgeable about the entire tour but he provided additional information about Rome itself. He also provided a list of best places to eat and the best gelato places. We had a wonderful time at the tour with Marius. I would highly recommended.
Yang_Z, Aug 2026
The tour with Roberto was exceptional! The entire experience was pleasant and he was very knowledgeable about Italian history, culture, and food. We would highly recommend this tour.
Maria_I, Aug 2026
Tour guide Rob was great and made the whole experience great. Pompeii is an amazing place to visit you have to see it
Sophia_S, Aug 2026
The best experience, guide was super informative, pompeii was amazing, the lunch after was sooo tasty and making it to the top of versuvius was breathtaking
David_H, Aug 2026
Above moderate level of fitness required to walk up Vesuvius. Wear good hiking shoes and be well hydrated
Andrea_H, Aug 2026
On my tour, Chiara was our friendly, knowledgeable guide and Luka expertly drove us safely on the mountain roads of Vesuvius and the streets in route to Pompeii. Finally I got to see the incredible, uncovered city of Pompeii, which was great for me because I loved learning about that city in school. And Vesuvius is a beautiful mountain. The appetizers and pizza we ate for lunch was delicious. This tour was worth every penny!
Sharon_H, Aug 2026
Flavvio was our tour guide on the coach and he was very friendly and entertaining. Fabio was our tour guide in Pompeii and again was friendly and knowledgeable. Both guides loved their jobs and it was absolutely worth going on the trip with them. A great day out. The pizza lunch was amazing at the side of Mount Vesuvius.
Lyubov_L, Aug 2026
Great tour, comfortable bus, knowledgeable tour operators. I highly recommend this tour. It’s worth visiting
Teresa_N, Aug 2026
Great guide Natascia with City Wonders. Very informative on the bus explaining the day and also fun facts. Air conditioning on bus was great. Guided tour at Pompeii was informative. Great 3 course lunch. Mt Vesuvius hike had great views at top. After had a surprise limoncello tasting. Took bathroom breaks both ways. Highly recommend!!
Natasha_P, Aug 2026
Fabio was an excellent guide. He made sure we saw all the highlights and more. He was fantastic at sharing knowledge and making sure everyone was ok! We would highly recommend this tour
Tiffany_T, Aug 2026
Great way to see a quick overview of Pompei and the volcano. Our local guide at pompei was mumbling into the mic so it was a little difficult to understand what he was saying but overall it was a fun experience!
Lily_M, Aug 2026
Overall incredible day!!!! I can't remember the spelling of our tour guide but both she and the driver were amazing!
Willy our Pompeii tour guide was the best tour guide I have ever had. He was so funny, engaging, inclusive and knowledgeable. Definitely a day to remember forever!
Bernard_H, Jul 2026
Excellent tour. Very informative and just the right tempo. Good shoes necessary if you’re considering walking up Vesuvias. It’s steep and dusty.
Kylie_G, Jul 2026
What a day! It was so surreal being in Pompeii walking in the footsteps of those who lost their lives. I would most definitely recommend this tour - it was a very memorable day and experience. The lunch stop was great where you could take a moment and talk with the fellow travelers on the tour. Although I didn't walk to the top of Mt Vesuvius and only went up part way as it was an extremely hot day and a very steep climb that was unstable due to the loose stone, it was still an amazing experience. The guide was great and full of interesting information.
Trenton_T, Jul 2026
The tour was excellent. Chiara was knowledgeable and made sure everyone had a great time!
The guide in Pompeii was equally as amazing.
Matthew_N, Jul 2026
We loved exploring Pompeii. Trekking to the top of Mount Vesuvius was tough but worth it. Our guide Marius was great.
Ann_L, Jul 2026
Antonio and Max were the BEST! Mount Vesuvius was an enjoyable hike that I would definitely recommend. The pizza lunch was fabulous!
Rita_M, Jul 2026
Antonino was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about Roman history.
I think City Wonder should find another rest stop on the way to Pompeii. The one we stopped at was dirty.
Millicent_W, Jul 2026
Solo female traveller here. This was such a fantastic trip! Pompeii is stunning and Mt Vesuvius was gorgeous. The meeting point is easy to find and in a safe location (which helps since it’s at an early time) and if you don’t manage to get breakfast before the tour, they stop at a cafe with sandwiches and coffee about 50 mins after the bus departs.
Our guide, Marius, really made sure that everyone felt comfortable the whole way, and we had a pretty tricky group - a family suddenly decided to leave halfway to visit relatives in Naples, and someone lost their phone while hiking - but Marius handled it so expertly 👏🏻 He made everyone laugh on the bus and made the journey feel so much quicker. Pompeii is a guided tour that brings the ruins to life, and you’re given ample time to hike self-guided to the summit of Vesuvius and take photos and grab an ice cream or soda while you’re at it. A fantastic day trip.
Jamie_a, Jul 2026
Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius were bucket list places for our family, so this was a perfect tour for us during our trip to Rome. Check-in and pickup were easy and on time. Our bus guide was Viviana. The bus was comfortable and had USB chargers. The ride to Pompeii is about 3 hours. No bathrooms on the bus so we stopped midway at a shop with coffee, snacks, plenty of toilets, and some interesting souvenirs.
Upon arrival at Pompeii, I had to prepare ID for my children, so make sure you bring an ID or passport for them. Our guide at Pompeii was Willy, and he was AWESOME. Easy to understand, the audio guide worked well, and he was SO funny! He had tons of American movie references, which we really appreciated. During parts of the tour that were more "adult," he was cognizant of the younger tour members and gave warnings. He was also very aware of the extreme heat, so he brought us under shade wherever possible. You can tell he's super experienced, and he's a great storyteller. At the end we went into the museum portion. It's a tiny museum but there are some great artifacts inside, plus there's a/c.
After Pompeii, we returned to our bus to go to lunch. Everyone was hungry. Unfortunately the restaurant did not have a/c. Other than water, drinks cost extra. Restrooms were available as well as wifi. We each got a pre-ordered appetizer (suppli and some fried dumplings of some sort), plus a rather large individual margarita pizza. Being pre-ordered, it still rather long (in my opinion) to get the food. You also have to share tables with other tour members. Not horrible, just not expected. Dessert was a strange lemon cake that tasted like it was soaked in alcohol (it probably was).
After lunch we headed to Mt. Vesuvius, but unfortunately we arrived too early so we couldn't go in right away. We had to wait 20 minutes in an area with very little shade. There's a tiny cafe with some drinks and ice cream, but there's very little seating. Once we were allowed to go in, my younger son and I went up to the first overlook and turned back -- the climb was too steep and the weather too hot for us to go further. My husband and older son made the trek all the way to the top. They reported that the crater was not very impressive, and the view was not much better than at other overlooks.
After Vesuvius, we were told we were going to a surprise spot, which was really a tiny limoncello stand. The owner gave a little presentation on how Italian lemons are different from others, and then gave free samples of drinks and chocolates. There were also restrooms here - 2 portapotties - but they were very clean with running water! We did not buy anything and frankly I was quite taken aback that this tour included this stop.
The bus ride home was uneventful and we stopped at the same little place as we did on the drive down. Since we were scheduled to arrive around 8pm, we got a little snack at the shop (some mediocre croissants). The rest of the ride back was uneventful but be warned, you are at the mercy of traffic and there seems to be only one highway back.
Dropoff was at the same place we were picked up and then we were on our way.
Overall, Pompeii was amazing and much bigger than I expected -- it's a whole town. It would have been amazing to spend more time there, especially in cooler weather. We would definitely skip Mt. Vesuvius.
Drew_M, Jul 2026
Our guide Francesca was awesome and the trip itself was one of the best bus tours we’ve been on. I wouldn’t change anything, but know our tour was supposed to end at 7:30 according to Viator, but it ends at 8:30 and we needed to move dinner reservations.
Darci_M, Jul 2026
This was 1 of the best guided tours we’ve been on. Our initial guide took time to share about the area and culture. Our guide at Pompeii was supreme. You are up and in the middle of the ruins. He had personality and knew his material.
Mycah_R, Jul 2026
The overall tour was amazing. Loved the dynamic of the climb and the history of Pompeii. However, be wary if your tour stops at a limoncello tasting. The main woman is super vibrant at first but IMO is kind of shiesty. But hey everyone has to make money somehow.
Jack_P, Jul 2026
Well organized introduction to Pompeii. Good way to see some countryside on the way to and from Rome.
Yon was helpful and informative, friendly easy to talk to. Willie was an excellent guide through Pompeii, informative and entertaining.
Ti_C, Jul 2026
This was a great day getting to step back in time to experience a piece of Italy's history. It was nice to relax on the bus before getting an immersive experience of Pompeii with our local tour guide. It felt a bit surreal to be walking through the streets and seeing life in that time. The lunch at Ristorante Kona was deliciously filling and much needed for the walk up the mountain after. Also had a special surprise tasting of limoncello to end the day which was a great end to a great day! Our lovely tour assistant, Patricia, took good care of us and made the journey incredibly enjoyable. Overall, a great tour!
Lisa_T, Jul 2026
It does not include lunch even though it says it does nor does it include the climb you don’t have time.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Dear Lisa_T,
Thank you for your feedback.
Please allow me to clarify that we offer different options, depending on the one chosen is what you get during the tour.
If you have any doubts about the inclusions of the option selected, please contact us directly with your booking reference to clarify.
Kind Regards.
Jim_P, Jun 2026
Good experience and tour. The bus ride there allowed for our legs to. Recover after several days of walking through Rome. Bus had good air conditioning. Had about an hour of free time to explore after the tour. Train tickets plus Pompeii ticket on own worked out to be more expensive than this tour
From $81.44
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