Home > Naples > Naples Shore Excursion: Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii Day Trip from Naples
USD $103.00
Naples Shore Excursion: Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii Day Trip from Naples
Naples, Italy
Cruise passengers arriving in the port of Naples can explore legendary Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius, the only active volcano in continental Europe, on this full-day guided tour from Naples. It is a shore excursion not to be missed by any visitor to this region of Italy and includes both a guided tour of Pompeii's haunting ruins and a climb to the smoking summit of volcanic Mt Vesuvius.
Taking a guided tour is the best way to experience the enigmatic ruins of Pompeii, the largest archaeological site in Europe. Your guided tour of Pompeii (approximately two hours) takes you to the Forum, the Thermal Baths, Vetti's House and the Lupanare brothel, buried by volcanic ashes from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
After a break for an hour to enjoy a delicious pizza lunch, you will then board your coach to transfer to Mt. Vesuvius, to view first-hand the source of the devastation that destroyed the city of Pompeii almost two thousand years ago.
You can choose to climb Mt, Vesuvius (approximately 45 minutes), accompanied by your guide, and walk around the crater at 3,900 feet (1,200 meters). From the summit you will have panoramic views of the picturesque Bay of Naples from east to west. Peering down into the depths of the crater, you may see plumes of steam issuing from the sleeping, but still active, volcano.
A medium to high level of fitness is required to complete the climb. Remember to wear comfortable walking shoes! There is a rest point where you can choose to wait for your group if you do not wish to climb all the way to the top.
Worry-free Shore Excursion: We will ensure your timely return to the Naples port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.
We loved this tour! Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and easy to understand walking around Pompeii, which was just an incredible experience. It did feel a bit rushed at times getting from Pompeii to lunch and then to the bus, without a lot of explanation of what we were doing. The view from the top of Mt Vesuvius was worth every second of the climb, but it was an intense climb and on a not awesome road. The path was all loose, uneven gravel, so be prepared for that. We were covered with dirt when we got back to the bus.
Review by: Brittany S, July 2018
I believe our guide was named Maria, but either way, she was funny, informative and very charming! We loved seeing Pompeii and after walking Vesuvius. However I would recommend people adhere to timelines, we ran late to Vesuvius and had very little time to get to the summit and back. Also recommend don't take pictures on the side a volcano while you are walking, bound to make yourself a sacrifice to the Gods by accident.
Review by: Ericque G, July 2018
Mt. Vesuvius was a rutted at times steep trail to the crater I saw 5 people slip and fall. Pompeii was great lunch was great.
Review by: Manish P, July 2018
We got off the ship and waited with our group for the last family. A family of 6 who then didn’t fit on the bus. So we left them. I assume they went on a different bus. The bus was fine. The guide didn’t really keep us entertained. She didn’t go over any facts so we sat in silence for most of the time til we reached Mt Vesuvius. I proceeded to go buy the tickets So we waited for longer The hike was great although their was no guide arranged. When we asked for one he sat and began to show us pictures clearly not wanting to take us on the tour to the top. We left after 10 minutes sitting on the side since we only had 30 minutes left to reach the top. We made it and took pictures. Then went to lunch food and restaurant were great. Then our guide left and they made us wait for another group for over 30-45 minutes after eating. Was a waste of time. We could have spent at Pisa. The tour at Pisa was great. They got us to the ship just on time. The lunch and Pisa were great. A lot of wait around down time that was wasted because of their disorganization.
Review by: Heidi O, May 2018
This is the most disappointing Viator tour I have ever taken. I certainly would NOT recommend it. From the meet up point by our ship, things seem disorganized - it turned out there were two groups. We had to walk a long way to meet the bus at the curb on a busy street. Then we drove around the city picking up others. So, we spent at least 45 minutes - one hour in transition before the tour even started. That is time we could have spent doing more meaningful activities. It was a cloudy, foggy day at Mt. Vesuvius and even though the tour said Pompei is visited first - the guide reversed the order. That was not in the write up that I saw. When I asked Viator customer service about this - they checked - and the tour company said sometimes we reverse it. Well they should make that clear! We were at Mt Vesuvius in the mist - could see nothing and at Pompeii in the crowds and heat. I think the reverse would have been better - I doubt the morning was more crowded than the afternoon.
Review by: bobandgeri, February 2018
Wear your walking shoes and be prepared to walk on uneven stone roads. What a wonderful adventure into history. Loved our tour guide who wore high heel boots during our excursion. She gave us a super history lesson and was so much fun to be with this day.
Review by: Rabs, November 2017
Enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide was quite cheerful and funny when she was explaining the history. We really enjoyed the Pompeii trip. Mt Vesuvius was a bit disappointing when looking inside the volcano, but the view was beautiful at the top. The walk was tough at times and my worry was about time. I rushed down as I thought I would have missed my bus.
Review by: bhixson2, November 2017
absolutely fabulous. so worth it. very educated English speaking tour guide. other travelers with other tour companies complained that their tours were to big. all of our tours through Viator were small and very personable. I would book all these tours 100 times over again. these tours made our trip as fabulous as it was. thank you Viator
Review by: Betsy M, October 2017
LOVED this tour! It was a full day -- essentially half at Pompeii and half at Mt Vesuvius with a fabulous Italian lunch in between at a nice restaurant. Super happy we booked through Viator vs. the cruise line and the excursion was very well organized and comfortable. Lot's of walking in Pompeii and climbing at Mt Vesuvius, but both are MUST sees. I really recommend, tour guide was fantastic.
Review by: BRADLEY D, October 2017
Great tour with a great guide. Will use Viator again.
Review by: Steven M, October 2017
We booked the Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius tour expecting the same small group experience we have had in the past. Unfortunately this one turned out to be the opposite. We felt herded around from one guide to another. First, the tour began in the late morning which resulted in a late arrival in Pompeii with hundreds of other large tours. Second, a large bus was used to collect people from all over Naples. The one high light was our Pompeii guide who was most knowledgeable. Next we were herded to lunch in a large restaurant, then switched over to a new guide for the tour to Mt. Vesuvius. The organization of finding the correct guides was chaotic.
Review by: Donald E, October 2017
This tour crams a lot into the time allotted. Eric was a knowledge guide. If you only have the day from your cruise, this is the tour to take.
Review by: karen, October 2017
We booked this shore excursion about a week before the excursion date giving all the necessary information about our boat and the departure time. We were picked up at the boat and transferred to a large bus which proceeded to pick up a large number of other people from their accommodation. We eventually got to Pompei and had a one and quarter hour tour which was interesting, bit felt very rushed. We then proceeded to go to the restaurant for the included pizza lunch before continuing on to Mt Vesuvius for the remainder of the tour. As we made our way into the restaurant we were told by one of the guides that we needed to leave at once with the people who were only doing the half day tour as we didn't have time to do the full tour before our boat left, and they wouldn't get us back to the boat in time. We were herded back onto a stifling hot boat and taken back to the boat, not having had the included lunch or the rest of our tour. We were told that they thought our boat was leaving an hour later than it was, despite us providing all this information when we booked. Also they said there was a road closure on Mt Vesuvius due to a bike race, which I am sure they were aware of when making the booking. We asked for a refund of the money we paid for the tour. Viator has refunded us 92 on the full amount of 284 , which is disgusting as we got only the Tour of Pompei and not lunch or the tour of Mt Vesuvius. We complained to Viator about the refund amount, but they seem to think this is reasonable. We had used Viator for 5 tours previously on this trip. Unfortunately we will not use Viator again, which cost them a lot of business seeing we were in Europe for 3 months!
Review by: Lynda H, October 2017
Don't take this tour from the ship. We spent the 1st hour picking up and waiting at hotels around Naples, illegally parked on busy streets. We reached Pompeii more than an hour late. It was packed and I can only describe chaos as the tour guides tried to separate us into groups depending on language. We had another long wait as the line for the ladies room was unbelievably long. The tour of Pompeii itself was fine. Then came lunch and more separation into groups going to either Vesuvius or Sorrento. The tour guides were quite rude when we did not immediately understand which group we should be in. We had different guides for each part of the tour. When I told one guide I was concerned that we would not make it back to our ship on time he blew me off with of course you will but when I approached another guide an hour later as we were leaving for Vesuvius she looked shocked and got on her cell phone. We had to race up to the top of the volcano and then they arranged for another vehicle to take us back to the ship so we would get back on time. We were glad to see both Vesuvius and Pompeii but it was a fairly stressful day.
Review by: robinct01, October 2017
We were not quite sure where to go once we got off the ship, but found our guide and boarded a small 15-ish person bus. Then we stopped at two more hotels to pick up more people. We got to Pompeii and we were handed off to the Pompeii guide, but she was about 15 minutes late. No backpacks are allowed in the site, and no one knew this, but lockers were available. Restroom line was very long. There was quite a bit of disorganization getting started and some grumbling amongst the group about not knowing where to be or what to do. We collected headsets so we could hear our guide and she was wonderful.
Review by: Devin S, September 2017
The tour achieved what it said in the itinerary though it could have been a bit more timely allowing for more time at the sites. We had to pickup several people from various hotels which added to the wait time given an already late start time. The time spent in Pompeii was fine and the guide was great. We got a good sampling of the site in case we want to return in the future. The included lunch was a great inclusion, but the only negatives were that nothing was gluten and dairy free so my wife ended up eating a protein bar instead. The pizza was good though and we enjoyed meeting two couples that sat at our table. Sadly we spent quite a long time at lunch which slowed us down even further. The time spent at Mt. Vesuvius was good though if we had more time we could have reached the peak. Also the guided portion was only the time spent on the bus and was split between English and Spanish. Overall I thought the tour was good, but it just wasn't as timely as we would have hoped for in order to see more things.
Review by: Lynda D, August 2017
Shore excursion for 3 generations of same family cruising together, a great day enjoyed by all 5 of us, we all managed to get to the crater of Mount Vesuvius and after lunch our excellent guide explained the history of Pompeii. The restaurant at lunch time , with pre knowledge, catered for food allergies and provided a most enjoyable. meal. The minibus was on time, comfortable, and our guide Alex very helpful and attentive._br/_ Have already recommended this company to friends for shore excursions from cruise ships.
Review by: marlad521, August 2017
This tour was just ok, and not well organized at all. The tour was described as being picked up at your cruise ship and taken to Pompeii and Vesuvius. What they didn't mention is that after they pick you up at the ship, they then go to another stop and wait for 30-40 minutes for more people to join the tour. No communication was made to us that this was going to happen or even the reason for the stop. No water was offered. We just sat, and waited. Not a good thing when you have young kids with you. Also, tour was described as being a relatively small group. Not so. There were at least 20 people, and with one guide, it's hard to hear what is being said. Yes, they do have headphones, but the sound quality isn't good, so they don't really help. The tour just wasn't as described and again, NOT well organized. Do not book with this company.
Review by: caroline m, August 2017
great trip and we saw many beautiful things , the only problem i had was the guide , he was too intense , he was interesting but gave people a hard time because we were taking too many pictures , he got iin an intense argument with some people who were passing in front of us in line , definitely too intense and i wanted to walk away .There were son many explanations that we didnt get to see so many things
Review by: Louise M, August 2017
Great day, just remember to go early. The day got hotter and hotter. Guide was very knowledgeable, and stayed with our group. Pointed out little details, and made the history interesting.
Review by: jessica_averyt, July 2017
Too big of a group and not as well organized as I would like. Be aware that it's a hike all the way to the top! My kids did great but even my fit husband bad knees had a bit of trouble getting to the top due to the incline.
Review by: lisa_parkinson, July 2017
We were about 10 mins late in docking so I was starting to panic but no worries as our guide was waiting outside for us. Pompeii was a lot bigger than what I expected, our guide was very informative and very interesting to listen to. A short walk then for our lunch pizza was a very generous portion then back on bus to Mt Vesuvius. Glad we walked to the top to say we had done it, enough time for even a well deserved drink back near our coach. After our coach got to the bottom of Mt Vesuvius all the people who had cruise ships to get back to got transferred onto a mini bus which took us straight back to the port. A very well organised tour.
Review by: Eric, June 2017
It is difficult to get to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius on your own, whether driving or using public transportation. Both sights are very crowded with tourists and tour groups, and it would be fairly difficult to know where to go and what to see. This tour helped us get to the sights, get past the lines, and find our way around. Our guide took us to the most important parts of Pompeii and explained their history and context so that we left with a better understanding of the ruins and ancient Roman culture. Our bus took us up to the departure point for hiking up Mt. Vesuvius, and the guide did not go up with us, but it wasn't necessary to take in the amazing views. Amazing experience!
Review by: Tami1, June 2017
Our Guide was Maria. She had a wealth of knowledge and info, while making the tour funny. it was hot! HOT! lots of walking so wear comfy shoes. The hike up Mt Vesuvius is steep with gravel, its no joke but it was worth it! The guys at the first stop/shop on the hike who sold some lemon drink, were rude and made fun of tourist in their language thinking they could not be understood as they passed through their hut/shop. People like this need not work in the tourism industry...So I passed them up and patronize the others. I wished we had more time to spend at Pompeii there is so much to see. Great Tour overall.
Review by: Robert G, June 2017
We had a fantastic day! The view was outstanding, pacing was good as well.
Review by: toole.michael, June 2017
Great Pompeii tour, excellent individual pizza per person that is 8 slices drink for lunch, and then great hike up to Vesuvius. Hike is a mildly challenging and you don't have the greatest amount of time, so be at least mildly fit.
Review by: weRgoing2Paris, May 2017
With the exception of losing some time due to one rude family 3 people strolling off the boat about 25 minutes late leaving everyone else in the group waiting, everything was GREAT! The guides were very informative and fun and the bus was comfortable. We had a plenty of time at each site, and the pizza lunch was awesome. They got us back to the boat on time as promised as well. Would def recommend to others traveling to Naples!
Review by: Donna T, May 2017
Poorly organized, poor customer service. We had signed up for the all day tour. After pickup were taken to the site in a giant bus without a word about anything we were seeing along the way. At Pompeii we were combined with a group from another bus and turned over to Geno, our guide. Geno did the best he could with the 50 people he was in charge of, but on the narrow streets and other huge groups all bumping into each other to look at the same frescos, plaster casts and mosaics, it was just chaos. Unfortunately on top of this I became ill along the way and knew I could not possibly make it through lunch and the Vesuvius tour. My husband asked if we could return to Naples with the half day bus and the Project Napoli representatives said flatly, No, the busses were all full. We found out afterward this was not true as we saw several of the half-day people from the tour and they told us they had decided to do something else and left the tour. It cost us over 60 euro to get back to Naples on our own. The day was a frustrating waste of time and money.
Review by: suzic07, April 2017
Great tour. Few hours in Pompeii covering the major interests of that civilizations lifestyle. Great guidance and explainations. Maria was fun and informative. _br/_ Lunch was at a Resturant just down the road. They worked hard and fast to get this large group out quickly. Good food. Choice of pasta or margarita pizza, soda, beer, or wine._br/_ Only problem we had was that the tour viator contracts with combines people from different origins. Some of the local hotel guests were late to the Resturant which delayed the rest of the group from going to mt Vesuvius sooner. _br/_ Once we reached Vesuvius we only had 1 hour, to trek up the 1 mile-- steep slope to the top and get back down so not to miss our boat's all aboard time. Most of the group did fine. But it was rushed. Would have liked more time to soak it in. _br/_ Sadly there was a combination of delays that lead to the strict times. A group from our ship started the tour delaying us at the port. They continued to delay us at the Resturant and at Vesuvius, by not following the guides instructions to be back 1 hour. Some just don't think the rules apply. Since this tour was not from the cruise line, they have no reason to wait for us. So if we had been any longer delayed we would have been left. _br/_ I would definitely use viator again. And highly recommend this tour specifically. Maria and Evandriver did a fanatastic job with what they to work with.
Review by: zulu526, April 2017
This tour was great .... lots of walking, lots of great sites to see, lots of history. I would recommend this tour. Bring water!!!
Review by: Robson Walton P, March 2017
Best way to see Pompeii and Vesuvius. Pompeii with a guide, lunch, then the climb to the top of Vesuvius. Who would ever have thought that 2 almost 80 year olds would ever climb Vesuvius it was fantastic.
Review by: piia.a.hiltunen, March 2017
Great trip, good guides. Nice lunch and enough time to walk around. Guide was waiting at the pear way before the scheduled time.
Review by: Matthew E, March 2017
Very convenient way to do Pompeii and Vesuvius in one day! Highly recommended if you are short on time._br/_ Tour guides were all very knowledgeable and the transportation was efficient and comfortable.
Review by: RALEIGH O, February 2017
great pizza
Review by: dfergason, January 2017
Well organized.
Review by: Sally Z, December 2016
We are very happy we took this tour._br/_ I would have liked more time at the top of Vesuvius. We waited for the complimentary English program/tour given by the park rangers others on our bus didn't. And we are glad we did because it was really informative, but the rangers were very wishy washy on when it would start. After the program finished, we quickly hoofed it to the other side of the crater to look down at Pompeii. We did have to jog the entire way down the path to get back to the bus in time. But it was very worth it._br/_ Then we went to lunch. They were trying to feed 100 of us pizza or spaghetti, but most chose pizza all at once. Since Florence is the birthplace of pizza, I would have expected better. The pizza was just ok. My pizza was actually half uncooked raw dough, cheese not melted, but the pizzas were big, so I just ate the cooked part and then ate a bit of my husband's pizza that was fully cooked._br/_ The Pompeii tour is given by a guide that is certified and is a different person than your bus escort. The guy was excellent and we really felt like we got a good feel for what it was like to live there before/during/after the explosion._br/_ We had a few minutes after the Pompeii tour and tasted the Limoncello Creme different from Limoncello at a shop just outside the gates -- wish I'd bought some!
Review by: YangtzeCruiser, December 2016
We knew this was going to involve a quickie tour of Pompeii and a quickie hike up to the rim of Vesuvius and back down. If you want more time at either place, this is not the tour for you. Pompeii was the nexus for at least three different tours Pompeii, Pompeii and Vesuvius, and Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, and we wasted about half an hour waiting for all of the groups to arrive. Lunch was excellent - a large, perfectly prepared personal pizza Margherita and a glass or two of the local vino. And then there was Vesuvius. That was one steep climb! And, from the top, it's easy to see how vulnerable both Pompeii and Naples are. Furthermore, the gases coming out of the crater didn't totally reek of sulfur Two disappointing aspects: 1 not enough time. 2 by the time we got to the top is was getting late and much of the crater was in shadows. To be fair, 16:30 shadows in mid November are considerably longer than they would be in late June. It would have been nicer if we had climbed Vesuvius first, then visited Pompeii after lunch. All-in-all, a nice way to cram both Pompeii and a Vesuvius climb into a single shore excursion.
Review by: Jason P, November 2016
Great and efficient tour. We had two different tour guides one for Pompeii and one for Mt Vesuvius both were very friendly and knowledgeable. The pizza was tasty and the tours were pleasant.
Review by: Eugene C, November 2016
Very satisfied!
Review by: Janice J, November 2016
Amazing tour. The guide for Pompeii was excellent and knowledgeable. Lunch was very good. the walk up Mt Vesuvius was difficult if not in shape. The path was rocky with loose gravel and there is a temperature change. The view is worth the hike.
Review by: Charles Rock C, October 2016
great
Review by: Michael H, October 2016
Tour was excellent.....our walking guide was knowledgeable and provided interesting anecdotes. Boat tour was timely and enjoyable. Guidé was only average but that could be a language issue. Overall, we were very satisfied with Viator service
Review by: Cheryl V, October 2016
Pompeii was a wonderfully lead excursion that was both educational and fun. I highly recommend this excursion.
Review by: John K, October 2016
Great tour. Accomplished just what we had hoped to see and visit. They were sure to get us back to our ship in plenty of time prior to departure.
Review by: CHRIS A, October 2016
We had a great tour and would highly recommend it to anyone who wanted a quick into to Pompeii and Vesuvius. The guide was great and we were really lucky with weather. We had a very limited timeframe as we weer only in Naples for a day so this was perfect.
Review by: Jennifer D, October 2016
Great day trip, Elise was a wonderful guide through Pompei and Manuela was excellent on the bus. Pizza lunch was simple but delicious._br/_ Would definitely recommend this tour.
Review by: Fred, October 2016
There were four mega ships in the harbor plus several smaller ones. The result was it was shoulder to shoulder in Pompeii, multiple tours competing for the best views and spaces. Mt. Vesuvius proved to be too strenuous a climb and never did get to see into the crater. Time would have been better spent going to Sorrento and Capri.
Review by: Alice M, September 2016
Our guide Maria was very knowledgeable and funny.
Review by: Paul C, September 2016
Another site could have been added to this tour. The visit to Pompeii was much longer than necessary. Felt they were filling the time. The guide on the bus was knowledgeable, though.
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