What to See at Pompeii 2026
Pompeii covers 66 hectares — more than most visitors can absorb in a single day. This guide helps you prioritise: the unmissable highlights, the best-preserved houses, the Vesuvian sites beyond the main ruins, and honest advice on what each attraction actually involves.
Pompeii Highlights: The Full Overview
New to Pompeii? Start here — every major attraction covered in one guide.
Pompeii Highlights: Top Attractions & What to See
The complete hub guide to Pompeii’s attractions — the Forum, Villa of the Mysteries, House of the Faun, House of the Vettii, Lupanar, Amphitheatre, Plaster Casts, and more. Each attraction explained with honest advice on how long to allow, why it matters, and whether a guided tour changes the experience. Includes the nine-region quick reference and a practical visit planning section.
Read the Full Highlights Guide →Must-See Attractions
The sites that make any Pompeii visit incomplete without them.
The Forum of Pompeii
The political, religious, and commercial heart of ancient Pompeii — a vast open piazza surrounded by temples, the Basilica law court, and markets, with Vesuvius framed directly ahead.
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Temple of Apollo
The oldest and most important sacred building in Pompeii, dating to the 6th century BC. The 48-column colonnade, marble altar, and replica statues of Apollo and Diana are among the most striking images in the city.
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House of the Faun
The largest private residence in Pompeii — a full city block — named for the bronze dancing faun in its impluvium. Home to the Alexander Mosaic replica, one of the most celebrated floor mosaics from the ancient world.
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House of the Vettii
Reopened in 2023 after twelve years of restoration, the House of the Vettii contains the finest mythological fresco programme in Pompeii — Hercules, Pentheus, Ixion, and an exquisitely replanted peristyle garden.
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The Lupanar
Pompeii’s purpose-built brothel — two storeys, ten rooms, original stone beds, explicit frescoes above each door, and over 120 pieces of graffiti. Consistently the most-queued building. Visit before 10:00 am for a 5-minute wait vs 30+ minutes at midday.
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Thermopolium of Regio V
The most completely preserved ancient food counter in the world — its painted menu still on the front face, food remains identifiable in the serving jars, and the last working day preserved exactly as it was left in 79 AD.
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Plaster Casts of Pompeii
Human forms preserved in volcanic ash — the moment of death captured in plaster. The new 2025 Antiquarium exhibition presents them with CT scan data and osteoarchaeological analysis. The Garden of the Fugitives is the most emotionally powerful location in the entire site.
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Pompeii Amphitheatre
Built around 70 BC — the oldest surviving stone amphitheatre in the Roman world, predating the Colosseum by 140 years. You can walk onto the arena floor. The adjacent Palestra Grande with its large swimming pool completes the entertainment district.
Read the Guide →Villa of the Mysteries
The single most extraordinary room of ancient painting anywhere in the world.
Villa of the Mysteries
The Villa of the Mysteries contains the most extraordinary cycle of ancient wall paintings in existence — 29 near-life-size figures on a deep blood-red background depicting a Dionysiac initiation rite. The frescoes are entirely original and in situ. The villa also has a working wine-pressing room with the original wooden press partially preserved. It sits outside the main city walls, accessible via the free Pompeii Artebus shuttle from Piazza Esedra. The Pompeii Plus ticket is required. Last entry: 5:30 pm in summer, 3:30 pm in winter. Allow 45–60 minutes.
Full Villa of the Mysteries Guide →Do You Need the Plus Ticket?
The Villa of the Mysteries requires the Pompeii Plus ticket (official €25 adult, vs Express €18). It is worth it if:
- You have 5+ hours at the site
- You can arrive before the last entry cutoff (5:30 pm summer / 3:30 pm winter)
- Roman art or the Dionysiac cult is a specific interest
If your schedule is tight or uncertain, the Express ticket covers an extraordinary visit without the Villa.
Getting to the Villa
The Villa of the Mysteries is a 10-minute walk from Porta Marina via the ancient Street of Tombs (Via dei Sepolcri) — a walk worth making in its own right. Alternatively, take the free Pompeii Artebus shuttle from Piazza Esedra.
- On foot: exit Porta Ercolano, follow Via dei Sepolcri — 10 minutes
- Artebus shuttle: free with Plus ticket, departs Piazza Esedra
- Night tours: the Villa is Route B of the evening programme (September–October) — the frescoes under artificial light are extraordinary
Beyond Pompeii: The Wider Vesuvian Circuit
Four more extraordinary sites within 20 minutes of Pompeii — all free with a valid Pompeii ticket within 30 days.
Herculaneum: Complete Visitor Guide
15 minutes from Pompeii by Circumvesuviana. Buildings standing 2–3 storeys, wooden furniture intact, carbonised food in the kitchens. Smaller, less crowded, and arguably more impressive per square metre than Pompeii.
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Oplontis: Villa of Poppaea
Attributed to Nero’s wife Poppaea, this 7,000 m² villa contains Second Style frescoes of extraordinary quality — rivalling anything at Pompeii. Almost nobody goes. 10 minutes by train from Pompeii, free with your ticket.
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Boscoreale: Villa Regina & the Treasure
A remarkably intact Roman wine-producing estate — 18 storage dolia still in the floor, replanted vineyard, original wine press. The site also yielded the Boscoreale Treasure — 108 silver pieces and 1,037 gold coins, now split between the Louvre and the Metropolitan.
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Stabiae: Ancient Villas of the Roman Elite
5 km south of Pompeii — not a city but a district of sea-view aristocratic retreats. Villa San Marco (11,000 m², enormous swimming pool) and Villa Arianna contain well-preserved frescoes and the most complete aristocratic leisure villa architecture in Campania.
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Other Sites Near Pompeii
A roundup of the lesser-known sites in the Vesuvian circuit — including the Castle of Lettere, Longola, and the Quisisana Palace — for visitors who want to go beyond the standard itinerary.
Read the Guide →How to Make the Most of Your Visit
Key decisions that determine how good your Pompeii day is.
If You Have 2–3 Hours
Focus on the main highlights circuit from Porta Marina — you will not cover everything but you will see the things that matter most.
- The Forum — 30 minutes
- Temple of Apollo — 10 minutes
- Stabian Baths — 10 minutes
- Lupanar — 10 minutes (go early to skip the queue)
- House of the Faun — 15 minutes
- Plaster Casts (Granary) — 10 minutes
- Amphitheatre — 15 minutes
If You Have 5+ Hours
All the highlights above plus the House of the Vettii, Thermopolium of Regio V, and — if you have the Plus ticket — the Villa of the Mysteries.
- Everything in the 2–3 hour list
- House of the Vettii — 25 minutes (check it is open before visiting)
- Via dell’Abbondanza — 20 minutes
- Thermopolium of Regio V — 15 minutes
- Villa of the Mysteries (Plus ticket) — 45 minutes via Artebus shuttle
Guided Tour vs Self-Guided
Pompeii has minimal on-site signage. The choice between guided and self-guided significantly affects how much you understand and remember.
- Guided tour: Expert archaeologist, context for every building, optimal route, earpieces. Best for first-time visitors and anyone who wants the full story.
- Audio guide (digital app): GPS-triggered commentary, your own pace, multiple languages. Best for independent explorers and return visitors.
- No guide: Fine for architectural enthusiasts and those who enjoy discovery — but Pompeii rewards prior knowledge significantly.
Pompeii vs Herculaneum
Two cities, same eruption, completely different experiences. The choice is not either/or — ideally, see both.
- Pompeii: Scale of an ancient city, 66 hectares, all nine districts, the full urban grid, street life and commerce visible
- Herculaneum: Buildings 2–3 storeys tall, wooden furniture, carbonised food, far better organic preservation — but much smaller (4.5 hectares)
- Both in one day: Entirely possible — 15 minutes apart by train, with 3–4 hours at Pompeii and 2 hours at Herculaneum
Frequently Asked Questions: What to See at Pompeii
Common questions about attractions, priorities, and how to plan your visit.
Explore More of Pompeii
Plan the rest of your visit.
Tickets & Tours
Skip-the-line entry tickets, guided tours with an archaeologist, private experiences, Pompeii + Vesuvius combos, and day trips from Naples, Rome, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast.
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Plan Your Visit
Opening hours, best entrance, essential tips, how to get there from Naples, Rome, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, where to stay, dining, and everything for a well-planned day.
Plan Your Visit →