9hectares
Doable in two to three hours
A fraction of the area of Pompeii (9 hectares are about 22 acres). The rest of the ancient city lies beneath modern Ercolano.
Herculaneum
Up top is the Ercolano of today.
Up to 20 meters (66 ft) below: a Roman city, just as the pyroclastic flow left it.
Photo: Norbert Nagel · CC BY-SA 3.0
The little sisterWhy Herculaneum is often the better choice
Pompeii was buried by ash, Herculaneum by pyroclastic flows at more than 400 °C (750 °F). They carbonized wood instead of burning it: beams, doors, beds and entire upper floors are still there. And there is neither a daily cap nor a time slot.
0time slots
Just show up
Ticket office at the entrance, no allocation, no personalized tickets. Online sales are handled by the official partner CoopCulture.
6minutes
From the station to the entrance
Circumvesuviana from Naples to “Ercolano Scavi”, about 20 minutes. The shuttle to Vesuvius leaves from the same station.
364days open
No weekly closing day
Closed only on December 25. 8:30 am–7:30 pm (last admission 6:00 pm), in winter until 5:00 pm (last admission 3:30 pm).
| Admission | 16 € |
| EU citizens aged 18 to 24 · free under 18 | 2 € |
| First Sunday of the month, April 25, June 2, November 4 – ticket only on the day itself at the ticket office | free |
| Ercolano Card, valid for one year | 30 € |
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY 4.0
Small enough for a good guided tourHerculaneum tours with an archaeologist
Hundreds of skeletons lay in the boathouses on the ancient beach – the park speaks of about 300. Stories like that are not on any sign; here, two hours with a guide are enough for the whole city.
Most bookedHerculaneum: Skip-the-Line Guided Tour with an Archaeologist2 hours · ★ 4.8 from 4,231 reviews · GetYourGuide
from36 €
Herculaneum: Skip-the-Line Ticket with Audio GuideEntry ticket · ★ 4.3 from 1,193 reviews · GetYourGuide
from29 €
From Naples, Sorrento or Rome: Pompeii and Herculaneum in One Day7 hours · ★ 4.8 from 1,231 reviews · GetYourGuide
from129 €
From Ercolano: Mount Vesuvius Ticket with Round-Trip Bus3 hours · ★ 4.2 from 1,290 reviews · GetYourGuide
from36 €
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of September 21, 2026.
Herculaneum: Entry Ticket with downloadable audio guide4.5 ★ · 1,566 reviews · Tiqets
from€19.50
Herculaneum: Entry Ticket + Guided Tour4.8 ★ · 307 reviews · Tiqets
from€44.50
Affiliate links to Tiqets: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of September 21, 2026. Second partner: Tiqets. At the park's own ticket office and shop, entry costs €16 – the markup here pays for the audio guide and booking in English.
Small enough to see it allWhat to see in Herculaneum
Two routes – and what is currently closed.
- from Corso Resina entrance2 hrs
Compact visit in 2 hours. For anyone combining Herculaneum with Vesuvius or Pompeii on the same day. You start down at the ancient beach by the boathouses – that is where the catastrophe sinks in – and then work your way uphill, away from the sea: first the House of the Deer on the southern edge, then along Cardo IV to the wooden partition, into the Central Baths and to the Neptune mosaic, and at the top on the Decumanus Maximus the Hall of the Augustales. The way back is along Cardo V, past the thermopolium and the Palaestra. Distances are short; the time goes on looking, not on walking.
Boathouses and ancient beach → House of the Deer → House of the Wooden Partition → Central Baths → House of Neptune and Amphitrite → Hall of the Augustales → Thermopolium by the Palaestra → Palaestra
- from Corso Resina entrance3 hrs
Thorough visit in 3 hours. For anyone visiting Herculaneum alone and wanting to take in everything that is accessible. Go to the Antiquarium and the boat first, because that is where the originals are whose find spots you then walk past (the deer groups, the Hydra, the fugitives' belongings); then the same loop as the short route, with the House of the Bicentenary on the Decumanus Maximus added. If a house is closed, alternatives such as the Samnite House (Casa Sannitica) or the House of the Mosaic Atrium (Casa dell'Atrio a Mosaico) are right on the route. If you have booked one of the Saturday slots for the Suburban Baths, allow another hour; the meeting point is the Terrace of Nonius Balbus above the beach.
Antiquarium and Boat Pavilion → Boathouses and ancient beach → House of the Deer → House of the Wooden Partition → Central Baths → House of Neptune and Amphitrite → House of the Bicentenary → Hall of the Augustales → Thermopolium by the Palaestra → Palaestra
Boathouses and ancient beach
At the foot of the city terrace, twelve masonry vaults open onto what was once the beach, probably storage or shelters for boats. In nine of them about 300 skeletons were found, of people who were hoping for rescue by sea – packed closely together, carrying jewelry, coins, house keys and even a set of surgical instruments. The place also shows how deep the city was buried: the wall of hardened volcanic material rises above you.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)15 min
Antiquarium and Boat Pavilion
Two exhibition buildings in the park, outside the ancient city. Since December 2018 the Antiquarium has shown sculptures and frescoes from Herculaneum – among them the statue of Marcus Nonius Balbus, the bronze Hydra from the Palaestra and the marble groups from the garden of the House of the Deer – plus a room with the things the fugitives on the beach had with them. The pavilion next door holds the carbonized boat, more than nine meters (30 ft) long, found on the beach in the 1980s.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)30 min
Suburban Baths
The park considers the baths between the city wall and the beach the best-preserved bath complex in the Roman world: colored marble floors, stucco reliefs with seven warriors in the warm room, original wooden doors and a marble basin knocked over by the force of the eruption. Originally probably the private baths of the Nonii Balbi family, later public. After more than twenty years of closure, they can be seen on guided visits of the restoration site and in no other way.
combined ticket park + Terme Suburbane required (21 €, ages 18–25 7 €, under 18 free); advance sales from September 29, 2026 online and at the ticket office60 min
House of the Deer
One of the luxury residences on the southern edge of the city, whose gardens and halls opened onto terraces facing the sea. It is named after two marble groups of deer being brought down by dogs; according to the park, the originals from the garden are in the Antiquarium. Walk through the house to the terrace and you understand why the upper class built right here.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)15 min
House of the Wooden Partition
Here stands something you will not find anywhere in Pompeii: a carbonized but intact folding wooden door with bronze fittings, which separated the atrium from the owner's reception room. The house was built before the Roman conquest and renovated in the early imperial period; the walls carry paintings in the Third Style. The best example of how the pyroclastic flows preserved wood in Herculaneum.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)10 min
Central Baths
The city's public baths from the Julio-Claudian period, with separate sections for men and women. The main draw is the black-and-white floor mosaics: a Triton in the women's changing room, geometric patterns with a trident in the warm room next door. Vaults, benches and shelves are so complete that it takes little imagination to picture the baths in use.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)15 min
House of Neptune and Amphitrite
A small house with the best-known image in Herculaneum: a wall mosaic of colored glass paste showing Neptune and Amphitrite, still vivid today. Facing the street is a shop belonging to the house, where carbonized wooden shelves, a stove and storage jars with beans and chickpeas were found. The two together – showpiece and everyday business – make the house a stop you should not skip.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)10 min
House of the Bicentenary
An imposing house of the Augustan period on the Decumanus Maximus, named for the year it was excavated, 1938 – two hundred years after the excavations began. The reception room has restored wall paintings in the Fourth Style, including Daedalus and Pasiphaë, along with a sliding wooden grille. The half-timbered upper floor yielded wax tablets with legal documents.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)10 min
Hall of the Augustales
Meeting house of the college that maintained the cult of the emperor, and one of the few public buildings in the city to have been excavated. The square hall with four central columns preserves large Fourth Style frescoes of Hercules, the city's mythical founder – once on Olympus with Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, once fighting Achelous. In a side room the skeleton of the caretaker lay on his bed.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)10 min
Thermopolium by the Palaestra
The “Grande Taberna” is next to the Palaestra: an L-shaped counter faced with colored marble, with eight large storage jars set into it, and several back rooms behind. A painted ship and Greek graffiti were found on the walls. A quick stop as you walk past – and a good comparison with the snack bars in Pompeii.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)5 min
Palaestra
The large sports complex on the eastern edge of the excavation has been uncovered in part – the rest is still embedded in volcanic rock beneath the modern town. At its center was a cross-shaped pool with a bronze fountain in the form of the many-headed Hydra; the original is in the Antiquarium. Shops and bakeries line the street side, including the recently restored pistrinum on Vicolo Meridionale with two donkey mills of lava stone.
included in the admission ticket (16 €)10 min
Villa of the Papyri
The most famous villa of antiquity lies northwest of the city and is still largely buried; in the 18th century it was explored through tunnels, and the atrium wing was not uncovered until 1996–1998. It yielded more than 1,800 carbonized papyrus scrolls – the one surviving library from antiquity – and numerous sculptures now in the National Museum in Naples. There is currently nothing to visit on site; to see the finds, go to Naples.
not accessible0
Good to knowGetting to Herculaneum, best time, tips
Getting there
Without a car: Circumvesuviana (EAV) from Naples toward Sorrento or Poggiomarino to “Ercolano Scavi”, then about a 6-minute walk to the entrance at Corso Resina 187. From Naples airport, take the Alibus to the central station and change there to the Circumvesuviana. According to EAV, the Campania Express is suspended from October 1, 2026 until further notice.
By car: A3 Naples–Salerno, exit Ercolano Scavi, then follow the signs. Parking lot at Via dei Papiri Ercolanesi 19.
- From Naples · approx. 20 minutes
Circumvesuviana from Napoli Garibaldi to Ercolano Scavi - From Sorrento
Circumvesuviana toward Naples to Ercolano Scavi - From Pompeii
Circumvesuviana from Pompei Scavi – Villa dei Misteri toward Naples - From Rome
High-speed train to Napoli Centrale, change to the Circumvesuviana
Best time to go
Works well year-round because the site is small; most pleasant right at opening at 8:30 am or in the late afternoon. Ideal as a morning visit before heading up Mount Vesuvius, which starts from the same station.
Who it suits
- Children
- Very good: manageable in size, lots to discover, free for under-18s.
- Minimum age
- none
- Fitness
- Low; a small, compact site.
- Dogs
- Allowed with no size or breed restrictions, on a leash or muzzled as required by the applicable rules; in sensitive areas such as the houses with mosaic floors they must be carried or transported in a bag.
- Clothing
- Appropriate clothing is required; festive attire, masks and costumes are prohibited.
- Footwear
- The park recommends closed, comfortable shoes.
Tips you will need on site
- To save money, buy online from the official partner CoopCulture or directly at the ticket office – you do not have to book a time slot.
- Come early on free Sundays: the free ticket is handed out at the ticket office on the day itself and cannot be reserved online.
- Bags larger than 30 × 30 × 15 cm (about 12 × 12 × 6 in), umbrellas and suitcases have to go to the free baggage check.
- The Villa of the Papyri and the ancient theater are currently closed – if they are your main reason for coming, check the status on the park's website first.
- Herculaneum and Vesuvius can be combined in one day: both start at Ercolano Scavi station. Book the crater time slot online first, then plan the excavation site around it.
- Eating is allowed in designated areas only, smoking not at all; bring water.
A short history
- In AD 79 several pyroclastic flows at more than 400 °C (750 °F) hit the city; it is buried 13 to 20 meters (43 to 66 ft) deep, and the material hardens into tuff.
- The heat carbonizes organic material instead of burning it: wooden beams, doors, furniture and food survive.
- In 1709 a farmer digging a well hits the theater; in 1738 systematic excavations begin under Charles of Bourbon, led from 1750 to 1765 by Karl Weber.
- In 1750 the Villa of the Papyri is discovered – with about 70 bronze sculptures and the only surviving library from antiquity, made up of carbonized papyrus scrolls.
- From 1980 on, the first of what are now about 300 skeletons (the park's figure) come to light in the boathouses on the ancient beach; until then it had been assumed that the inhabitants had escaped.
- About nine hectares (22 acres) have been excavated; the rest lies beneath the modern town of Ercolano.
- In 1997 it is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Pompeii and Torre Annunziata.
Outdated onlineWhat other sites get wrong
“Closed on Wednesdays.”
No longer true. The site is open Monday through Sunday; the only closing day is December 25.
“You have to reserve online for the free Sunday.”
Not here: the free ticket is available only on the day itself at the ticket office. In Pompeii it is the other way around.
“There is a visitor cap and named tickets, as in Pompeii.”
Only Pompeii introduced both. Herculaneum mentions neither an allocation nor time slots.
“The Villa of the Papyri is part of the visit.”
It is closed for maintenance until further notice, as is the underground theater.
Quick answersBefore you go
Do you need to buy Herculaneum tickets online in advance?
No. There are no time slots and no known daily cap, and tickets are sold at the ticket office at the entrance. Online sales are handled by the official partner CoopCulture.
How long do you need for Herculaneum?
About nine hectares (22 acres) have been excavated. Two to three hours are enough for a thorough visit.
How do you get to Herculaneum from Naples?
Take the Circumvesuviana to “Ercolano Scavi”, then walk about six minutes to the entrance at Corso Resina 187. By car, take the A3 to the Ercolano Scavi exit; the parking lot is at Via dei Papiri Ercolanesi 19.
How deep is Herculaneum below the modern town?
The pyroclastic flows of AD 79 buried the city under 13 to 20 meters (43 to 66 ft) of material that hardened into tuff. That is why you look down onto the rooftops from the entrance.
Are dogs allowed in Herculaneum?
Yes, with no size restriction, on a leash. In houses with mosaic floors they must be carried.
Is Herculaneum suitable for kids?
Very: manageable in size, lots to discover, free for under-18s.
How much are Herculaneum tickets?
The full-price ticket costs €16, EU citizens aged 18 to 24 pay €2, and admission is free for under-18s. The Ercolano Card annual pass costs €30.
Can you visit Herculaneum without a guide?
Yes, guides are not mandatory. The park's guided tours are an optional extra.
What are Herculaneum's opening hours?
From March 16 to October 14, daily from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm (last admission 6:00 pm); in winter until 5:00 pm (last admission 3:30 pm). The site is closed only on December 25 – there is no weekly closing day.
When is admission to Herculaneum free?
On the first Sunday of every month and on April 25, June 2 and November 4. The free ticket cannot be reserved online; you pick it up at the ticket office the same day.
Pompeii or Herculaneum – which is more worthwhile?
Pompeii is huge and shows an entire city; Herculaneum is small but much better preserved, with upper floors and carbonized wood. If you are short on time or traveling with kids, Herculaneum is often the better fit – especially as it has neither a cap nor named tickets.
Is Herculaneum dangerous because of Vesuvius?
Vesuvius is at green, the lowest alert level, and is monitored around the clock. There is no particular risk for a day visit.
What is Herculaneum called today?
The modern town above the ruins is called Ercolano and lies in the Metropolitan City of Naples, west of Vesuvius. Until 1969 it was called Resina; the current name deliberately takes up the ancient one. In Italian the excavation site itself is the “Parco Archeologico di Ercolano”, and the Circumvesuviana station is “Ercolano Scavi”.
Why is Pompeii more famous than Herculaneum?
Mainly because of its size: Pompeii's urban area covers about 98 hectares, of which roughly two thirds are uncovered – in Herculaneum it is only about nine hectares, and the rest lies beneath modern Ercolano. Pompeii was covered only by ash and pumice and could be excavated on a large scale from 1748 on; Herculaneum sits under 13 to 20 meters of material hardened into tuff, which makes any excavation laborious. Then there are the plaster casts of the victims, which have shaped the image of the catastrophe since Fiorelli (from 1863). Herculaneum, however, is the better preserved – with upper floors, carbonized wood and furniture.
Sources · accessed on September 21, 2026
- Parco Archeologico di Ercolano – Tickets: prices, opening hours, free days, closed areas
- CoopCulture: official online sales · How to get there
- Visitor regulations: bags, dogs, criminal provision
- EAV: Campania Express suspended from October 1, 2026
- Photos: Norbert Nagel (CC BY-SA 3.0), Bernard Gagnon (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
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