This list of places to see in Pompeii It will help you prepare your visit to an ancient Roman city that was trapped in time and we are sure, it will surprise you and leave you speechless.
Located in southern Italy, this thriving city went down in history in 79 AD. when buried, next to its neighbor Herculaneum, by a mantle of lava and ashes coming from the violent eruption of the Vesuvius volcano. For centuries the city remained forgotten and it was not until 1550 that it was rediscovered, although excavation work did not begin until 150 years later.
We cannot forget that even today archaeologists continue to discover new buildings and magnificent frescoes (only 60% of the total has been unearthed), creating the most important archaeological site in Ancient Rome and one of the main tourist attractions to see in Italy .
Walking through the cobbled streets and entering the ancient Roman buildings of Pompeii will take you back 2000 years and for sure, it will leave an indelible mark on your traveling passport.
Based on the experience of our trip to Naples and Pompeii in 4 days, we have made this list of 10 essential places to visit in Pompeii. We start!
How to get to Pompeii
The most common way to get to Pompeii is to take the train Circumvesuviana It leaves from the central station of Piazza Garibaldi in Naples and leaves you at the Pompei Scavi stop, in 40 minutes for 3 euros.
This train has a frequency of half an hour and also stops in Herculaneum, another of the best preserved cities of the Roman Empire and also worth the visit.
A more comfortable alternative to visit this complex is to book this excursion to Pompeii or this tour of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, both excursions include bus transportation, skip-the-line entrance to the enclosure, hotel pick-up and the company of an expert guide who will explain the history and the most important points of this site.
To expand the transfer information you can consult this post on how to go from Naples to Pompeii or this one on how to go from Rome to Pompeii.
Something to keep in mind is also that although the most common is visit Pompeii from NaplesIt is also possible to reach this ancient city from Rome.
If you want to make this getaway from the Eternal City, there are fast trains every half hour that leave from the Termini Station in Rome and leave you at the Naples station in just over an hour.
Another interesting option is to book this bus tour with a guide in Spanish, considered one of the best excursions in Rome.
How to visit Pompeii
When you arrive at Pompeii station you will find yourself a few meters from the main entrance of the archaeological site, the Marine Gate.
At this door you can buy the ticket that costs 15 euros, 23 if you include an audio guide, and they will give you a map with different itineraries for you to plan your visits.
In high season you can save yourself the long lines that are formed in this access, by booking this quick ticket in advance and if you also visit Herculaneum, you can buy the quick ticket here.
Although there are routes that can take you up to 7 hours, the average duration of the visit, which allows you to complete the list of must-see places in Pompeii, is about 4 hours.
If you prefer to take a guided tour to learn more about the history of Pompeii and not miss any key points you can book this 2-hour tour for small groups led by an archaeologist in Spanish.
Being a very large enclosure it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes, a bottle of water that you can fill in the fountains of Pompeii and sunscreen and cap, especially if you visit in summer or during a sunny day.
Inside you have coffee shops to eat something fast like a pasta dish or a piece of pizza and also to cool off with some ice cream or drink.
Visiting hours: from April to October from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays open at 08:30 a.m.), the rest of the months close at 5 p.m. The last access is an hour and a half before closing time.
Pompeii
1. House of Faun
The House of the Faun, built in the second century BC. C and excavated in 1830, is one of the most famous buildings to see in Pompeii In addition to being one of the largest Roman houses (3000 square meters with two large atriums) and luxurious in the city, being decorated with all kinds of works of art.
Among the most important pieces that were found was a small bronze statue of a Faun and a mosaic depicting the Battle of Issos between Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia.
The two original pieces are in the Archaeological Museum, one of the most essential places to visit in Naples if you have already visited Pompeii, having a large number of objects found in the excavations.
House of the Faun
2. Temple of Apollo
The temple of Apollo, located very close to the forum and dedicated to a Greek god, is another of the places to visit in Pompeii more emblematic
This temple, built in the eighth or seventh centuries BC. C., is one of the oldest in the city and today you can see the staircase that accesses a podium and several columns. The statues that were found are preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Apollo Temple
3. Villa of the Mysteries
The Villa of the Mysteries, located on the outskirts of the ancient city, is one of the buildings that suffered less damage and some of theplaces to see in Pompeii prettier, that you can't miss.
Inside this villa, impressive, well-preserved frescoes are preserved, especially those of a room that represent the initiation of a woman in a Dionysus cult.
Villa of the Mysteries
4. Forum, one of the places to see in Pompeii
The Forum was a square almost 150 meters long surrounded by important buildings and where business, public life, religious activity and the administration of justice in Pompeii took place. Although it is one of the best preserved forums of antiquity many of its statues disappeared and only some of the surrounding columns are preserved.
Among the ruins of the most important buildings of the forum are those of the Temple of Jupiter and that of Vespasiano, the building of Eumaquia, the temple of the Public Lares, the basilica, the macellum, the weight message and the arches of triumph.
Pompeii Forum
5. The Lupanar
The Lupanar, the most famous brothel in the city, is the most visited and surprising place to see in Pompeii. In this small two-story building discovered in the 19th century, which was not opened to the public until 2006, you can see several rooms with a stone bed and several erotic frescoes painted on the top of each entrance door as well as inscriptions on the walls, made by clients and prostitutes.
Streets of Pompeii
Our recommended hotel in Naples
A good hotel to stay in Naples and visit Pompeii is the UNA Hotel Napoli, located in one of the most central areas of Naples and better connected to the site, just in front of the Napoli Centrale train station. In addition to the good quality / price ratio, breakfast on your terrace, with magnificent views of the city, we promise you will not forget them.
6. Terme Sabiane
Las Terme Sabiane is a complex of Roman baths built between the fourth and third centuries BC and another one of the places to visit in Pompeii. Inside these hot springs divided between the male and female zone, you will find the remains of a gym surrounded by columns, a frigadarium (cold baths) with a beautiful vault, a tepidarium (warm baths), a caldarium (hot baths), latrines , an outdoor pool and various decorative objects.
Remember that in addition to these, there are other interesting hot springs with the structure similar to those of Sabiane, located next to the forum.
Hot springs, one of the places to see in Pompeii
7. Big and Small Theater
The large or larger Greek-style theater, built in the second century BC, had a capacity for 5000 spectators that were distributed on three levels according to social class and was where great works of comedy and tragedy were represented.
The small theater or odeon had a capacity for 1000 people and is one of the better preserved places to see in Pompeii In addition to having a smaller capacity and better acoustics, be the place where musical shows and poetry recitals were held.
Theater
8. Amphitheater
The Amphitheater of the year 70 B.C. It was the first built in stone and is the oldest preserved of the Roman civilization, prior to the Colosseum.
In this enormous enclosure the famous fights between gladiators and fights between animals brought from Africa were made, in front of 20,000 spectators.
Amphitheater, one of the places to visit in Pompeii
9. Other houses in Pompeii
In addition to the House of Faun, there are other Roman houses (domus) to see in Pompeii:
- House of the Tragic Poet: This Roman domus of the second century B.C. It stands out for its beautiful mosaic floors and for its frescoes on the walls.
- Menander's House: In this luxurious Roman residence an image of the Greek poet Menander was found and is one of the best preserved in Pompeii.
- Octavius Quartio House: In this Roman villa with large gardens there are several Pompeian frescoes. Next to this house is another building with the famous Venus mural.
- Casa Dei Quadretti Teatrali or Casca Longus: This domus has a beautiful marble table with lion sculptures and frescoes inspired by works by Euripides and Menander.
- Casa della Fontana Piccola: this house stands out for its ninfeo fountain decorated with mosaics and sculptures.
Casa della Fontana Piccola
10. Orto dei fuggiaschi
The Orto dei fuggiaschi or orchard of the fugitives, is one of the most emotional places to visit in Pompeii when found the molds of 13 people, adults and children, who tried to escape the eruption of the volcano.
These molds in which you can see the faces of terror and the twisted positions of the bodies when they died, were achieved by filling the cavities that left the bodies with plaster and later removing the hardened ash layer.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of 10 essential places to see in Pompeii, add yours in the comments.
