Visit Herculaneum Private Tour

Photogallery (11)
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Activity Level
Moderate
Duration
4 hours

Overview

Meet your driver-guide and start your discovery of the Ancient Herculaneum. Step back 2000 years and get immersed in a Roman Town buried under 60 feet of volcanic debris during the Roman Empire. Your private guide will introduce you to Herculaneum’s ancient houses, its shopstavernsBath Houses, and more. You will have the chance to enjoy unique mosaicsfrescoes, and…skeletons

  • Private and Personalized Tour
  • Select the Herculaneum4Kids option to keep your kids engaged by a kid-friendly guide
  • Visit a Unesco World Heritage Site in Italy
  • Your private guide will take you away from the crowds and the beaten track
  • Pick up and drop included

Included

Mercedes private vehicle with a professional English speaking driver, all taxes, fuel, parking fees and pay tolls.

Extra

Admission fees to Herculaneum.

Optional

Private tour guide in Herculaneum or for the entire tour, Skip the line tickets (if any guide option selected), Herculaneum 4kids option.

Meeting place

Where requested in Naples, Sorrento or Salerno (please be aware that the length of the tour will vary in base of the starting point).

Wheelchair friendly

Herculaneum has some facilities for wheel-chair users. Not everything can be visited by wheel-chair but it certainly is better than Pompeii from this point of view.

Dress code

Casual with comfortable shoes.

Additional info

The duration of this tour is approximately 3,5 hours from Naples, 4 hours from Salerno and 4,5 hours from Sorrento (we always guarantee a 2 hours visit of the archaeological site).

This half-day tour can be combined with a visit to Pompeii or with a drive to Sorrento and along the Amalfi Coast.

The tour involves walking on uneven surfaces as well as some steps.

Itinerary

Practical Info

Your private driver will meet you in Naples, Sorrento or Salerno where requested.

Along the road, you can see and feel the towering presence of Mt Vesuvius.

The availability of buildings open to the public changes continuously, the following is just an example of a possible itinerary.

Herculaneum is not as big as Pompeii, it can be visited thoroughly in about 2 hrs.

The first approach is spectacular: all of the ancient towns lying at the bottom of an archaeological hollow about 60 feet deep. From the top, you can see the entire excavated area at once, dominated by the impressive bulk of Mt. Vesuvius in the background: a stunning view and a great photo opportunity!

At the very bottom lays the marina, where about  300 human skeletons were found together with a fossilized boat and some fishing tools.

Crossing a modern bridge, we will start to discover the garden of the “House of the Albergo”, where quince trees were replanted following the evidence of carbonized roots of these ancient fruit trees.

Our next stop is the Council Hall of the Augustali, where you can admire beautifully preserved frescoes depicting Hercules.

You will visit the House of Neptune and Amphitrite, to see the wonderful mosaics decorating the outdoor ‘biclinium’ (dining room); this was probably the house of a merchant, in fact, next door you have a store with its counter, containers for food and wine and the wooden shelves carbonized still hanging on the walls!

Then you will discover the Bath House (an ancient Spa), still covered with mosaics. It will introduce you to the world or Roman Daily Care and social life: a  gym, a changing room, a tepid room, a hot room and at last a cold tub.

Nearby the Grande Palestra – large outdoor Gym – a glorious public sporting place to see. It still lays buried for about 3 quarters, but we can move into the cross-shaped pool to feel like an ancient archaeologist moving under the volcanic couch.

And of course not to be missed is at least one of the nearly intact private houses, according to availability, where to admire luxurious mosaics, frescoes, and statues.

Tour tags

Tour Reviews

5.00 based on 2 reviews
28th October 2023

We had an excellent experience, from arriving at the central train station in Napoli until the end of our tour of the archeological museum and exploration of old Napoli. Communications for setting up the tour were great, and we were met by our skillful driver Fabio and our very knowledgeable and personable guide Francesca. Herculaneum was an experience that should not be missed. Couldn’t ask for a better day.

17th August 2017

We contacted Leisure Italy about 10 days prior to getting to Naples hoping to find a better option than the ship’s excursions. Leisure Italy did not disappoint. We booked a private tour of Herculaneum with a follow on stop at a Cameo Shop, including guide and driver for a very reasonable price. Our guide Lavinia was outstanding, charming, knowledgeable, and excellent English. With her help, the ancient city seemed to come to life before your eyes. She timed our arrival at the cameo shop so that we avoided the five tour buses that stopped earlier and we had the entire shop to ourselves. Can’t say enough good about her. Our driver Alfonso got us to both stops quickly and safely and his English is flawless. Avoid the crowds and save some money–book Leisure Italy.