Our Introduction To Visiting Herculaneum

Visiting Herculaneum is a must-do because alongside Pompeii, it is one of the best preserved ancient Roman towns destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

No visit to Naples or Campania would be complete without visiting Herculaneum and seeing the ruins of the ancient Roman town.

Herculaneum, and the modern Italian town of Ercolano, are located approximately 5.5 miles/9 km east from Naples on the coast of the Bay of Naples.

Like Naples, Herculaneum was likely established by ancient Greeks as a colony in what was then known as Magna Grecia (Greater Greece) which was the ancient name for southern Italy.

This suggestion that ancient Greeks created Herculaneum comes from the fact that the town’s name is a reference to great Greek hero Hercules.

There is also evidence that points to the town being of more local heritage. Archeologists have detected evidence of Oscan settlement in the area – the Oscans were a local people who were present in Campania prior to assimilation under ancient Rome.

In the 1st century BCE, Herculaneum came under the influence of the Roman Republic, and owing to its picturesque location and desirable climate it quickly became a favorite spot for the rich and powerful of the Eternal City.

During the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, the city was destroyed and buried along with Pompeii and the surrounding area.

The entire town was buried under volcanic material which meant the near-perfect preservation of everything and everyone who was unable to escape the eruption.

It wasn’t until the 18th century that Herculaneum was rediscovered, when a local resident in the modern Italian town of Herculano was digging for a well. They hit stone material deep under the current street level, which turned out to be part of the ancient theater of Herculaneum.

Following this discovery several excavations (and unfortunately illegal lootings) took place which led to the revealing of the site that we know today.

On arrival you’ll be immediately struck by Herculaneum’s unique location. In the distance, the volcano of Vesuvius looms and the ancient ruins are several meters under the modern street level.

As you enter the site, descending down to the ancient street level, you will really feel like you are stepping back in time to ancient Rome.

One of the joys of visiting Herculaneum is that you can explore the ancient city without following a set route, and there is no shortage of things to see and discover.

Be sure to explore as many of the accessible spaces as possible – throughout you’ll find incredible examples of ancient frescoes, mosaics and stucco detail. In places these appear exactly as they did 2000 years ago.

Here are some of my personal highlights and recommended things to keep an eye out for as you walk the city’s ancient streets:

• The House of the Deer (Casa dei Cervi) – this is one of Herculaneum’s best preserved ancient residences featuring beautiful still-life frescoes.
• Be sure to check out the House of the Wooden Partition (Casa del Tramezzo di Legno) which is special for the fact it features still to this day some of its original wood doors.
• Throughout the ruins you’ll find various ancient bars (officially called thermopolium) , recognised by their distinctive counters featuring storage vessels from which food and drink would have been served to patrons.
• There are multiple examples of ancient bathing complexes, known as terme. These were the focal point of daily life in Herculaneum where the population would meet to discuss the latest news, exchange gossip and undertake business.
• Don’t miss the House of Neptune and Amphitrite (Casa di Nettuno e Anfitrite) where you’ll find a breathtaking example of an ancient Roman mosaic depicting the house’s namesakes; the deities Neptune and Amphitrite
• As you head towards the site exit, don’t miss the ancient boat houses where you’ll find copies of the skeletal remains of some unfortunate residents who perished while they waited to escape the volcanic eruption. They were not able to escape, and have now been immortalised here as a testament to the power of nature.

The exit tunnel in itself is a unique experience as it shows clearly the mass of material that was deposited here by the volcano and had to be dug through to make the ancient city accessible.

To complete your Herculaneum experience, be sure to visit the MANN, the National Archeological Museum of Naples which features a huge collection of artefacts from the ancient city as well as lots more from Pompeii too.

Herculaneum is a much smaller site than nearby Pompeii, and as such you can comfortably explore the full archeological area in two to three hours.

The ruins are busiest between the start of April and end of October – during these months you can expect the site to be full of people and tour groups.

If you are looking to beat the crowds, consider timing your arrival to enter the site as soon as it opens in the morning, or try visiting Herculaneum during the quieter, cooler months.

Visit hours vary according to the time of the year and certain parts of the park might be closed for restoration. I always recommend to check this in advance of your visit via the official website to avoid disappointment or frustration.

Where possible, access has been improved for those with mobility challenges with the Herculaneum for Everyone program. There is a set route and houses that have wheelchair accessible access noted on the official site map.

However like most ancient sites, not all areas are accessible using aids such as walking sticks, frames or wheelchairs. If you have specific questions about accessibility you can contact the Herculaneum Archaeological Park team directly via the website.

While strollers/prams are not best-suited to the uneven surfaces and steps, visiting Herculaneum with kids is a good option. The site is self contained, not too big and there are kid-focused maps you can pick up at the information desk.

There are very limited refreshment options within the archeological area itself so bring snacks and water, but surrounding the site there are plenty of places to get something.

Visiting Herculaneum from Naples couldn’t be simpler!

From Naples main train station (Napoli Centrale) there are direct trains that depart frequently run along the Circumvesuviana line stopping at Ercolano Scavi. This is in the modern town next to (and on top) of the ancient remains of Herculaneum.

At Napoli Centrale, head underground (when entering from the main ground-level entrance) and following the signs labelled ‘Circumvesuivana’ or ‘Linee Vesuviane’.

These signs will lead you to ticket desks and barriers, where you can purchase your tickets from the direct train to Ercolano Scavi station. We recommend using debit/credit cards to minimize the amount of cash you are carrying – a general travel tip!

Pass through the barriers and pay close to attention to the platform you need and the arrival time of your train. If you are unsure, ask a staff member, they will speak enough English to help you out.

The train will either be Line 1 which ends at Sorrento or Line 4 which ends at Poggiomarino. Line 4 trains stop at Ercolano Scavi roughly every 15 minutes whereas Line 1 trains stop there far more infrequently, so Line 4 is the better option.

Once on the train, the journey duration is approximately 35 minutes from Naples.

On arrival at Ercolano Scavi station, follow the brown tourist signs for Herculaneum/Ercolano Scavi – often featuring a icon showing a fallen Greco-Roman column.

The archaeological park is located around a 10 minute walk down the hill (towards the coast on the Via IV Novembre) from Ercolano train station.

Regular entrance tickets can be purchased online in advance of your visit or at the site entrance.

If you opt to purchase in-person at the site entrance note that you might spend quite a while queuing in busier periods, so I recommend that you book your tickets in advance.

Discounts and reductions are available for certain groups and ages, so if you believe you may qualify for a discount be sure to check the official COOP Culture website.

It is possible to visit Herculaneum for free on certain days, but be warned, these days will be busy – plan accordingly.

If you are limited for time and want to enjoy your experience when visiting Herculaneum to the maximum, we recommend booking a guided tour.

Tours offer not only a stress-free way to visit the site, but the guides (often from the local area) will share with you more insights and info compared to exploring on your own.

Most tour companies and tour guides offer combination experiences either with Pompeii or Vesuvius, or both. Read about combining your visit to Herculaneum with a visit to Pompeii and/or Vesuvius below.

If you haven’t done so previously, it’s likely that you want to visit nearby Pompeii and/or Mount Vesuvius. These sites combine to provide a more complete picture of those era-defining events at the start of the first century CE.

The good news is that visiting Mount Vesuvius and/or Pompeii when also visiting Herculaneum is straightforward. However, before we dive in, take it from us and our experiences that trying to visit all three in a single day will be exhausting. If time allows, consider splitting your visits up across two days to ensure you enjoy everything to its fullest.

The simplest way to visit Pompeii and/or Mount Vesuvius alongside visiting Herculaneum is via a tour.

If tours are not your thing, here is our recommended approach:

Assuming you are staying in Naples or Sorrento, arrive at Herculaneum for when it opens first thing in the morning.

If you are planning to visit all three sites in a single day, spend a maximum of two hours visiting Herculaneum. If you are spreading your visits out, you can spend up to three hours here.

Once you have concluded your visit, head back to the Ercolano train station, grabbing refreshments in one of the local bars/cafes if you didn’t bring food and/or drink. Take the first train headed for Pompeii.

If you get a Line 1 train to Sorrento, you will get off at the Pompeii Scavi station which is close to the Porta Marina entrance to the Pompeii archaeological park. If you get a Line 4 train to Poggiomarina, you will get off at the Pompeii Santuario station, which is close to the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance to the site.

On arrival at Pompeii, you have two choices depending on whether you are looking to see all three sites in a day, or just two.

If you are visiting all three, look for the signs pointing to the buses for Mount Vesuvius. There are several operators, each offering slightly different experiences. Choose whichever is best for you, and purchase a return ticket.

Visit Vesuvius (click here to read our dedicated page about visiting the volcano), after which you will return to where your bus departed.

From here proceed to the entrance of the Pompeii archeological park and start your final visit. If you have followed the timings recommended here, and everything has run smoothly, you should have 3-4 hours available before the site closes, depending on the time of the year.

If you are visiting two sites, and leaving the third for another day, on arrival at Pompeii Scavi proceed to your chosen second site accordingly.

As mentioned previously in this guide, there are limited refreshment options inside the archeological park and you should therefore bring snacks and water for your visit.

Herculaneum is situated in the modern town of Ercolano and there are a number of bars, cafes and restaurants between the site and train station where you can grab a quick panino or sit down for a full meal.

One of our favorite places to grab something from is Burger VIP – this small casual spot offers some of the best burgers we’ve ever eaten in Italy – it must be their use of the local produce in their patties and fillings.

The modern town of Ercolano is not somewhere we would recommend staying unless you are only planning on visiting Herculaneum, as the connections to Naples and the wider Campania region are not as good as those in Sorrento or even the Amalfi Coast.

You will not find many accommodation options, or amenities beyond local essentials, but the prices are cheaper as a result.

I would recommend staying in Naples (close to a metro station if you are pressed for time) if visiting Herculaneum is your priority, with Sorrento as my second choice.

This is because Naples has better connections to Herculaneum, and is a little closer, compared to Sorrento. However Sorrento is still a great choice, especially if you also want to explore further south along the Amalfi Coast and Capri during your trip.