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.
• 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 mosiac depicting the house’s namesakes; the deities Neptune and Amphitrite
• As you head towards the site exit, don’t miss the ancient store rooms where you’ll find the remains of some unfortunate residents who perished while they waited to escape the volcanic eruption. These poor souls were too late to make it onto the nearby boats, 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.

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 but 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 we recommend that you contact COOP Culture (who operate and manage the site). Alternatively you can speak to your tour guide if you are opting for a guided visit.

The ruins are not easy to visit with young children where most surfaces are uneven and there are no kid-focused activities on site.

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 – 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 ‘Linea 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.

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 archeological 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 it’s recommended to 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 planning on visiting multiple sites, ruins and museums during your visit to Naples, consider buying yourself a ticket pass to make getting entrance tickets much easier.

If you are limited for time and want to enjoy your experience when visiting Herculaneum to the maximum, we would 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 Scavi station (not the modern town of Pompei).

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

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.

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) or Sorrento.

In both cases you can use the Circumvesuviana train line that runs from Napoli Centrale in Naples to Sorrento and back to get to Herculaneum easily.

This guide has already covered how to get from Herculaneum from Naples.

Note that travel from Sorrento main train station the journey takes a little longer, typically just over an hour.