Pompeii is open throughout most of the year, with longer opening hours from spring to autumn. Tickets to the Archaeological Park are nominative and a daily limit of 20,000 visitors applies.
During the busiest period, from 16 March to 14 October, admissions are divided into time slots to help manage visitor flows.
Compare Pompeii tickets and choose the best option for your visit
Pompeii visitor limits and time slots
From 16 March to 14 October, the daily limit is divided as follows:
-
9:00 am–1:00 pm: maximum 15,000 admissions, including 12,000 Pompeii Express and 3,000 Pompeii Plus tickets.
-
1:00 pm–5:30 pm: maximum 5,000 admissions, including 3,000 Pompeii Express and 2,000 Pompeii Plus tickets.
During periods of high visitor numbers, especially in spring, summer, at weekends and on public holidays, booking in advance is recommended.
Pompeii opening hours
16 March to 14 October
Open daily: 9:00 am–7:00 pm
Last entrance: 5:30 pm
15 October to 15 March
Open daily: 9:00 am–5:00 pm
Last entrance: 3:30 pm
The Archaeological Park is normally closed on 25 December and 1 January, unless otherwise announced.
Which Pompeii ticket should you choose?
There are different ticket options depending on how much time you have and the type of visit you prefer.
Pompeii Express
Pompeii Express is the standard admission ticket and includes the ancient city of Pompeii. The suburban villas are not included.
Official price: €20
Pompeii Express and Pompeii Plus: compare the options
Pompeii Plus
Pompeii Plus includes the ancient city and extends the visit to the suburban villas route, including Villa of the Mysteries, Villa of Diomedes and Villa Regina at Boscoreale with the Antiquarium, according to the areas open on the day of the visit. The ticket also includes the Park shuttle service for the relevant route.
Official price: €25
Visitors who already have a Pompeii Express ticket can currently add the suburban villas route by purchasing an €8 supplementary ticket directly at the beginning of the route at Porta Ercolano – Via delle Tombe. Payment is by card only.
The last entrance at Porta Ercolano for the suburban villas route is 3:30 pm in winter and 5:30 pm in summer.
Reduced admission
A reduced admission price of €2 applies to citizens of the European Union aged between 18 and under 25, as well as to other eligible categories under current regulations.
Free admission and other reductions are available for visitors who meet the conditions established by Italian cultural heritage regulations.
Where to buy Pompeii tickets
Official entrance-only ticket
If you only need the official admission ticket to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, tickets can be purchased online through Vivaticket, the official online ticketing platform indicated by the Archaeological Park.
Tickets purchased in advance are supplied electronically and can normally be shown on a smartphone at the entrance.
Buy the official entrance ticket on Vivaticket
Tickets with an audio guide, guided tour or other services
Pompeionline also presents experiences bookable through commercial partners. These options may cost more than the official entrance-only ticket because, depending on the product selected, they can include additional services such as an audio guide, a professional guided tour, assistance, multimedia experiences, transport or combined admission.
Always check exactly what is included before booking.
Pompeii ticket with audio guide
Pompeii ticket and guided tour
Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius virtual experience
Pompeii and Herculaneum guided tour
Pompeii half-day trip from Naples
Compare all Pompeii tickets and tours
Entrances to Pompeii
Visitors can enter the archaeological site from:
-
Porta Marina
-
Piazza Anfiteatro
-
Piazza Esedra
The official ticket offices of the Archaeological Park are located only within the archaeological area at these entrances.
For access to the Antiquarium, Piazza Esedra is the recommended entrance. Admission to the Antiquarium is included in the Pompeii entrance ticket.
Free admission on the first Sunday of the month
Admission to Pompeii is free on the first Sunday of every month and on other special free-admission days announced by the authorities.
On these days, online booking is not available. Visitors go directly to the turnstiles without first collecting a ticket at the ticket office.
Tickets are not nominative on free-admission days, but the daily limit of 20,000 visitors remains in force.
Pompeii for visitors with reduced mobility
Visitors with mobility difficulties can use the “Pompeii for All” accessible route, starting from Piazza Anfiteatro.
The itinerary provides an accessible route through part of the archaeological site, with the possibility of returning to Piazza Anfiteatro or exiting through Piazza Esedra using the Antiquarium lift.
Luggage storage and bags
Paid luggage storage facilities are available at the Porta Marina and Piazza Anfiteatro entrances.
Bags, backpacks, suitcases and other items larger than 30 × 30 × 15 cm are not permitted inside the archaeological areas.
Visitors travelling with large luggage should therefore use the available luggage storage facilities before entering.
Toilets
Toilets are available at several points in and around the archaeological site, including Piazza Anfiteatro, Porta Marina, Piazza Esedra, the Quadriporticus near the theatres, Casina dell'Aquila and the Antiquarium.
Visiting Pompeii in summer
During the hottest months:
-
wear a hat and sunglasses;
-
use high-protection sunscreen;
-
avoid the hottest hours of the day when possible, particularly with children or elderly visitors;
-
carry drinking water;
-
use the public drinking fountains available inside the archaeological site;
-
wear comfortable shoes suitable for ancient paving and uneven surfaces.
Before travelling, always check current opening conditions because individual houses, buildings or areas may temporarily close for conservation, restoration, maintenance or safety reasons.
Compare tickets, guided tours and other options for visiting Pompeii
Sources: Archaeological Park of Pompeii; Italian Ministry of Culture.