On our last trip to Naples, we visited Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day.
In our guide, we share how to get there, where to buy tickets, how to visit both places in one day, and hidden gems you don’t want to miss.
Can you see Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day?
Yes, you can see Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day. We recommend visiting Herculaneum in the morning and Pompeii in the afternoon.
We came from Naples and spent three hours in Herculaneum, and another three hours in Pompeii.
Are you a history nerd wanting to see everything?
Then I would recommend planning a full day in Pompeii and visiting Herculaneum separately. Here’s our guide on how to visit Pompeii.
For us, spending half a day at each site was enough to experience the best of both sites.
Before we share our tips and experiences, there’s something important to address.
Many ask if you can also visit Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Mount Vesuvius in one day. We wouldn’t recommend it unless you book a guided day tour with an archaeologist. It’s just too much to see.
Volcano Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD, and visiting Monte Vesuvio adds to the whole experience.
We hiked Mount Vesuvius and visited the excavation sites the day after.
In our guide about the volcano, we share how to visit Mount Vesuvius and what you need to know. So if you want to walk along the crater rim, we highly recommend you read our article.
How To Get To Herculaneum And Pompeii
When I researched how to get from Naples to Herculaneum and Pompeii using public transport, I received many confusing answers. Even locals gave me explanations that made no sense.
In the end, I figured it out. There are two train stations in Naples next to each other, and only one takes you to Pompeii and Herculaneum.
1. How To Get To Herculaneum From Naples
Next to Naples central station (Napoli Garibaldi) is Napoli Porta Nolana. This is where you have to go. We purchased a ticket to Ercolano Scavi for €2,50 per person. The train ride takes about 24 minutes, and the line goes to Sorrento.
From the train station, you walk 9 minutes down to the entrance of Herculaneum.
2. How To Get From Herculaneum To Pompeii
You go back to the train station, Ercolano Scavi. Purchase a ticket to Pompei Santuario.
It costs €2,40 per person and takes 31 minutes to reach the train station in Pompei. From there, it’s a 7-minute walk to the entrance of Pompeii.
3. How To Get From Pompeii To Naples
From the train station Pompei Santuario (Pompei is the town, and Pompeii is the excavation site), the train takes you directly back to Naples.
The tickets are very affordable at € 3,3 per person. The train ride takes 55 minutes from Pompei to Naples.
⭐️ Travel Tip: While the official Napoli Porta Nolana website has a timetable (last updated in 2023), the easiest way to figure out when the next train leaves is by using Google Maps. It gives you the most up-to-date timetable. Enter the route and click on the train symbol.
Visiting Herculaneum
We purchased our tickets for Herculaneum online in advance. The ticket has a designated time to enter the site. In the morning, it was less crowded, and we enjoyed the ruins of Herculaneum without the crowds.
At the ticket office, we presented our online ticket. They printed out a ticket. As we had an audio guide included, we had to leave our passports and put our backpacks into a locker. (The same procedure is necessary at Pompeii).
With the included map and audio guide, we visited the ancient Roman ruins on a self-guided walking tour.
We spent 3 hours in Herculaneum. You can walk through the ancient streets and visit buildings, gardens, and a cave. Afterward, you can also visit the museums.
To be honest, we enjoyed Herculaneum a lot more than Pompeii. The houses and mosaics are better preserved, and you can enter more buildings.
Visiting Pompeii
We purchased our ticket for Pompeii online in advance for the day. The queue at the ticket counter is normally very long, and we didn’t want to waste time.
As the ticket was for the day and had no designated time, our visit was less stressful, and we could stay there as long as we wanted.
That’s the whole reason why we visited Herculaneum first, and the ruins of Pompeii in the afternoon.
Read more in our guide to visiting Pompeii.
Hidden Gem In Pompei
After leaving the archaeological site, before we headed back to the train station, we found a hidden gem!
The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary is one of the most pompous churches I’ve ever seen, and we visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Milan Cathedral, and other amazing churches throughout Italy.
Highly recommended place to stop by!
Final Thoughts About Visiting Both Pompeii And Herculaneum
You can see Pompeii in Herculaneum in one day if you’re fine with seeing the best of both archaeological sites.
While you can see everything Herculaneum has to offer in about 3 hours, there’s no way you can see everything of Pompeii in half a day.
I visited Pompeii twice, and after a couple of hours walking around the cobblestone pathways in the heat, I was exhausted. So for me, it was enough.
In case you are a history fan and want to see everything, I would recommend spending a whole day in Pompeii and 3 to 4 hours in Herculaneum.
Not sure which one to visit? Read our article about Pompeii vs Herculaneum.
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