The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Pompeii (Updated 2025)

"Visiting the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE was a lifelong goal for me, and it lived up to expectations: the eruption buried the Roman city in 4–6 meters of ash, freezing buildings, frescoes, streets, pots, and bodies in time and creating one of the best-preserved ancient sites I've seen. With origins as early as the 8th century BCE and a population of over 20,000 by the time of the eruption, Pompeii was a wealthy provincial cultural center with an amphitheater, forum, public baths, temples, aqueducts and expansive villas; the first modern excavations began in 1748 and continue today, with much still unexcavated. I spent a full day exploring but still missed a lot — the site covers over 160 acres and truly needs at least a day (or more if you want to see everything) — and while I found it fascinating, I was disappointed by a lack of upkeep and hope the Italian government does more to prevent further disrepair." - Matthew Kepnes