Forum Baths

These baths were situated in Via delle Terme at the very centre of Pompeii in the building opposite the Temple of Fortuna Augusta. They were built in the first year of the founding of the colony with public funds and were always assiduously frequented by the town authorities. The damage suffered during the earthquake was immediately repaired, and they were in fact the only baths in use at the moment of the eruption in 79 A.D..Although by no means a large establishment, the Forum baths were nevertheless equipped with all the bathing facilities that Roman citizens could desire. The baths were subdivided into men's and women's sections, each with their own independent entrance. There were three doors leading to the men's baths on the streets around the building, but we cannot be sure which were entrances and which were exits. The narrow corridor opening onto Via delle Terme led straight into the changing room and the entrances on Via del Foro and Vicolo delle Terme passed through a porticoed courtyard before reaching the changing room.The changing room (Apodyterium) was provided with wooden wardrobes in which customers could leave their clothes and stone benches along the walls. It had a barrel vault roof with a skylight in one of the lunettes, and both the walls and the vaults were embellished with stucco decorations on a yellow background, of which only a few traces now remain. The first chamber was the Frigidarium where customers could take a cold bath. It is a square shaped room lit by an opening in the vault, with apsidal niches in the corners and a round bath with steps in the centre of the room.The changing room had another door leading into the Tepidarium where customers could take a warm bath with water heated by a bronze brazier. This bathing chamber had a barrel vault ceiling while its walls were elegantly embellished with stucco work placed on either side of giants holding up a shelf.Lastly came the Calidarium with its hot water bath and, on the far wall, a marble labrum, a bath with cold water for guests who needed to cool off. The temperature in the room was maintained by the circulation of warm air (heated in an adjacent room which also housed the boilers for the hot water) in a cavity between the walls and a lining of breast-shaped tiles (tegulae mammatae).The women's baths were laid out in a similar way on the other side of the boiler room, which was used by both sections, and could be reached from the entrance on Via delle Terme.

The elegant and best-preserved public baths in Pompeii. They show daily life was in the ancient city

The Terme del Foro, or Forum Baths, is a captivating glimpse into the social and cultural life of ancient Pompeii, where wellness and relaxation were prioritized. This remarkable complex features beautifully preserved mosaics and intricate frescoes, showcasing the artistry of Roman bathhouse design. The layout, with its hot, warm, and cold areas, reflects a sophisticated understanding of hygiene and leisure, inviting visitors to imagine the vibrant social interactions that took place within its walls. As you wander through the serene corridors and opulent bathing rooms, the echoes of laughter and conversation seem to linger in the air, making the Terme del Foro a romantic retreat into the everyday lives of Pompeians. A visit here is a delightful journey into the heart of ancient leisure and communal spirit.

The Forum Baths in Pompeii were luxurious public bathing facilities in the ancient Roman city. They had different rooms for hot and cold baths, saunas, and exercise areas. The baths were adorned with beautiful frescoes and mosaics, and they served as social gathering spots in addition to being places for personal hygiene. Unfortunately, it is currently closed as the Archaeologists are conducting excavations to uncover artifacts.

Very beautiful place. All of Pompeii is amazing but this is so well preserved that gives you an idea how the public baths were in that era. It is a must visit!

Well preserved and interesting look into life in the Roman Empire 200 years ago.

Amazing bathhouse but no hot water 😅

Terme del Foro, public bath space. This place was built in BC80. Here was public spacious bath space. Pompei population was 15000 people. Much of people, citizens and slaves, used this place. The bath was not bathing but steaming. I was astonished with such a unique place.

We used the services of a an excellent tour guide: Noemi Parisi. She collected us at the bus terminal in Napoli and paid for the 24 minute ride to the Pompeii entrance. We walked right into Pompeii as she had images of our previously purchased tickets. A 2-1/2 hour tour with someone who really knows the town. There is a lot of walking on uneven terrain. Be prepared. We got back on the bus with Noemi and returned to Napoli. I cannot recommend Noemi Parisi highly enough. parisin13@gmail.com or use WhatsApp +39 320 2222852 €38 for the tickets €180 for our private tour with Noemi.

This was my husband's request on our trip. I'll be honest, I did not know much about this area or the story that goes with it. That being said, I was super impressed!! Not only by how intricate, beautiful and large the ruins were, but how well it has been preserved. We did not have a guide, but my husband had knowledge buried in his brain, I wasn't aware of. This is a definite check out if you are in the region. Give yourself a few hours to explore.

I took a tour from Rome that went from Sorrento to here. It was a cute little town. We didn't even get through most of the park and we had a guide, which allowed us to hit some of the highlights and hear fun facts. I was surprised at how well preserved everything is and it was one of the places I was fascinated with growing up (in which some of the myths I had previously had were debunked here). Since it's a UNESCO site, it's also free on the first Sunday of the month (like the Colosseum). They have a little museum on-site too. 2025 #61

Wow Pompeii was amazing, a whole city buried under 10 feet of volcanic ash and people frozen in time or the plaster made of themselves. I enjoyed my time here although it was short because I was on tour, but you could spend days here exploring everything and still can't see everything! Seeing the plaster people frozen in time as they slept was amazing. I didn't have time to check out Musuem. So if you do come, come without a group tour, as you will miss out on a lot of things. But I enjoyed my time here! I still look back at my photos. Such memories. A trip of a lifetime for sure!

The ancient Roman city of Pompeii is one of the most iconic archaeological sites in the world. Located near modern-day Naples, Italy, it was destroyed and buried under ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., preserving its buildings and artifacts for future generations to explore. Of course you need to do this tour, and wear good comfy shoes, you have no idea how beautiful and large this place is. But breathtakingly beautiful. We'd highly recommend a tour guide when visiting, there is so much to learn and you'll have so many questions. We took it as a day trip from Rome which is considered a 13-14 hour day. You stop for breathtaking photos in Sorento Italy and stop at the Amalfi Coast to put your feet in the water, shop, get something to eat then off to Pompeii Ruins for a spectacular tour group. You won't be disappointed.

One of the best experiences I've ever had. We had an archaeologist-led private tour and couldn't have asked for more. Amazing history, absolutely huge - I didn't understand the scale of Pompeii until we were there. Worth the trip to Napoli to visit Pompeii alone! Spectacular 10/10 highly recommend!!

Pompeii is near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. We were so glad that we had an opportunity to go on a special tour there. 2.5+ million people visit it yearly! The history is that it was buried under 13-20 feet of volcanic ash & pumice the moment when Mt Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Most of the city was destroyed but remnants still exist like the frescos on walls in some of the villas & buildings (see my video), an amphitheater, a forum, bakeries, and baths that are located within 9 districts. It is a world UNESCO site that is the only archeological site that provides the true picture of an ancient Roman city. It's a fascinating place to visit!

Pictures don't do it justice, these ruins are amazing and I was blown away by how large the area really is. I can't imagine how they even created these structures so long ago and probably with limited tools. In the stone laid streets themselves you can see the markings of where chariot wheels wore divots. They actually had a place to get food (kind of like a fast food setup) and of course bath houses.Really enjoyed our excursion here but definitely needed at least three hours.

Pompeii is an absolute must if you're in the Naples or Amalfi areas. The famous ancient city that was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Came from Sorrento which was about an hour ride on the Circumvesuviana train. You could honestly spend an entire day here. Much bigger than I expected. Personally, the best way to explore in my opinion is to go without a map and just chart your own course of self discovery. Pompeii is really cool because you get to see the remnants of what life was like then. The society was also quite sophisticated which is cool. You'll see irrigations systems, homes, theatres, signs, community buildings and more. There's also some signage around to help you understand what it is you're exploring. Even though the city is a huge tourist attraction, because it's so big, it never felt like it was too crowded. Still, I recommend going first thing in the AM if you can. There is an area for food, drinks, and bathroom on site if needed. There's also a number of tourist catering restaurants right around the area too if you need something before or after.

We went out of our way to make sure we could visit the Ruins of Pompeii during our trip, and I'm glad we did. The tour we booked wasn't the greatest, but I'm not reviewing that here, I'm reviewing Pompeii and all we were able to see and experience. And let me say, it was an experience. There is so much to absorb, and it can quickly get to be too much, especially if the streets or houses are crowded, as it was the day we were there. But, it's so SO worth it. We were in Pompeii! We were walking the streets and peering into the homes and stopping in front of shops and baths and getting the barest glimpse of what was, what happened, and what is still to be unearthed. You'll definitely want to wear comfortable shoes, bring a water bottle and something to block the sun if you're there in the summer. There aren't many places to sit and there isn't a lot of shade, so be prepared. The "notable" buildings have placards and the people stemming the flow of visitors inside the buildings you can walk into were friendly and willing to answer questions as we waited for our turn to get inside. We could have spent the day there, wandering the streets and gawking at all the things. I wish we *had* spent the day there, if I'm honest, but the tour made the most sense based on the time we had available and our wish to be carted around the city. The sheer magnitude of the ruins - the Pompeii you can see and the Pompeii teams are still working to uncover - was astounding. I knew it had been a huge, thriving city, of course, but knowing that because of a book or seven and seeing it laid out in front of you are two very different things. Highly recommend for anybody even mildly interested in history, art, culture or very old and sad things.

I grew up learning about Pompeii in school. We all know the story. The massive volcano that erupted which caused mass devastation in the city of Pompeii. The residents at the time did not believe they would be harmed by Mount Vesuvius. Boy were they wrong! The scene of this natural disaster is an example of history frozen in time. And for a history nut like me, an incredible experience. Pro tip: reserve your ticket online at least two weeks in advance. This will allow you to skip the line and also potentially having to pay significantly more if tickets sell out by buying them through a third party. Preparation is key! There are several entrances to the ruins and make sure to stay away from randos at the entrance trying to trick you into buying things. I showed up right when they opened and spent the entire day there until they closed. And by doing that, I only saw roughly 75% of the ruins. That puts into perspective the scale of what you can see. I paid a little extra for an audio guide which I recommend. You'll learn a lot more this way. You can also get a map to plan your day. You'll see a lot of ruins. You'll see the remains of people preserved at the time of their death. Which is a jarring experience. There's so much to explore. If you get hungry, they have several spots where you can grab a bite to eat or drink. They also have some free water but it's not widespread so make sure to bring plenty on your own. I had a water pack in my backpack. It's likely going to be very hot while you're there and there isn't a lot of shade. So make sure to stay hydrated and bring sunscreen. Pompeii is a short trip from Rome and an essential visit while you're in Italy. There isn't a ton to see in the city outside of the ruins but like I mentioned earlier, given the scale, you can easily spend anywhere from one to three days exploring.

Really enjoyed our brief tour of the ruins of Pompeii. Unfortunately the transport bus scheduled through cruise line only gave us 2 hours there....not enough time. We were driven over from the Amalfi Coast which was 1 hour one way. Best to buy your tickets in advance to speed up entrance. It's truly an area stopped in time by the eruption. We did the audio tour and purchased ourself. Like all popular tourist sites it was very busy especially in the main structures. The Archaeologists are still performing the slow process of uncovering the buried ruins. As the Spring moves into to summer it's probably bit on the warm side to tour the exposed areas. From the ruins Mt Vesuvius is large in the view nearby. The surrounding countryside is beautiful with high mountains. We wanted to visit the onsite museum which used some of our time. It holds of artifacts of all types from the inhabitants daily lives.

These ruins are history and so worth checking out. Walking around might not be too much but I took a tour and was explained all the history that went down in the city of Pompeii. Definitely makes you appreciate what you have and so interesting go learn about all the volcanic eruptions and how people used to live. Would recommend a tour because I don't think I would have any idea what anything meant without it.

My wife and I visited in 2016--pre-kids, pre-sippy cups, back when we could walk hand-in-hand through ancient ruins without someone demanding goldfish crackers every five minutes. Back when traveling meant packing books instead of juice boxes. The whole experience is like walking into a time capsule--only it's 79 AD, the air smells faintly of sunbaked stone and sunscreen, and your sandals are slowly melting against cobblestones that absolutely do not meet modern ADA guidelines. Seriously, if you ever want to know what it's like to sprain an ankle where Julius Caesar once might've hypothetically tripped, this is the place. The streets are carved deep with chariot ruts, which is awesome until you realize they also double as shin-level traps. I half expected to hear the rumble of wheels and the cries of a centurion shouting for more wine and fewer tourists. But it's incredible. You can actually walk into ancient Roman homes, their frescoes still clinging to the walls like memories that refused to fade. You'll pass temples, bakeries, even a brothel with some surprisingly frank artwork. I mean--wow, Romans. Just... wow. And then you see the plaster casts--moments of life caught mid-breath, mid-run, mid-everything. That's when the gravity of it all drops. It's haunting, sobering, powerful, and uunforgettable. Like stumbling onto a page of history that still echoes. Pro-tip: Wear good shoes. Hydrate. And do not, under any circumstance, attempt to impress your spouse by leaping over a stepping stone (ask me how I know). Pompeii is a marvel--equal parts awe and ash. A place where you can wander for hours and still feel like you've only scratched the volcanic surface.

Pompeii, the city that was buried in time by Mt. Vesuvius is 79AD, heavily preserved and still being excavated. From the bodies find in the positions they died in, to full kitchens and villas, to thermal pools and outdoor food stands, walking through Pompeii is like getting transported almost 2000 years in to the past. Heading the stories of the lives of the people there, and witnessing how different their lives were based on where they lived really paints a picture of how Roman life and structure was. Definitely a must see if you are in Naples. Take the time and journey back to ancient Rome with a visit to Pompeii

Pompeii was high on the list when planning to come to the Naples and Amalfi area of Italy, and it did not disappoint. Our guide took us through the history of the preserved city that was Pompeii and what life would have been like for those living here prior to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It's fascinating to see how well preserved everything is and the scale of the city. We were there for three hours and probably could've stayed longer to see the entire property. Overall, a really cool, one in a lifetime experience! Maybe next time I'll be daring enough to hike Mount Vesuvius!

Very cool place to visit. Recommend getting tickets before arriving, but there should be tickets available if you arrive early enough. Also, take time to explore. This place is huge! Could easily take a full day to see most of it. Wear comfortable shoes! Where sunblock and freeze water so it melts as you walk because it can get really hot and humid. Great place to see some history!

Pompeii cannot be trusted explained in a mere sentence or six. To see what has been uncovered after the explosion of Vesuvius in person is absolutely astonishing. Brothels, villas, amphitheaters, fountains, bakeries, gardens oh my. It was just a city destroyed, you may say. Go there and walk around and take in the art,architecture, and ability that these people displayed in seemingly every day aspects of their lives and then see if you think it was just a city. It WILL take you hours and hours because remember it is the size of a city even by today's standards. It may take you several days, even decades to enjoy it all and take in all they keep discovering along the way.

This is a must. WOW! Amazing. I don't really have the words for what I saw. There are so many things to see and they're still excavating. You could spend a day here.

As you may have read from my last review we arrived from Messina, Sicily, Italy to the Port of Naples. After our cruise ship arrived at the port of Naples, we took a cruise ship bus to tour Pompei, a city in southern Italy's Campania region overlooked by the active volcano at Vesuvius. It's known for its ancient city, Pompeii, which was buried by the 79 A.D. eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Ruins here include the frescoed Villa of the Mysteries and the city's amphitheater. In town, the Catholic pilgrimage site of thVIIe Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Rosary has mosaics and a grand cupola. Pompei is an UNESCO World Heritage site. I love European and Italian history. Pompei was about 30 KM from the port of Napoli, which took about 30 minutes. Many tour buses and visitors were here. It was very crowded. Pompei is one of the oldest ancient historic sites that we visited during our Mediterranean cruise. We purchased audible tour guide devices for each of us, which we did not use because they were difficult to use, inconvenient and annoying hanging from our necks. The roads of Pompei were uneven stones so somewhat difficult to navigate in the hot sun and heat. Pompei is quite large. We mostly visited sections VII and VIII. We visited 10, 11, 12 including the Piccolo theater, the Stabian baths among many homes and other areas. Check out my many pics from the ruins. Public bathrooms were located in this area. Lots of walking here in the recommended sections VII and VIII. After we toured the sections VII and VIII of the ruins we enjoyed a slice of local pizza and local draft beer at one of the restaurants outside the ruins, where there were many gift shops. It was good to return to our tour bus for our comfortable ride back to the port of Napoli, where our cruise ship was located. More to come regarding Livorno, our next port of call in Italy.

I was honestly not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. When a touring exhibit from Pompeii came to the US years ago, it was mostly the human casts and, I'm just not into displays of human remains. One thing I did learn about the casts though, is that some of the touring ones are copies and don't contain the skeletons like the ones on site here do...still....not my thing either way. The majority of what we saw on the tour we took was the city which is amazingly well preserved. The artwork on the walls of the homes was still beautiful, and the restaurants still had food containers with now basically fossilized remnants of food. We were even able to see an area in which research is ongoing. The city is huge and we only saw a small portion of it in the 3 hours or so we were here. Definitely worth seeing!

Pretty cool. Tour guide matters in order to enjoy the day. I found the upkeep to be disappointing. There's a lot of graffiti. Very sad to be completely honest.

After several weeks of traveling in Italy, pompeii was my final stop. And it turned out to be the coolest thing i saw the entire trip. Its a marvel. A tragic but fascinating piece of history. I was surprised by how big the city is, was expecting a small village, this is a metropolis. So many houses, shops, baths, temples, gardens, villas. Most of it preserved intact. The mosaics are beautiful as well. You could spend an entire weekend just walking around. There is so much to see. Its like disneyland for history buffs.

It's always a great experience to see history. It was extremely hot when I went, so I do recommend that you bring plenty of water, a fan, and an umbrella. This place is so huge that you can break your tour down over a few days. Just a quick history of Pompeii: in the summer of A.D. 79, the nearby Mount Vesuvius volcano erupted, spreading smoke and toxic gas 20 miles into the air, which soon reached the town.

Pompeii was on our list as a "must see" while we were visiting Sorrento. An opportunity to see a historic area thousands of years old is very exciting. We arranged a 4 hour tour, from our hotel that included, transportation, guide and skip the line tickets. For me, it was worth having all this prearranged and organized. We were able to enjoy Pompeii relaxed and worry free. We had a comfortable ride and after we arrived, we were handed our tickets and walked right in. Having a knowledgeable guide describe the historic event, structures, art and city made the visit much more interesting than just walking about on our own. Pompeii is beautiful, from it's uneven stone streets to it broken columns and buildings, built long before the birth of Christ. It's amazing to stand there and see something that old and historic for yourself. You could easily spend a day there, but for me, 4 hours was just about right.

What an amazing place to see. They've taken their time to restore and show what happened. A must stop on your vacation.

Hasn't everyone heard of Pompeii, the famous ancient city near Naples? The city was buried under as much as 20 feet of volcanic ash in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The city was largely preserved under the ash and the excavated city now offers a unique image of what life was like as it was frozen in time at the moment it was buried. There is enough to see here that you could easily spend a full day or more. I had three hours of a guided tour which brought us through the basilica area, through preserved homes, uncovered baths and of course, the brothel. The tour guide was so enamored with the paintings on the walls there, the stone penises over door frames and such. I guess he thought that these titillations were important. Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is easily accessible by train from Naples in less than half an hour. I would suggest a guided tour so you don't miss too much. There are plenty of subtle details that are worth pointing out. [Review 19243 overall - 391 in Italy - 213 of 2023.]

An amazing archaeological site filled with stories of the 20-30,000 people who lived there. Well maintained this city is filled with all the things you would find in a city of today. The ruins are well preserved yet you are allowed to get up close and personal to the artifacts. Recommend you hire a tour guide so they can get you to the important points of interest. It is a massive city and a typical tour is 3-4 hours of which you will explore less than 10% of the city. Lots of cafes and shops right outside the entrance. A cameo factory is located right next door that has some amazing pieces albeit a bit higher cost due to proximity to this major tourist attraction.

The ruins of Pompeii have been preserved under volcanic ash from Mt Vesuvius eruption. This excavated city offered a snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the time it was buried. Unfortunately, a lot of the detailed evidence of the everyday life of its inhabitants was lost in the excavations. This was a wealthy community, with a population of about 11,000 in AD 79. Remains of many fine public buildings, luxurious private houses with lavish decorations, furnishings & art were excavated. Organic remains, including wooden objects & a few human bodies, were also entombed in ash. They decayed, allowing archaeologists to make plaster casts of unique & gruesome, figures in their final moments of life. The numerous graffiti carved on walls & inside rooms provides a wealth Latin spoken at the time, contrasting with formal language of the classical writers. Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy, with approximately 2.5 million visitors annually.

Pompeii ruins Napoli Italy exceeded my expectations. Highly recommend this trip to any other person who loves history, beauty, food, wine and love!

A must see in the area. This was an amazing place. We prearranged a guide to meet us to give us a private tour as we only had 2 hours. We were efficient and saw all the highlights, wealthy house, the baths, plaster people remains, frescos, theatre, and forum to just name a few. I loved the frescos. I didn't take a ton of pics because it was fun to just focus and imagine the life and character of this city. The size of the excavated area is massive. Two hours was not enough. It's interesting to hear the stories of how it's thought these people lived based on what they left behind but we will never really know for sure. Our guide, Serena, was excellent. Full of info but driven to ensure we used our time wisely. Heads up, our entry line was held up a few times by people that had purchased online tickets without the scanner working well off your phone. Print them out if you can for the best results.

I suspect most go to tick it off their 'bucket list'. This is a daft American notion, and my view is if you have such a thing put at the top 'tear up the bucket list'. The reality is that one or two days is completely insufficient to begin even to scratch the surface of this place but you can see the remaining houses of the 'important' residents (including magistrates, politicians) but I never understand why we fawn over politicians. To me they are essential only in the same way sewers are vital to cities their usefulness in each case is that they shift s@&". In regard to magistrates, judges etc they do not dispense justice rather the law. There's very little relationship between the law and justice and in most cases any similarity is purely coincidental. Yes I'm a Cynic. There's also the public arenas to see here. These are easily identified like the forum, the sewage system, public toilets, the water supply system, a fast food restaurant, a bath house and the red light area, but another reality is you will need a guide not just to guide you to what you are looking for and at, but to get you back out again to where you entered if you have a taxi or coach to return to. There's at least three different exits. It's a truly huge site with cobble and broken stones underfoot. You need a great degree of physical stamina to get about and it's sure not for the faint-hearted or weak limbed. As with so many of these sites there's a fair number of spivs trying to sell you everything from guides to devices you can wear to self guide (they will take a big ££ deposit to secure the equipment) to ice cream and coffee purveyors - suffice to say that they will rob you blind given half of half the chance. If you can organise all you need before you get there it'll be much easier and relaxed. I've been a few times before and have a slight advantage knowing some Latin but I wouldn't return. The only reason we went this time was we were with friends who hadn't been before and wanted to go.....they said something to do with a bucket list. Bah, humbug.

Amazingly rich in culture it's so fascinating yes sad deffenetly a trip to remember! They have done an amazing job excavating and go in was spectacular.

For some reason this place has two Yelp listings, so I'll write a review for both! You ever heard of Pompeii? The town that melted thanks to the volcano burst? Will it's right here! There isn't a lot of shade and this place is huge! You're going to sweat like a pig that ate too much pepperoni. I don't think I've ever sweated as much as I did here in my entire life. I was drenched from top to bottom. I could barely move as my clothes were attached to my skin because of all the sweat. Still, it was worth it. You'll see the molten casts of the people who passed away as well as the remains of a lot. Almost got into a fist fight with one of the tour guides because he decided he was priority and decided to cut in front of my even though I had been waiting to take a picture for awhile. Still, in the end after a yelling match he backed down. Overall, a crazy experience and one that is worth the hassle and pain you will have to endure.

Pompeii is so vast and an incredible historical site to walk through. I think they could really improve the tourist experience though. There are very few signs throughout the ruins, so you can only really learn with a tour guide or with an audioguide. It was very difficult to navigate by myself and figure out which sites to see and in which order to go about this huge complex. When I went to buy my ticket, they said the card machine was broken, and you could only pay with cash or go on their website to buy a ticket, except service was very poor there, and they didn't have wifi. I've never been to a major tourist site and been told all the card machines were broken. This was very disappointing, especially with how famous and popular Pompeii is.

"Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh Eh-eh-oh, eh-oh" - Bastille Who knows this tune? How can you not sing these lyrics? If you're in Naples, you can't not visit the Pompeii Ruins! Honestly, the best part to visit is just in the central area, the Forum, where the Temple of Jupiter and Basilica are. You can spend hours wandering around the streets of this ancient city so wear comfortable shoes. Check out the old brothel (Lupanare) and see the rock hard beds. Honestly, the Amphitheater and the Palestra Grande at the other end of the city were not that impressive but people do say it's the best part to visit. A stroller is a bad idea as I saw many parents struggling pushing a stroller around a super rocky street. Will leave you with some rap lyrics: "Speedboat swerve homie watch out for the waves I'm way too black to burn from sun rays So I just meditate at the home in Pompeii About how I could build a new Rome in one day" - Kanye West

This place was always a childhood dream for me to visit, as I had read about this site as a child. I have been to many ruins in the UK, India, Egypt and Mexico. It is quite well preserved for a place of great devastation by Mount Vesuvius. The entry point has a gift shop with many historical books, children's items, souvenirs but the biggest draw for me was the casts of some citizens who were victims of the volcano. The gift shop is a must see for that. It is right before the entry off of the Main Street. Inside, we walked into the coliseum which was surprisingly intact. There is a gallery of pop culture that was featured in the dark corridors. A garden was reconstructed by the historians that gave us a small glimpse of what it looked like in the time. Frescos in the house of Julia were still visible. You can walk along the ancient stone streets to see how the citizens traveled in the period. Along the streets are remnants of a historic town with thermopoliums where food was prepared by vendors and old houses by many aristocrats who lived there. A remnant of an old brothel still exists here showing the small rooms where patrons visited. The main square where their government operated are in classic ruins but it is impressive to see what still remains. The sidewalks have some access to strollers and wheelchairs, though some areas can be tricky. The elaborate construction of the steam baths are still there. Many of which are preserved and give you an idea of how ingenious the culture was in the period. There is an art display of many artifacts that were recovered in the ruins that is worth seeing. Frescos, statues, wall art and some paintings remain. It took about 2.5 to 3 hours to cover most of the town. 2/3 of the town has been uncovered but 1/3 remains untouched. There were a few water stations for people to refresh themselves but food and drink are not available. You have to pass through a security checkpoint, and large baggage, large backpacks and luggage are not allowed. It is definitely a worthwhile place for visitors of all ages. The Herculaneum is also worthy of a visit, too, in Naples. Many exhibits are labeled in Italian and English. Tour guides are available outside of the entrances for hire or you can choose to use a guidebook or app from the AppStore that geocache the various landmarks. It was well worth the visit to Pompeii ruins! It is not far from Sorrento or Naples. I do recommend staying hydrated or you can get exhausted since the humidity is high here. Also wear comfortable shoes. There are some steeper slopes that one must navigate in some areas and ground is uneven so be careful, be safe and have fun!

We had an incredible time exploring Pompeii and taking a peek into the life of the Romans prior to Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 AD. We had a two hour guided tour of this city frozen in time, and honestly I could have spent plenty more hours wandering the streets of Pompeii! Our tour guide is born and raised in a small town just outside of Pompeii, and she was brimming with knowledge. She really helped paint the picture of life in Pompeii and what life was like so long ago. I was surprised to learn how civilized the folks of Pompeii were! Irrigation systems, street signs, grab & go food spots (essentially fast food), and entertainment. I loved seeing the theatres where Romans spent so much of their time, the homes with gorgeous tiles and artwork, and of course, the bathhouses! When you think of Pompeii, you often think of the casts of bodies from the individuals who suffered the awful tragedy. To my surprise, many of these have been transferred to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, but we were still able to see one here, which was truly so devastating despite it being so long ago. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes (lots of walking and so much to see!) and sunscreen because there aren't many shady areas. If you're able to organize a guided tour, I really think this is the best way to get the most out of your visit.

Phenomenal historic archaeological site that gets better every time I visit. I encourage you to hire a guide, the prices are reasonable, and they are able to skip lines, take you to exhibits that are often difficult to enter due time constraints and have excellent knowledge of the city along with its entire history. Budget for four hours to really get a full experience and take in as much of the uniqueness as possible. Stay away from the touristy concession outside the entrance and either eat before or find something more authentic in other parts of the area.

My wife and I toured the ruins of Pompeii while on a trip thru Italy. There is a modern part of the city where residents live and work. The ancient city was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius volcano in 79AD. Pompeii was buried in many feet of ash until uncovered in the 1800's. The ruins are massive and more areas are still being uncovered. It is not an easy walk due to Uneven pavement, large cobblestone streets, hills, large stairs as well as it's huge area. We spent 2 hours with a very knowledgeable tour guide, which I highly recommend doing. We had seen a lot and got a good idea of what life was like for the ancient Romans. But we could have easily stayed all day, but I don't think my back and legs could have. One of the most popular exhibits are the plaster casts of the poor residents showing their dying minutes. They were suffocated by the deadly gases, then covered in hot ash. The bodies disintegrated as the hot ash cooled. It left moulds which were later discovered in the 1800's. The archeologists poured plaster into the molds and had a three dimensional "statue" of the dying residents. This archeological site is one of the most rarest in all the world. It is a must see when in Italy.

One of the coolest tours I've ever experienced. We booked the tour that took you to both Pompeii and Vesuvius. It was well worth it! We parked in a town near by and the tour bus picked us up and took us around all day. It was a wonderful experience! I learned a lot about how civilized people were in AD. They had water pipes (although they were lead because they didn't know lead poisoning was a thing). They had beautiful bath houses. Mosaics were perfectly preserved. They seemed to have a sense of humor and put little "naughty" carvings in the cobblestone directing you to the "adult" houses.... if you know what I mean. On the walls were a preserved photo "menu" of services women would provide. There was still bread in the ovens in the bakeries when they uncovered Pompeii. They have some of the "bodies" from when they poured plaster into the pockets where people were essentially frozen in the position they died. I highly recommend experiencing this. They are still excavating areas of Pompeii today.

I've wanted to visit Pompeii from the time I first learned of them as a teenager. What a fascinating site. It was one of my favorite parts of my trip to Italy. This is an expansive site that offers an interesting look at what life was like in 79 AD, when Vesuvius froze Pompeii and Herculaneum in time. Some parts of the site seem incredibly well preserved while other areas not as much. But I don't think of that as a bad thing; it is more authentic and honors the history of this ancient site and those who died there. Having said that, there were some areas that were under restoration. There are some beautiful frescoes throughout Pompeii. I think it's very interesting the way the bathhouse has been preserved. Though we couldn't figure out where the ruins of the house of the faun were, it was a great visit. I found the ruins of the thermopolia especially interesting, and there were several of them found in this archeological park. They're the ancestor of the modern restaurant, and it's fascinating to see how they worked as grab-and-go places in this city. For some reason they especially helped the place come alive to me. I was there in the month of September, and it was not overrun with people, which made it all the more enjoyable. As a practical tip, there were several water fountains throughout the ruins, so I was glad I had my water bottle with me, and you will too. If you have even a passing interest in history, archeology, ancient cultures... you want to be certain to give Pompeii several hours (maybe a full day) while in this part of Italy. It's absolutely a must-visit.

Things we build today collapse easily tomorrow. This is the most amazing feature when traveling you see so much of how the past even before Christ is still standing. Whether it's habitable or not it has survived 1000's of years and many wars. Additionally it's reminds me just how young the United States is. As far as the grounds they are massive and very impressive. You can imagine how people lived, loved and died. This is a place for history lovers. For adventurous people you can take two trains from Rome with a short walk to the ruins. If you pay for a tour guide it can be expensive. There are audio tours for rent near the ticket booth, you can create your own waking tour. You choose based on your comfortability level. Just choose to visit!

The Pompeii ruins were an absolute must for me while in Italy. I was so intrigued after watching the last week of the Pompeiians and the reenactment of life the week before the volcanic eruption swept this entire community and wiped it out. It was so interesting to see the remains, the body casts of the bodies found encapsulated under the molten volcanic lava. Faces and bodies locked in time. Pompeiian life, was like any Roman city and town. Brothels, homes of the rich aristocrats to the poor. The ruins here were so sad to see, devastating to see the life snuffed out in an instant. The people here had no time to prepare and had no idea when the lava descended upon them. Do read up some on Pompeii, it's really astounding to think about what happened here. I would definitely go back if I am back in Italy again. It was a must visit for me.

The ruins were amazing, as anyone would expect. The check-in/buying process looked simple and easy. (I was on a tour so I didn't actually need to do that but saw where you had to do it.) The paths that you can take through the ruins is easily accessible. The ruins definitely do not disappoint, however for some reason I thought there were going to be more 'victims' of the eruption around the city. That's just me though; I was only able to see one. I would definitely come back again. You could spend days at the ruins and not see everything.

Very cool ruins mostly due to the horrific tragedy. It is crazy how structure/ walls remain. There are penises on the ground pointing to the whorehouse! It is the oldest profession. The bodies that got covered from Mt. Lasuvious lava and ash are scary. Weirdly there are stray dogs roaming the ruins.

We were lucky to come on the day we came because admission was free, normally 17 Euro. We paid for a guided tour of 12 Euro each. Our guide was Roberto. He said his tour is the best because it was the "no stress" tour!!! He was goofy and tried to make our tour fun and funny! We enjoyed our our and made sure to give him a nice tip.

One of the first civilizations what a experience to visit! Suggestions-If you are in Rome skip a tour and just pay your way via train. We wasted so much time going with a tour traveling that it really ruined a great experience visiting Pompeii. Moose Out

My friends and I took the train from Escolano to Pompei Scavi. Do NOT confuse Pompei with Pompei Scavi! Pompei is the modern town while Pompei Scavi is the excavated ancient city that was buried by Mt. Vesuvius. The entry fee is 15 euro per person, which is about $18. If you are from the US, there is no student discount. Definitely bring plenty of water if you start in the afternoon. It was brutally hot and there was very little shade. Pompeii is split into 9 different areas. Although they say it takes about 7 hours to tour the entire thing, we were there for about 3 hours and saw pretty much all the major architectural exhibits. I mean if you are there for more than 2 hours, everything will start to look the same anyway haha. Besides the heat, it was an amazing tour. You could see Mt. Vesuvius closely on the horizon just to realize how doomed the people were from the past. As you walk, becareful of the road. The road is quite ancient and isn't paved so nicely. I almost twisted my ankle several times along the tour.