Pompeii tickets and tours

Pompeii changed its ticket rules to handle the crowds: tickets are now named, capped at 20,000 a day and split into time slots in the busy season. Here is what to buy, what it costs in 2026 and when a guided tour is worth it.

Official prices and hours

The Pompeii Archaeological Park charges €20 for the ruins, €25 including the suburban villas and Boscoreale, and sells a multi-site Pompeii Plus ticket for €30. Visitors under 18 enter free with ID; EU citizens aged 18 to 24 pay €2. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month, at the ticket office and while the quota lasts. The €20 is the face value at the ticket office; buying online adds a €1.50 booking fee (€21.50), and tours that collect €22 in cash on the day are passing on that fee plus handling. From 16 March to 14 October the site opens 9:00 to 19:00 with last entry at 17:30; from 15 October to 15 March it closes at 17:00 with last entry at 15:30. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January. Buy online at pompeiisites.org and bring the ID that matches the name on your ticket.

Guided or on your own?

You can absolutely visit on your own with the free map. What you lose is context: most houses are unlabelled and the site covers 66 hectares, so first-timers tend to wander. A 2-hour small-group tour with an archaeologist (4.8/5 from 7,568 reviews, from about $34 including the skip-the-line ticket) meets at the Porta Marina Superiore entrance and covers the Forum, the Stabian Baths, the casts, the Lupanar brothel, the House of the Faun and the Great Theatre. Afterwards you can stay on inside. On the combined Amalfi Coast tours, the ticket and a guide are already part of the day.

How long, and what to wear

Two hours covers the highlights; three to five lets you add the Villa of the Mysteries and the amphitheatre. There is no formal dress code, but closed, grippy shoes are essential on the polished paving, along with a hat, sunscreen and water (there are drinking fountains inside). Large backpacks are not allowed in. Morning is the best time to go: cooler, and before the tour groups peak.