Pompeii Ruins Skip-the-Line Entry Tickets with Audio Guide

The Forum and the temples of Pompeii

Entering through Porta Marina, the old gate facing the sea, you climb a stone ramp into the city and soon reach the Forum, the long rectangular square that was the centre of public life. At its northern end stands the Temple of Jupiter, with the cone of Vesuvius rising directly behind it, the most famous view in Pompeii. Around the square are the Basilica, which served as the law court and business hall, the market building and the Temple of Apollo with copies of its bronze statues.

Next to the entrance are the remains of the Temple of Venus, the city's protector, on a terrace that once overlooked the coastline. The audio guide explains how a small Oscan town became a prosperous Roman colony of traders and landowners. Allow about 30 minutes for this area, and come back at the end of your visit, when the light on Vesuvius is often best.

Roman houses and daily life

The real magic of Pompeii is its ordinary streets. Paved with large volcanic stones and crossed by raised stepping stones, they still carry deep ruts left by cart wheels. Along them you find thermopolia, street-food counters with large jars set into the masonry, bakeries with lava millstones, workshops and the Stabian Baths with their changing rooms, pools and decorated vaults.

Among the private houses, the House of the Faun is one of the grandest, named after the bronze statue of a dancing faun in its atrium; its famous battle mosaic is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. Look for the painted wall decorations in rich reds and yellows, and for the inscription Salve lucru, welcome profit, at the entrance of the House of Sirico. Many houses open and close in rotation, and the digital map shows which are visitable on your day.

The eruption, the theatres and the plaster casts

In AD 79 Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii under several metres of ash and pumice, freezing the city at a single moment. Excavations began in 1748 and continue today. In the 19th century archaeologists began pouring plaster into the hollows left by the bodies in the hardened ash, creating the haunting casts that you see in several parts of the site, including the Garden of the Fugitives.

In the theatre district, the large open-air theatre and the small covered Odeon show how the city enjoyed music and drama, while the amphitheatre in the far eastern corner, built around 70 BC, is the oldest surviving stone amphitheatre of the Roman world. It is a long walk across the site, so decide early whether to include it. The suburban villas, including the Villa of the Mysteries, are outside the walls and not included in this ticket.

Planning your visit: tickets, hours and getting there

How to get to Pompeii from Naples is simple: the regional train from Naples Garibaldi station to Pompei Scavi station takes about 35 to 40 minutes, and the Porta Marina entrance is a few minutes' walk from the platform. Pompeii opening hours are longer from April to October and shorter in winter, with the last entry well before closing, and the site can close on a few public holidays.

Is Pompeii worth visiting? Absolutely, but plan for heat and walking: there is little shade, the paving is uneven, and most visitors spend 2 to 4 hours inside. The best time to visit Pompeii is early in the morning or later in the afternoon, and in spring or autumn rather than midsummer. With skip-the-line Pompeii tickets you avoid the queue at the ticket office, which can be long in high season, and keep your energy for the ruins.