Do you need a guided tour of Pompeii?

Pompeii, one of the world’s strangest tourist attractions, is a testament to nature’s wrath and human ability to dig it all up. This ancient citadel was once a thriving hub of commerce before the unforgiving Mount Vesuvius buried it in its brutal ash and pumice!

Today, Pompeii is open to tourists, who flock to the site to see its well-preserved estates, landmarks, theatres and more.

We recommend having a tour guide take you around Pompeii. Why? Because this way you can learn all about the history of the city and that horrible day from a knowledgeable guide who can also take you up the infamous Mount Vesuvius!

But, whether you go with a guide or not, you can expect to come across these incredible sites in and around Pompeii proper:

The amphitheatres

The Ancient Romans loved a little entertainment – we know this. Whether it was watching a play take place in an amphitheatre or watching two guys cut each other up in an arena, the Romans were all about their leisure time.

It is for this very reason that you will find two amphitheatres inside of Pompeii: the Large Theatre and the Little Theatre. As you can imagine, bigger shows went on in the larger theatre (including a 1971 Pink Floyd show amongst its ruins) but both are pretty impressive regardless of stature.

House of Mysteries

The House of Mysteries is so mysterious because no one can really decipher the strange events that may have taken place within its eerie quarters. Located just outside of the central Pompeii site, the House of Mysteries is adorned with frescos that appear to detail some kind of ancient cult initiation rites.

As we’ve said, the archaeologists can’t reach a happy medium about what the heck actually went on in there or those bizarre frescos, making a wander around the House of Mysteries all the more intriguing…

Mount Vesuvius

A Pompeii tour doesn’t only have to include the site itself: you can skip over to the villain of that day in AD 79 and hike up the imposing Mount Vesuvius. Ascending the majestic peak only serves to give you greater insight into that day’s intensity, as it really does tower above the surrounding region (including poor old Pompeii).

By the way, it’s still active, being the only remaining active volcano on the European mainland, and this makes it even more exhilarating an ascent!