Is it safe to visit Mount Vesuvius?

Located in the Gulf of Naples, Mount Vesuvius is one of the most deadly volcanoes.

It comes to mind if it’s safe to visit the deadly Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed surrounding towns in 79 AD. Even to this day, the volcano is active and could go off at any point.

It’s recorded that the last eruption of Mount Vesuvius was in 1944. This eruption wasn’t as deadly compared to 79 AD, but 26 people died and around 12,000 people were displaced.

However, it is still actually safe to visit Mount Vesuvius! It sounds scary, but the volcano is being closely monitored and if there looks to be a possible eruption, there will be plenty of warning.

Climbing Mount Vesuvius

There is a fee to climb Mount Vesuvius, which you can pay for at the ticket office at the volcano before you start the climb.

The hike up to the summit is about half an hour, or even longer depending on how quickly you want to reach the summit.

As you’re climbing Mount Vesuvius, you will be able to see the Bay of Naples and across other towns. Make sure you take plenty of photos of the views before reaching the top!

Visiting Pompeii

Pompeii was a thriving city, up until Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city in 79 AD. The whole city was covered in volcanic ash and was long forgotten until 1599 when an architect came across the city’s ruins.

But the city wasn’t properly rediscovered until 1748 when a group of explorers came across Pompeii. Today Pompeii is known for being one of the world’s largest archaeological sites with new discoveries still happening.

If you’re on limited time, you can include a visit to Pompeii on the same day as you visit Mount Vesuvius. Though Pompeii is a very large city, so you won’t be able to explore all of it.

Have you heard about Herculaneum?

Herculaneum is a smaller city that suffered the same fate as Pompeii. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, Herculaneum wasn’t hit as hard compared to Pompeii, so the city is in better shape.

The city has beautifully coloured frescos, public fountains, and well preserved buildings that you can see.

If you want to make a day trip out to visit Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii, a guided tour could be your best option. You’ll be taken to both sites and be guided around, seeing the best highlights of Pompeii and learning its history. You can book a tour and depart from Naples or Sorrento.