Pompeii, Herculaneum & Vesuvius Winery Tour with Archaeologist

Indulge in a relaxing escape to the organic "Cantina del Vesuvio" winery within Mt. Vesuvius National Park. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Bay and the volcano's crater during this fun, memorable experience. Your visit begins with a guided 15-minute stroll through sun-drenched vineyards to learn the secrets of the famous "Lacryma Christi" wines. The highlight is a delicious set menu lunch paired with 5 different local wines. Feast on appetizers (bruschetta, cheeses, and cured meats), authentic spaghetti with Vesuvius cherry tomatoes and meatballs, and traditional Neapolitan Pastiera (vegetarian/GF options available). This all-inclusive experience costs just € 50 per person (€ 60 for superior wine upgrade). Fabrizio handles the booking; simply pay on-site by card or cash. You can even ship your favorite wines and olive oils home!

Experience Herculaneum like an insider! Fabrizio curates an exclusive route through the city’s most spectacular highlights, ensuring you don't miss a single hidden gem. Discover opulent villas and remarkably preserved artifacts with an archaeology expert who brings 2,000 years of history to life. It’s more than a tour—it’s a masterclass in Roman luxury, tailored perfectly to your pace and interests.

The Antiquarium of Herculaneum offers a fascinating and intimate look at Roman luxury, housing the city’s most delicate treasures in a modern space that perfectly complements the ruins outside. It is uniquely interesting because it displays remarkably preserved organic materials, such as carbonized wooden furniture and textiles, which are rarely found elsewhere in the Roman world. Visitors are captivated by the "Herculaneum Treasure," a shimmering collection found with victims at the ancient shoreline, alongside exquisite statues and vivid frescoes rescued from the volcanic mud. In 2026, the museum’s sophisticated exhibits provide the essential narrative to understand Herculaneum as a wealthy seaside retreat, making it an indispensable stop to see the refined artistry and tragic final moments of the people who lived there.

Visiting the Boat Pavilion in Herculaneum is a profoundly interesting and moving experience that offers a direct, visceral connection to the 79 AD eruption victims and the unique preservation conditions of the city. Housed in a dedicated exhibit near the ancient shoreline, the pavilion displays the carbonized keel of a 9-meter-long boat, perhaps a military vessel sent to aid in the evacuation, found exactly where it was upturned by the force of the pyroclastic flows. Inside the same area, visitors can view smaller artifacts like fishing weights, nets, and a carbonized rope, which provide insights into the maritime life of Herculaneum. This exhibit is a powerful testament to the human tragedy and the extraordinary preservation of organic materials at Herculaneum due to the lack of oxygen in the volcanic mud.

The Ancient Beach in Herculaneum, which reopened to the public in 2024 after a major restoration, offers a profound and immersive walk along the very shoreline where the tragedy of 79 AD reached its climax. This unique area allows you to stand on the original volcanic sand and look up at the massive arches of the fornici (boat sheds), where the skeletal remains of over 300 residents were discovered huddled in their final moments. It is fascinating to see the literal layers of history, as the beach remains several meters below the modern ground level, providing a visceral sense of how the volcanic flows completely reshaped the landscape. Walking this rediscovered coast, visitors gain a hauntingly clear perspective on the desperate escape attempts by sea and the sheer power of the eruption that froze this wealthy Roman resort town in time.

Visiting the House of the Cervi (House of the Stags) is an essential highlight of Herculaneum, offering a window into the peak of Roman seaside luxury and sophisticated architectural design. This sprawling, aristocratic villa is uniquely interesting for its "inverted" layout, featuring a grand panoramic terrace and a large open garden designed to capture the sea breezes and views of the Gulf of Naples. The house is named after the two world-famous, remarkably expressive marble statues of stags being attacked by hounds found in its garden, which remain iconic symbols of the city’s artistic refinement.

The House of Neptune and Amphitrite is a breathtaking highlight of Herculaneum, home to one of the most vibrant and iconic wall mosaics in the Roman world, depicting the gods in shimmering gold and blue glass paste. This residence is uniquely interesting because it offers a perfectly preserved look at a wealthy merchant’s life, featuring a stunning outdoor summer triclinium (dining room) decorated with shells and lava stone. Just next door, the experience becomes even more fascinating at the attached shop, which is widely considered the best-preserved grocery store from antiquity. Here, you can still see the original wooden shelves and carbonized storage bins that once held legumes and grain, providing an incredible, tangible connection to the daily commerce and domestic habits of a city frozen in time by volcanic mud.

Visiting the Women’s Baths (Terme Femminili) in Herculaneum is a fascinating experience that offers an intimate and exceptionally well-preserved look at Roman social life, appearing far more complete than similar structures in Pompeii. As you enter through the original vaulted doorway, you are greeted by an exquisite black-and-white floor mosaic in the apodyterium (changing room) depicting Triton surrounded by dolphins, a masterpiece that remains remarkably vivid. The site is uniquely interesting for its survival of organic details, such as the original wooden shelves once used by women to store their clothing and the intact barrel-vaulted ceilings that still retain their elegant stucco decorations. Moving through the sequence from the warm tepidarium—decorated with a mesmerizing labyrinth-patterned mosaic—to the caldarium (hot room) with its hollow-wall heating system, you gain a tangible sense of the luxury and privacy afforded to Roman women in this wealthy seaside town.

Touring the Palestra (Gymnasium) in Herculaneum is a spectacular experience that reveals the sheer scale of Roman civic pride and their dedication to physical culture. This massive, sun-drenched complex is anchored by a monumental cross-shaped swimming pool (natatio), featuring a unique fountain in the shape of a five-headed hydra that still inspires awe for its artistic and hydraulic complexity. As you walk through the sprawling courtyard once lined with majestic columns, you gain a visceral sense of the city's wealth, further highlighted by the discovery of a perfectly preserved carbonized wooden statue of a local benefactor. In 2026, the Palestra remains a standout site because it feels like a grand, empty stage, allowing you to easily imagine the vibrant energy of ancient athletes and youth organizations practicing under the Mediterranean sun just before the eruption changed everything.

Incredible Roman Advertisement from a Wine-Seller!