Pompeii Archaeological Park: 2026 Visitor Guide
Pompeii Archaeological Park currently opens at 09:00 throughout the year. From March 16 through October 14, last admission is 17:30 and the site closes at 19:00. From October 15 through March 15, last admission is 15:30 and closing is 17:00. The standard annual closure dates are December 25 and January 1.
Use the Park's official timetable for your final check. This guide was reviewed July 13, 2026.
Official ticket choices
| Product | Published price | Validity | Main scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pompeii Express | €20 | One day | Ancient city |
| Pompeii with suburban villas | €25 | One day | Ancient city plus the suburban villas and Boscoreale sites listed by the Park |
| Grande Pompei | €30 | Three consecutive days | Wider Park network, including Oplontis, Stabiae, and Boscoreale, with the published shuttle |
| MyPompeii | €45 | One year | Annual access under official conditions |
Eligible EU visitors aged 18 to under 25 pay €2 under the official reduced-admission rules. The reduced MyPompeii annual price is €10 for qualifying visitors under 25. Check documentation and free-entry conditions before checkout.
VivaTicket is the exclusive official online seller. Official ticket offices at Park entrances are another purchase route. A mobile or printed PDF ticket is accepted.
Individual tickets are named and date-and-time specific. Bring matching identification. The official site does not publish a fixed release cadence, and a reseller or tour listing does not automatically guarantee a separate ticket allocation.
Entrances and route logic
Porta Marina
Porta Marina is convenient for Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri station and for starting near the western civic center. It is a practical choice for a Forum-first route.
Piazza Anfiteatro
Piazza Anfiteatro is convenient for the modern town, eastern city, amphitheatre, and the “Pompeii for All” accessible route. It supports an east-to-west route through Via dell'Abbondanza.
Piazza Esedra
Piazza Esedra can suit some groups and arrivals from the town side. Gate operations can change, so verify date-specific notices.
Do not select a gate based on claims that it is always empty or always faster. Match it to your transport, mobility, and first priority.
Build a route from current openings
Pompeii is an active conservation site. Houses may close temporarily, and some have limited opening windows. Start with the Park's map and excavation guide and official houses directory.
Three-hour highlights route
Choose one side of the city and limit the number of houses. A western route can connect Porta Marina, the Forum, baths, one or two open houses, and the theatres. An eastern route can connect Piazza Anfiteatro, the amphitheatre, Via dell'Abbondanza, selected houses, and the Forum.
Four-to-six-hour first visit
Add more domestic spaces and time for interpretation. If you hold the €25 ticket and the Villa of the Mysteries is open, reserve enough time for the additional walk rather than treating it as a quick detour.
Multi-day archaeological itinerary
Use Grande Pompei for a deliberately regional plan. Do not try to compress Pompeii, Oplontis, Stabiae, and Boscoreale into a single rushed day merely because the ticket covers them for three days.
Visitor rules
The official Park regulations are part of visit planning:
- bags larger than 30 × 30 × 15 cm are not allowed inside;
- organized groups are limited to 35 participants;
- ticket names and reduced-admission documents may be checked;
- tickets ordinarily cannot be changed or refunded, except under the Park's published extraordinary-closure rule;
- touching or climbing archaeological structures and entering closed areas is prohibited.
Carry water and use the available fountains where permitted. Wear stable shoes: original paving, curbs, slopes, and gaps can be tiring even on a short route.
Accessibility
The Park's accessible route begins at Piazza Anfiteatro and makes a substantial selection of the site easier to reach, but not every ancient building can be made step-free. Check the current route map and contact the Park for requirements that could affect a visit. A general “accessible” label should not be treated as a promise that every house or street is reachable.
Guided visits
A licensed guide can turn a limited visit into a coherent route, especially for first-time visitors, families, school groups, and travelers with a specialist interest. Before booking, confirm credentials, language, duration, maximum group size, meeting point, accessibility, cancellation terms, and ticket inclusion.
Pompeii admission and guiding are separate unless the provider clearly says otherwise. Even when admission is included, the ticket must comply with the Park's named, date-and-time rules.
Archaeological Park checklist
- Check official hours and notices for your date.
- Choose the ticket by access, not marketing language.
- Download the current map and list of open houses.
- Select an entrance that matches your arrival.
- Keep ticket PDFs and ID offline.
- Bring only a compliant bag.
- Plan fewer stops than you think you can cover.
Pompeii works best when you treat it as a living archaeological landscape. Current Park information should always outrank a fixed itinerary or an old price table.