Archaeological park of Herculaneum

Visit two of the most famous and well-preserved sites of the ancient world, Pompeii and Herculaneum, once-thriving port towns, which were also popular holiday destinations for wealthy Romans. You'll learn about what daily life was like before they were dramatically buried by the famous and deadly eruption of Mount Vesuvius, one summer's morning in 79 AD.

On your private day trip, you will:

• Enjoy return pick-up and drop-off from your accommodation in Naples and meet your expert guide outside the entrance to the archaeological site of Pompeii;
• Learn about the daily life of the Pompeiians as you wander down the cobblestone streets - where you'll see the imprints of carriage wheels and hooves;
• Visit the public buildings in and around the Forum, the central marketplace of Pompeii, where you'd find traders and politicians jostling alongside each other in the Basilica and Temples;
• Pause to look at the plaster casts of the people and animals that were killed during the eruption, and were preserved in the ash - a moving experience; 
• Admire the opulent public bathhouses with stucco decoration and mosaics still intact, and explore the apartments and grander houses where people lived - see political graffiti painted on some of the buildings;
• See the various businesses of the Pompeiians, including the bakery, the fast food joints and the Lupinarium; 
• Soak up the lingering atmosphere of drama and suspense in the amphitheatre, and learn about ancient entertainment of plays and gladiator fights; 
• After a lunch break, enjoy a short scenic drive to Herculaneum; 
• Enjoy a guided tour around the beautiful ruins of Herculaneum - a city dedicated to the mythological hero Hercules; 
• Hear the stories of how the people were able to flee, as they had more warning than the Pompeiians who were hit first; 
• Enjoy views towards the beach, as you hear about how the Ancient Romans holidayed;
• Admire the abundance of stunning frescoes depicting myths of gods and goddesses as you explore the many houses and apartments;
• See many statues and hear about the lives of those depicted including the famous Marco Nonio Balbo Terrace;
• See the College of the Augustales - where the cult of Augustus met, a society of freed slaves who were now making their way in Herculaneum as full citizens;
• Admire the opulence of the house of Neptune and Amphitrite, and walk inside the Gymnasium;
• See the many highlights of Herculaneum including the House of the Deer, and Samnite House, one of the oldest and largest buildings dating from the 2nd Century BC;
• Enjoy a relaxing return trip to your hotel in Naples. 

Enjoy a fascinating private day trip exploring two of the most beautiful and well-preserved archaeological sites in the world: Pompeii and Herculaneum, both of which had been thriving cities until the dramatic eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD.

The eruption lasted for days and covered these two towns under layers and layers of hot pumice, ash and lava flows. The drama and devastation of that day left Pompeii and Herculaneum not destroyed but buried, preserved in volcanic rock for nearly two thousand years until the extensive excavations of the last century revealed the lost treasures and stories of the ancient past.

Today Pompeii and Herculaneum are world famous for their preservation and the insight they give us into an ancient world and civilisation. From the grand public buildings to the humble fast food joints, glorious frescoes of gods and goddesses to casual political graffiti daubed onto politicians' houses!

On this day trip, you will be picked up from your hotel in Naples and head to Pompeii to meet your expert guide who will show you around both Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Pompeii had a steady population of around 15,000, but there were many tradesmen and sailors coming and going all the time. You'll learn about religious life, cultural meetings, and markets where trade took place in the Forum and its temples. And you'll hear all about daily life as you wander in and out of private houses and restaurants, fast food shops and even .. the Lupinarium (a brothel).

After a stop lunch, your guide will take you on to Herculaneum. Your second stop is another famous archaeological site: UNESCO listed alongside Pompeii, it too was buried in the mighty eruption of Vesuvius. Due to the wind blowing in the direction of Pompeii, however, many of the residents of Herculaneum were able to escape. Here you'll enjoy some extraordinarily beautiful frescos, and learn about the complex social structures of Ancient Rome as you walk around the colleges, temples and forums.

Enjoy private transport all day, and an expert private guide for an unforgettable foray into the mysteries, beauty and tragedy of the ancient world of Pompeii and Herculaneum.