Believed to be of Greek origin owing to its strongly Greek Name, Herculaneum is a town that dates back to the 6th century BC. A site less busy, smaller and better preserved than Pompeii, the town is considered to be among the best preserved examples of life in the first-century. However, and no one knows why, Pompeii received all the fame and glory, whereas facts and ruins indicate that Herculaneum is in fact the more interesting, easier to navigate and better preserved site.

There are only a limited number of tickets sold each day, and these tickets sell like hot cakes! Even the notoriously long ticket queues at the site cannot guarantee an entry. Well, we can. Not just that, with these tickets you can even skip past the long queue lines and make your way right into the past! You can even enjoy the site with an audio guide which you can purchase at the tour meeting point. If you’re a history enthusiast looking to dive into your hobbies, or just about anyone else hoping to relax and indulge in lavish displays of grandeur, then this is an experience you cannot afford to miss out on!

The first thing you’re going to do is zoom past the long ticket lines and make your way into the town of Herculaneum. Located in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum shares the tragic story of Pompeii. However, not everything was similar. Instead of being quickly buried in ash after the eruption, the town was destroyed 12 hours later. A 400°C wind of ash, pumice and rock rattled the town at over 100 kms/hr, essentially pausing the town in that moment.

Explore that moment preserved almost perfectly as you stroll through the site and take in visuals from over two millennia ago. See houses with upper floors intact, the majestic basilica, the marble bath houses, the large spa complex and many more infrastructural elements of this ancient Greco-Roman town. With frescos, murals, paintings, wood works and metal artifacts, you’re definitely going to improve your grasp on history.

Sites You Should Visit

The House of Aristides

The House of Argus

The House of Genius

The House of Alcove

College of the Augustales

Central Thermae

Skeletal Remains