Pompeii’s lesser known sister Herculaneum is one of Europe’s most evocative and best preserved archaeological sites. Easily reached from Naples, and wonderfully digestible in a day, exploring the ancient Roman town was one of the best things we did in Italy.
Here’s everything you need to know about Herculaneum, including the top things to see, how to get there, and how long to stay. If you’re only planning to visit one and need help deciding whether to go to Pompeii or Herculaneum, read my blog weighing up both options here.
What’s in this blog:
- What is Herculaneum?
- Is Herculaneum worth visiting?
- 5 highlights of visiting Herculaneum
- How to get to Herculaneum
- How long to spend at Herculaneum
- Can you visit Herculaneum and Pompeii in one day?
- Can you visit Herculaneum and Vesuvius in one day?
- Book tickets for Herculaneum
What is Herculaneum?
In Ancient Roman times, Herculaneum was a desirable place to be. It’s easy to see why, overlooking the beautiful Bay of Naples and a stone’s throw away from the island of Capri. It was a wealthy town, popular among elite Romans as a seaside retreat.
Approximately 4,000 people lived in Herculaneum – compared to 20,000 or so in Pompeii. Like its neighbour, it was destroyed in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79A.D., which covered the town in ash. For centuries it was buried, frozen in time. Most of the town, in fact, is still underground, beneath the modern town of Ercolano.
Most of the town’s residents were evacuated to a nearby beach, and survived. Hundreds, however, died while trying to escape.
Is Herculaneum worth visiting?
Herculaneum is absolutely worth visiting. You can reach it in less than half an hour from Naples, and the place feels alive with history. Moreover, its location is so close to Vesuvius that you can easily see both in a day (see below for how to do this).
However – if you’re only planning to visit one archaeological site while in the Bay of Naples area, a better question might be – should I visit Herculaneum or Pompeii? I weigh up the pros and cons of both options here.
5 highlights of visiting Herculaneum
There’s a lot to see in Herculaneum. Probably the best way to explore it is to get a guide. For example, you can book this highly rated tour with an archaeologist, who meets you on site – or you can buy an audioguide at the entrance, which provides comprehensive information across the various buildings.
Here, I’ll provide a quick overview of some of my highlights from Herculaneum, to give you a sense of what you’ll see.
House of Neptune and Amphitrite (Casa di Nettuno e Anfitrite)
One of the most amazing things about Herculaneum is the many colourful and well preserved mosaics, frescoes and decorations. Because of how well preserved the town is, frozen in time at the moment of its destruction, and because it was an extremely wealthy place, these artworks are among the best you’ll find anywhere.
One of the best examples is the House of Neptune and Amphitrite – once the home of Roman aristocrats. It takes its name from a mosaic featuring Neptune, the god of the sea, and his wife Amphitrite. There are many brilliant mosaics in Herculaneum, but this was the first one I stumbled across. Its brilliantly bright blue colours, and the deep orange of the walls alongside it, simply took my breath away.
The Men’s Baths (Terme Maschili)
The men’s bath complex was one of my highlights of Herculaneum for two reasons. The first was the changing rooms, complete with benches and shelves to store your togas. For me, standing in this ancient changing room was an astonishing experience. You could really feel its history, imagine the lives of the people who came in here, discussing their lives and politics, placing their sandals in the small holes in the wall before heading into the baths. Just wow.
The other reason is the black mosaic found in one of the bathing rooms. Sunken and distorted, it lays testament to the power of Vesuvius and the seismic activity before the eruption.
The boathouses (the Fornici)
One of the most tragic sites at Herculaneum are the ancient boathouses. For a long time, it was believed that Herculaneum’s residents, unlike those of Pompeii, escaped. And indeed, many did.
But in the 1980s, excavations of the area around the ancient port discovered the remains of around 300 people. The skeletons were found inside the ancient boathouses along the coast, warehouses where they must have been sheltering, awaiting a boat coming to save them. But the boat never came, or didn’t come in time. The skeletons paint devastating pictures of the last moments of these people’s lives, huddling for shelter, crowded together, holding out for escape.
As well as being one of Herculaneum’s more macabre, tragic sights, the skeletons were also scientifically very important. They gave insights into the lifestyles and diets of the people of the town – for example, finding that they had healthy teeth.
Decumano Massimo (Herculaneum’s high street)
Few things are as evocative as Herculaneum’s high street, Decumano Massimo. You’ll find shops, including fragments of advertisements (including a wall fresco, advertising wines by colour code, protected behind a plastic sheet – hence the terrible photo!).
Elsewhere you’ll find Roman taverns – a ‘thermopolium’, complete with counters, and jars where food and drink was stored. A tantalising glimpse into the lives of Herculaneum’s Roman residents.
The House of the Deer
One of the most lavishly decorated houses found in Herculaneum is the House of the Deer. It would have once had a sea view, and gets its name from a marble statue of a deer being mauled by dogs.
It has a number of other cool features, including a statue of Hercules (who gave the town its name), and a corridor lined with still life paintings, including of fruit. The owners had renovated the house not long before its destruction in 79 A.D.
How to get to Herculaneum
Getting to Herculaneum from Naples
Herculaneum is found in the modern town of Ercolano, a suburb of Naples, and it’s easy to reach from the city. The easiest way to get to Herculaneum is using Circumvesuviana – a regular (every 30 minutes), functional commuter train. From Garibaldi Station in Naples, it takes around 15-20 minutes to get to Ercolano Scavi, which is a short walk to the site. This is the cheapest option, costing only a few euros, and you can pay using your contactless card, just like the Metro.
We found the Circumvesuviana to be a great way to travel around, but the trains have seen better days, aren’t the most comfortable and, especially in peak seasons, can get very crowded. If it’s comfort you’re after, the Campania Express is a fancier, more luxurious option, specifically for tourists. It’s much more expensive (around 15 euros one way) and only leaves four times a day. It stops at all of the main tourist hubs in the area, including Herculaneum, Pompeii and Sorrento. If you do go for this option, you can buy tickets on Trainline.
A third option would be to take a tour directly from Naples. To be honest, I don’t think this is worth it. It’s easy and quick to get to Herculaneum from Naples, and if you do want a tour, most of the best options will meet you on site, like this popular option with an archaeologist. If you do want a tour from Naples that takes you directly to Herculaneum however, there are a few options – such as this tour, which combines with a visit to Vesuvius.
Getting to Herculaneum from Sorrento
Herculaneum can also be easily reached from Sorrento, and depending on which option you go for, takes around an hour to an hour and a half.
Probably the easiest way is to take the Campania Express, which goes direct from Sorrento to Ercolano Scavi. There are only around four departures a day and, as I outlined in the Naples to Herculaneum section, these trains are more comfortable than the standard Circumvesuviana (commuter) trains, and therefore much more expensive – around 15 euros one way. If you do go for this option, you can buy tickets on Trainline.
How long to spend at Herculaneum
Although it’s a compact site – at least compared to Pompeii – there’s still a lot to see in Herculaneum. I’d recommend planning to spend about half a day there, to ensure you’re not rushed. This also makes it easy to dedicate the other half of the day to going up Vesuvius,
Can you visit Herculaneum and Pompeii in one day?
It is possible to visit both Herculaneum and Pompeii in one day. If you really wanted to, you could travel between the two using the Circumvesuviana. I wouldn’t really recommend this, it would be a very long day, and you’d likely feel like you’re rushing both places.
However, I know that sometimes you might not have time to visit both sites over more than one day, and you may want to visit both. In this case, I’d recommend a private tour. They’ll show you the highlights of both, and provide transport between the two sites. Two of the most popular options are this one which includes transfers (starting from Naples), and this one which doesn’t (but includes a train ticket).
If you decide to visit Pompeii, read this no-nonsense guide to visiting Pompeii.
Can you visit Herculaneum and Vesuvius in one day?
Yes! Herculaneum and Vesuvius combine perfectly as a daytrip. The company Vesuvius Express operates directly outside Ercolano Scavi station, which is the closest station to Ancient Herculaneum. You can either book online or at their ticket office. They tend to have one bus an hour, on the hour – but this timetable isn’t exactly strictly adhered to.
Book tickets for Herculaneum
Especially if you’re visiting in peak seasons, I’d recommend booking your tickets in advance. The official website to do this is CoopCulture. You can also book a guided tour, which will include entry to the site. A number of options can be found on GetYourGuide. One of the top recommended is this tour with an archaeologist.
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