Landmarks

Herculaneum Tickets

Tourist observing ancient frescoes at Herculaneum archaeological site, Italy.

Ancient ruins of Herculaneum with preserved columns and frescoes, Italy.

Ancient ruins of Herculaneum with preserved columns and structures in Campania, Italy.

Explore ancient Herculaneum, which lies near the foothills of Mt. Vesuvius and is an excellent mirror into 1st-century life.

Highlights

Explore Herculaneum, an ancient Roman town that provides a snapshot of time frozen still in the aftermath of Mt. Vesuvius' eruption in 79 AD.
Discover the picturesque ancient villas, bathhouses, frescoes, and more, preserved in their near-perfect glory.
Spend as much time as you want uncovering different homes, like the spaciously opulent House of the Bronze Hermes and the artisanal living space in the House of the Cloth.
Upgrade to access a virtual tour of ancient Herculaneum with 3D glasses or multilingual audio guides about how Romans lived over two millennia ago!

Inclusions

Audio guide in Italian, English, French, Spanish & German (optional)
Onsite/ offsite redemption of ticket (as per option selected)
Virtual tour of Herculaneum with 3D glasses (as per option selected)

Cancellation Policy

These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

Reviews

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4.2

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5/5

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799

3/5

188

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1/5

266

Mónica

5/5

Feb, 2025

Beautiful experience. We visited from Spain. We liked it better than the visit to Pompeii. The excavation staff was very friendly. It is very well restored. In some houses the conservation is so good that you can be transported to ancient Rome and imagine yourself living there. I give a 10/10 to this excursion.

View original review in Spanish

Philippa

5/5

Jan, 2025

Herculaneum was an amazing place really brought to life by the audio tour. Best of all there were few tourists due to the time of year. The available exhibits were fascinating and provided an excellent insight to the lives of the people at the time of the devastating eruption. It was also most interesting to learn about the different archaeological techniques used in recovering this ancient site.

Mohini

4/5

Jan, 2025

It was so easy booking tickets for Herculaneum on Headout! The site itself is well restored giving an interesting insight into life prior to the eruption! It was heartbreaking going down to the previous shoreline and seeing the skeletons of those who were waiting to be rescued! Loved the paintings which are still visible all these years later! The only downside is that it is at least 20 min walk from the station. We struggled to find a bus or taxi to take us to the site.

Chelsea

4/5

Dec, 2024

Fellow travelers- for Pompeii they do not send you your tickets, you have to go exchange your voucher for a ticket which took an additional 20 mins because I had to wait in line with those buying tickets. Honestly felt like I could have bought tickets there instead of through a 3rd party. I am sure there are times of the year when tickets sell out but something to consider. Herculaneum tickets were sent directly to me, and there was no line. I had an 8:30am entry and showed up at 2pm and they let me in no problem. I recommend going to Pompeii first because it is more popular.

Martin

5/5

Dec, 2024

It is impressive to see in person how deep the city was buried and how far from the sea. That the skeletons were found on the jetties is very impressive. Finding the works of art that decorated the houses, frescoes, mosaics ... statues is a marvel.

View original review in Spanish

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Your experience

A Herculean history

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.

Headout with ease

The first thing you’re going to do is 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

Operating hours

Herculaneum

Monday	08:30 AM - 05:00 PM	last entry 03:30 PM
Tuesday	08:30 AM - 05:00 PM	last entry 03:30 PM
Wednesday	08:30 AM - 05:00 PM	last entry 03:30 PM
Thursday	08:30 AM - 05:00 PM	last entry 03:30 PM
Friday	08:30 AM - 05:00 PM	last entry 03:30 PM
Saturday	08:30 AM - 05:00 PM	last entry 03:30 PM
Sunday	08:30 AM - 05:00 PM	last entry 03:30 PM

Know before you go

Accessibility

This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible. Entry is free for people with disabilities and an accompanying adult.
Dogs are allowed into the venue, without restriction of breed or size. However, they must be kept with a leash and/or muzzle (the latter is obligatory for all breeds and opportunities provided by current regulations). Pet parents must have bags to collect any droppings.
In the Antiquarium, inside the Padiglione della Barca and in the domus with mosaic floors, access is allowed only to dogs carried in their arms or in the appropriate carrier.

Additional information

Facilities: restroom, cloak room.

My tickets

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.
Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the redemption point.
Please arrive at the redemption point 15 minutes before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.