Official Pompeii tourist guides offer tours at the Porta Marina and Piazza Esedra entrances between 9am and 2pm. They wear a big official pass around their necks and offer guided tours, which can be requested at the entrances between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm. The Archaeological Park is responsible for handling requests for guided tours.
Walking tours and private tours are available, with smaller groups allowing visitors to ask questions and be directed inside the entrance gate. Officially sanctioned guides will then put together groups by language. However, it is essential to hire a tour guide for Pompeii as walking around without one can lead to confusion and missed information.
Your admission ticket to the Pompeii excavation does not provide a guided tour; you must hire a guide, buy a guide book or audio guide, or use the maps provided at the ticket office and your phone. Even with a guided tour, it is unlikely that you will be able to see everything properly in just one visit.
The best way to visit Pompeii is to hire a reliable and professional Pompei Tour Guide. The suggested route begins at Piazza Anfiteatro and loops around the city.
📹 Pompeii – The Don’ts of Visiting Pompeii in Italy
Heading to Naples or the Amalfi Coast and wondering about visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pompeii? The city …
Is it worth getting a tour guide in Pompeii?
Pompeii, an ancient citadel, is a unique tourist attraction that showcases the wrath of nature and human greed. Previously a bustling commerce hub, Pompeii was buried by Mount Vesuvius in its ash and pumice. Today, visitors can explore its well-preserved estates, landmarks, and theaters. It is recommended to have a tour guide to learn about the city’s history and the infamous Mount Vesuvius. Regardless of the guide, visitors can expect to see incredible sites in and around Pompeii, including the amphitheatres, where the Ancient Romans enjoyed entertainment, such as watching plays or arena battles.
Can I visit Pompeii without a guide?
Pompeii can be visited solo, but a detailed plan and the necessary tools are required to fully experience the history and beauty of the buried city. A guided tour is the best way to fully immerse yourself in the entrancing history of Pompeii. A day tour from Rome offers a unique experience, including a visit to the ruins and the stunning Roman countryside, as well as the ornate Castelli Romani. This unique tour not only offers a glimpse into the city’s rich history but also offers a glimpse into the beauty and wonder of the Roman countryside.
Can you join a guided tour at Pompeii?
Book a guide at the park entrance for two-hour guided tours for EUR 11 per person. These guides are recognized by wooden badges from Campania. Group tours are available for groups of family or friends, or private guides can be booked in advance for in-depth history. Tickets can be purchased online, but long queues may occur during summer and weekends. Skip-the-line tickets are recommended to avoid long lines.
Large bags and backpacks are not allowed inside the park for security reasons. Free baggage checks are available at the ruins entrance, and an automated system at the Porta Marina Superiore entrance prints a receipt with a code for bag claim.
Can you hire a private guide at Pompeii?
One may embark on a one-day private guided tour of Pompeii, with the opportunity to customize the experience to align with one’s specific interests and preferences. The guide will devise an itinerary based on the client’s preferences, thus enabling the client to explore the city in a manner that aligns with their preferences, including any desired activities or sights. While private guides are not a necessity, they can be advantageous when tailored to one’s particular interests and preferences. Provided that the guide is informed in advance, a bespoke tour of the lost city of Pompeii can be created to suit the individual’s preferences.
Can you just turn up at Pompeii?
It is requisite that tickets be purchased in advance in order to gain admission to the ruins of Pompeii.
How many hours do you need to tour Pompeii?
Pompeii is a must-see destination in Italy, especially when visiting from Rome. A self-guided tour takes around 2. 5 hours, allowing time to explore the landmark’s attractions like the Antiquarium, Forum, and Theaters. For history buffs, it may take four to six hours to fully explore the ruins. The Highway of the Sun offers an adventure through Calabrian towns and hillsides, while arriving in Naples, you can explore the legendary town and marvel at the Meditteranean coastline.
Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that erupted on that fateful day, is always visible, providing a constant reminder of its towering presence in the region. Numerous locations in Naples offer stunning views of Mount Vesuvius and opportunities to capture incredible photos.
Should I book in advance for Pompeii?
The Archaeological Park recommends purchasing tickets in advance to expedite entry. Those who buy in advance receive a PDF ticket that can be printed or shown on their smartphone, and can proceed to the turnstiles at the park’s entrance. Reduced (18-24 years old) and free (under 18 years old) tickets cannot be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets, call 081 18658177 (email info@tosc. it) from Monday to Friday from 9. 30 to 18. 00. Telephone pre-sale costs €1. 50 and can be paid with VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, and bank transfer. Tickets can be purchased at ticketone. it/help/outlets/.
Can you hire a tour guide at Pompeii?
The Archaeological Park in Pompeii offers guided tours between 9. 00 am and 3. 00 pm, provided by qualified freelance guides. The price, routes, and durations of visits are agreed directly with the guides. Groups visiting Pompeii, Villa Arianna, San Marco, the Libero D’Orsi Archaeological Museum, the Villa of Poppaea, and the Villa Regina and Antiquarium at Boscoreale are regulated by size. Pre-organized groups, such as tour operators, parishes, associations, and recreational initiatives, can have up to 35 individuals if equipped with earphones or ‘whisper’ systems, but 15 if not.
Schools can have class groups up to 35 people without earphones or ‘whisper’ systems. Additional limitations may be imposed in smaller buildings or areas or in cases of high visitor numbers, as advised by the Park Staff.
How to get a guide in Pompeii?
The Archaeological Park in Pompeii offers guided tours between 9. 00 am and 3. 00 pm, provided by qualified freelance guides. The price, routes, and durations of visits are agreed directly with the guides. Groups visiting Pompeii, Villa Arianna, San Marco, the Libero D’Orsi Archaeological Museum, the Villa of Poppaea, and the Villa Regina and Antiquarium at Boscoreale are regulated by size. Pre-organized groups, such as tour operators, parishes, associations, and recreational initiatives, can have up to 35 individuals if equipped with earphones or ‘whisper’ systems, but 15 if not.
Schools can have class groups up to 35 people without earphones or ‘whisper’ systems. Additional limitations may be imposed in smaller buildings or areas or in cases of high visitor numbers, as advised by the Park Staff.
How do you get a guide for Pompeii?
The Archaeological Park in Pompeii offers guided tours between 9. 00 am and 3. 00 pm, provided by qualified freelance guides. The price, routes, and durations of visits are agreed directly with the guides. Groups visiting Pompeii, Villa Arianna, San Marco, the Libero D’Orsi Archaeological Museum, the Villa of Poppaea, and the Villa Regina and Antiquarium at Boscoreale are regulated by size. Pre-organized groups, such as tour operators, parishes, associations, and recreational initiatives, can have up to 35 individuals if equipped with earphones or ‘whisper’ systems, but 15 if not.
Schools can have class groups up to 35 people without earphones or ‘whisper’ systems. Additional limitations may be imposed in smaller buildings or areas or in cases of high visitor numbers, as advised by the Park Staff.
Can you do Mount Vesuvius without a guide?
Vesuvius, a crater with a diameter of 700 meters, a circumference of 12 kilometers, and a depth of 200 meters, is a formation consisting of two volcanoes: Monte Somma and Vesuvius. Since 1995, Vesuvius has been a national park, and visitors can walk up to its summit. The best tourist route is the Gran Cono, which leads through a steep path to the crater’s mouth. An asphalted road leads 200 meters from the top, followed by a spiral walkway around the mountain.
Volcanological guides, recognizable by their gray/yellow suits, provide technical and historical explanations. The guides’ explanations last about fifteen minutes, allowing visitors to enjoy the view of Naples, take pictures, and buy souvenirs. The walk around the other half of the ring surrounding the crater’s mouth continues.
📹 20 Things to see in Pompeii
There are plenty of things to see in Pompeii but you may miss them if you don’t have a tour guide. We booked a private tour of …
I was lucky enough to visit Pompeii (3 days) and Herculaneum (1 day) last summer! As a solo traveler who’s main goal was to see the archaeological sites and see what life was like for southern Italians, staying in Pompei was awesome. The single rooms at Hotel Visagi were about $40 USD a night for a very comfortable room and friendly hotel, and it was about a 30 minute walk to Pompeii. I’ll admit the walk is not accessible or straightforward, but for a young person who loves walking and exploring it was a fun way to get around and see the beautiful landscape
Just an FYI. When we went there we didn’t realize that Pompei was an actual city and not just an archeological site. So we ended getting off at the wrong bus stop and got loss. Thankfully we paid for the international package on one our phones so we were able to use GPS. So remember that Pompei is the modern city and Pompeii is the ruins.
We have been to Pompeii 2x. The 1st time, my husband & I did it on our own and really enjoyed wandering around. 2nd time we were with family, and the 8 of us decided to get a guide when we got there. She was great, and we learned so much more than when we did it on our own. It really depends what you want to get out of it. I would advise doing some research before visiting, so that you know and understand what you are seeing. We speak highly of our visits to Pompeii. We took the train from Naples the 1st time to Sorrento, then stopped in Pompeii on the way back. Train is very easy to take. Great article with some great advice. – Coreen
I remember seeing a magazine article about Pompeii when I was about 5 and that was where I was going to go some day. It took 50 years but I got there. The one thing I’ll say is – yeah, it’s bigger than most people think. It was one of the few places that we actually did spring for a private tour. Very interesting but there is no way we would have seen as much as we did if left to our own devices.
I traveled from Rome in a fiat.., I went with my wife and we did our own tour saw everything even some time in the museums…, we ate from our backpack..,and also the restaurant in the middle., walked all day and at night went to the stadio Maradona to see Napoli play. What an amazing experience I had.
Thank you for the input about accessibility! So often, travel articles make no mention of it. I’m a wheelchair user and although I have no plans to travel any time soon, I “travel” vicariously through your articles and others. If you’re ever looking for a collab idea, partnering up with an experienced disabled traveler might be a good one 😉
We were fortunate to have gone this summer❤. Beautiful, historical, grand. Regarding water: We needed a bottle of H20 and upon receiving it, decided to open it up on the spot due to thirst😊. Lucky we did, bc the water bottle was already opened!! So I’d like to caution travelers to open the bottle right in front of the store owner/staff if possible before leaving the establishment.
Another area to be VERY CAUTIOUS of pickpockets and purse snatchers is the main entrance of the National Museum of Archaeology in Naples that you mentioned. Especially vulnerable are tourists milling around waiting for or after exiting their buses and the elderly. On my last visit, as I waited for my taxi, I witnessed 2 purse snatchings of women and a young man whose wallet was picked from his rear pants pocket. Secutity or police followed up on the screams by blowing whistles and chasing the perpetrators, but all apparently got away.
We spent the whole day just exploring on our own; can’t go wrong doing that, saw most every area, very satisfying. It was much larger than we had anticipated, and although still hot in September, was more doable than summer. Wear hats. There are places out of the sun to rest or just be cool while visiting (baths, graveyard, villas, eatery, shop, interior presentations of archeological items) so one can manage well. It is a highlight of Italy. We are a bit older and followed our plan to rest for a time in Sorrento, and did a day trip from Sorrento to Pompeii and back. Amazing vacation, 2017.
This is phenomenal! Do you have any idea the number of visitors get it wrong? I agree totally with Jocelyn – Herculaneum is by far more manageable. I refuse to take anyone to Pompeii outside of winter because it is oppressive, too hot, too crowded. An extra tip. Don’t touch the wall mosaics. During the 1st visit I was stunned by the level of restoration and touched one of them only to have staff sternly telling me to “NO TOUCH!” If you opt to head to Vesuvio NP the trek to the main crater isn’t a wow factor. But the sulfuric air, the connection, the realisation that she can blow at any time is mind blowing. And the bus ride is super pretty.
You definitely need to bring water, a small umbrella to block out the sun, a cap, and wear very good athletic shoes. The place is huge. Don’t miss the terrific Pink Floyd exhibit located in one of the amphitheater’s. Nobody told me about it and I just happened upon it. Absolutely worth visiting, but Pompeii is not easy to navigate.
Thanks for this article. I am taking my family on a 37-day European adventure and had booked a tour from Rome to Pompeii by train to Naples and van to the ruins. I canceled that and booked the trains and Pompeii with a guided tour myself and saved $400. We also get to spend four hours in Naples so win-win!
I agree with all your advice. Be prepared to be stepping up and down all the kerbs (sidewalks) they are deep and give you a work out. The Brothel is worth a visit even if you are a little prudish. It is small, the pictures advertising the menu are quite high up so small children will miss them. I advise going as late in the afternoon as most of the bus tours go earlier in the day. The bus that goes up Vesuvius is very close by and well worth the trip, the final walk up you do yourself.
It was so amusing, hearing you talk about staying out of the sun and keeping hydrated . . . I’ve wanted to see Pompeii for as long as I can remember, and I’m 65. I finally got there on Tuesday 26 March 2024, by train/s from Rome. And it rained. It rained and rained and rained, often torrentially. There were rivers running down the Roman roads, there were umbrellas everywhere poking you in the head and the eye, and brightly-coloured ponchos which were being sold by hawkers outside the entrance, which took away from the whole grandeur of the scene. And it was cold – maybe 9 or 10 degrees C which isn’t freezing obviously, but combined with being completely soaked right through, it was teeth-chattering time. I have a bit of difficulty walking these days but if it had been warm I know I’d have spent longer and gone further into the site. As it was, I was so cold and wet that I couldn’t take it any more and left much sooner than I wanted to. Of course, as soon as I was out the rain eased off and there was a brief period of hazy warmth from the sky – but then it started raining again, and rained all the way back to Rome. The following day it was the Forum and the Colosseum, when it rained even harder . . . but I guess I will just have to go back another time, and pray to Jupiter to let the sun shine! This is just a warning, I suppose, to point out that it’s not always sunny in Pompeii! Take spare shoes and spare trousers because sitting on a plane in wet shoes is no fun.
Before we went to Pompeii, I was under the impression that they had uncovered just a few buildings and found bodies here and there. You’re point about the size of the city is spot on. We were very surprised to witness the remnants of a small city. Lots of tourist groups so traffic was heavy but definitely a place to visit and experience.
Loved Pompeii, we did it on our own, but it was good. That’s true on seeing the plaster cast of the bodies. Yes wear good shoes. It was hot, but worth seeing for me anyway. Bye these pics, I don’t think we got to see all of it. We where in Roma when we went to Pompeii road the fast train. Had a couple of issues on the train on the way back. We had to leave my husband behind, because the person that stamp his card at the window stamped the wrong date on it, he had to purchase a new ticket and ride back on his own.Thankfully he was able to find his way back. Also, there was and issue with one of the teenagers tickets, I don’t remember the issue of that, it wasn’t our son, but the dad had to go with the young man and try to figure it out with the conductor/ticket guys😳it was one of those days🙁but we go through it all. Thank goodness.
Thank you for this article, you have made my mind up, I won’t be going to Pompeii! We’ve only got a 6 hour window on our MSC cruise and I would hate for our one and only visit to Pompei to be a rushed affair where we are constantly looking at our watches to make sure wo don’t miss the boat (I know it’s a ship but miss the boat sounds better). We will now go to Herculaneum and take in the sites of Naples and come back to see Pompeii on a weekend city break. Thank you, sincerely.
Thank you for your articles. So informative and great production value. I’m glad I watched this one because in four days my wife and I start our Mediterranean cruise with four friends that includes an excursion to Pompeii. Your tip for planning ahead on what we want to see is especially helpful as we’re only going to have 3-4 hours at the site. Keep up the great work and thanks again. Top notch travel vlog!
We just got back from Italy, we paid our second visit to Pompei in 17 years, in 41 deg c heat and still didn’t see everything we wanted to see, guess that means another trip in the future but not in August. I have never been so hot. We had Factor 50 cream lots of water an umbrella but the heat was overwhelming.
You hit on just about everything a visitor should know. It was great! Perhaps you should hit on the heat some more…I went in June and was from Miami where heat stroke is required by law and found it hot! The Museum in Naples is a must see since everything they talk about being found in Pompeii is actually on display in the museum. A visitor can see a lot in one day but two or even three days will give a visitor a good view of all three sites and the museum in Naples. Good work by the Wolters Tour team!
Important to discuss mobility issues on any trip for sure. We are fairly young still but enjoy cruises on ships like Silversea. We have been to some awesome places and with 300 aboard, and talks given by experts (like our trip to New Zealand and Australia we could learn from marine biologists, etc. about important things. Don’t po po a cruise Mark they are now all a 5000 people cruise. Went from Polynesia, Rangiroa, marquesas etc. Hawaii ending up in Lax. What an adventure. Alaska too. One of our best was Southampton to Ireland to Iceland to Greenland (I passed on raw whale meat) to St. Lawrence Canada Ouebec ultimately to Toronto where we had a short flight to ORD. Again I think you’d enjoy a Silversea cruise and they have the exploration ships and regular ones that go into Arctic and “on top of globe.” Take a couple of these younger as you meet all types of world travelers and it can be a lot of fun!
We did both Ercolano (Herculaneum) and Pompeii, and found Ercolano is better fir people with time limits, the guides in Pompeii can be quite nasty, blocking streets and passageways. Our ussue with the train service was poor reliability and poor communication (I work on the railway, and poor communication is my bugbear)
Went to Pompeii a few days ago. Now in November it was a good experience. It was nice and sunny, but not too hot and dry, not too many tourists, no problem with parking. I used the audio guide app. The stories are well told. BUT: The usability is really bad. Your screen has always to be on otherwise the audio stops. That badly consumes your battery. Also: Many times when you switched the app (f.ex. to take pictures), the audio list jumped to the beginning and you needed to scroll down to your audio every time. That was really anoying. Also some intersting things were missing. There was a “house of the four styles”. WHICH STYLES? There was no audio guide to this house unfortunately.
Hi, the hottest I have ever felt was during my visit to Pompeii. I remember walking around and looking for shade that was hard to find. While standing I could feel a trickle of sweat start from the back of my neck and go all the way down my back! I had never had this happen before so my next visit will include a small umbrella so I will have my own shaded spot and lots of cold water.
Pompeii casts are real bodies, because they incorporate the skeleton, clothes and objects they had with them. These casts have undergone CT scans over the years to identify the victim’s age, pathologies, and other information. It is therefore not a simple plaster cast. In 1800 it was the only technique available during the excavation, in order to preserve the body in the exact position it had at the time of the eruption. In order to maintain the position they had to pour the plaster into the cavities, incorporating the entire body (skeleton, clothing and more).
Pompeii was buried by tephra, which fossilized the people and made it so those plaster casts could be made. Herculaneum was instead covered by pyroclastic flow which preserved much more of the art work. You miss out on some incredibly well preserved frescoes if you skip Herculaneum. You can also climb Mount Vesuvius! You can hire someone to drive you to the foot of the cinder cone and climb to the summit. Be careful about this if you aren’t in good shape. The cinder cone is pure volcanic sand; when you take one step forward you slide half a step back, and the atmosphere is thinner which makes exercise more difficult and can make some people nauseous. I was a smoker when I did it, and it took me a while to get to the top, but I did it and I got to look into the caldera of an active volcano! I know they call it a “brothel” at the site, but evidence suggests it was actually a bathhouse. The naughty pictures just mark where patrons left their clothes while bathing, and frankly there’s pornographic art all over Pompeii (lots of depictions of Priapus). You can’t conclude by it’s presence alone that a particular place was a brothel. Go to Sorrento if you get the chance. The best gelateria in all of Italy is in Sorrento.
hi there! First of all, I would like to thank you very much for your informative articles, they certainly do help a lot of people! My husband and I are traveling around Italy for a month next May. Have you ever been there during May? I was wondering if it’s a good time to go. Also, any airline recommendations? I live in South Carolina. Thank you so much in advance
another don’t: when you exit the train, don’t let the tour guides push you into booking them. they wear official looking outfits and use high pressure sales tactics. one of them even came after us screaming that we were going the wrong way when in fact we were headed right for the main entrance. if you really do want tour guide though then i suppose they’re fine but i think they’ll slow you down and are unnecessary if you have the mobile app and a decent plan
You are missing the one and extremely huge important point here… why those people destroyed like that and remained as examples for even all human kind after ..🤔🤔. Because of what they were doing .. very odd practices.. we clearly see also the almighty God power … we learn as well we need to find God RIGHT NOW we got no time at all before judgement day… finally I recommend you pick up a copy of Al Quran asap!!
Even having known for most of my life what Pompeii was, I went there when I was about 50. It absolutely blew my mind. To realize what a large city it was, that it had such sophisticated urban facilities, the level of civilization that thrived there at that time, and that it was virtually forgotten for hundreds of years…. There were fast food stands and piped-in water. We had a private guide, which was not that expensive considering that we were going to be there for only one afternoon in our lives. It was certainly worth having a guide dedicated to just us. She took us to certain main must-see attractions, but she also described various features and asked us what we’d like to see. The forum, the stately homes of some of the wealthy inhabitants… wow.
Travelling with a guide was the worst thing we did 5 years ago. She did not take us to the major sites, and spent most of it talking about floor mosaics. We returned yesterday with my 11 year old daughter and self guided tour. Simple research and using google will answer everything at your own pace without a time constraint.
I have visited Ercolano..more concise and much less walk. The museum there is number one. And Villa Poppea was great. It was a self organized tour so I did not wanted to see what tourist do not visit and my boyfriend cannot walk too much. End of the day we had a nice fashion show as well. 🙂 You dont need a tour guide if you spend time and energy and read about the place which you will visit.
This was both an excellent vlog and tour. My husband and I plan to visit Pompeii and will be arriving by cruise ship. I requested a tour with Naples Grand Tour halfway thru your vlog. I did return to watch the rest because some of the information included was unique to this vlog, things I have not heard or seen before.
Fifty plus years ago I was up before the morning heat began and arrived at Herculaneum . A local called it ” Hr AC u Laaannno ” and gestured one along toward it . At first I may have been the only one in sight, how ever a splendidly tailored German ( living in England) professor in tweeds appeared and informed he had been researching a book about the place . He began to show me arround Herculaneum . Day proceeded til finally it was dusk . I thanked my guide as a fortunate greatful tourist would . Ghosts now seemed to be felt everywhere in the shadows .
Gladiators were not slaves but free men who enrolled on a contract. They stopped being recruited among slaves after the Spartacus uprise in 74BC, when Roman realized how dangerous it was to have thousands of slaves, armed and trained. Vesuvio eruption occured in 79 AD, 150 years after gladiators status changed
I have always been puzzled by the “pedestrian” crossings yes I can see that they are a way to cross the street without getting your feet wet and that the spaces between the stones are for the wheels of the carts but what happens to the poor horse pulling the cart when he encounters the large block of stone blocking his way?
Though the Romans would have been smarter than that, seeing as they were using locally acquired basalt volcanic rock to build their streets and put looming”mountain” and the volcanic rock together. Obviously, the Oscans that abandoned the area 6 centuries earlier worked this out and left 3 centuries after arriving and before it became an issue.
Amazing place isn’t it? Those are neither “cart tracks” nor square “post holes to tie up a donkey”. I hope if anyone cares to seek truth knowledge whilst at Pompeii and other ancient sites don’t hire a popular guide to narrate what you are looking at, they are only able to parrot the story they were taught. Unfortunately much of the narrative is utter fabrication purported as fact. For example take a look at these so called “cart tracks”. They are inconsistently spaced, many times non parallel, with arbitrary ruts and dips here and there right next to other semi linear indentations . It may look something like this if the street were mud and the occasional wheel slipped in and out the track for a moment etc, however a random rut simply cannot be created for 3 feet then disappear 6″ from another rut in stone. Unless of course a particularly stubborn donkey rocked it’s cart back and forth in that spot for a couple hundred years. Even then, often times the other wheel track is suspiciously missing or wondering to and fro. None of this is consistent with cart wheel wear especially on granite pavers. Also where are the hoof marks? Surely if enough carts were pulled by horse, donkey, mule, ox, bull etc. to create 6″ deep ruts in granite, the animal too would begin to trod holes into the stone… As for the square post holes, no. These are not hitching post holes. Why would a post need to be square to hitch an animal? Square mortice in stone is much harder to achieve then a round one, especially considering the evidence we now have that the romans (and earlier civilizations) did indeed possess core drills.
In my experience, many (most) of these “guides” have a rudimentary knowledge of the site they represent (in this case Pompeii) and restrict their descriptions to largely superficial attributes and relatively obvious explanations of why something is the way it is. While they appear to be knowledgeable to the average tourist, they are largely ignorant of the finer (and in my opinion) more important detail which actually enriches the experience of a visit. If your objective is to just say to others “I’ve been to Pompeii”, then such guided tours are ok… but if you really want to understand the culture, preliminary research is vital. Anyone who aims to have a more serious or in-depth understanding of Roman society needs to do proper and relevant research before any visit, and (if so inclined) focus on researching relatively few elements of the culture – eg: the architectural periods (styles), or the varying designs and styles of the mosaics and frescos. In modern times, there is a wealth of information available on the internet, and countless books and periodicals that provide the necessary depth which will enrich a visit. Of course, everyone’s objective of visiting such sites is different, so I am not prescribing to anyone – only that there is an immensely more rewarding experience to be had if you spend many hours researching the place you intend to visit. All it costs is time… and then you can leave the “guide” to cater for the more casual visitors, while you explore the really interesting stuff.
A post that doesn’t make any sense!!! As an historian, Archeologist and guide… posts like this are unreal! Not to mention most of the comments… Are you all Americans ever going to stop coming here and think that you can give advices? YouTube is packed with websites made by ” you ” with recomandations… best things to do, where to eat etc all over Italy… All ending up in being the most touristic possible things to do!!!