Absolutely amazing tour of archaeological site which predate Christ by a few hundred years! The…read moretour is led by a professional history expert and the experience is absolutely enthralling from beginning to end. Truly amazing to experience the well preserved and restored lands of a roman town with a story that is truly amazing. It does get a bit hot in the summer though which is when we visited (July 2026) so I recommend bringing as much tools to help you with the heat such as cooling towels or ice water, hats, shades, sun screen. There is a cafe at the end of the tour which is nice and clean restrooms. I am awarding 5 stars because truly anything less is disrespectful and undeserved for this amazing site made available to the public. Highlight of Pompeii!

Visiting Pompeii Archaeological Park was like stepping back in time. I loved wandering the ancient…read morestreets and learning about the history of this incredible place. It was both fascinating and emotional. Walking the same paths people traveled nearly 2,000 years ago was surreal, but seeing the casts of the victims who were preserved by the eruption brought tears to my eyes. It was a powerful reminder of the human tragedy that occurred there. Be prepared for a lot of walking, and some of the cobblestone paths can be rough and uneven in spots, so comfortable shoes are a must. Despite that, it was a truly amazing and unique experience that I'll never forget. If you love history, this is one of those places that leaves a lasting impression.

We stopped by Piazza del Plebiscito for a quick look while exploring Naples. The square is huge and…read moresurrounded by some of the city's most recognizable landmarks, making it a great place to pause and take in the architecture. Originally completed in the early 1800s, the piazza is named after the 1860 plebiscite that voted for Naples to join a unified Italy. On one side sits the Royal Palace of Naples, while the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola anchors the other with its impressive domed church and curved colonnades. We didn't spend a lot of time here, but it was an easy stop between other sights and gave us a chance to appreciate a different side of Naples. If you're already in the historic center or heading toward the waterfront, it's well worth adding to your itinerary.

Naple's most iconic square is framed by Prefettura di Napoli a government office on the north, on…read morethe south by Palazzo Salerno (Sede del Comando Territoriale Sud - currently military offices), by the royal palace on the east, and Basilica of San Francesco di Paola to the west. The last two are open for visitors and pretty quiet on an April evening. The port area and waterfront public park Giardini del Molosiglio are nearby within walking distance to the southeast. As magnificent and grand as these surrounding buildings and others nearby are, this piazza also very much a piece of the local cloth. Where school groups and tourists frequent during the day, is open space in the evening for kids riding bikes and playing soccer, for families taking walks with strollers and dogs. While I was there it was fun to see a group of students singing along to a couple musicians on a guitar and mic, a few kids flying kites, the sun setting to the west casting a warm glow onto the structures in the square. Fun facts: - named after a plebiscite (aka referendum or survey) which united Naples with the rest of Italy. - Joachim Murat, bro-in-law of Napoleon had planned to dedicate the square to the emperor though when the Bourbon rulers were restored to the throne plans changed. Hence today the two statues in from of the church are Bourbon kings Charles III and his son Ferdinand I. They also instructed the completion of the neoclassical basilica along this square. - there's a local game/tradition of attempting to cross the square blindfolded starting from the center of the main entrance of the royal palace with the goal of walking directly in the middle of the two statues. Legend is that it's an impossible feat, due to the irregular shape of the square, uneven cobblestones and slight slope. - the square became a parking lot in 1963 to deal with the overflow of cars in the city, then reconfigured back to pedestrian only in 1994.

On your way around Sorrento's city center, you're bound to pass this piazza since it connects the…read morepedestrian only zones to the part of town with many hotels, summer apartments and leads to more local residential areas. Restaurants, cafes, hotels and a couple miscellaneous shops and church buildings line this thoroughfare. The car traffic coupled with many pedestrians constantly crossing, I'd warn drivers to be very careful in this area! A statue of Saint Antoninus of Sorrento, patron saint of the city, stands in the center, a salutation to those entering the historic old town. On the north edge, the sidewalk overlooks and connects to stairs that descend down to a hairpin turn in the road at the base. On the southern edge, there's a deep ravine (Vallone dei Mulini) filled with plants, trees and shrubs, and an old abandoned mill?), smack dab in the middle of the block. Constantly tourists take pictures here day and night lol. Walking thru here about a dozen times over the course of two days, there wasn't ever a quiet moment, even during shoulder season. Restaurants are busy being that it's such a central meet up point. Perhaps only at around 7am one day when most tourists were still sleeping was it quieter with only locals out and about.

Piazza Tasso is a lovely square in Sorrento…read more Lucky to stumble across a local festival on our cruise ship tour to Sorrento and Pompeii. Our tour guide was not sure what they were celebrating. Take time to check out the beautiful baroque yellow church and everything Limoncello while you are in the neighborhood. The lemons in Sorrento are enormous and the geography reflects their impact. Limoncello granitas. Lemon pasta. Lemon biscotti. Lemons on everything from dish towels, baskets and bags to headbands. My sister-in-law even bought a pair of swim shorts that were covered with a large lemons in the pattern. Nice for a short stop while exploring Sorrento. Tip: There is a bathroom next to the church. It takes one euro each.

While visiting Napoli during our Mediterranean cruise we made sure to visit Pompeii…read more U enter the park with your group & then u processed to walk around the entire area, this place is unreal to think this area was once inhabited by people seems so crazy. As u walk through the streets & ruins it feels almost unreal seeing how well preserved a lot of the structures & streets are is pretty cool. Seeing so much of this ancient city is fascinating, not a lot of the preserved bodies on display as I recall I think those are elsewhere, we saw 1-2 such an odd thing to see. The park is very well kept u can see Mount Vesuvius in the distance, this adds such an unreal factor, overall this was a very humbling & educational experience.

Since this is essentially a secondary listing for "Pompeii Ruins" on Yelp, just adding a few more…read morenotes here that I didn't include in my main review. Highlights for me were: 1) the Forum: on the south western side of the park, past the Temple of Venus which is fairly close to the entrance by Porta Marina. This was the main public square and socio-economic center for the city with many different government, religious and commercial buildings set around it. Some of the important ruins include the Basilica, the court of law and business center, and the Macellum, a covered food market and marketplace. Temples of Jupiter and Apollo served religious functions. 2) the bath houses: there are a few different locations Terme Stabiane, Terme del Foro, Terme Suburbane--though I went to the Forum location, was really impressed by how well laid out and preserved this building was. 3) thermopoliums: plural because around 80 different locations were found within Pompeii. These are the equivalent of street food vendors where the working class would procure hot food to go, since the majority of Pompeii's 10-35K residents at the time of its destruction in 79 AD didn't live in villas, rather in multistory buildings without kitchens, hence depended on these for sustenance. These L-shaped marble counters held terracotta jars of hot and cold food, such as stews, meats, and spiced wine. 4) "suburban" Villa di Diomede and Villa dei Misteri which require a separate fee of €8 payable in cash or card at the gate to that section of the park, if it's not already included in your particular combo ticket. These two villas underwent multiple restorations and haven't always been open to the public. Both are examples of larger, grand residences with more complex layouts, the latter housing famous colorful frescos depicting rituals related to an esoteric cult of Dionysus. 5) necropolises: a few different locations around the outskirts of the town, it was fascinating to see how ancient traditions of mausoleums carry into current conventions. 6) interesting signage: while I don't read Latin, from the translations I read about pertaining to some of the sites, they certainly got their point across. I chuckled at the mosaic with Latin phrase "Cave Canem" literally "beware of the dog" showing a snarling black dog, placed at the entrance of one of the domiciles. Side note there is restoration and excavation work ongoing at different sites within the park, so not every building is open to the public. Even some structures that were open within the past several months like the House of Menander and Lupanare di Pompei (Pompeii's brothel) were not open.

Mount Vesuvius is pretty bare and dusty; nothing polished about it. You feel where you are the…read moreentire time. It's not long, but it's enough to slow you down. At the top, you're right at the crater. Just you, the edge, and a very real reminder of what it is. A beautiful view of the Bay of Naples behind you but at the same time knowing it's that same volcano.... The one that buried Pompeii changes the tone a bit. It's not dramatic; just heavy. Worth doing the hike but just don't expect it to feel super touristy.

A hike up Mount Vesuvius is the perfect way to get panoramic views of the Naples area, and wow, are…read morethey stunning! The hike itself is straight up and not paved for one mile there and back. I would not advise you to try and make it to the top if you aren't athletic. Just go up a little ways and get some photos. If you do make it to the top, you can enjoy a nice gift shop with souvenirs and even a glass of wine. They do provide bathrooms at the entrance but they were disgusting.

This is the best value on Capri! And we almost did not go inside. We were on a day trip to Capri…read moreand had limited time. We walked all around the downtown area and ended up at this garden. There was a nominal entry fee and we were almost out of time, but we ended up going in and it was worth it. It also is a small property so we were able to move through in about 15 minutes. You can of course spend more time there as well, but in our 15 minutes, we were able to take some really nice pictures, walk the whole thing, and enjoy the plant life. The best part about it are the amazing views! You can see the Faraglioni and pretty much the whole south side of the island. There is also a walking path that you can take all the way down to Marina Piccolo from here but it was closed the day we were there.

If you're visiting Capri, I definitely recommend making time for the Gardens of Augustus. It's an…read moreeasy walk from Piazza Umberto if you're already in town--or a bit more of a workout if you're making the climb from Marina Grande instead of taking the funicular. Either way, the effort is well worth it for the views. Originally created in the early 1900s by German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp, the gardens are simply landscaped with colorful flowers, shady paths, and a handful of benches to sit and take it all in. Admission is inexpensive, unlike many other activities on the island. The gardens are famous for their stunning panoramic views of the iconic Faraglioni sea stacks, the dramatic sea cliffs, the turquoise waters of Marina Piccola, and the winding Via Krupp carved into the cliffs below. With several viewing platforms throughout the grounds, each stop offers a slightly different perspective--and every view is worth taking in. There's also the popular bar and lounge, Capri Rooftop, next door. It's a bit pricey, but with the heat and those incredible views, I honestly would've been happy to pay for a cold drink and a chance to relax if we hadn't been short on time. I would recommend pairing the two, especially on hot summer days! Simple, scenic, and worth the stop!