Entry Ticket With Audio Guide

Entry Ticket with Audio Guide, rated 4.1 across 13,560 traveller reviews.

Overview

This product is a reserved entry ticket to the Pompeii archaeological park, paired with your choice of audio guide. You pick between two ticket types when booking: Pompei Express, which covers only the ancient city, and Pompei+, which adds the suburban villas, namely the Villa of the Mysteries, the Villa of Diomedes and Villa Regina in Boscoreale with its Antiquarium. On top of either ticket you can add a physical audio guide device or use the included digital audio guide app, with instructions sent after booking.

There is no guide and no group. You show your voucher at the entrance and explore the ruins at whatever pace suits you, listening to commentary on the temples, theatres, baths and villas as you go. Reviewers repeatedly praise this format, saying the site rewards wandering and that the audio guide explains what you are looking at, which helps if you have never studied Pompeii before. One traveller noted the whole site takes more than three hours to see properly, or around two if you stick to the essentials.

It suits independent visitors who want a reserved ticket in hand rather than the stress of buying on the day. The meeting point is at Via Villa dei Misteri in Pompei, and the park's official audio guide desk, at Porta Marina Superiore, handles pickup and return of the device. Free luggage storage is included, which matters because the site involves a lot of walking and you will not want bags in hand.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Arrive at Porta Marina SuperioreMake your own way to the meeting point at Via Villa dei Misteri, Pompei. Pickup and transport are not included.
2. Exchange voucher and collect audio guideShow your ticket at the door. If you selected a physical audio guide, collect it at the official audio guide desk near the ticket office, leaving a valid ID as deposit.
3. Explore the ancient cityWalk the ash-preserved streets at your own pace. The listing points to temples of Venus, Apollo and Jupiter, the public baths with their mosaics, the House of the Faun, the theatres and the amphitheatre.
4. Suburban villas, optionalOnly with the Pompei+ ticket: the Villa of the Mysteries, Villa of Diomedes and Villa Regina in Boscoreale with the Antiquarium. Not included on the Express option.
5. Return audio guide and exitHand the device back at the audio guide desk inside the site, near the ticket office, and retrieve your ID.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will shape your day at Pompeii, from ID requirements to how much ground the site covers.

• Bring ID. A passport or ID card is on the what to bring list for this ticket. Renting the physical audio guide device also requires a valid ID left as a deposit, and one reviewer only just had a driving licence on hand for this reason.
• Pace and stamina. The site is very large, as reviewers emphasise, and one estimated more than three hours to see everything, or about two for the essentials. Wear comfortable shoes and plan for a long walk.
• Choose your ticket. The Express ticket stops at the ancient city. If the Villa of the Mysteries matters to you, select Pompei+, which also covers the Villa of Diomedes and Villa Regina in Boscoreale. Note the last entry times for the Pompei+ option, which differ between winter and summer seasons.
• Audio guide options. The digital app guide comes in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish and is included with your ticket. A physical device can be added, but Bluetooth headphones do not work with it. Headphones are not included with the product, so pack a wired pair if you want them.
• Skip the line. One reviewer reported getting the audio guide easily and skipping the line of people waiting to buy tickets, thanks to having a reserved voucher on their phone. Some travellers still suggest reading the entrance and desk instructions carefully before arriving to save time.
• Photos and views. The listing highlights photo spots with Vesuvius in the background, along with frescoed villas and mosaic floors. Reviewers call the ruins genuinely impressive, so bring a camera or a charged phone.

Common issues. Some travellers report unclear instructions about which entrance, line and desk to use for exchanging vouchers and collecting audio guides, which cost them time at the start. Bluetooth headphones will not work with the physical device, and an ID deposit is required for rental. The Express ticket does not cover the suburban villas, so check which option you selected before setting off. Headphones for the digital app are not provided.

Common Questions