# Pompeii: the 20,000 cap and the 4 ticket types

> Pompeii admits 20,000 people a day on named tickets, 15,000 of them before noon. Four ticket types have been on sale since January 12, 2026, from €20.

URL: https://myitalia.it/attractions/pompei
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pompeii admits a maximum of 20,000 visitors a day on named tickets checked against ID, a rule in force since November 15, 2024.

## 20,000 a day, and your name on the ticket

Since November 15, 2024 the archaeological park has applied a personal ticket, with identity documents checked at the entrance, and a ceiling of 20,000 admissions a day.

The trigger was measurable: peaks above 36,000 people in a single day, on a site that took more than 4 million visitors in the year before the measure. It was worked out with the prefecture, the fire service and labour consultants.

The practical effect for you is that a ticket cannot be bought in one name and used by another, and that a sold-out day is genuinely sold out.

## 15,000 before noon, 5,000 after

From April 1 to October 31 the daily cap splits in two: a maximum of 15,000 visitors between 9 am and noon, and 5,000 from noon to 5:30 pm.

Three quarters of the day's capacity is in the first three hours. That is where plans break, because the afternoon looks like the sensible time to arrive and is in fact the scarce one.

If you want an afternoon entry in July, treat it as the harder ticket, not the easier one. Our page on [daily caps](/plan/crowds-and-caps) sets the same arithmetic against Vesuvius and La Pelosa.

## The 4 tickets, since January 12, 2026

Since January 12, 2026 the park sells four separate titles: Pompei Express at €20 for the ancient city alone, Pompei+ at €25 with the suburban villas and the shuttle, Pompei Plus 3 days at €30 valid three days across four sites, and an annual subscription at €45. Prices are in euros.

Single minor sites cost €8 and EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay €2.

Read those against each other before buying. Pompei+ at €25 buys the Villa dei Misteri and the Villa di Diomede, which the €20 ticket does not, and the 3-day at €30 is the one that survives a change of weather.

## Hours: 2 seasons

From March 16 to October 14 the park opens at 9 am with last entry at 5:30 pm and closing at 7 pm. From October 15 to March 15 it opens at 9 am with last entry at 3:30 pm and closing at 5 pm (2026).

It shuts on December 25 and January 1. The minor sites of Oplontis, Stabiae and Boscoreale close on Tuesdays, which matters if you bought the 3-day ticket to see them.

## Bags: 30 by 30 by 15 centimeters

Nothing larger than 30 by 30 by 15 centimeters comes through the gate.

This is the rule that costs the most time at the entrance, because it is discovered at the security line rather than at the ticket stage. A daypack of that size is small: measure it at home, not in the queue.

## 4,267,233 people in 2024

Pompeii recorded 4,267,233 visitors in 2024, third among Italian state cultural sites, with €55,291,542.80 in gross takings.

Every rule above follows from that figure. For the site down the same railway line, with a €16 ticket and no cap at all, see [Herculaneum](/attractions/ercolano).

## FAQ

### Is there a daily limit at Pompeii?

Yes, 20,000 people a day since November 15, 2024, on tickets that carry your name and are checked against ID. From April 1 to October 31 that splits into 15,000 between 9 am and noon and 5,000 from noon to 5:30 pm.

### Do you need ID to enter Pompeii?

Yes. Since November 15, 2024 the ticket is personal and identity documents are checked at the gate. A ticket bought in someone else's name is not transferable, which also removes the resale market that used to work around sold-out days.

### What are the Pompeii ticket options?

Four, since January 12, 2026: Pompei Express at €20 for the ancient city, Pompei+ at €25 with the suburban villas and the shuttle, Pompei Plus 3 days at €30 across four sites, and an annual pass at €45. EU 18 to 25s pay €2.

### Can you arrive at Pompeii without a ticket?

You can, but on a busy day you may not get in. The cap is 20,000 and the morning band holds 15,000 of them, so the afternoon slot is where plans break. Peaks above 36,000 in one day are what prompted the measure.

### What size bag can you take into Pompeii?

Nothing larger than 30 by 30 by 15 centimeters. Bigger bags have to be left, which is the rule that costs the most time at the entrance. Oplontis, Stabiae and Boscoreale, the minor sites, close on Tuesdays.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dal 15 novembre 2024 il Parco archeologico di Pompei applica il biglietto nominativo con documento d'identita' e un tetto di 20.000 ingressi al giorno; dal 1 aprile al 31 ottobre gli ingressi sono divisi in due fasce, un massimo di 15.000 visitatori dalle 9:00 alle 12:00 e 5.000 dalle 12:00 alle 17:30. La misura e' stata presa dopo picchi superiori a 36.000 persone in un solo giorno. | [Parco archeologico di Pompei](https://pompeiisites.org/comunicati/dal-15-novembre-pompei-introduce-il-biglietto-nominativo-e-il-limite-giornaliero-dei-20-mila-visitatori-2/); [doc 2](https://pompeiisites.org/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Dal 12 gennaio 2026 il Parco archeologico di Pompei vende quattro titoli distinti: Pompei Express a 20,00 euro per la sola citta' antica, Pompei+ a 25,00 euro con le ville suburbane e la navetta, Pompei Plus 3 days a 30,00 euro valido tre giorni su quattro siti, e l'abbonamento annuale a 45,00 euro; il ridotto per i cittadini UE di 18-25 anni e' 2,00 euro. | [Parco archeologico di Pompei](https://pompeiisites.org/info-per-la-visita/orari-e-tariffe/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Il biglietto intero di Parco archeologico di Pompei costa 20,00 euro (2026): biglietto base per la citta' antica di Pompei, in vigore dal 12 gennaio 2026 | [Parco archeologico di Pompei](https://pompeiisites.org/comunicati/pompei-si-esplora-con-tutti-i-sensi-accessibilita-e-nuove-tariffe-di-ingresso-dal-12-gennaio/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Parco archeologico di Pompei ha registrato 4.267.233 visitatori nel 2024 (3 posto tra i luoghi della cultura statali italiani) | [Ministero della Cultura - Ufficio di Statistica](https://statistica.cultura.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MUSEI_TAVOLA8_2024-1.pdf); [Ministero della Cultura](https://cultura.gov.it/comunicato/27590) | medium | 2027-06-30 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/poi.pompei.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Dgiacomello. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Foro_verso_il_Vesuvio.jpg

## Other languages

- it: https://myitalia.it/it/attrazioni/pompei.md
- es: https://myitalia.it/es/atracciones/pompei.md
- fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/attractions/pompei.md
- de: https://myitalia.it/de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/pompei.md