# Pompeii or Herculaneum: which one, in a day

> Pompeii took 4,267,233 visitors in 2024 and caps entry at 20,000 a day. Herculaneum costs 16 euro, opens every day but Christmas, and needs half a day.

URL: https://myitalia.it/compare/pompeii-vs-herculaneum
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Take Herculaneum if you have half a day, small children or a hot afternoon, and Pompeii if you have a full day and want an entire city: Pompeii recorded 4,267,233 visitors in 2024 and caps entry at 20,000 a day, while Herculaneum charges a flat 16.00 euro and is open every day but Christmas.

## The verdict in one table

| | Pompeii | Herculaneum |
|---|---|---|
| Full ticket 2026 | 20.00 to 30.00 euro | 16.00 euro |
| Reduced, EU 18 to 25 | 2.00 euro | 2.00 euro |
| Annual pass | 45.00 euro | 30.00 euro |
| Daily cap | 20,000 | none published |
| Named ticket and ID check | yes | no |
| Visitors 2024 | 4,267,233 | 521,514 |
| Summer hours | 9:00 am, last entry 5:30 pm | 8:30 am to 7:30 pm, last entry 6:00 pm |
| Closed | December 25 and January 1 | December 25 only |
| Time to allow | a full day | half a day |

Two rows do most of the work. Herculaneum opens an hour earlier and stays open two hours later in summer, and it does not run a cap or an ID check. If your day is short or your plan is uncertain, that is the site that will let you in.

## Pompeii: 20,000 a day, and 15,000 of them before noon

Pompeii has capped admission at 20,000 people a day since November 15, 2024, on a named ticket checked against an identity document. From April 1 to October 31 the allocation splits: up to 15,000 people between 9:00 am and 12:00, then 5,000 between 12:00 and 5:30 pm.

The measure followed days above 36,000 visitors and was designed with the prefecture, the fire service and labor consultants. Three quarters of the daily places sit in the morning band, so an afternoon arrival in high season is competing for a quarter of the capacity.

There are four tickets since January 12, 2026. Pompeii Express at 20.00 euro covers the ancient city; Pompeii+ at 25.00 euro adds the suburban villas and the shuttle; Pompeii Plus 3 days at 30.00 euro is valid three days across four sites; the annual pass costs 45.00 euro, and single minor sites are 8.00 euro. EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay 2.00 euro.

Hours run 9:00 am to 7:00 pm with last entry at 5:30 pm from March 16 to October 14, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with last entry at 3:30 pm from October 15 to March 15. The site closes on December 25 and January 1, and the minor sites at Oplontis, Stabiae and Boscoreale close on Tuesdays.

One rule costs more time at the gate than any other: bags are limited to 30 x 30 x 15 cm. Anything larger goes to the cloakroom, and that is the queue nobody plans for.

## Herculaneum: 16.00 euro, open 364 days

Herculaneum charges 16.00 euro full and 2.00 euro reduced for ages 18 to 25, with an annual pass at 30.00 euro individual, 58.00 euro family and 5.00 euro for 18 to 25 year olds. It is open every day of the year except December 25.

Summer hours, from March 16 to October 14, are 8:30 am to 7:30 pm with last entry at 6:00 pm. Winter hours, from October 15 to March 15, are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with last entry at 3:30 pm. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month and on April 25, June 2 and November 4.

Two areas are closed through 2026 with no announced reopening date: the Villa dei Papiri, for excavation and maintenance, and the Ancient Theater, under restoration. That is the information most comparison pages leave out, and it matters, because the Villa dei Papiri is the single thing many people come for.

## The size gap is the real difference

Pompeii recorded 4,267,233 visitors in 2024, third among all Italian state cultural sites; Herculaneum recorded 521,514, seventeenth. Eight times the visitors, on a site you would need a full day to cross.

That ratio is the argument for Herculaneum and against it at the same time. Fewer people, shorter distances and more intact upper floors and timber, against far less ground and no forum-scale set pieces. Herculaneum is a neighborhood; Pompeii is a city with a street grid, and half a day there buys you a fraction of it.

## Both on one line, from Naples

The EAV L1 line from Naples to Sorrento, leaving from Porta Nolana or Garibaldi, is the only Vesuvian line that serves both Ercolano Scavi and Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri. The timetable currently in force took effect on March 28, 2026.

EAV publishes neither point to point fares nor real frequencies on any readable page, referring instead to the Unico Campania fare engine, which does not display prices either. So plan the day around the sites' own hours and treat the train as the variable, not the constant.

## Doing both in one day

Doing both in one day is possible on paper: Herculaneum's last entry is 6:00 pm in summer against Pompeii's 5:30 pm. Both sites open in the morning, so the only workable order is Herculaneum first and Pompeii after noon, into the 5,000 place afternoon band.

The better version of that plan is two days, or one site and Vesuvius. If you must choose one and you are reading this the night before, choose Herculaneum: there is no cap to miss, no ID check to fail, and the ticket is 16.00 euro.

## FAQ

### Should I visit Pompeii or Herculaneum?

Herculaneum if you have half a day, are traveling with children or in July heat, or want interiors and wooden fittings still in place. Pompeii if you have a full day and want a whole city: it took 4,267,233 visitors in 2024 against Herculaneum's 521,514.

### How much does Pompeii cost in 2026?

Four tickets since January 12, 2026: Pompeii Express at 20.00 euro for the ancient city alone, Pompeii+ at 25.00 euro with the suburban villas and shuttle, Pompeii Plus 3 days at 30.00 euro for four sites, and an annual pass at 45.00 euro. EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay 2.00 euro.

### Does Pompeii have a visitor limit?

Yes, 20,000 a day since November 15, 2024, on a named ticket checked against an identity document. From April 1 to October 31 the day splits into 15,000 places from 9:00 am to 12:00 and 5,000 from 12:00 to 5:30 pm.

### What is closed at Herculaneum in 2026?

The Villa dei Papiri, for excavation and maintenance, and the Ancient Theater, for restoration. Neither has a published reopening date. Everything else is open every day of the year except December 25, which makes Herculaneum the only large Campanian site open on January 1.

### How do I reach Pompeii and Herculaneum by train?

The EAV L1 Naples to Sorrento line, from Porta Nolana or Garibaldi in Naples, is the only Vesuvian line serving both Ercolano Scavi and Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri. The current timetable has been in force since March 28, 2026.

## 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 |
| 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 |
| Classifica dei 30 luoghi della cultura statali a pagamento piu' visitati d'Italia nel 2024, guidata dal Parco archeologico del Colosseo con 14.733.395 visitatori | [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); [doc 2](https://statistica.cultura.gov.it/?page_id=961) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Il Parco Archeologico di Ercolano costa 16,00 euro di biglietto intero e 2,00 euro di ridotto per i 18-25 anni, e' aperto tutti i giorni dell'anno tranne il 25 dicembre e osserva due orari: 8:30-19:30 con ultimo ingresso alle 18:00 dal 16 marzo al 14 ottobre, 8:30-17:00 con ultimo ingresso alle 15:30 dal 15 ottobre al 15 marzo (2026). | [Parco Archeologico di Ercolano](https://ercolano.cultura.gov.it/biglietti/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Dalle stazioni napoletane di Porta Nolana e Garibaldi la linea EAV L1 Napoli-Sorrento e' l'unica delle linee vesuviane che serve sia la fermata Ercolano Scavi sia Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri; l'orario in vigore e' quello valido dal 28 marzo 2026. | [EAV srl](https://www.eavsrl.it/orari-linee-ferroviarie/); [doc 2](https://www.eavsrl.it/) | medium | 2027-03-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/region.campania.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Martuna.22. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Costiera_amalafitana_(1).jpg

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