Things to do in Herculaneum
Herculaneum is a town that overlooks the Gulf of Naples, famous throughout the world for the archaeological excavations of the ancient Roman city.
Legend has it that the city was founded around 600 BC by Hercules and eventually became an important trading center due to its prime location near the Gulf. The inhabitants of the town worshipped Hercules as also being the founder of the nearby Mount Vesuvius.
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city, leaving Herculaneum buried under approximately 50-60 feet of volcanic mud and ash. It wasn't until the early 18th century that the city was discovered by a well digger. Originally, Hercules and everybody was thought to have escaped from the town prior to the disaster, but there have been around 300 skeletons discovered during the excavations.
The road to the archaeological excavations up to Torre del Greco is called the Golden Mile due to the splendid villas built alongside it in the eighteenth century.
Many tourists from all over the world come to visit the ruins of Herculaneum, as well as the neighbouring city of Pompeii which was also destroyed by the same Mt. Vesuvius eruption. When entering the ruins, you can see the many fine houses of Herculaneum that consists of lavish coloured mosaics, wall paintings and marble cladding.
The excavations have been included in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
Our recommendations in Herculaneum
Herculaneum private and personalized tour with a local guide
Book this private tour of Herculaneum with a local guide to discover brilliantly preserved ruins, luxury villas, frescoes and mosaics of ancient Roman civilisation.
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Herculaneum private walking tour with an archaeologist-guide
Explore the town of Herculaneum on a 2-hour private walking tour with an archaeologist-guide.
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Pompeii and Herculaneum Select Tour with Local Lunch
This tour takes you to Pompeii and Herculaneum to discover two of the world's greatest archaeological sites. Buried by Mt Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago, they offer a fascinating and at times haunting insight into ancient Roman life.
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Herculaneum and Vesuvius Tour with Local Lunch
Wandering around the archaeological site of Herculaneum is just like stepping through an open-air history book. On this tour, you'll visit what remains of this once-thriving seaside town, as well as see Mt Vesuvius – the architect of its destruction. Andrea, one of our local experts, says, 'Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum's deeper burial under volcanic mud resulted in an astounding level of preservation. It's a quieter, more intimate experience'.After Vesuvius's dramatic 79 AD eruption, Herculaneum became a town frozen in time. Now resurrected from its volcanic slumber, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is brimming with stories untold. On a guided tour with trusty headsets, you'll see the haunting boathouses – the sombre final chapters of desperate refugees – and the town's beautifully preserved marble floors, mosaics, and vibrant frescoes. Andrea says, 'Like many Roman towns, Herculaneum had a complex of public baths, which were a hub of daily life. These baths are particularly well-preserved and showcase the complex heating systems and detailed mosaics that adorned their walls and floors'.Lunch will be at a friendly, local restaurant, serving up Italian classics. You'll then head up the mighty Mount Vesuvius – the only active volcano in mainland Europe. With its eye-catching panoramic views over the Mediterranean Sea and Naples, it's well worth the trip. The surrounding terrain, sculpted by past eruptions, only adds to the jaw-dropping scenery.
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Herculaneum private and personalized tour with a local guide
Book this private tour of Herculaneum with a local guide to discover brilliantly preserved ruins, luxury villas, frescoes and mosaics of ancient Roman civilisation.
en, it, fr, es, de
Herculaneum private walking tour with an archaeologist-guide
Explore the town of Herculaneum on a 2-hour private walking tour with an archaeologist-guide.
en, it, fr, es, de
Pompeii and Herculaneum Select Tour with Local Lunch
This tour takes you to Pompeii and Herculaneum to discover two of the world's greatest archaeological sites. Buried by Mt Vesuvius almost 2,000 years ago, they offer a fascinating and at times haunting insight into ancient Roman life.
en
Herculaneum and Vesuvius Tour with Local Lunch
Wandering around the archaeological site of Herculaneum is just like stepping through an open-air history book. On this tour, you'll visit what remains of this once-thriving seaside town, as well as see Mt Vesuvius – the architect of its destruction. Andrea, one of our local experts, says, 'Unlike Pompeii, Herculaneum's deeper burial under volcanic mud resulted in an astounding level of preservation. It's a quieter, more intimate experience'.After Vesuvius's dramatic 79 AD eruption, Herculaneum became a town frozen in time. Now resurrected from its volcanic slumber, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is brimming with stories untold. On a guided tour with trusty headsets, you'll see the haunting boathouses – the sombre final chapters of desperate refugees – and the town's beautifully preserved marble floors, mosaics, and vibrant frescoes. Andrea says, 'Like many Roman towns, Herculaneum had a complex of public baths, which were a hub of daily life. These baths are particularly well-preserved and showcase the complex heating systems and detailed mosaics that adorned their walls and floors'.Lunch will be at a friendly, local restaurant, serving up Italian classics. You'll then head up the mighty Mount Vesuvius – the only active volcano in mainland Europe. With its eye-catching panoramic views over the Mediterranean Sea and Naples, it's well worth the trip. The surrounding terrain, sculpted by past eruptions, only adds to the jaw-dropping scenery.
en
Like nearby Pompeii, ancient Herculaneum suffered a similar fate at the hands of Vesuvius erupting in 79AD. Fortunately, archaeologists have managed to excavate parts of the city, and this half-day tour will show you what they've managed to unearth so far.
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How to get there
Herculaneum
Naples
Italy
Reviews Herculaneum
“Cinzia our guide superb. Pompeii amazing worth every minute there. Local lunch total disaster. Looked really impressive from outside! Restaurant with no air-conditioning!! Must have been 32deg inside. Food was terrible! Iron hard bread with chopped tomato, burnt pepper as starter. Main penna with veg (not used on starter by look of it)"served", or ladles out from a big pot. After some complaints got a salad and pizza. Other bus tours coming in welcomed with bottle wine on table!”
“It was the lunch that let the trip down. The waiters were slap dash it was almost to much trouble to serve us.and the food was not very good at all. The dessert was sale cake.”
“Herculaneum as a site was absolutely brilliant: good information around the site, especially compared to Pompeii and a great display of detailed pieces such as murals etc. If it hadn't been for the information around the site being worth reading, I would have abandoned the guide. The information given was often irrelevant, opinion based and frequently of about his own life. If I were to recommend how to improve this experience, ask customers to load the wiki page before starting”
