Vesuvio National Park
Vesuvio National Park things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
&promo_pic=/one-page/coolest.jpg)
Posts
Simple and easy with last minute tickets. We arrived just after lunch completely unplanned. Parking cost €7 for 4 hours (which is plenty) and shuttle bus is €3 return for a 5mins journey. Although you can walk up to the ticket entrance from the car park, the shuttle bus is worth it to conserve energy and save time. Once arrived, there are clear signs to connect with the WiFi, and a QR code will take you directly to the ticket website. Get yourself registered with an account and make sure you are logged in and ready to buy tickets at the right time. Tickets are released every 10mins for the entry timeslot 30mins later (e.g.14:30 entry tickets are released at 14:00). The whole process took around 10mins and even though the tickets are technically for entry 30mins later, we asked if we could enter immediately and the staff didn't mind. Do be aware that there were many people (maybe 50-100) standing around with phones to 'fight' over the 10 tickets released at each 10mins timeslot. So if you are not confident with technology then it is best to book in advance. The fact that we were able to secure tickets straight away, despite the number of people there, likely means there are people who have been there for a long time and repeatedly miss out on getting tickets. As for the actual experience, it is worth it for the views. The ascent is quite long, steep and slippery (due to loose sand and gravel), so you will need to have some fitness to get to the top, but it is not particularly challenging. As of time of writing, there are currently no toilets at all on the mountain, but we did see some under construction at the entrance gate. There are, however, 3 different cafes along the route where there are seats and shelter. We spent around 3hrs in total from parking to returning back to the car.
Alvin AuAlvin Au
00
BUY YOUR TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME!!! Please read if you haven't cause you might not get to see the crater as a last minute ticket buyer we were fortunate to climb the mountain up to the crater which was a great experience and the views were great! However, getting entrance to the sight was STRESSFUL. we have traveled many places around the world and buying tickets throughout Italy is confusing and disorganized. But the ticket system they have on top of Vesuvius is such a scheme. This was our experience: 1. You can pre buy parking so that your trek is shorter. We did this and it was easy 2. SHUTTLE FROM PARKING - ***THEY ONLY ACCEPT CASH*** The parking without a guide is quite a distance from the entrance gate so they provide a shuttle service. The shuttle service is 3€ per person but they don't accept credit card 3. ***ENTERING Vesuvius as a last chance entry*** So, they make you pay for parking and then pay for a shuttle (good luck if you don't have cash) and then when you get to the top there's a whole other thing. So if you didn't book your tickets in advance you can only purchase tickets on their LOCAL WIFI which is only available on top of the mountain. THEN when you get to the top. They only sell 10 tickets every 10 minutes until they close the ticket office. So you have to be quick with purchasing the ticket or you miss out. You have to buy the tickets online with the QRcode provided. There were probably 50 people waiting for tickets and there were only 30 tickets available when we arrived. But they were still shuttling people up for 3€ or sending them on a walk with no hope to make it to the crater. So be prepared to watch the seconds tick by if you're a last minute ticket buyer. We visited in April so off season and it was still busy!
Miyoko GordonMiyoko Gordon
00
The whole experience is worth sweating yourself out to get to the top! You can take the bus from Pompei, right next to the train station (3€), after that the bus gets you ALMOST to the ticket place, so you walk for around 3-4 min with 15° inclination. After that you check your PREPAID and reserved IN ADVANCE ticket and you can proceed to the entrance of the hike route. The thing that they don't tell you is that you HAVE TO GET TO THE TOP ALONE in order to find your guide and the meeting point. At this point, every 20 min there is a guide speech, that inform you about the park, the volcano, etc and then you continue (without the guide) till you walk half of the volcano's corona and this is where the journey ends. The view, all the sceneries, the whole adventure is amazing and it is worthy, despite the odds and the exhaustion that you may face. There are 2 points where you can have something to eat and drink and after that, there are 3 more to the top. Even at the end of the tourist zone there is a very nice place , with great view, where you can sit, eat and have glass of local wine. There were a lot of kids, so don't hesitate taking them with you. Just keep an eye on them the whole time. Not suitable for disabled. There is an ambulance on standby. N.B. Be sure about the bus schedule, because if you miss the last bus, you will find yourself walking down the whole mountain on foot (1.5 hours appr.), which is not the best option after all the hiking.
andreas7934andreas7934
00
Vesuvius by hire car. Decided to go for it even though reviews were mixed about using own car. Road up from dual carriageway between Naples and Pompeii was well maintained and easy to drive. Went early so no traffic coming down. Got to car park attendant just before 10, no queue, 6E. Parked at side of road a few minutes walk away. Everyone turns around ready for trip home before parking. Don't have anything on show and car should be safe. Back near attendant is road up. Minibus was 2E for return trip to entrance and no queue. Journey was up tarmac road for 2 minutes (about a mile) Could have easily walked, but doing Pompeii after this. Where bus drops you, go in concrete building for park entrance tickets. 10E per person unless under 1.2m. Walk up road to entrance is a couple of minutes. There are free toilets here. Walk up gravel to crater is about 20 minutes with good views of Naples bay and trainers is good choice, but nothing more serious. Option at top for guide, but not really necessary. Walk around crater is fenced and safe, about 15 mins. Drinks at top quite reasonable (see photo of menu). Views of Naples bay is better than looking inside crater. Hazy due to August heat. Slight breeze at top is pleasant. Walk down was slightly quicker. No queue for bus down. Drive down from carpark slightly busier, but not difficult. Definitely good choice to use car hire if getting there early. Got to Pompeii for lunch and easily do both in a day.
Stephen DixonStephen Dixon
00
AMAZING !! Took the train to Ercolana to visit Herculaneum then grabbed a Vesuvio Tour Bus from the station after. 20 Euros gets you entry to Vesuvius and a return bus ride. You only get 90 minutes up there, but that should be long enough for most people. If you need longer or want cheaper get an EAV local bus instead. This didn't go from Ercalona ( Herculaneum ) but does go directly from Pompeii entrance / train station. The bus is around 3 euro and entrance to volcano 10 euro. Do not get a taxi or small tour bus as they don't go to the top car park and you will have to walk a lot further. You can also get a Fiat Panda 4x4 to take you up if unable from here. No idea on cost though. Even from top car park it's a long hot walk. As others have said, good shoes and a drink are a must! Lots of refreshment stands at various stages of the hike up. From the top you can see for miles on a clear day. You can check Google for the weather forecast up top as it can be several degrees cooler and you may need an additional layer. Not the day I went though. If it's raining I think all tours are cancelled, it would be a treacherous climb wet. You can make out Pompeii and with binoculars see the amphitheatre. Sorrento, Naples and the whole of the Napoli bay are breathtaking. The caldera is awesome to look down into, you can smell sulfur occasionally whilst walking around it. If your in the area you simply have to do it..
Lee VernonLee Vernon
00
Definitely recommend coming with the Vesuvio Express bus from Ercolano Scavi Station. The hike is not too difficult but it can be steep, so you may need to catch your breath by doing frequent stops if you're not an expert climber, but that's ok, and the pretty much anyone can do it. It's about 15 to 25 minutes from a parking to the Great Cono and then about 40 minutes of not too fast walk around it. The atmosphere can be severe as you can definitely feel that you're on something that can cause quite a devastation, you can see the proofs and remains of previous catastrophic events around you and if you previously visited Pomeii or Ercolano, then the feeling may be stronger. It's supported by proofs that the Vesuvius is definitely not dead but sleeping, as at times you can see the steam streams coming from different parts of the crater walls. The experience is definitely worth it. And a bonus are quite spectacular views on the Napoli gulf. You can spot both sides of the gulf and if a weather is nice and clear also the Capri Isle. Remember it's a mountain and it's a hike, wear comfortable clothes and shoes. It may be drafty and collish so make sure to have some protection with you in case of that. There are souvenir shops that also sell coffee, drinks, sweets and wine from Vesuvio wineries along the way. Some items are actually quite nice.
Joanna BroniecJoanna Broniec
00
Nearby Attractions Of Vesuvio National Park
Mount Vesuvius
Vesuvio
Mount Vesuvius
4.3
(3.4K)Click for details
Vesuvio
4.6
(13)Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Sentiero del Gran Cono, 80056 Ercolano NA, Italy
Map
Phone
+39 081 865 3911
Call
Website
parconazionaledelvesuvio.it
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.4
(12.8K reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
adventure
family friendly
Description
Vesuvius National Park is an Italian national park centered on the active volcano Vesuvius, southeast from Naples. The park was founded on June 5, 1995, and covers an area of around 135 square kilometers all located within the Province of Naples.
attractions: Mount Vesuvius, Vesuvio, restaurants:
- Please manually select your location for better experience