---
title: Herculaneum Small Group Tour and Ticket With an Archaeologist
lang: en
type: tour
city: Naples
country: Italy
price: 35
currency: EUR
price_unit: per_person
availability: bookable
rating: 4.85
reviews: 1277
duration_minutes: 120
languages: [de, en, it, fr, es]
free_cancellation: "true"
guidekin_pick: Ticket in the price?
rank_in_category: 30 of 63 (Day Trips from Naples)
schedule_checked: 2026-09-25
data_updated: 2026-10-12
canonical: https://guidekin.com/italy/naples/tours/herculaneum-small-group-tour-and-ticket-with-an-archaeologist/
---

# Herculaneum Small Group Tour and Ticket With an Archaeologist

**Guidekin's take:** Herculaneum with a licensed archaeologist, the entry ticket and headsets, in groups capped at twenty per guide, from the waterfront where the fleeing townspeople were found to the baths and the frescoed houses. Transport from Naples or Rome is a separate option and meals are not included. 4.85 from 1277 reviews for 2h.

**Ticket in the price?:** Herculaneum at €35 per person for 2h: archaeologist, ticket and headsets, max twenty per guide; meet at the site. 4.85, 1277 reviews. Trade-off: Transport only as a paid tier; meals extra. (last checked September 22, 2026)

In our comparison: #30 of 63 in Day Trips from Naples, by rating weighted by review volume (table below).

## Overview

Get the chance to visit the site of Herculaneum being guided by an Archaeologist.

Get to know more about this ancient Roman city, inhabited by merchants and nobility, whose life ended dramatically fast in 79 AD. The guide will show you the waterfront where more than 300 remains of people trying to escape by sea were found, but also the Samnite house, the thermal baths, the Temple of the Augustales, the forum, the house of Neptune and Amphitrite, the Gymnasium, the house of the wooden partition and much more.

You will get an intense experience: you can see not only stone, marble and ceramics left, but also carbonized wood and even more exquisite paintings and mosaics than in Pompei. 
Herculaneum was destroyed by a much more powerful force which instantly burnt all wood and buried the city under a thick layer which didn’t let the air go through and cause decay.

## Before you book

- Meeting point: Meeting place Ticket Office of the…
- Entry ticket included: skip the ticket desk
- 13 start times: between 07:40 and 15:30
- Food not included: Meals/drinks
- Children from €10: ages 4 to 11

**Pickup:** No hotel pickup: everyone meets at the start point

## Key facts

- Price: from €35 per person for the Italian Tour option; other options up to €155
- Duration: 2h
- Rating: 4.85/5 from 1277 reviews (collected from Guidekin & Viator & Tripadvisor)
- Free cancellation (see policy below)
- Operator: Askos Tours
- Group: Shared tour
- Guide languages: German, English, Italian, French, Spanish
- Tickets: Admission included
- Start times: 13 start times between 07:40 and 15:30
- Booking: Instant confirmation, mobile ticket
- Price checked on Viator: 2026-09-25

## Reviews

4.85 from 1277 ratings on Guidekin, Viator & Tripadvisor.
96% of ratings with a star breakdown are 4 or 5 stars: 1231 of 1277.

- 5 stars: 1161 (91%)
- 4 stars: 70 (5%)
- 3 stars: 26 (2%)
- 2 stars: 10 (1%)
- 1 star: 10 (1%)

### What reviewers say

Reviewers praise the archaeological insight and storytelling, but incorrect meeting directions caused confusion for some.

**Praised:**
- Archaeological expertise adds context to the ruins and excavations
- Engaging stories and humour make ancient daily life easier to picture
- Guides take time to answer questions in detail
- Photos and diagrams help explain the site and its history
- Guides seek shade and allow water breaks in hot weather

**Complaints:**
- Incorrect meeting links and app directions caused confusion about where to join
- Some found the English clear, while others struggled to understand the guide
- Intense summer heat made the outdoor visit uncomfortable

Written by Guidekin from the 100 most recent English reviews on Viator & Tripadvisor (2026-07-02 to 2026-10-03); last checked 2026-10-04.

## Tour options

Prices are the operator's current list price for two travellers (whole euros); options sold only to bigger parties say so; pick the option on the booking page.

| Option | Price | Guide languages | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Tour | €35 / person | Italian | - |
| French Tour | €35 / person | French | - |
| English Tour | €35 / person | English | - |
| Spanish Tour | €35 / person | Spanish | - |
| German Tour | €35 / person | German | - |
| transportation from Naples | €75 / person | English | Minibus: Day trip from Naples by minibus with a 2h archaeologist-led Herculaneum tour. Tickets included. |
| with transportation from Rome | €155 / person | English | Train + Minibus : Day trip from Rome by high-speed train with a 2h archaeologist-led Herculaneum tour. Tickets included. |

## What's included

- Licensed guide with archaeological background
- Herculaneum entry tickets
- Small Group (maximum 20 people per guide)
- Headsets
- Guidance and assistance

## Not included

- Meals/drinks
- Private transportation

## Itinerary

1. **Archeological Park of Herculaneum** (pass by, no stop) - Meeting place is the Ticket Office of the Herculaneum ruins. You can get there as follows: - By car in via Pignalver (There is a not guarded parking very close the meeting place) - By train in Corso Resina 1 (Circumvesuviana train station is 10 minutes walk away)
2. **The house receives its name from marble statues of stags/deer found in the pe...** (10m) - The house receives its name from marble statues of stags/deer found in the peristyle.
3. **La Terrazza di M. Nonio Balbo** (10m) - M. Nonius Balbus was the city's major benefactor restoring and building many public buildings. On his death he was made patron and feted with many honours, detailed in the long inscription on his funeral altar.
4. **College of the Augustales** (10m) - It is thought that the building was a centre of the cult of the Emperor Augustus and the headquarters of the Collegium Augustalium (or possibly even the local curia).
5. **The house possibly belonged to one of the town's leading benefactors, Marcus ...** (10m) - The house possibly belonged to one of the town's leading benefactors, Marcus Nonius Balbus and is somewhat unusual in that it has its own private access to the adjoining Suburban Thermae to the south.
6. **Partem Domus lignea - Casa del Tramezzo di Legno** (10m) - It is very important house for the elegant wooden partition remained.
7. **House of the Skeleton** (10m) - The House of the Skeleton probably the aggregation of three smaller buildings, derives its name from the discovery of human remains in a second floor room in 1831.
8. **Central Thermae** (10m) - The Central Thermae were built around the beginning of the 1st century AD and were divided, as was then the common practice, into men's and women's baths, each with their own separate entrances.
9. **The House of the Black Hall is one of Herculaneum's more luxurious mansions** (10m) - The house has a monumental entrance which still retains the carbonised remains of the doorposts and lintel.
10. **Casa Sannitica** (10m) - The house has an arrangement that was typical of the Samnites (an ancient people of the Sabine race who occupied this mountainous part of central Italy). The splendid atrium is skirted by a gallery with Ionic columns. The rooms are decorated with frescoes.
11. **Casa del Bel Cortile** (10m) - This is one of the most original houses in Herculaneum. It has a courtyard with a stairway and a stone balcony instead of an atrium.
12. **House of the Grand Portal** (10m) - Beautiful domus in the Centre of the archaeological area, with various environments, collonnati, frescos e-com everywhere at Herculaneum-charred remains of wooden parts.

## Schedule

- Runs: daily
- Departures: 13 start times between 07:40 and 15:30
- Schedule last checked: 2026-09-25
- These are published departures, not a live seat count; availability is confirmed at checkout.

## Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

## Meeting point

Meeting place Ticket Office of the Herculaneum ruins. You can get there as follows:
- By car in via Pignalver (There is a not guarded parking very close the meeting place)
- By train in Corso Resina 1 (Circumvesuviana train station is 10 minutes walk away)
Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJoanHI-mmOxMRaZi2qpZNY2I

Ends: The tour ends inside Herculaneum Ruins 

## Good to know

- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Dogs are allowed at the Herculaneum Archaeological Park without breed or size restrictions, however they must be kept on a leash or muzzle and it is mandatory to have bags to collect any droppings. For reasons of logistics and conservation, within the Antiquarium premises, the Boat Pavilion, and the domus featuring mosaic floors, access is permitted only to dogs that are carried in arms or transported in an appropriate carrier.
- Herculaneum ruins' entry tickets: 16 euros (adult) 2 euros (EU citizens 18-25 y.o.)

## Compared with other Day Trips from Naples

| Tour | Price | Duration | Rating | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **This tour · #30 of 63** | €35 | 2h | 4.85 (1277) | shared |
| [Private Amalfi Coast Tour - Enjoy it with our local english speaking driver](/italy/naples/tours/private-amalfi-coast-tour-enjoy-it-with-our-local-english-speaking-driver/?format=md) | €320 | 7h | 4.99 (502) | private |
| [Best of Amalfi Coast & Pompeii: Exclusive Private Day Experience](/italy/naples/tours/best-of-amalfi-coast-pompeii-exclusive-private-day-experience/?format=md) | €234 | 7h | 4.99 (446) | private |
| [Full Day Private Amalfi Coast Tour from Sorrento/Naples/Salerno](/italy/naples/tours/full-day-private-amalfi-coast-tour-from-sorrento-naples-salerno/?format=md) | €285 | 7h | 4.96 (889) | private |

Ranked #30 of 63 in Day Trips from Naples by Guidekin score (rating weighted by review volume). Prices here run from €35 to €557, median €109; typical length 8h. 15 of 63 are private. Figures are live from the tour cards; the rubric is our handpicked set, not the whole market.

Full list: https://guidekin.com/italy/naples/day-trips-from-naples/?format=md

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