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 small group tour with an archaeologist
Discover the archeological site of Herculaneum with an expert and find out more about the city's final hours walking among its ruins!
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Herculaneum 3D Walking Tour with Skip-the-line Ticket
Go back in time and explore Herculaneum before the terrible eruption, experience the archeological site with special augmented reality glasses.
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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.
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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 guided tour
Join this guided tour to discover two ancient roman towns in a day. Visit the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Book now!
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Skip-the-Line Entrance Tickets to Herculaneum Archaelogical Site
Discover the well-preserved Herculaneum's streets, villas, baths, and more, avoiding time-consuming lines for the ticket and make the most of your visit.
Herculaneum Guided Tour from Naples
Book your tour and get ready to explore the inaugural archaeological site unearthed in the Vesuvian region.
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Pompeii and Herculaneum shore excursion
Enjoy vivid two-hour walking tours of both Pompeii and Herculaneum with a private guide and transportation from the Port of Naples with your tour booked with Musement.
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Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius audioguided tour from Pompeii
Enjoy stress-free transfers, explore authentic itineraries, experience the benefits of visiting with a small group.
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Pompeii and Herculaneum small-group tour from Rome
Experience an unforgettable excursion travelling from Rome to Naples by fast train and visiting the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum with an expert guide!
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Herculaneum ruins tour with transportation
Travel to the Herculaneum ruins by shuttle bus from the centre of Naples. Take advantage of your skip-the-line admission and explore at your own pace.
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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Mount Vesuvius and Herculaneum tour with transportation
Visit the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Herculaneum and walk up to the crater of the volcano that destroyed the town nearly 2,000 years ago.
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Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Mt. Vesuvius Self-Guided Tour with Driver
Enjoy this self-guided tour of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and a drive up to Mt. Vesuvius and admire the ruins of these awe-inspiring ancient cities.
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Herculaneum guided tour with an archeologist
Walk the cobbled streets of the Herculaneum with an archaeologist, explore intact buildings and admire well-preserved frescoes!
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Vesuvius and Herculaneum transfer and entrance tickets from Pompeii
Discover Herculaneum and Vesuvius in the same tour, enjoy stress-free transfers, learn the history and enjoy the scenery.
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How to get there
Herculaneum
Naples
Italy
Reviews Herculaneum
“Guide was great but had 6 French only speaking people on an English speaking tour. In trying to include them with great difficulty it made our experience poor. Not sure this was the guides fault. Also 35 people on the tour which was far too many and spent most of the time trying to herd us together.”
“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.”
