Herculaneum was a port town established by the ancient Romans in what is now modern Ercolano, Italy. At its peak, Herculaneum would have had around 4,000 citizens and served as a holiday town for wealthy Campanians and Romans.
Like nearby Pompeii, Herculaneum was engulfed by the lava and mud which spewed from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and, as a result, much of the town was preserved throughout the centuries. In fact, Herculaneum arguably withstood the natural disaster better than Pompeii with many of its upper floors still being intact. This, combined with the fact that Herculaneum is less crowded and easier to walk through makes it a great site to visit.
Even the streets of Herculaneum are fascinating, displaying the high degree of planning employed by the Romans. Some of the most stunning sites at Herculaneum include the thermal spas and baths, the gymnasium, the House with the Mosaic Atrium and the House of Neptune. This site also features as one of our Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Italy.
Open daily, 8:30am to 5pm (to 7:30 pm April to October). Closed 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Last entry 1.5 hrs before closing. Admission costs €11. A three day pass combined with Pompeii, Oplontis, Stabiae, Boscoreale is available for €20. Audio guides cost a further €6.50 or €10 for two.
To get to Herculaneum by train from Naples and Sorrento, take the Circumvesuviana line to Napoli-Sorrento, Napoli-Poggiomarino or Napoli-Torre Annunziata (Ercolano stop). By car, take Autostrada A3 to the Ercolano Portico exit and follow the signs. Herculaneum is at the bottom of the modern town's main street.
Just as empires rise and fall so do entry fees and opening hours! While we work as hard as we can to ensure the information provided here about Herculaneum is as accurate as possible, the changing nature of certain elements mean we can't absolutely guarantee that these details won't become a thing of the past. If you know of any information on this page that needs updating you can add a comment above or e-mail us.