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Italy
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Campania
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Metropolitan City of Naples
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Naples
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Tours & Activities
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Herculaneum Drive - Half Day with Lunch from Naples
4 h
Lunch
Half Day
Instant confirmation
About this activity
The legend tells the founding of Herculaneum by Hercules in 1243 BC, while historians concord it was originated by indigenous people such as the Oscan or the Etruscans. During the Roman Empire it became a resort for wealthy people and intellectuals. Unlike Pompeii, in 79 AD, Herculaneum was buried by 25 meters of muds and other volcanic elements.
This important philosophical center got totally forgotten until 1709, when a farmer unearthed precious marbles during digging works for a well. This event quickly reached the local governors, leading to the first excavations. Amongst the valuable findings, the Villa dei Papiri is surely the most important one, called after the library which at that time contained up to 1800 papyruses. To date, despite its extension, second only to Pompeii’s, only a small portion of the ancient city has been excavated, with archaeologists regularly busy with new discoveries.
Extra info: the archeological site is completely open air and the visit will last maximum 2 hours on foot. It is advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothes according to the weather conditions. Entrance ticket is not included as the fee may vary under certain circumstances, such as age, nationality and profession or in occasion of special events and discount cards. To date, single entrance ticket costs 11 € in Herculaneum. Check the official Pompeii and Herculaneum website for detailed information.The visit at Herculaneum ruins provides audio-guides with a minimum of 6 people; tour guide upon availability.
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This important philosophical center got totally forgotten until 1709, when a farmer unearthed precious marbles during digging works for a well. This event quickly reached the local governors, leading to the first excavations. Amongst the valuable findings, the Villa dei Papiri is surely the most important one, called after the library which at that time contained up to 1800 papyruses. To date, despite its extension, second only to Pompeii’s, only a small portion of the ancient city has been excavated, with archaeologists regularly busy with new discoveries.
Extra info: the archeological site is completely open air and the visit will last maximum 2 hours on foot. It is advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothes according to the weather conditions. Entrance ticket is not included as the fee may vary under certain circumstances, such as age, nationality and profession or in occasion of special events and discount cards. To date, single entrance ticket costs 11 € in Herculaneum. Check the official Pompeii and Herculaneum website for detailed information.The visit at Herculaneum ruins provides audio-guides with a minimum of 6 people; tour guide upon availability.
Included
- R/W transfer to listed meeting points;
- Tour guide or audio guide in Herculaneum;
- 3 course tourist menu lunch, drinks not included.
- Fuel surcharge
- Lunch
Not included
- Drinks
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 99 travelers
Features
Tourism
90%
Cultural
60%
Reviews
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We were told to be at our meeting place at 11:15 . At 11:25 a car pulled up and the driver looked at our paper and escorted us into his van. Then, upon further review, he told us we were NOT supposed to be in his van, and he had us exit the van and he said our ride would be there at Noon. I called the company (which was not Viator, evidently they sub out these tours) and was told that there was a change and I should've received an email alerting me about that. I check my email several times every day - no one sent me any email. We cut another activity short so that we could be at the meeting point at 11:15 and then we stood waiting for 45 minutes on a busy street corner. Not cool. At Noon we were picked up and transported to a restaurant where we had to wait for the rest of the group. We Asked for bread, were told no, we had to wait for the rest of the group. At 1:15 we were served a lunch that was average. Then we went to our tour of Herculaneum. The entrance fee was not included in this tour (i guess we didn't read the fine print) so even though we were with a tour group, everyone had to stand in the ticket line and buy their own ticket. I would estimate we were in Herculaneum for about 1.5 hours. This is advertised as a Half-Day trip and I guess TECHNICALLY it may be considered that. But the "meat" of the tour was Herculaneum and we only spent about 1.5 hours inside. Hardly a Half-Day. I felt misled and very disappointed. I would recommend you skip this tour. We were not pleased at all. Very disappointed.