The Forum of Pompeii: what's there, and which gate?
Open 9:00 to 17:00 this season, on any ticket, up the ramp from Porta Marina. The square with Vesuvius behind the Temple of Jupiter: the Sanctuary of Apollo on the west side, the Basilica at the south end, the Macellum, the food market, on the east.
By Chiara Vitale · Sources checked
- Forum, Regio VII: 9:00–17:00
- Included in the €20, €25 and €30 tickets; nothing extra to buy
- Nearest gate: Porta Marina, from Pompei Villa dei Misteri station
- Temple of Jupiter 9:00–17:00; the Forum Granary is temporarily not visible
What was the Forum?
The center of the city: administration and courts, business and markets, and the main temples, all around one square. It started as a plain open space with a clay floor, the Sanctuary of Apollo on its west side and a row of shops on the east.
Between the 3rd and 2nd century BC the square was straightened, given porticoes and paved in tuff. Its axis became the front of the Temple of Jupiter, lined up with Vesuvius. Early in the Imperial age it was paved again in travertine; some slabs are out of place now, and a few carry the groove that held the bronze letters of a large inscription.
The dig began in 1813, at the request of Maria Carolina Bonaparte. It found the square already explored and stripped of its decoration in ancient times.
Archaeological Park of Pompeii, "Forum" and "Temple of Jupiter".
What to see, in order
Temple of Jupiter
The north side of the square. When Pompeii became a Roman colony the temple was rebuilt for three cult statues, Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, set on a high base so the whole square could see them. Under the base are the favissae, rooms for offerings, and perhaps the city's treasury.
Around the square
The Sanctuary of Apollo on the west side, one of the city's oldest cult places. The Basilica at the south end, for courts and business. The Macellum, the food market, on the east. All keep the Forum's hours.
Park Houses list, summer March 16 to October 14.
How do I get there?
- Take the Sorrento line to Pompei Villa dei Misteri. Enter at Porta Marina with your ID.
- Walk up the ramp. The Forum is the first open space; the Temple of Jupiter faces you, with Vesuvius behind it.
- Follow the park's Path 2 around it: Stabian Baths, Forum and Temple of Jupiter, Sanctuary of Apollo, Basilica, then the Antiquarium. Exit at Porta Marina.
- Open until 19:00 in summer. The site admits until 15:30; you can't leave and come back.
Park "How to get there"; map and guide.
Will a guided tour cover the Forum?
All tour selections →Check the route line. The walk with the most reviews and the Porta Marina walk with your own ticket both list it. What I'd do: a guided walk first, then the Forum again alone at the end of the day.
Tour selections compare routes, tickets and meeting points; the tour page shows the route line. tour listings, data from September 19 and 20, 2026.
Before you go
Which ticket do I need?
Any Pompeii ticket: €20, €25 or €30. The Forum and the buildings around it are inside the walls.
Which gate is nearest?
Porta Marina, beside Pompei Villa dei Misteri station. Up the ramp, past the Antiquarium, and you're on the square.
Is everything around the square open?
This season the Forum, the Temple of Jupiter, the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Basilica and the Macellum are listed 9:00 to 17:00. The Forum Granary is temporarily not visible. The full list rereads the park's page twice a day.
Why is Vesuvius behind the temple?
Because the square was laid out that way in the 3rd to 2nd century BC: the axis runs to the front of the Temple of Jupiter, aligned with the mountain.
How long does the Forum take?
The park publishes no times. The Forum and the houses around it take me two hours; the square alone, half an hour. What I'd do: come back at the end of the day for the light.
What are the grooves in the paving?
Slots for bronze letters. The Imperial-age travertine slabs carried a large inscription; a few slabs with the grooves survive, not all in their original place.
Park ticket table, prices effective January 12, 2026; park page on the Forum.