Herculaneum: which ticket, what hours, and how do I get there?
Its own park, its own €16 ticket, and its own station: Ercolano Scavi, on the same Circumvesuviana line as Pompeii. Winter hours 8:30 to 17:00, last entry 15:30. A smaller, deeper town: more than four hectares of the twenty are dug out, the rest lies under modern Ercolano. I'd allow about two hours, or a morning for a slower visit.
By Chiara Vitale · Sources checked
- 8:30–17:00, last entry 15:30; leave the excavations by 16:40. Summer, March 16 to October 14: 8:30–19:30, last entry 18:00
- €16, €2 for visitors aged 18 to 24 under the park's concession rules; free on the first Sunday of the month and on April 25, June 2 and November 4. Not covered by any Pompeii ticket
- Ercolano Scavi station, Circumvesuviana Naples to Sorrento line; 6 minutes on foot to the gate at Corso Resina 187, the park says
- Closed: the Villa of the Papyri and the ancient theatre, no reopening date
What is Herculaneum, and why is it different?
A seaside town buried by the same eruption as Pompeii, but not the same way. Pompeii took ash and pumice from the sky over hours. Herculaneum was hit by clouds of gas and ash at around 400 °C moving at over 80 km an hour, then by mudslides, and ended up under about 20 meters of volcanic material. That depth is why the upper floors and the organic finds survived here.
Of the twenty hectares the park counts for the ancient town, more than four are visible. The rest lies under modern Ercolano and its main street, Corso Resina; the Basilica Noniana and the Augusteum are still down there.
The park says the best-preserved things are the Palaestra, the seat of the College of the Augustales, the Central Baths with their men's and women's sections, and the Suburban Baths, one of the best-preserved bath buildings in the Roman world.
Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, "Archaeological Area" and "The Eruption".
What to see, in order
The ancient beach and the boat sheds
The town ended at the sea; the arches along its edge are the fornici, the boat sheds. In 1980 some 300 skeletons were found in nine of the twelve. Since July 15, 2026 the Martusciello Gallery is open again: a path of over 100 meters down to the ancient beach, where the skeletons are kept. These were people. Go quietly.
The houses and the baths
Walk the streets and look up: upper floors, wooden beams, painted rooms. The park's own picks are the Palaestra, the College of the Augustales, the Central Baths and the Suburban Baths by the old shoreline.
Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, "The Escapees", "Antiquarium and Boat Pavilion", notice of July 2026 on the reopened Martusciello gallery.
How do I get there?
- Buy the €16 ticket online through CoopCulture or at the box office. Show the QR code on your phone or printed; it's scanned at the turnstile. On free days there's no booking.
- From Naples: Circumvesuviana toward Sorrento from Napoli Centrale, off at Ercolano Scavi. From Pompeii: the same line from Pompei Villa dei Misteri, direction Naples. From the airport: Alibus to the central station, then the train.
- Walk 6 minutes down to Corso Resina 187, the park's figure. The entrance is at the bottom of the street.
- Be through the gate by 18:00 in summer, 15:30 in winter, and out of the excavations by 19:00 or 16:40. The closing times are for the gates on Corso Resina and Via dei Papiri Ercolanesi.
Park of Herculaneum, "How to get there" and "Hours and tickets". Driving: A3 Naples to Salerno, exit Ercolano Scavi; the municipal car park is on Via dei Papiri Ercolanesi.
Pompeii and Herculaneum in one day with a guide?
Our selection →Possible: both sites are on one train line, and the shared minibus days from Naples do them together. The Naples minibus with the most reviews includes both entries. What I'd do: both on my own tickets, by train, Pompeii first: the order and the reasons are in Pompeii or Herculaneum?
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
Does a Pompeii ticket include Herculaneum?
No. Each park sells its own ticket: €20 to €30 for Pompeii, €16 here. Neither park lists a combined ticket.
How far is it from Pompeii?
Same Circumvesuviana line, direction Naples: Pompei Villa dei Misteri to Ercolano Scavi, then 6 minutes on foot. The park publishes no train times; check EAV before you go.
Is it closed on any day?
December 25. January 1 is a closing day by rule; in 2026 the park opened that day as an exception, so check the park's page for the year you travel.
Pompeii or Herculaneum?
Pompeii if you have one day and haven't seen it. Herculaneum if you have two hours, or have seen Pompeii. The full comparison has the table.
Can I see the skeletons?
Yes, in the boat sheds on the ancient beach, reached by the Martusciello Gallery since July 15, 2026. They're the people of the town; treat the place like the casts at Pompeii.
What's closed?
The Villa of the Papyri, for excavation and extraordinary maintenance, and the ancient theatre, until further notice. No dates given. What I'd do: don't book around either.
Park of Herculaneum, "Hours and tickets"; Pompeii ticket table.