Where is the brothel in Pompeii, and can I go in?
Yes. The Lupanar is in Regio VII, open 9:15 to 16:20 with last entrance 16:00, on any Pompeii ticket. Two floors, five small rooms with stone beds, and the small paintings in the corridor that everyone comes to see. It's one way: in by one door, out by the other.
By Chiara Vitale · Sources checked
- Lupanar, Regio VII: 9:15–16:20, last entrance 16:00
- Included in the €20, €25 and €30 tickets; nothing extra to buy
- Nearest gates: Porta Marina or Piazza Esedra, from Pompei Villa dei Misteri station
- Entrance from Vicolo del Lupanare, exit to Vicolo del Balcone Pensile
What was the Lupanar?
A brothel, and nothing else. The name comes from lupa, Latin for prostitute. Two floors: the owner and the slaves lived upstairs. Downstairs, five rooms with a built-in bed each, on both sides of a corridor between the two street doors. A curtain closed each room. The latrine is at the end of the corridor, under the stairs.
The women were slaves, most of them Greek or from the East, the park says. A visit cost two to eight asses. A glass of wine cost one. The small erotic paintings in the corridor told customers what was on offer.
Excavated in 1862. It's one of the smallest buildings people queue for in Pompeii, so the park runs it one way: in from Vicolo del Lupanare, out by Vicolo del Balcone Pensile.
What to see, in order
The corridor and its paintings
The paintings are above the doors along the corridor, small and explicit. You pass them once, in the direction of the exit; there's no standing room for long.
The rooms and the beds
Built-in beds, once closed off with curtains, and walls scratched with the customers' graffiti. The upper floor, where the owner lived, isn't part of the visit.
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 or Piazza Esedra with your ID.
- Follow the park's Path 2 into Regio VII. The Stabian Baths come first; the Lupanar is on the lane behind them, Vicolo del Lupanare.
- Enter by Vicolo del Lupanare. You leave by the other door, on Vicolo del Balcone Pensile.
- Be there before 18:00. Last entrance 18:00; the site itself admits until 17:30.
Park "How to get there"; map and guide.
Will a guided tour go in?
All tour selections →Check the route line. The walk with the most reviews and the fifteen-place walk with entry both list the Lupanar on their route. What I'd do: a guided walk for the Forum and the baths, and the Lupanar on the way.
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 Lupanar is inside the walls, in Regio VII.
Can children go in?
The park's list sets no age rule. The paintings are explicit and at eye level. What I'd do: with children under 12, walk past and take them to the Stabian Baths next door.
Is there a queue?
At busy hours, yes: five rooms and a corridor, one way through. Groups come in waves. What I'd do: first thing after 9:15, or after 17:00.
What do the paintings show?
Small erotic scenes above the doors in the corridor. The park says they informed customers of what took place inside.
How much did it cost then?
Two to eight asses a visit, the park says; a glass of wine cost one as.
Where exactly is it?
Regio VII, on Vicolo del Lupanare, the lane behind the Stabian Baths, off Via dell'Abbondanza. You enter from that lane and leave by Vicolo del Balcone Pensile.
Park ticket table, prices effective January 12, 2026; park page on the Lupanar.