Touring Pompeii With Kids: What to Know Before You Go

I’ve been fortunate to visit a lot of incredible places around the world but walking through Pompeii with my family this summer was truly unforgettable. We visited Pompeii while sailing aboard the Enchanted Princess on a seven-night Mediterranean cruise. Our ship docked in Naples from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., which gave us plenty of time to make the roughly 30-minute drive to one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites.

If you’re planning to visit Pompeii, especially during the busy summer months, there are a few things I wish I’d known beforehand.

We booked a Pompeii excursion through Princess Cruises

We joined Princess Cruises’ Pompeii for Families excursion, which cost $144.95 per person. If you’re traveling solo or as a couple, I think it’s a pretty good value. For a family of four, however, it adds up quickly. Still, I was glad we booked it because Princess handled all of the logistics, including transportation, tickets and our guide. That’s particularly important if you’re visiting Pompeii on a cruise since the last thing you want to do is miss the ship.

Buy your Pompeii tickets well in advance

I had originally planned to visit Pompeii independently and tried to buy tickets about two weeks before our visit. Unfortunately, they were already sold out for the time we needed.

Our guide told us that Pompeii limits the number of visitors each day and during the busy summer season, tickets can disappear well in advance. Add thousands of cruise passengers arriving in Naples and the surrounding ports and you can see why planning ahead is so important. If Pompeii is high on your list, don’t wait until you’re already in Italy to figure it out.

The ride from Naples takes about 30 minutes

Our drive from the Naples cruise port to Pompeii took approximately 30 minutes. One thing that caught all of us by surprise was how cold the air-conditioned tour bus was. If you’re visiting during the summer, you’ll probably be dressed for extreme heat, so bring a light sweater or sweatshirt for the ride.

The nice thing about taking an organized excursion was that we used the same bus in both directions, which meant we could leave anything we didn’t need on the bus while touring Pompeii. And trust me, once you step outside, you won’t be thinking about that sweater.

Pompeii can be brutally hot in summer

It was incredibly hot during our June visit. There’s a moderate uphill walk from the parking area to the entrance and once you’re inside, you’re walking around an enormous archaeological site with limited shade.

Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and plenty of water. We also brought portable fans and a sun umbrella, which made a huge difference. I used this portable fan, while my son and daughter preferred the JisuLife portable handheld fan because it doubles as a flashlight. My wife liked this portable fan because it has an LED display that shows the remaining battery life. The one thing I regretted leaving at home was my neck fan. If you’re visiting Southern Europe in the summer, it’s worth packing.

The water fountains inside Pompeii weren’t working during our visit, so I wouldn’t count on being able to refill your bottles. Bring more water than you think you’ll need, especially if you’re visiting with kids.

Wear comfortable shoes

This isn’t the place for uncomfortable footwear. You’re walking on ancient streets, large stones and uneven surfaces that are almost 2,000 years old. Good walking shoes or sneakers are a must. You’ll also want to watch your step while you’re admiring everything around you. It’s easy to become so focused on the ruins that you forget you’re walking over some seriously uneven terrain.

Pompeii is much bigger than you might expect

Before visiting, I knew Pompeii was large but I didn’t fully appreciate just how enormous it is. This wasn’t just a collection of ruins. Pompeii was a thriving Roman city with streets, homes, shops, public spaces, baths, temples and entertainment venues.

Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, burying Pompeii beneath volcanic material and preserving an extraordinary snapshot of everyday Roman life.

Walking through the ancient streets really gives you a sense of the scale of the city and what life must have been like almost 2,000 years ago.

It’s one thing to read about Pompeii in a history book. It’s something completely different to stand there with Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance.

Pompeii is fascinating for kids, too

One reason we chose the family excursion was because we were traveling with our kids and wanted a tour that would keep them interested. It worked.

Pompeii is one of those historical sites where kids don’t have to stare at artifacts behind glass. They’re actually walking through an ancient city.

Our guide helped bring the stories to life and having someone explain what we were seeing made the experience much more meaningful for all of us.

If you’re visiting with children, I would strongly consider a family-oriented tour or private guide rather than trying to navigate the entire site on your own.

Don’t try to see everything

Unless you have an entire day, you’re not going to see all of Pompeii. And that’s OK. If you’re visiting from a cruise ship, you have an even tighter schedule since you need to allow plenty of time to get back to the port.

Our guided tour showed us some of the highlights without making us feel like we were racing around trying to check everything off a list. I would much rather see fewer places and understand what I’m looking at than rush through dozens of ruins just to say I’d seen them.

A cold drink or gelato tastes really good afterward

One nice perk of our Princess family excursion was that at the end of the tour, everyone received their choice of a scoop of gelato, soda or cold bottled water. After walking around Pompeii in the summer heat, I can assure you that all three sounded pretty good.

Is Pompeii worth visiting?

Absolutely. Pompeii was one of the highlights of our Mediterranean cruise and one of those places that photos really don’t do justice. Fortunately, I took plenty of them anyway.

If you’re visiting Naples, Pompeii should be near the top of your list. Just make sure you reserve your tickets well in advance, wear comfortable shoes and come prepared for the heat if you’re visiting during the summer.

Most importantly, don’t rush through it. Take a moment to look down those ancient streets, imagine the people who once walked them and look toward Mount Vesuvius in the distance. That’s when you really begin to appreciate what an extraordinary place Pompeii is.