Pompeii & Mt. Vesuvius Crater Hike Day Trip with Lunch from Rome

We had an excellent day trip with The Tour Guy to Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius. It was just the 2 of us and 3 other guests, plus the guide Giuliano and driver Marco. We really lucked out that it was such a small group. We essentially got a semi-private trip. In the morning on the way to Pompeii we stopped at a rest stop to use the restroom and get breakfast and then we were off. Our first stop was Pompeii where we met a local guide who took the five of us throughout the Pompeii ruins and gave us a history lesson. He was good, he had a very dry sense of humor but he got better as the tour went on. There was a lot of people everywhere so we had to keep up so the group didn’t get separated. I wish we had maybe a little bit more down time to go look around on our own to take more pictures. We only got 5 minutes at the end so that wasn’t enough time as the excavated city is quite big. But nevertheless it was an amazing experience. Afterwards, Giuliano and Marco took us to Kona restaurant just under Vesuvius for lunch. So we had a nice view of the volcano. It was really good, they even had a Gluten Free pasta option for me since I couldn’t have pizza. We had just enough time to eat and relax to not feel rushed. Afterwards we took the car up the volcano as high as it was possible. There we met another local guide who took us up the volcano all the way to the crater. This guide was really good and funny too. He gave us enough time to do the climb. It was pretty steep so we took couple of breaks but it took maybe about 30 minutes. Up at the top it is flat so everyone can walk around the crater, take pictures and explore. The guide gave us ample time to explore and take pictures, as well as he gave us a great local history lesson regarding the eruption and Pompeii. It was amazing and one of the highlights of our trip to Italy. And we really lucked out with the weather and had a great visibility of the crater. I did this tour 10 years ago with a different tour group and that day it rained so we couldn’t see anything inside the crater due to rain and steam. So this was amazing chance for me to finally see it. Then it was time to head back to Rome. We stopped at the same rest stop for a break and then we were back in the city by 7pm. All in all an excellent day trip and well worth the money and time and a must when visiting Rome. And The Tour Guy’s pricing was very competitive and cheaper than the other company that I used 10 years ago. Can’t beat that for a small 5 people day trip like this.

Excellent trip from beginning to end. Amazing tour leader and knowledgeable guides in both Pompeii and the Vesuvius. Food was great. Highly recommended Thanks both Giuliano and Mark

Comfortable, modern tour bus to get around. Giuliano was great at answering questions and pointing out interesting sights along the drive. Drivers did a great job handling traffic in Naples which caused a bit of a delay, shortening our time at Pompeii. The tour guide at Pompeii was very knowledgeable and showed us many interesting areas in the slightly reduced time available. You could easily spend a full day or more exploring the area fully. Lunch halfway up Mt. Vesuvius was a surprisingly large amount of food including appetizers, a big pizza for each guest, and a drink of your choice. Our geologist guide Diego took us on the hike up the volcano and was full of knowledge, explaining the landscape and ongoing volcanic activity. The break taken halfway through each leg of the bus ride was a welcome washroom stop despite being a tourist trap with refreshments that were good but severely overpriced. In totality, a great tour with no regrets for a family traveling with 3 kids.