Mount Vesuvius: How to Visit

Mount Vesuvius: how to visit it — but first, a few fun facts. It sits near Naples, about nine kilometers east of the Bay of Naples.

Vesuvius sits right alongside another peak, Monte Somma, and since the two are so close together, the whole massif is known as Mount Vesuvius, rising 1,281 meters above sea level.

Its most recent eruption happened in 1944, during World War II. That disaster killed 26 people, while about 12,000 managed to evacuate. Though it’s best known for destroying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD, it’s currently dormant.

It’s one of Italy’s three main active volcanoes, alongside Etna, on the island of Sicily, and Stromboli, on the island of the same name.

Today, it’s considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, given its tendency toward explosive eruptions. On top of that, roughly three million people live nearby, making this the most densely populated volcanic region in the world.

As a result, the cities that suffered the most damage were Terzigno, Pompeii, Scafati, Angri, Nocera, Poggiomarino, and Cava. Naples, though, was spared, since the wind carried the ash and debris clouds away from the city.

People still live “at the foot” of Vesuvius, since volcanic soil is fantastic for growing plants, rich in minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.

Getting to Mount Vesuvius

You can drive to Vesuvius from Naples — it’s a fairly short trip, 22.7 km via the A3, with a toll along the way, taking on average 30 to 35 minutes. We found this the best option and the one we chose.

Another option is taking a bus from Naples to Vesuvius, run by the Vesuvio Express company. The bus departs from Napoli – Piazza San Pasquale station, taking around 40 minutes.

Our experience

As mentioned, we drove, and the parking lot sits practically at the park entrance. We’d recommend buying your parking ticket in advance, since there’s no cell signal on site, and tickets — both for parking and park admission — are sold online only, through the official website.

You can safely visit the Vesuvius crater, and it’s possible to hire a mountain guide who accompanies groups up to the so-called “Gran Cono.”

We didn’t hire a guide, since the park has excellent signage. There are several souvenir shops and small cafés along the way up to the top. Even so, we’d recommend bringing water and a snack of your choice.

A paved road connects the parking lot to the park entrance, with an uphill walk we managed without any trouble. Most people take the bus, though, with tickets available at the parking lot.

The view from the top of Mount Vesuvius

Even though the road is paved, the scenery along the way is simply gorgeous, with mountains surrounding you the entire time.

Tips for anyone planning to visit the park: wear hiking shoes, a hat, comfortable clothing, and sunscreen. That’s the kind of terrain you’ll find all the way to the top, and depending on the season, it can get quite hot with lots of sun exposure, since there are no trees on site.

The whole climb up the volcano offers wonderful views, with several cities visible along the way, including Pompeii, Herculaneum, and the Bay of Naples — the entire route is genuinely incredible.

One thing worth pointing out: it’s possible to visit not just the volcano, but also Pompeii in the same day. That said, you’ll need to be in decent physical shape — we managed it without any issues.

The volcano is striking from every angle, and you can see smoke rising from parts of the crater wall. You won’t see lava, just soil throughout, but its sheer width and size are still remarkable.

Our Mount Vesuvius trail

Above all, this was the trail we hiked, from the parking lot to the top of the volcano.

Track powered by Wikiloc

Read more about this incredible day of ours in Rome.