I booked Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvius. I was contacted a few days prior and asked to change date and change tour. So I did not get to experience Vesuvius. This was disappointing. Then on the tour, Pompeii was let down by other tourists taking 45 mins to go to the bathroom and late to bus etc etc. I felt we could have seen much more of Pompeii, however we went at an extremely slow pace. Maybe this could be better marketed for those over the age of 50/60 as those of us younger just kept walking off and exploring which I could have done with an audio guide myself. Herculaneum was the stand out though. Absolutely amazing. 100% try and see Herculaneum if you can. The tour guide was very informative at both areas, but just very slow with Pompeii. Only one section was seen.
Dear Haley, Thank you for sharing your experience. We completely understand your disappointment that the original tour you booked could not operate as planned. For future travelers, we would simply like to clarify what happened. The original Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius Wine Tasting and Lunch experience requires a clearly stated minimum of 6 participants to operate. Unfortunately, that minimum was not reached for your departure. Rather than simply cancelling your day, we contacted you in advance and offered an alternative Pompeii + Herculaneum experience, which you kindly accepted. We absolutely understand that this was not your original first choice and that missing the Vesuvius portion was disappointing. At the same time, we hope it is important for future guests to know that the change was discussed and accepted beforehand—it was not an unexpected substitution made on the day of the tour. Regarding Pompeii, we are sorry that the pace felt slower than you would have preferred. On a shared guided tour, the archaeologist must balance the pace and needs of the entire group, and occasional delays from individual participants can unfortunately affect the rhythm of the visit. We were therefore especially happy to read that Herculaneum was the standout of your day, that you found it “absolutely amazing,” and that you described your guide as “very informative at both areas.” And we completely agree with your recommendation to future travelers: Herculaneum is extraordinary and absolutely deserves to be discovered. Experiencing it together with Pompeii provides two fascinating and very different perspectives on Roman life and the eruption of Vesuvius. Haley, we genuinely wish the original experience could have operated exactly as you booked it. But when the required minimum for a shared tour is unexpectedly not reached, cancelling would be the easiest solution. We prefer, whenever possible, to find an alternative so our guests can still experience the extraordinary places they travelled to Italy to see. We are very glad that, despite the necessary change, your day still included Pompeii, an “absolutely amazing” Herculaneum, and a guide you found very informative at both sites. Warm regards, Mondo Guide www.mondoguide.com +39 331 708 0962
