Ancient Pompeii Private Tour: Skip the Line & Kid-Friendly Option

Your personal knowledgeable guide will show the highlights of Pompeii: the Forum, the Bath-House, the shops and the streets, the fantastic private homes, and more! You are going to be introduced to the history of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried Pompeii 2000 years ago. You will take great pictures of colorful wall-paintings and floor-mosaics. You will enter daily life in ancient Pompeii and discover how advanced Romans were! If you have children from 6 to 11 years old, we recommend the additional family option. The Pompeii for kids tour will make it both an entertaining and learning experience for all the family. You will still visit all the highlights of Pompeii, but this option includes activities, games, a special map with stickers, and a specifically trained tour guide. Please be aware that admission fees are not included, however our certified guides have access to a fast-track line. In other words, we can buy tickets for you quickly on the spot.

The Pompeii Forum was the vibrant heart of the ancient city, serving as its primary political, religious, and commercial center. It is a large, rectangular pedestrian plaza—measuring roughly 157 by 38 meters—that was entirely off-limits to chariot traffic.

Via dell’Abbondanza is the longest and most important street in Pompeii, serving as the city's main commercial and social artery (the Decumanus Inferior). Stretching from the Forum to the Sarno Gate, it offers the most vivid glimpse into daily Roman life.

The Forum Baths (Terme del Foro) are a remarkably well-preserved public bath complex in Pompeii, located just behind the Temple of Jupiter. Built around 80 BC, they were the only public baths still operational at the time of the eruption in 79 AD. You can walk through the original sequence of Roman bathing: the Apodyterium (changing room), the Frigidarium (cold bath), the Tepidarium (warm room), and the Calidarium (hot room). The rooms feature high barrel-vaulted ceilings with intricate stucco reliefs and terracotta figures known as telamones.

The Temple of Apollo is one of the oldest and most important religious sites in Pompeii, with its origins dating back to the 6th century BC. Located in the Forum area, it serves as a central landmark for any walking tour. The temple is a unique blend of Greek and Italic styles, featuring an elevated podium reached by an imposing set of stairs and a portico with 48 columns. Visitors can see bronze replicas of Apollo as an archer and his twin sister Diana. The original Hellenistic bronze masterpieces are preserved in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

The Basilica is the most imposing and important public building in Pompeii, located in the southwestern corner of the Forum. Dating back to the 2nd century BC, it is one of the oldest examples of its kind in the Roman world.

The House of the Vettii (Casa dei Vettii) is widely considered the "Sistine Chapel" of Pompeii. Reopened in 2023 after a meticulous 20-year restoration, it is one of the most opulent and perfectly preserved residences in the city. The house belonged to Aulus Vettius Conviva and Aulus Vettius Restitutus, two former slaves (freedmen) who became immensely wealthy wine merchants. The home was designed specifically to flaunt their new status and luxury.

The Teatro Grande (Large Theatre) of Pompeii is one of the world's oldest surviving masonry theaters, originally built in the 2nd century BC. Carved into a natural lava hillside, it beautifully illustrates the transition from Greek to Roman architectural styles.

The Antiquarium of Pompeii is the site's primary museum, providing a modern, climate-controlled space to view the most fragile and precious artifacts discovered across the ruins. We are going to see here the famous Casts: While some casts remain in situ at the ruins, the Antiquarium displays several poignant plaster casts of victims, including small children, preserved in their final moments.