Last updated:
Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano and a stratovolcano in Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Naples. Vesuvius National Park is a national park in Italy, established in 1991. Most of the tours below reach the volcano from Naples, and some stay on its vineyard slopes. This page sorts them into crater walks, private days and wine experiences.
These five tours drive to a point around one thousand metres up the volcano and continue on foot to the crater rim. Four are small-group tours and one is private. The crater ticket is included in some and not in others, so check the inclusions on each tour page. More tours and ideas for the area are on the page for Naples.
Four and a half hours with a maximum of twelve guests and a licensed guide: hotel pickup and drop-off in central Naples, lunch at a local restaurant in Pompeii, a drive to the point about one thousand metres up and a walk to the crater rim. The national park entrance fee is included. The tour is in English, Spanish or Italian.
A small-group tour with a volcanologist as guide: hotel pickup in Naples, a drive to the level about one thousand metres up, a guided hike to the crater rim and a light lunch at a restaurant in Pompeii. The national park entrance fee is included. The tour is in English, Spanish or Italian.
Four hours in a small group: lunch with a wine tasting at a restaurant on the slopes, then a drive to the level about one thousand metres up and a guided walk to the crater rim. The crater entrance ticket is paid on site and is not included. The tour is in English, Spanish or Italian.
Four hours in a small group: hotel pickup in central Naples and at the cruise terminal, a second pickup in Pompeii, a wine tasting with lunch at a restaurant on the slopes and a crater visit with a National Park guide. The crater ticket is bought on site and is not included. The tour is in English, Spanish, French or Italian.
Four hours with a private driver: door-to-door hotel pickup and drop-off, a drive to the level about one thousand metres up and a walk around the crater rim. The official crater ticket and guided commentary on the trail are not included. The tour is in English, Spanish or Italian.
These three tours are private. Two combine Mount Vesuvius with a winery at the foot of the volcano, and one adds Herculaneum, an ancient city in Ercolano, Italy, and Pompeii. Entrance rules are different in each of them, so read the inclusions before you choose.
Six hours with a private car and driver: pickup and drop-off at a hotel, the cruise port or a train station in Naples, a self-guided walk up the volcano, then a guided walk through the vineyard and cellars of a winery with a tasting of local wines. The crater entrance ticket is bought on site and is not included. The tour is in English or Spanish.
Six hours with a private transfer from Naples: a guided ascent to the crater rim with the national park entry included, then a guided visit to the cellars of a winery at the foot of the volcano and a wine tasting. The tour is in English, Spanish or Italian.
Eight hours with a private driver from Naples or Salerno: about an hour at the Vesuvius crater, about ninety minutes in Herculaneum and about two hours in Pompeii. Entrance tickets to the crater, Herculaneum and Pompeii are not included, and the crater ticket has to be booked online in advance. The tour is in English, Spanish or Italian.
Three experiences stay among the vines on the volcanic slopes; in some, the tastings include wines such as Lacryma Christi. Two are in a working vineyard and do not include transport, and one goes by bus from Naples.
One and a half hours in a small group in a working vineyard on the slopes: a guided walk through the vines, an explanation of the winemaking and a family lunch with estate wines, including spaghetti with piennolo tomatoes. Transport to and from the vineyard is not included. The tour is in English, French or Italian.
One and a half hours in a small group: a guided walk through the vineyard with the resident farmer, a picnic of local products and a tasting of wine and local drinks. Transport to and from the estate is not included. The tour is in English, French or Italian.
Four hours in a small group: a round-trip bus transfer from Naples to a family-run winery, a guided walk through the vineyards, a cellar visit and a wine tasting with a light lunch. Hotel pickup is not included. The tour is in English or Italian.
It depends on the tour. Some of the tours above include the national park entrance fee, and others say that the crater ticket is bought on site or, for the Herculaneum and Pompeii tour, booked online in advance. Check the inclusions on the tour page before you book.
From one and a half hours for the vineyard experiences to eight hours for the private tour with Herculaneum and Pompeii. The duration is on each tour page.
Several of the tours describe a walk on uneven volcanic ground, so they recommend sturdy closed-toe shoes, a light jacket or windproof layer, water and sun protection, because it can be cooler at the crater rim. Check the preparation notes on the tour page.
Sources: Wikidata (CC0).
