Book your 2026 & 2027 adventures Risk free.
Step back 2000 years and get immerged in a real roman town buried under 75 feet of hot mud during the roman empire. Visit ancient houses, stores, taverns, mosaics, frescoes and…skeletons!
Herculaneum is smaller than Pompeii but better preserved and easier to visit.
Our first approach is spectacular: all the ancient town laying at the bottom of an archaeological hole about 75 feet deep.
From the top we are able to recognise the entire excavated area, dominated by the volcano Vesuvius: lovely for pictures!
Close by you can see the area of the marina, where a 300 human skeletons were found together with a boat (on week-ends the boat is on display).
Crossing a modern bridge, we will start to discover the garden of the “House of the Albergo”, where quince apple tree were replanted following the evidence of carbonized roots of these ancient fruit tree.
Our next stop is the Council hall of the Augustali, where beautifully preserved frescoes depicting Hercules were painted.
We will visit the House of Neptune and Amphitrite, to see the wonderful mosaics decorating the outdoor biclinium (dining room); this was probably the house of a merchant, in fact next door you have a store with its counter, containers for food and wine and the wooden shelves carbonised still hanging on the walls!
Then we will discover the Thermal (an ancient Spa), still covered with mosaics which introduce the visitor to the roman world of the public saunas: gym, changing room, tepid room, hot room and at last cold tub.
There is a glorious public sporting place to see, The Grande Palestra (Big Gym). This still lays buried for about 3 quarters, but we can move into the cross shaped pool to feel like being an ancient archaeologist moving under the volcanic couch.
We won’t miss the most spectacular villa of Herculaneum, the Villa dei Cervi (Deers), admiring its luxurious mosaics, frescoes and statues.
Herculaneum is not as big as Pompeii, so in a 2 hour visit we are able to see most of the ancient town and certainly all the highlights. Anyway each walking tour will be adjusted on the desires of our participants.
