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Pompeii with Kids: What You MUST Know Before Your Visit

Pompeii with Kids: What You MUST Know Before Your Visit

Last updated: October 27, 2026. This update corrects current Pompeii ticket and entry guidance while preserving the family’s past visit as a personal account. Date information added October 28, 2026.

Planning a trip to Pompeii with kids? Great choice! We spent a month in Rome with our five kids and really enjoyed the city. We knew we wanted to visit Pompeii and wondered about many things:

• How do we get there? What’s the best way with kids?
• How will the kids handle it? Will it be boring?
• Do we need to prepare for the visit in any way?
• Should we have a guide?

We made a few mistakes during our visit, but overall it was a huge highlight of our visit to Rome. In fact, we hope to go back again in a few years. I wanted to share some tips for other families planning their travels to Pompeii with kids. For tips and tricks on Rome, be sure to check out my travel guide for Rome.

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support.*

First published March 3, 2020. This article describes our family’s earlier visit during a month in Rome. Our route, prices, services, and site conditions are memories from that trip, not current booking instructions.

Before Your Visit

Learn at home. I highly recommend you prep your kids (and yourself) with the history and story of Pompeii and Vesuvius. There are so many amazing YouTube videos and documentaries to watch. We even watched (as just a couple) the recent movie that was a bit of a flop. Not sure I’d recommend that, but I definitely recommend learning the backstory! We picked up a few books from the gift shop in the colosseum, and the kids were so amazed to see in person the plaster casts of the people from the book. Our family video linked below also shows our experience.

Prepare for some serious topics. The plaster casts we saw are moving reminders of the people who died in the eruption.

The casts are not bodies preserved intact in the ash. The Archaeological Park’s explanation of the casts describes how ash preserved the forms after the victims’ bodies decomposed, and how archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli perfected the plaster-casting method in the 1860s. The casts can show clothing and other details. I found them fascinating and quite sad. Families may want to talk beforehand about whether this part of the visit feels right for their children.

How to Get There

We made a BIG mistake here. I thought trains would be too difficult with kids, so we spent a small fortune hiring a driver for the day. In hindsight, I wish we had compared rail options before deciding; I can’t say that the train is always faster or cheaper. The Rome-to-Pompeii connection options change, so check Trenitalia’s current Rome–Pompeii train information and the EAV timetable if using that line. The old linked guided tour for kids and families is not a train ticket.

Rail routes to Pompeii can include a connection from Rome and/or a local train or bus transfer. Check current operators and schedules for your travel date rather than assuming a direct train or same-day ticket availability. Our post about taking trains in Italy records what we learned about train travel.

The nearest station and walk depend on which train route you choose. Check the route to your specific Pompeii entrance and current site map before setting out; if you are tired, confirm available local transport rather than assuming taxis are waiting.

In our experience taking trains in Italy, we have sometimes arrived at a station, bought tickets, and boarded within a few minutes. That was a general train-travel memory, not a guarantee for this route or your travel day. For a Pompeii visit, allow enough time to return to your chosen entrance and reach your departure station. Current Pompeii tickets are personal, non-transferable, timed, and name-based; staff may ask for matching ID. Check the park’s ticket information before you go.

Pompeii tickets and time slots

• Pompeii Express (€20): one entry to the ancient city; suburban villas are not included.
• Pompeii Plus (€25): the ancient city, suburban villas (including the Villa of the Mysteries and Villa di Diomede), Villa Regina at Boscoreale and the shuttle bus.
• Pompeii 3 Days (€30): Pompeii Plus, Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco, the Archaeological Museum of Stabiae and Boscoreale, with one entry to each site over three days.

The park’s ticket page lists these rates from January 12, 2026; check what is included before booking. Pompeii currently caps admissions at 20,000 per day across two timed entry slots. Seasonal windows are October 15–March 15 and March 16–October 14; check the current visitor regulations and timetable for exact hours and entry conditions.

If you want to tour Mount Vesuvius, you could hire a driver in Pompeii or pre-book a car before you go. We didn’t have enough time for this, but I’d love to do it someday.

Our original Pompeii family video:

See The Ruins Of Pompeii With Us And Our 5 Kids!

What to Bring on your trip to Pompeii with Kids

1. Sunscreen. It was very hot when we visited in October, and sunscreen was one of my packing recommendations. Shade and weather can vary across the site and by day, so check conditions before you go.
2. Water. It was hot and dry during our visit. We had lunch at the cafeteria/gift-shop area and came back for snacks and drinks; it also worked as a meeting point for our group. Check the current visitor map for today’s services.
3. Good walking shoes. We were there for six hours and only covered a fraction of Pompeii. It’s difficult to convey just how big it is.
4. Baby carrier. I recommended considering a carrier for children who could not walk long distances on the uneven routes. The official park warns that paths may have drops, irregularities, and gaps; review the current map and accessibility information to decide what suits your group.
5. Camera. Trust me, you won’t want to leave this one! Some locations are so well preserved you’ll want to remember them with a picture.
6. We did not always carry our passports on day trips. For your visit, check the required identity documents and keep them secure. Don’t assume a passport photo meets entry or local identification requirements; the park can ask for ID that matches the named ticket.

During Your Visit

Here are a few tips or things to consider while you are in Pompeii:

Audio guide or tour guide? This is a personal preference. I find I get a lot more out of an experience with a guide of some kind. Otherwise, all the ancient sites blend together, and I’m about as bored as the kids :). The linked Pompeii tour for kids and families is one guided option to compare; check the provider listing for current availability and details. You can also explore independently if that better suits your family.

We opted for the audio guide, which we usually do when given a chance. It allows us a lot more flexibility with the kids versus trying to keep up with a guide or a group. Our kids have even come to enjoy the audio guide and listen along! Pompeii had a specific audio guide for kids. Sometimes I found mine had more selection on a topic, so I’d have the older kids listen to mine as well. Overall, the two matched well.

When we visited, the audio guide we used was on a smartphone, and we checked it out by providing an ID. Formats and availability can change; check the park’s current visitor information before planning around an audio guide.

PG13 spots. Pompeii has a fairly famous brothel that is well-preserved. We didn’t go (I actually didn’t run into it!), but I’ve heard the painting on the walls is pretty detailed and not child-friendly. If you are going to Pompeii with kids, you may want to pre-screen; I’m sure you can google this at your own discretion. We just skipped all of this.

Bathrooms. I think I remember two bathroom locations: the cafeteria and the sports complex on the other side near the amphitheatre. Check the park’s current map for facilities and routes before your visit.

Pompeii is huge. I thought we would see only a few streets, but the area open to visitors was much larger than I expected. In my 2020 guide, I recommended the villa at the edge of the site, the amphitheatre, the forum, and some “suburbs” to see restaurants and villas. Before your visit, check the park’s official map and list of currently open buildings; routes and access can change.

Our tour guide told us many visitors spend about two hours at Pompeii. We finally peeled ourselves away after six hours and could have stayed longer! That was our group’s pace, not a recommended or typical visit length. The park’s current route and timed-entry information can help you plan.

Enjoy planning your travels, and stay safe!

XOXO,

Leslie

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