Amazing tour. We could not have done this on our own. Our guide, Lavinia, shared so much interesting background and knowledge about Herculaneum. This is well worth adding to your Italy excursions - quite different than Pompeii. We went to Pompeii as well and enjoyed both venues. Herculaneum was covered mostly with mud Pompeii with ash and the population ended up, waiting to be rescued, in a series of arches that fronted the sea. Here, actual skeletons were left as in bones ... and this site has recreated the bones under the arches whereas in Pompeii the bodies were covered with ash and left voids so when these voids were filled with plaster you can see the entire body. An excellent trip to accompany your Pompeii visit.

Tour guide arrived 35 minutes late to meet us at the Sorrento Train Station. On the train ride to Herculaneum our guide Paula gave us an introduction to the sights/history that we were to see. Long walk to the ruins, but the days was beautiful. On arrival to the entrance gate, there was a long line 2 1/2 blocks of people! It was the first Sunday of the month and such sights are FREE to everyone! Needles to say we only waited 35 minutes in which the line only progressed about 40 feet. We 3 decided we were not going to wait in the sun any longer and possibly never be able to get in. Guide was visibly sorry that we would be missing out on this tour and she was not able to reschedule us for another day. I suggested we tour from the pedestrian bridge above the sight and tour the museum near by.
Paula was most informative and willing to please, but tours of this type should never be scheduled on FREE ENTRANCE days! And tour guides should never be late. We saw cruise guides and their tour groups lined up in the sun waiting for the possibility of entering the sight. Around 11:30 AM our guide had heard that the sight of Pompeii had been closed already because of the enormous number of people trying to visit the sight. The small museum about 4 blocks away from the ruins was very informative and very good displays, videos, paintings of life during that time period. Never tour on Free Entrance days!

You are only really paying for the guide on this trip. Train and entrance tickets on top!!!! However having said that the guide was excellent and Herculaneum much better than Pompeii.

We have an impatient 8yo who tires easily so we picked Herculaneum over Pompeii. Right decision. Paolo taught us so much more walking through the ruins than we would have learned alone. Not just about the site but about the region, history, day in the life, what it sounded and smelled like. Amazing.

The tour guide met us at the Sorrento train station as scheduled. She was a very pleasant person and conducted an excellent and thorough tour. Well recommended!