Make your own way to the Piazza Porta Marina in central Pompeii to meet your guide (unless hotel or port pickup has been arranged), and use your skip-the-line tickets to head straight inside the archeological site of Pompeii.
Follow your guide on a walking tour of the ancient Roman city, admiring ruins that date back to as early as the 7th century BC.
Learn how the city was buried by the AD79 eruption of the nearby Mt Vesuvius volcano as you admire the remarkably preserved Roman Baths, Termopolium Capuano, and House of the Tragic Poet; stand in awe before the world’s oldest surviving Roman amphitheater; then hear stories of Roman life as you wander the Forum.
Next, head to the newly restored Villas or ‘Domus’, which were once home to rich aristocrats, and only opened to the public in March 2017. Stroll the magnificent ruins, stopping to admire the elaborate mosaics, beautifully restored frescoes, and gardens decorated with statues of mythical gods.
See the Domus of Venus with its colonnaded façade, striking courtyard, and renowned painting of the Birth of Venus, emerging from a seashell. Next, visit the House of Octavius Quartius, where the highlight is a painting of Narcissus; explore the House of the Fruit Trees, with its exquisite frescos, and stop by the House of Iulia Felix, which once served as a spa retreat.
After around five hours exploring Pompeii, your tour ends back at the starting point.