Private Tour: Herculaneum Rail Tour from Sorrento

After meeting your private guide at the railway station in Sorrento (your choice: in the morning or afternoon), buy a train ticket and hop on the train for the 45-minute ride to Herculaneum. On the way, learn about the history of the place from your knowledgeable guide. Discover what the town was like as it was blanketed in lava from the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. 

Take in incredible views as the train rides alongside the azure-colored sea and admire sights of Mt Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples. Once you’re there, walk down a hill to the entrance of Herculaneum. Be sure to mention to the guide if there is anything in particular you want to see so she or he can customize the tour to you.

Begin the tour by entering the site (ticket at own expense) and gawk at all the ruins, most of which made up the center of town. At the marina, 300 skeletons were found, likely residents who were fleeing the volcanic blast. 

Walk down the ancient streets, fossilized by the eruption, and listen to your guide recount interesting historical anecdotes about the town. Some of the ruins worth looking out for include the House of Neptune and Amfitrite. Also, don’t miss the the public baths, the outdoor gym and the food store. Admire the shop counter, which still contains the jars of fast food, or ready-to-eat treats, for customers.

If availability permits, you’ll also visit the House of the Wooden Partition, famous for its remarkable, nearly intact wooden partition screen.

Finally, pop into the bookshop at Herculaneum and then walk or hail a cab (at own expense) to the station. Get on a train, and then finish your tour back in Sorrento.