Meet your guide, an experienced archaeologist, and a small group of no more than 15 people. Enter Pompeii via Porta Marina, the city's historic gateway where Romans once arrived from the coast. As you journey back in time, your guide will set the scene for your visit, providing details about the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD that claimed the lives of its inhabitants.
Your guide will then lead you along Pompeii’s primary route, bringing into focus the everyday life before the eruption. You'll make stops at a bakery, a fast-food counter, and an early marketplace to gain insights into how residents purchased food, managed businesses, and navigated through the city on a daily basis. The Roman theatre and bathhouse offer glimpses into leisure and social activities in ancient Pompeii for both the elite and common citizens.
Next, you'll reach the Forum, the epicentre of civic life, surrounded by temples and public buildings. Explore the Basilica and Temple of Apollo as your guide explains how politics, religion, and commerce influenced Pompeian society. In the distance, Mount Vesuvius provides a dramatic backdrop, hintingly ominously at the city's impending disaster.
In addition to these public spaces, you'll also get a glimpse into private life at Pompeii. A visit to the House of the Tragic Poet, featuring the renowned Cave Canem mosaic, reveals details about domestic design and social status.