Great to grace the background of the must-have photo from the archaeological site in downtown Pompei. For me though, unless it was a critical high point, ascending around an active caldera (see: potentially dangerous, partially collapsed, smoldering ash heap), given its history, I'm like, "nah, I'm good." Across the ocean, Yellowstone is still active, massive and to be enjoyed. It is also less intimidating. As an alpinist and classically experienced summiteer, my aversion to hiking Vesuvio is easily explained. After the sad sight of the stone people down below -- the actual active volcano will never be a mandatory visit for me. read more

The trek to Vesuvius from Naples involves subway, train, and bus. On the train I learned that the couple beside me were headed to Pompeii, where I'd already been, and I was headed to Vesuvius, where they'd already been. It was time to trade tips and here's the best tip they gave me: "When you exit the train station in Ercolano, walk to your left. That's where the bus tickets are sold. Immediately after you purchase your bus ticket, walk to the center island opposite the train station exit. Get in line there. That's where the bus boards. Oh, and the bus tickets are cash only, so be prepared". Had I not talked to these folks I'd not have known exactly where to go when I got out of the train station. As it turns out, my quick b-line to the left meant that I purchased the last two tickets available on the next bus up and the following bus wasn't leaving until more than one hour later. So follow these directions. You're welcome. The lore around Mt. Vesuvius figures big in these parts so if you're in the area and able, it's worth a visit regardless of how you feel about hiking somewhere only to peer down into a (not very interesting) crater. The route up, even with the bus taking you up most of the way, isn't difficult but it's more difficult than I assumed it would be. and takes about 40 minutes each way. A hiking stick will be helpful, especially on the way down. Do check your bus number and know the time of its departure before you get off for the hike. You'll have a sticker denoting that you've paid for your bus ride down, but it's specific to the bus you rode up in and it'd be a huge bummer for it to leave without you. On the hike up I encountered a massive insect swarm and thought "well this is disgusting" but it had disseminated by the time I headed back down. You'll hike through some souvenir/drink/snack spots and there's another at the very top. Other than that, there's nothing to do here except peer into the crater that caused the demise of Pompeii then head back down again. I'd say this is a must see only because of the significance of Vesuvius in Southern Italy's history. One and done for me but now you know how best to navigate the journey as well. read more

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Believe it or not Vesuvius also known as Mount Vesuvius by Americans, is still an active volcano. The last time it erupted was in the 1940s. You can still see the ashes from that eruption today in the valley once you walk to the top. This volcano is most popular for burying the city of Pompeii and perfectly preserving it until it's discovery. This park is most definitely worth the hike to the top. You will see the most beautiful view from the top. You can look down into the crater, which still steams today. They have gift shops and a snack bar on site. It is said that the volcanic soil produces the best and sweetest produce, particularly known for the tomatoes! Pretty amazing. read more

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I didn't know I had to book my ticket for Mount Vesuvius far in advance. I knew I had to do it for the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, but how could Vesuvius be that popular? Naples is not a top destination in Italy. The only available tickets were third party, and they were expensive. Anyways, I did not actually go to the volcano. I instead went to the national park by booking a horseback riding tour. It was beautiful and fun. It wasn't very long, maybe 40 minutes. Was it worth 70€? I'm not sure. It's not a bad deal compared to the US, of course. They picked me up from Naples, although I had to walk 15 minutes to the pickup spot. The Horseback riding was a solid four-star experience (I loved it but not long enough for cost), and I give Mount Vesuvius three stars overall because of the difficulty in finding regular price tickets even a week in advance, as opposed to the overpriced third party ones. I'll come back for the crater. I do not want to return to Naples, but I must see the volcano. read more

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we booked our tour to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius well in advance before our trip to Europe from Canada. For context, we went to Germany first then made our way to Italy for a few short days before moving on with our trip. This tour was something that was a bucket list activity for us and we were SO excited. Unfortunately, upon our arrival in Rome, the day prior to the trip, we were informed that public transport workers would be going on strike and routes could be affected. We remained optimistic about our trip as we flew all the way from Canada and wanted to make the best of it. Bright and early, the morning of our tour, we made our way to the bus station in Rome to take us to Naples, before subsequently taking the train to Pompei for our tour. Our bus was scheduled to leave Rome at 0700, which would have given us ample time to make our tour and be present 15 mins early as requested by Vesuvius Tours. Devastatingly enough, we received a notification at 0640 that our bus was delayed until 0930hrs. I immediately messaged the tour company (booked on the official Vesuvius website) to inform them that we would not be able to make it and requested a refund as the strike was unforeseeable circumstances . It broke my heart honestly. I have dreamt of seeing these historical sites since I was a child. I received correspondence back fairly quickly and was shocked to be informed that they would only refund if they were notified 72hrs in advance, despite our explanation of cancelling. Obviously, had we known 72hrs before, rather than 20mins before our scheduled departure, we would have notified them. This was extremely disheartening and disappointing as we spent a pretty penny and could not attend due to no fault of our own. So tourists beware, that if anything happens to your transportation, the company is unforgiving and you will be out hundreds of dollars with nothing to show for it, other than a bad mood and an empty bank account. read more

This hike was wonderful! While the day we went was awkwardly foggy and cold, it was better than a hot day, or I would've never made it. It took me longer than most people; they passed us up. I continued because I saw elderly people with their canes coming down from the mount. I was inspired. There are several gift shops and rest stops on the way up. There is no flat land in between. You either hike up or down. If you make it to the abandoned funicular station, be proud of yourself. Sure, take pics, but stay away from the edge near the rope. The ground slants and it's loose gravel. It's an active volcano! You can see the steam rising from the crater. The crater's bowl has natural wild vegetation growing around it. The texture isn't the same all around. There's a part that looks like elephant skin. By the way, parking is ridiculous! You need an entry ticket before driving up to the rocky lot. Ladies...THERE ARE NO RESTROOMS! Bring your lungs full of breath and mints. If you dare, bring some water. read more

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This is a short but very steep hike! You will be hiking on slippery rocks the whole way. The view of the crater is great! I highly recommend hiking this trail! When hiking this trail they have 3 gift shops on the trail. The first on is after you just hit the peak of all the steep uphill battle. The second one is about halfway to the end. The final one is at the very end. The last one gives you a beautiful view of the island of Capri. These gift shops also sell alcohol at them. So you have some liquid courage to get you through the hike! Overall the hike has a very wide trail so even when it's crowded, you won't feel it much! I highly recommend enjoying this beautiful view of Naples and the island of Capri! Overall this hike is only a few miles but you will need water, sturdy shoes, and a camera for pictures of the amazing views! read more

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BRING CASH. THE BUS AND PARK ONLY TAKE CASH. IT IS €3.10 for the bus (one way) and €10 for the park. So bring €20 per person to be safe. First, a couple notes on getting here. When you exit the train station at Pompeii Scavi, you will immediately be greeted by touts selling your packages and other nonsense. Tell them to piss off. Walk inside the information building and on the wall will be a pamphlet for the "Big Blue Bus" with a timetable and cost. For us, the cost was €3.10 and we took an 11:30 AM bus up. The touts will lie and tell you the bus isn't coming or that it's late or that you will get stuck. That is not the case. The bus will pick up right outside the info building within 10 minutes of the posted times (traffic, etc). The ride to the top is a winding, hair raising road. You'll probably poop yourself the first time the bus makes a corner and there is another car there. Once you're over that, you'll be able to handle the rest. The hike at the top takes about 1-2 hours round trip. Check with the bus driver on when the bus will be back to pick up at the top of Vesuvius. The hike itself is easy but very scenic. There are a couple shops selling food and wine along the way. read more

It's a crater! To be honest, it's not that interesting and it costs €10 to climb up the hill to see the crater. It's also very cold at the top, so be prepared! You can walk around the crater at the top and get a great view of the cities below, but the crater itself isn't really anything too special. The hike up takes about 20 minutes and isn't too bad, and there are a few little shops on the way up. The view of the city is great though! Not sure whether a trip specifically to here is worth it, but if you're on the way to Pompei or Naples, a stop may be worthy. read more