Pompeii is one of the most requested excursions from Naples-area cruise calls, and one of the most physically demanding: a large ancient city of stone streets. The archaeological park publishes a dedicated route for visitors with reduced mobility, called "Pompeii for All". This guide uses the park's own pages to help you decide whether, and how, to use it.
1. What the route is
The park describes an itinerary of over 3.5 km running from Piazza Anfiteatro to the Sanctuary of Venus, along the main streets of the ancient city. The access point is the Piazza Anfiteatro entrance. Visitors who start there can leave by Piazza Anfiteatro or by Piazza Esedra, using the lift at the Antiquarium.
2. What the park says it is like
- The incline of some ramps and slopes may at times exceed 8%.
- There are small but sudden changes in height, typically under 5 cm.
- There are stretches of ancient, uneven paving, and no wheel stoppers along pavements and crossings.
- Only in some stretches can two wheelchairs pass at the same time.
- In certain parts of the site, people with reduced mobility and wheelchair users may have difficulty moving independently.
That is unusually frank, and it is the information to plan with: the route makes much of the site reachable, not all of it, and some help may be needed.
3. Hours and tickets (as published)
| What the park states | |
|---|---|
| 16 March to 14 October | Open 9:00, last entry 17:30, closes 19:00 |
| 15 October to 15 March | Open 9:00, last entry 15:30, closes 17:00 |
| Closed | 25 December and 1 January, unless announced otherwise |
| Tickets | Personal (nominative), with a daily limit of 20,000 entries; buying in advance online is recommended, and an advance PDF ticket goes straight to the turnstiles |
| Ticket offices | Only at the three entrances: Porta Marina, Piazza Anfiteatro and Piazza Esedra |
| Free | First Sunday of each month |
The park also notes that its Artebus shuttle has no disabled access. Check the official page close to your visit: hours and caps change by season.
4. Fitting it into a port day
Work backward from your ship's all-aboard time (see the all-aboard worksheet). In the winter season the last entry is 15:30, which can matter on a short call. If you book a tour, ask which entrance it uses: a tour that enters at Porta Marina is not on the accessible route's access point.
5. Questions for a tour company
- Which entrance do you use, and do you follow the "Pompeii for All" route?
- How long is the walk you plan inside the site, and where are the rest stops?
- Does your vehicle have a lift or ramp, and how many steps into it?
- Are tickets included, and in whose name are they issued?
For decoding the rest of a tour description, see walking, steps and standing; for ferries around the bay, the Naples ferry hub.