Mount Vesuvius Tickets, Opening Hours and Tips for Your Visit

Mount Vesuvius is reached from the town of Ercolano, and the Gran Cono (the main cone and crater trail) costs between €10.00 and €11.68 for a full ticket. In October the park is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and from November it closes at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are sold only online, so the booking comes before the trip.

At a glance

• Full ticket: €10.00 to €11.68
• Reduced ticket: €8.00 to €9.55
• Children under 6 with an adult: free
• Hours in October: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Hours from November to February: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Time to allow: 2 hours round trip for the shortest route, 3 hours for the longest

How much are tickets to Mount Vesuvius?

Tickets for the Gran Cono are sold exclusively online. A full ticket costs between €10.00 and €11.68, and a reduced ticket between €8.00 and €9.55. Children under 6 accompanied by an adult go free.

Each visiting day releases 50 tickets online every 10 minutes, 30 days ahead. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, since 50 tickets are released online every 10 minutes, 30 days ahead of each visiting day.

Last-minute tickets exist too. Ten new ones are published each day, 30 minutes before each time slot. They can be bought only through the Wi-Fi network near the entrance, with a maximum of 5 per email address. Treat them as a backup and not as the plan.

What are the opening hours of Mount Vesuvius?

The visit must always end within one hour of the last permitted access to the crater, so the closing time is not the time to arrive. Hours change with the month:

• January, February, November, December: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• March and October: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• April, May, June, September: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• July and August: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The ticket office and the trail close automatically on days of weather alerts from the regional Civil Protection Authority, starting from orange alert level. Check the forecast before you travel.

When is the best time to visit Mount Vesuvius?

Plan 2 hours round trip for the shortest route and 3 hours for the longest. That total cannot be exceeded, so keep time for the walk back.

Your ticket carries a time. The automatic gate lets you in from 120 minutes before to 120 minutes after it. A last-minute ticket is tighter: from 30 minutes before to 15 minutes after the indicated time.

From November to February the park closes at 3:00 p.m., so a morning slot gives the most margin. In July and August it stays open until 6:00 p.m., which leaves room for a later slot.

How to get to Mount Vesuvius

The trail starts at the square at 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) above sea level in Ercolano, at the end of the Ercolano-Vesuvius provincial road. Access to the crater is only through the automatic gate at the Piazzale di Quota 1000 in Ercolano and the gate at the Piazzale di Quota 1050 (3,445 feet) in Ottaviano, which is the one being activated.

Parking is not permitted in the square managed by the Vesuvius National Park. Parking areas along the provincial road are managed by the Municipality of Ercolano, so leave the car there.

What to see at Mount Vesuvius

The excursion is a linear out-and-back route from and to the Piazzale di Quota 1000 in Ercolano. Above 1,000 meters, every group must be accompanied by a guide from the Presidio Permanente Vulcano Vesuvio.

On the path, each group keeps to the right side, uphill and downhill. The uphill group has priority over the downhill group at narrow points or ramps. The high route on the crater summit, on the northern and eastern sides, is closed to visitors for safety and environmental protection reasons.

From the square you can look at the northern slope of Monte Somma, including the Cognoli di Sant’Anastasia and Punta Nasone.

Is Mount Vesuvius wheelchair accessible?

Public restrooms are temporarily unavailable at the square, so plan for that before you start the trail.

What else to see near Mount Vesuvius

Pompeii is the natural pairing. The Pompeii ticket covers the ancient city with the suburban villas (Villa of the Mysteries and Villa of Diomedes) plus Villa Regina in Boscoreale. A full ticket costs €25.00, and the Pompeii Plus ticket costs €30.00, valid for 3 days with one entrance to each site. Tickets are personal, with a daily limit of 20,000 entries.

Herculaneum Park includes the Archaeological Area, the Theater, the Villa of the Papyri, the Antiquarium and the Boat Pavilion. The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is at Piazza Museo 18/19.