Which one to choose in Italy
Two ancient sites in Italy. Pompeii has 687 tickets and tours to book; Roman Forum and Palatine has 162 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Pompei, Italy
Pompeii is the Roman town that Vesuvius buried in AD 79 and excavators have been uncovering since 1748. About two-thirds of its 66 hectares are open: paved streets, houses, bakeries, baths, temples and two theatres. Nowhere else shows everyday Roman life in such detail, from bar counters to painted dining rooms.
Rome, Italy
The Roman Forum is the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline hills where ancient Rome held its elections, trials, triumphs and markets for over a thousand years. Its temples, basilicas, arches and Senate House lie in a sunken field of ruins, and the same ticket covers the Palatine above, with the remains of the imperial palaces.
| Pompeii | Roman Forum and Palatine | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ancient City | Ancient City |
| Civilisation | Roman | Roman |
| Founded | 550 BC | 750 BC |
| Area | 66 ha | — |
| Visitors | 4.3 million a year (2024) | — |
| Entry | EUR 20; under-18s free; free on the first Sunday | EUR 18 with the Colosseum; under-18s free |
| Hours | 9 am to 7 pm mid-Mar to mid-Oct, to 5 pm in winter; last entry 90 minutes before closing | 9 am to an hour before sunset: to 7.15 pm in summer, 4.30 pm in winter |
| Time needed | 3 to 4 hours | 2 to 3 hours with the Palatine |
| Booking | Named tickets online or at the gate; daily cap of 20,000 visitors | Timed named tickets, shared with the Colosseum; book ahead in season |
| UNESCO | yes | yes |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | 687 | 162 |
| Official website | yes | yes |