Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania

Our day begins at the site of Paestum, ancient Poseidonia. Long before the Romans came, this was a thriving Greek city that was part of Magna Graecia from the 6th century BC. During our time in this atmospheric and enchanting area, we will wander among its mighty temples. It is interesting to note that some of them are among the most well-preserved anywhere in the Greek world. Following a leisurely lunch, we visit the Paestum Museum, which houses the famous ‘Tomb of the Diver’, with its intact frescoes dated to around 480 BC. Here, we will have a private behind-the-scenes tour of the museum’s incredible store rooms.

We devote the entire day to Pompeii. No other site compares in revealing the proportions of a Roman town. We visit some of the most well-preserved buildings as well as an amphitheatre, theatre, forum, bath-houses, bars, and brothels. Fountains in the street are worn where countless people rested their hands to take a drink and Roman graffiti still marks the walls. Travelling via the best routes to avoid crowds, we visit several villas that are newly reopened to the public.

Our first visit of the day is to the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, home to exceptional collections of artefacts. After lunch, we move on to Pozzuoli and visit one of the world’s most impressive amphitheatres. Later, we are granted private access to the Cave of Sejanus, an impressive tunnel dating to the age of Augustus, which gives access to the lovely seaside villa of Pausilypon. Here, we visit a theatre and odeon, built at a later date.

Go off-the-beaten-track to the villas of Stabiae, an exclusive Roman resort for the very wealthy. The vast Villa San Marco, with its swimming pool and bath complex, is one of the most opulent along this coast and it remains very impressive in its scale. The Villa Arianna, with its wonderful frescoes, is remarkably little-visited and provides fabulous views over the Bay of Naples. During our visit here, we will walk through its grand rooms, chambers and gardens – all in splendid isolation. Later in the afternoon, there will be some free time to explore at leisure.

Today, we ascend the great crater of Vesuvius. Most of our journey will be by bus, but the final part requires a short walk and it is worth the effort. Peering into the crater, we will see fumaroles and the layers of previous eruptions, and walking around the perimeter affords magnificent views over the Bay of Naples. After lunch, we continue on to the impressive villa at Oplontis, which boasts sumptuous frescoes, a bath complex, a swimming pool, and interesting slave quarters.

The town of Herculaneum, which perfectly complements a visit to Pompeii, is our last port of call. We start the day with a private visit to the Theatre of Herculaneum, still buried under the pyroclastic flow. We continue with visits to two on-site museums, including the Antiquarium, which houses previous articles found along Herculaneum’s sea front. Finally, ample time is devoted to wandering the streets to find almost complete houses rising up on either side.

Today we transfer to the airport where we bid farewell to our group and depart for our flight to London.