What to expect
Explore Vesuvio, the giant volcano dominating the Bay of Naples. Drive 3,000 feet through the old crater, then hike 25 minutes along volcanic gravel to the summit. Peer into the 700-ft deep, 2,000-ft wide crater and enjoy panoramic views of the Sorrento Peninsula and the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida. Pompeii is one of Italy’s most stunning archaeological sites, an open-air museum where visitors can step back over 2,000 years to a city buried in ash until 1748. Herculaneum, Pompeii’s smaller sister, offers perfectly preserved patrician villas, wood, ropes, mosaics, frescoes, and brickwork—a miracle considering the 500°C volcanic flows that destroyed it.