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Climb Mount Vesuvius, Naples

Nature & Hiking

Climb Mount Vesuvius

Naples · Campania

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Nature & Hiking
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Naples · Campania
DURATION
Half a day
DIFFICULTY
Moderate — a steep but short climb on a loose surface; sturdy shoes essential.
BEST TIME
Spring and autumn; avoid the heat of summer.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

Mount Vesuvius is the only active volcano on the European mainland, and the one that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79. A road runs up its slopes to 1,000 metres, and from there a path climbs to the crater rim, where you can walk along the edge of the cone and look down into the crater and out over the Bay of Naples. The volcano is still active — its last eruption was in 1944 — and the crater steams in places, a reminder that it is not finished. The climb is short but steep, and the view from the top takes in the whole bay, the islands and the plain that the volcano built and destroyed.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
Drive or take a bus to the car park at 1,000 metres, then walk the path to the crater rim; the path is steep and the surface is loose volcanic gravel.
Best Time
Spring and autumn; summer is hot and the path is exposed.
Context
Vesuvius sits behind the bay, above Pompeii and Herculaneum; it is a natural half-day trip from Naples.

MAP & LOCATION

Climb Mount Vesuvius

Climb Mount Vesuvius, Naples, Campania, Italy

40.8214, 14.4261

Open in OpenStreetMap

ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

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FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

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L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele — the most famous pizzeria in Naples, the birthplace of the margherita, since 1870

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Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo — the celebrated pizzeria on the Via dei Tribunali, queues around the block

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Trattoria da Nennella — a boisterous trattoria in the Spanish Quarter for honest Neapolitan cooking

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

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Grand Hotel Vesuvio — a grand seafront hotel with views of the bay and Vesuvius, since 1882

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Romeo Hotel — a design hotel by the harbour, with a rooftop pool and bay views

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Hotel Piazza Bellini — a boutique hotel in the historic centre, in a 16th-century building

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Hotel Costantinopoli 104 — a charming garden hotel near the National Museum, good value

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