Pompeii's tourist trail is ruining the real experience

I finally made it to Pompeii last month after wanting to go for 20 years. The main streets were packed shoulder to shoulder, and I watched people take selfies in front of the plaster casts like they were at a theme park. The worst part was a guide telling a group that the brothel was 'just a funny stop' on the tour. Nobody talked about the volcanic surge that killed people in seconds, or the carbonized furniture in the Villa of the Mysteries that you can barely see through the plexiglass. I get that they need to manage crowds, but the roped-off paths and the constant pushing made it feel like a museum, not a buried city. Has anyone gone during the off-season or found a quieter section that actually lets you think about what happened there?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekp7014d ago

Go at opening time in winter and head straight for the Villa of the Mysteries, you'll have it almost to yourself.

hannahs7111d ago

Can confirm, @derekp70 nailed it. Winter mornings there are magic, felt like my own private Pompeii.