Mount Vesuvius Self-Guided Crater Entry Ticket

Your tour begins on Mount Vesuvius

Your day begins at Parcheggio Vesuvio, the official parking lot of Mount Vesuvius. We recommend booking the paid shuttle to the trailhead in advance. Or, walk from the parking to the trailhead (1.5 km (1 mi) uphill).

Check in at Piazzale Quota 1000

At Piazzale Quota 1000, scan your prebooked ticket at the automatic gate to enter the park. This is the official start of the Gran Cono trail. Lace up, as the gravel underfoot turns loose and steep.

Climb the Gran Cono switchbacks

Switchback by switchback, you climb the cinder cone, a route of about 3.4 km (2.1 mi) with 173 m (568 ft) of elevation gain. The path hugs the volcano's upper flank, where steam once vented from the rock. Don’t forget to turn around and take in the views!

Walk the rim of the active crater

Reaching the top, you trace the trail along the western rim of the Gran Cono, the great crater at Vesuvius's heart. Peer down into the steaming hollow where rock still shifts and breathes. Few places let you stand this close to a living volcano.

Take in Gulf of Naples panoramas

From this height the whole Bay of Naples unfurls below you. Trace the Sorrento Peninsula and the island of Capri to the south, then Procida and Ischia floating offshore. On clear days, the city itself sprawls all the way to the horizon.