1. From Naples: Herculaneum and Vesuvius
Your full-day program begins at the port of Naples, where a bus will pick you up and transfer you to the ancient city of Herculaneum, entrance fees not included. The archaeological site is famous the world over, as it provides an extraordinary example of ancient Roman life. After your visit to the ruins of Herculaneum, you’ll board the bus for the drive to Mount Vesuvius, entrance fees included. Before visiting the volcano, you will enjoy a wine tasting at a typical chalet on the way. The volcano is best known for the eruption in 79 AD that buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and several other settlements. The eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ash and fumes to a height of 33 kilometers, spewing molten rock and pulverized pumice at a rate of 1.5 million tons per second. It ultimately released 100,000 times the thermal energy of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. An estimated 16,000 people died due to the hydrothermal pyroclastic flows. The only surviving eyewitness account of the event consists of letters by Pliny the Younger to the historian Tacitus. After the Vesuvius visit, the bus will then take you back to Naples as per the established timetable.