Trips to Bay of Naples for Classics & Ancient History Students

When Vesuvius erupted in August 79AD, it engulfed the two flourishing Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. These have been progressively excavated and made accessible to the public since the mid-18th century. Smaller but better-preserved than Pompeii, a visit to Herculaneum is often preferred by many students.  

This fascinating museum contains wonderful exhibits including Roman mosaics (the Alexander mosaic and others from the House of the Faun), wall paintings and Greek sculpture (Doryphoros and the Tyrannicides). A valuable additional visit en route to or from the airport.

Visit the site of three of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. This visit provides a great opportunity to explore the development of Doric architecture, a Roman town and a museum with one of the earliest examples of Greek panel painting.

Nowhere in the world can the effects of a volcanic eruption be better understood. You will be driven most of the way up the mount then take a 30-minute walk to the rim with a Local Guide. Your group will study the most densely populated volcano in the world. Geography groups can complete our dedicated activity sheets to consider its formation, eruptive history, anatomy and human management issues, and even read eye witness accounts of the 79AD eruption!

Students can take a guided tour of the island of Capri, including a visit to Ana Capri, a walking tour of the Gardens of Augustus and the Palace of Tiberius, a must for all Classical fanatics. Groups access the island by ferry or hydrofoil, which we can pre-book and pre-pay.

Solfatara’s tectonic activity makes it feel and smell much more like a volcano than Vesuvius. The Romans thought the entrance to the Underworld was located in this area and a visit will help students understand why.

Cumae contains the long echoing cave of the Sibyl visited by Aeneas (even if only in legend). Visit the Acropolis and the entrance to a tunnel built by Agrippa around 38BC to join his harbour in Lake Avernus to the sea.

The well-preserved amphitheatre here is on a smaller scale than the Colosseum in Rome, but better demonstrates the human aspect of the arena.

An excellent visit with the supposed villa of the family of Poppaea, the second wife of Nero.

There is an entire underground city below Naples - a series of ancient aqueducts that were eventually shut down and used as a bomb shelter during World War II. You can go down a square flight of steps put in place by Mussolini leading down 40m into an actual air raid shelter. The museum is in a huge underground sandstone quarry and contains incredible artefacts and objects found during more than 50 years of exploring the labyrinth beneath Naples.

Take your students on a guided walking tour of this olive and lemon mill and mozzarella farm in Sorrento. Your group will enjoy a cheese-making demonstration, plus a complimentary pizza and soft drink.

On the southern side of the Sorrento peninsula lies the famous Amalfi Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where a ribbon of road clings tightly to steep, rugged cliffs interspersed with picturesque towns. For geography groups there is the opportunity to study coastal landforms and tourism impact. A boat tour of this beautiful coastline is also available.

The preserved town of Pompeii has it all - houses, thermopolia, temples, baths, theatres, amphitheatre, palaestra and a forum. A unique chance to study ‘City Life in Roman Italy’ or to spend a day being a real “Roman” exploring the streets of the town buried by Vesuvius’ 79AD eruption.

The well preserved amphitheatre at Pozzuoli is on a smaller scale than the Colosseum in Rome, but better demonstrates the human aspect of the arena. Here, students can also explore the subterranean passages where slaves and animals were held before fighting.