Life in Ancient Pompeii
The tour unfolds like a storybook. You begin with the streets—the arteries of Pompeii. Lava-stone roads still bear the ruts of ancient carts. Stepping stones once used to cross during rains hint at a surprisingly sophisticated drainage system.
You’ll explore everyday life through:
Homes and Villas: Walk through both humble dwellings and grand domus with atriums, courtyards, and preserved frescoes. Marvel at the House of the Faun and House of the Vettii, where mythological scenes still dance across the walls.
Shops and Taverns: Peek into bakeries with carbonized loaves still in the ovens, wine bars with marble counters, and ancient fast-food stands called thermopolia.
Temples and Forums: Discover the city’s spiritual and political center. Your guide explains the rituals, gods, and civic life that shaped Pompeian identity.
Baths and Public Spaces: Step inside the Stabian or Forum Baths—fully intact with changing rooms, heated floors, and mosaics. Learn about Roman hygiene, social customs, and engineering.
Your archaeologist brings each space to life with vivid storytelling:
In the brothel, see wall frescoes used as a menu of services—and hear how historians debate their purpose.
At the amphitheater, learn about the riot of 59 AD between Pompeiians and rival fans from Nuceria.
In a modest home, uncover how class and gender defined layout and lifestyle.
With each step, your archaeologist reveals not only what you see—but what it meant, how it functioned, and what it tells us today. You’ll even examine casts of the victims, their final moments frozen in plaster—a sobering reminder of nature’s power and human fragility.
