Who is behind this website
My name is Gennaro Scognamiglio and I live in Torre del Greco, on the side of Vesuvius facing the sea. This site compares tours and tickets for climbing to the crater. I don’t sell anything: bookings are completed on GetYourGuide, and I receive a commission from those links. I write this at the top because it’s right that you know before reading the rest, not after.
Why it exists
I grew up with the mountain in my kitchen window. My grandmother’s family lost a house in San Sebastiano in 1944, during the last eruption, and moved down toward the coast. Since then, that mountain has stood there, and every year I see millions of people treat it like an amusement ride: they go up, come down, take a photo, and leave.
The issue is that you don’t just visit Vesuvius—you book a time slot. Access to the Gran Cono trail works on a timed-entry basis, the road ends at a car park around one thousand metres up, and the last stretch is on foot over volcanic gravel. People who arrive unaware of this end up arguing at the gate or descending with their ankles full of small stones. I’ve put these pages together because those three key details on the booking sites almost always come too late.
What it is not
I’m not a tour operator or a travel agency. I don’t sell tickets, I don’t run any transport, and I can’t get you into the park. I’m not a licensed guide or a geologist either: I’m someone who’s walked that trail in every season and seen twenty years of visitors arrive with the wrong shoes. Where technical expertise is needed, I say so and point you to those who have it, for example the tour with park volcanological guide.
How we choose what to recommend
We look at the tours that are actually booked for Vesuvius, comparing them by duration, starting point, included ticket, guide or no guide, actual time at the summit, and cancellation policy. Then we read the reviews, giving more weight to complaints than to praise, because complaints contain the details: how we do it is written hereIf a tour has an issue, we mention it in the first line of its review instead of hiding it at the bottom. This site does not display any monetary figures: prices change constantly, and you’ll see them updated when you open the booking widget. What we can explain to you is what you’re paying for.
The commission does not change the order of the recommendations. The best-selling tour is not the one we recommend most often, and the product with the lowest rating still has its own page, explaining why that rating is low. Full details are in affiliate disclosure.
If you spot an error, or if something has changed on the mountain and we haven’t noticed, contact me. We make corrections, and gladly.
Frequently asked questions
Do you sell tickets for Mount Vesuvius?
No. We are neither a tour operator nor an agency. We compare tours and tickets, then the booking is completed on GetYourGuide with the operator managing the service. See all tours.
How do you fund yourselves?
With an affiliate commission on bookings made through our links, at no extra cost to you. We explain it in full in affiliate disclosure.
Why don’t you list the prices?
Because they change depending on date, option and number of people, and a figure written on a page becomes outdated in a week. We prefer to explain what you are paying for and leave the numbers to the booking widget, which is always up to date.