The Vesuvius crater walk

How hard is the Vesuvius crater walk?

Moderate for most people: it is short and the path is wide, but it climbs steadily on loose gravel, which tires the legs and slips under smooth soles.

The park calls it easy and short; guests are less kind in summer heat. Reviews describe it as "a bit steep", "more of a hike than a stroll" and "tough but worth it", while experienced walkers call it easy. The Elite tour's listing compares it to about 45 flights of stairs. If you have knee, hip, heart or breathing problems, take that seriously: you can wait at the car park instead.

How long does it take to walk to the crater?

Guests report about 40 minutes to an hour to walk up, and about 15 minutes to come down.

The whole Gran Cono path is about 4 km and the park allows about 2.5 hours to walk all of it, but tours do not: most give you one to two hours at the volcano in total, including the walk, the views and the souvenir kiosks. One classic-tour guest took 40 minutes to reach the end of the path and had to hurry back to the coach. Go straight up and save the photos for the rim.

Do you climb to the summit of Vesuvius?

No. The coach drives to about 1,000 metres, and you walk roughly 170 metres higher to the crater rim at about 1,170 metres.

Tour listings call it "the summit", and it is the highest point you can reach, but it is a rim walk, not a summit trek. You look down into the crater, which is huge, and you may see small steam vents on its walls.

When is the Vesuvius crater open?

Every day from 9 AM: until 3 PM in November to February, 4 PM in March and October, 5 PM in April to June and September, and 6 PM in July and August.

Want cooler air on the climb? The minibus tour does the volcano first, in the morning.

★ 4.5 · 7 hours · from $97

Explore the minibus tour, volcano first → Tour details

When does the crater path close?

Automatically on orange-level weather alerts or higher, and in practice in strong wind and storms, sometimes on the morning itself.

The rule comes from the park itself: from an orange alert issued by Campania's Civil Protection, ticket sales and the trail shut automatically. Guests on several tours missed the crater for wind or a storm. Each tour handles it differently: the classic day refunds the park ticket, the pizza lunch tour gives free time at Herculaneum instead, the minibus tour proposes another activity, and the Elite tour may visit another nearby site. The Pompeii part goes ahead.

Do you need a ticket to walk up Vesuvius?

Yes: EUR 10 (EUR 8 for under-25s and residents of the park's towns), free under 6, sold only online for a timed slot.

Every combined tour on this site includes it. On your own, buy it through the park's official page before you set off, because there is no ticket office on the mountain. The gate lets you in from 40 minutes before to 100 minutes after the time on your ticket, never past closing time.

What is the walk like, step by step?

A wide, fenced gravel track that zigzags up the cone, then runs along part of the rim, with timber steps in places.

• The car park: Quota 1000, where coaches and buses stop and the path begins.
• The climb: switchbacks on loose gravel and ash, little shade, the bay opening up below.
• The rim: fenced viewpoints over the crater; guests mention souvenir shops along the way.
• The way down: quicker, but slippery; take small steps.

Is the crater walk worth it?

For most people yes: the view over the Bay of Naples and down into the crater is the reason the day sells.

If you know the climb is too much, you can wait at the car park, or pick a day without it: Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast swaps the volcano for the coast. Dress for it with what to wear for Pompeii and Vesuvius.

Frequently asked questions