Review: Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius Tour with Winery Lunch [Day trip from Rome]

If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Pompeii in a small group tour or sipping on a glass of wine while taking in the breathtaking views of the Bay of Naples from the slopes of Mt Vesuvius, you will love the Pompeii with Panoramic Lunch on Vesuvius Tour by Take Walks (formerly Walks of Italy).  

We were lucky enough to take this once-in-a-lifetime experience and are excited to share what you can expect. This exclusive tour from Take Walks is best for history buffs or foodies and wine lovers wanting to visit Pompeii as well as slow down to appreciate scenic views and Mt Vesuvius’s famous volcanic wines.

Overview of the Pompeii with Panoramic Lunch Tour

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Pompeii with Panoramic Lunch Tour Highlights

The tour starts by retracing the devastating events that occurred at Pompeii in 79AD  and learning about what life was like in a Roman city while wandering along ancient cobblestone streets. After a busy morning touring the best of Pompeii’s archaeological sites with an expert guide, it’s time to head up the slopes of Mt Vesuvius for a memorable lunch. 

Visit a winery carefully selected to offer you an unparalleled experience as you sit down to enjoy a hearty three-course meal prepared with mouth-watering regional products. You’ll also taste four Vesuvius wines and take a tour of the vineyard with a local sommelier to savor the breathtaking views of both Naples and the sparkling bay below, with Sorrento and the island of Capri visible in the distance. 

The last stop is at the best viewpoint on the volcano to take photos and enjoy a digestive of Neapolitan coffee or homemade limoncello. Then it’s back to Rome by private transfer after a perfectly planned day trip with lifelong memories.

About Your Tour Guides

For this tour, we had a private driver for the day and two guides. Our main guide met us in Rome and took us around throughout the day entertaining us with stories and anecdotes about the places we passed through on our 2.5 hour drive to Pompeii. 

Our second guide was an expert on Pompeii’s archaeological sites and shared her passion for this ancient city and home region of Campania. She encouraged us to ask questions and knew the answers to almost all of them. It was great having such a knowledgeable and professional guide show us around Pompeii’s best sites. As a more intimate tour with a maximum of 18 people it was great being able to connect with the guides and fellow travelers throughout the day. 

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Stories and Anecdotes from Pompeii & Mt Vesuvius

Our tour guides kept us engaged with many interesting stories and anecdotes, but particularly interesting was the story of how they created the plaster casts which have become synonymous with preserving the history of Pompeii. 

We learned that during the first phase of the eruption in 79 AD, those who hadn’t left the city in time were trapped and buried by a shower of pumice stones and lapilli or collapsing roofs and walls. When they began excavations in the 16th century, only the bones of the victims were found yet the high-temperature pyroclastic flow that followed the eruption managed to preserve the form of the bodies at the exact moment it hit. A method called plaster casting utilized liquid plaster which upon discovering cavities in the soil was poured in and left to harden. Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli perfected the technique, creating the casts we see on display today.

Meanwhile, at the winery it was most intriguing to taste the wine called “Lacryma Christi” translated from Latin this means “The Tears of Christ”. The name comes from a local legend which recalls how Lucifer came to Earth and created the volcano (modern day Mt Vesuvius) and when Jesus saw it, he cried. It is believed that the tears of Christ which landed on the soil of Vesuvius are to credit for the fertile soil which allows grapes to grow, producing exquisite wines.  

Most Memorable Moment of the Pompeii with Panoramic Lunch Tour

We’ll never forget the dramatic gasps that escaped us as we stepped out of the car and set our eyes on the spectacular panoramic views from the winery for the very first time. With the glittering bay of Naples below us and a soaring (slightly intimidating) Mt Vesuvius above, the scene was set for a memorable lunch. 

We sipped on glasses of both white and red wines made from grapes grown in the volcano’s vitamin-rich soil. Lunch was a range of antipasti made from local ingredients, followed by a delicious spaghetti main and of course dessert. All the while we gazed out upon rows and rows of vines which eventually blended into the luminous blue waters and coastline beyond. 

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Who Should Experience the Pompeii with Panoramic Lunch Tour

Dedicated lovers of history and wine will consider the Pompeii with Panoramic Lunch Tour one of the highlights of their trip to Italy and perhaps their lives. The best part of this tour is being able to enjoy both a fast-paced morning of sightseeing followed by a leisurely afternoon indulging in exquisite food and wine while savoring the mesmerizing views. 

This exclusive experience makes for a memorable day trip and is priced to match meaning this tour is not recommended for the budget traveler. But, if you’re one of those people who wants a highlights tour of Pompeii followed by one of Italy’s most important cultural experiences – eating and sampling local wine – then this is the perfect tour for you. 

Untold Italy attended as a guest of Take Walks on this tour. All opinions are our own – read more about our disclosure policy.

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