EXPLORE POMPEII WITH ALL THE SENSES NEWS SUPPORTS INSTALLED FOR INCLUSIVE, ENTHRALLING VISITS Accessibility and new ticket prices as from 12 January

Pompeii can now be explored with all the senses. The Archaeological Park of Pompeii is extending its accessibility services to make visits more enthralling for everyone. A tactile support that tells the history of Pompeii, situated at the entrance of Piazza Anfiteatro, provides an introduction to the tour. Tactile interfaces with high-definition bas reliefs with captions in Braille, 3D models and QR codes, which refer to audio and video descriptions in Italian Sign Language (LIS), are now available in various parts of the site. A map designed using graphics and language for non-visual reading and a mind-map, with 3D models of the most iconic places, encourage orientation for the visually impaired to visit the site with complete autonomy.

The new supports are part of the project “Pompei tra le mani” (Pompeii in your hands), a multi-sensory tour that enables everyone to explore the ancient city using all the senses. The project is promoted by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii and has been implemented with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture through funding from the National Resilience and Recovery plan (PNRR – Investiment “Removal of physical and cognitive barriers in cultural heritage sites”, which also includes other actions and instruments such as videos that are accessible in Italian Sign Language (LIS) and International Sign Language (IS), subtitled and with voice-overs; virtual tours  and inclusive audio descriptions, which can also be accessed remotely; a sensorial station to discover the forms and scents of ancient Pompeii; interactive signage with QR codes; guided tours with Italian Sign Language (LIS) interpreters, as well as specific training for the Park’s staff. 

The implementation of accessibility to the site is proceeding alongside a series of other activities which the Park is carrying out to ensure that visits to the site are as complete as possible, but also increasingly welcoming and comfortable for all visitors. 

“We want Pompeii to have a fresh outlook on accessibility which is not restricted just to special days or carefully tailored tours. Accessibility is an issue that concerns each one of us. Each one of us functions differently, each one of us grows old and you just need to have a baby in a pram to realise the extent to which barriers provide obstacles to everyday life. The new tours are designed to be facilitators for everyone, starting with children who explore the world with all their senses. At the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, we strive each day to ensure that accessibility becomes a service and an intrinsic principle of each activity regarding use, preservation, research and restoration”, declared Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the Park Director. 

There is a significant investment of resources by the Ministry to ensure reception and access, cleaning services and the safeguard of green areas. Furthermore, since 2024, for the first time in the history of the excavations, work is being undertaken to ensure systematic and regular monitoring of the whole of the ancient city (over 13,000 rooms), supported by a new digital platform which gathers all the data about the state of preservation of the site designed to plan interventions aimed at maintenance and protection of the heritage.  “Maintenance is essential not just for decorum and the opening of areas that were previously not open to the public, but also to guarantee the survival and accessibility of Pompeii for future generations”, emphasised the Park Director. 

In order to improve the standards of access, the price of the ticket to enter the Park will be altered and this change will come into force on 12 January 2026. The standard ticket for Pompeii will be €20, while the ticket that includes visits to the suburban villas (Villa of the Mysteries and the Villa of Diomedes), Villa Regina at Boscoreale and the Antiquarium will go up to €25. The 3-day ticket will also be adjusted to €30 and the ticket for the season ticket will be €45. The tickets to the other sites of the Park (Boscoreale, Oplontis, Museo archeologico di Stabia), the concessions (Villas of Stabia, free entry for visitors under 18 years old, free entry for everyone on the first Sunday of the month) and discounts (2 Euros for visitors aged 18 to 25 years old).