Wear closed, comfortable shoes with a flat, grippy sole, bring a hat, sunglasses and a refillable bottle, and keep your bag within 30 × 30 × 15 cm, the size the Park's regulation lets through the gate. Everything else depends on the month. Pompeii is an open-air site with long stretches of uneven ancient paving and patchy shade, so whatever the weather is at the turnstile, you carry it for hours.
This page keeps two things apart. Rules come from the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, with the source next to them. Advice is ours, and it is labeled as ours. We are independent and not affiliated with the Park; we read its regulation and visitor pages on 5 November 2026.
Our advice: if you only get one thing right, make it the shoes. A twisted ankle on a Roman street ends a visit faster than heat, queues or a closed house.
Which shoes work on Pompeii's streets?
The Park does not sugarcoat the ground. Its regulation (article 9) says the routes follow the ancient city almost exactly and have drops, variable heights and fairly significant irregularities and gaps. The Park's easy-read visitor guide, printed in April 2024, adds that you might slip on the stones. The stones are large blocks worn smooth in places, deep cart ruts, raised crossing stones at street corners and the odd gap where two blocks have drifted apart.
The same regulation asks for comfortable footwear and warns that the visit "requires significant physical effort". It says nothing about sandals or heels. Herculaneum is more direct: its rules recommend closed, comfortable shoes and discourage heels and flip-flops. We would apply that to Pompeii too.
What we would wear (advice): trainers, walking sandals with a closed toe, or light hiking shoes. Flat soles with a pattern, because smooth leather soles skate on worn stone. Break new shoes in before the trip. Put blister plasters in the bag: the Park's accessible route alone, a gentle detour, is over 3.5 km, and an ordinary visit adds many steps on a surface that never quite gives.
What does the Park allow you to bring?
The current rules are in Decree 446 of 23 December 2025, published on the Park's regulation page. We checked it on 5 November 2026. A few lines matter for packing, and on one of them the Park's own pages disagree.
| Item | What the Park says | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Bags | Suitcases and bulky bags are not allowed in; the permitted size is 30 × 30 × 15 cm. Anything larger goes to the luggage room. | Regulation, art. 5 |
| Food | Eating outside specially designated places is forbidden. A picnic on a Roman street is out. | Regulation, art. 5 |
| Drinks | The regulation does not mention bottles. The Park's guide tells visitors to drink when they are out of the ancient houses. | Regulation; Park's easy-read guide, 2024 |
| Tripods | The FAQ says pictures and amateur videos are allowed only without flash and tripod. The regulation is silent. Follow the stricter page. | Park FAQ |
| Drones | Forbidden without authorization. | Regulation, art. 5 |
| Professional equipment | Forbidden without written authorization; personal photos and videos are fine. | Regulation, art. 5 |
| Dogs | Only dogs up to 10 kg and 40 cm, on a leash and carried when inside buildings. Guide dogs are admitted with certification. | Regulation, arts. 5 and 7 |
| Clothing | No visits scantily clad or bare-chested. No rule on shoulders or knees. | Regulation, art. 5 |
| Umbrellas | Not listed in the 2025 regulation. The Park's 2024 guide says not to bring them, and Herculaneum's rules name umbrellas among the bulky items to leave at its deposit. Ask at the gate if you have one. | Park's easy-read guide, 2024 |
| Bikes, scooters, motor vehicles | Forbidden. Strollers are not named; see our kids guide. | Regulation, art. 5 |
| Other | No flags or banners, stickers, loud radios or street selling; no climbing on walls or fountains; no entering fenced areas. | Regulation, art. 5 |
Two more points. Everyone goes through security: the Park's 2024 guide describes metal detectors and bag checks at the entrances, so a small bag with few pockets saves time. And the ticket is named: the regulation lets staff ask for an ID at every entry to match the name on the ticket, so keep a photo ID with the ticket on your phone or on paper. Prices and ticket types live on our tickets page, not here.
Bags
Where does the big bag go?
The Park's visitor-services page says luggage storage is paid and sits at Porta Marina and Piazza Anfiteatro. It does not publish the fee. Some resellers promise a free cloakroom; the Park says otherwise, and the Park's page wins.
At Herculaneum the Park's FAQ says the deposit is free, though it quotes 35 × 30 × 15 cm while the rules say 30 × 30 × 15 cm. Check the size on the day. Our advice for Pompeii: arrive with one small day pack and no luggage at all, which also spares you the detour to the deposit.
Where do you find water at Pompeii?
The Park's FAQ says there are "many drinking water fountains inside the excavation sites", and its 2024 guide mentions ancient fountains with drinkable water. That is all the Park publishes. We found no count and no list of locations; the Park's heat notice of 27 June 2025 tells visitors to consult the map handed out at the entrances. So we will not tell you there are six fountains or that they sit near the Forum, because we cannot source either.
The FAQ also suggests buying drinks at a bar, and the visitor-services page lists a self-service restaurant and a café-wine bar at the Casina dell'Aquila. Plan to carry what you need.
Our rule of thumb (advice): one full bottle per person at the gate from April to October, two for adults in July and August, and top up at a fountain when you pass one. In the same notice the Park tells visitors to drink even without thirst.
How much sun and shade should you plan for?
The Park's heat notice of 27 June 2025 advises hats, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen, and avoiding the hottest hours of the day, especially with children and older people. We found no rule that closes routes or shortens hours in a heatwave, so the decision is yours.
The numbers explain why. Pompeii has no weather station of its own in the WMO 1991-2020 normals; the two nearest bracket it. At Capri (coast, 160 m) and Grazzanise (plain, about 50 km north-west), July daytime highs average 31.7 and 30.6 °C, and the number of days at 30 °C or above in July is 22.7 and 19.0. The Italian Health Ministry warns that heat stroke can strike outdoors, indoors or in a spot the sun does not hit directly, and that anyone with symptoms should call emergency services. The Park's FAQ places the first-aid post on Vicolo degli Augustali.
Shade is thin. In its notice of 27 June 2025 the Park listed, among the main shaded areas, the Triangular Forum, the pine grove along Viale delle Ginestre, the Garden of Giulia Felice and the Bosco Sacro, plus a list of buildings with roofs. Which houses are open changes week to week, so use the Park's list of open buildings instead of a fixed plan. For more on July and August, read Pompeii in summer.
What to wear in each season
In the WMO normals the January daytime high is 13.1 to 13.7 °C and the monthly rainfall peaks in November (96 mm at Capri, 152 mm at Grazzanise, with 11 days of rain at Grazzanise). The Park closes at 17:00 in winter with the last entry at 15:30, and the 15 November sunset falls at 16:44. The table below is our advice, built on those numbers.
| Item | Why | When |
|---|---|---|
| Closed shoes with grip | Uneven paving, ruts and gaps; slippery when wet | All year |
| Photo ID and ticket | The ticket is named and staff can check your ID at entry | All year |
| Hat and sunglasses | Few shaded stretches; the Park's own heat advice | April to October |
| Sunscreen | Open streets with little cover | April to October |
| Loose, light long sleeves | Covers shoulders and arms without trapping heat | May to September |
| Refillable bottle, 1 L or more | Fountain locations are not published, and the Park advises drinking even without thirst | All year; two per adult in July and August |
| Light waterproof jacket or poncho | Autumn is the wet season; storms peak September to November | October to March |
| Warm layers, fleece or sweater | Daytime highs near 13 to 14 °C in January and February, colder early and late | December to February |
| Small day pack | Stays under 30 × 30 × 15 cm and clears security faster | All year |
| Blister plasters | Many steps on hard stone | All year |
| Charged phone, power bank | Digital ticket, maps, photos | All year |
What about rain, wind and storms?
Article 9 of the regulation says that in a thunderstorm you should not take shelter under trees, and the Park repeated it in a wind and rough-sea alert on 20 October 2023. At Grazzanise the days with thunder peak in autumn: 5.6 in November and 4.2 to 4.6 in September and October. The Park also warns about stray dogs coming in through the fences; keep your distance.
Our advice is a poncho over an umbrella: it frees both hands for the stones and does not raise the question of whether umbrellas are allowed. Wet paving is slower than dry paving, so give yourself extra time after rain. In December the wind at Capri blows at 10 m/s or more on about ten days, which matters more for ferries than for the ruins.
Next door
Herculaneum asks for the same shoes
If your plan includes Herculaneum, pack the same things. Its rules recommend closed, comfortable shoes and discourage heels and flip-flops. The luggage deposit is free, dogs of any size are allowed on a leash, and children must be kept by the hand at all times. Compare the two sites on Pompeii or Herculaneum? or see the combined tours.
What to leave at the hotel
Leave behind large backpacks and suitcases (the deposit costs time), tripods and drones, picnic food (eating is allowed only in designated areas), speakers, heels and slides, and anything you would be upset to put on a stone to take a photo. If you travel with children, read Visiting Pompeii with kids; for reduced mobility, Pompeii accessibility. In winter, check Pompeii in winter for how short the daylight is.
Ticket types, prices and free days in one place
We keep every price on a single page, with the date we checked it.
Packing questions, answered
Can I bring a backpack into Pompeii?
Yes, if it fits within 30 × 30 × 15 cm. Suitcases and bulky bags must go to the luggage room, which is paid and located at Porta Marina and Piazza Anfiteatro, according to the Park. Everyone passes a security check.
Can I bring food or have a picnic?
Not on the streets. The regulation forbids eating outside specially designated places. The Park runs a self-service restaurant and a café-wine bar at the Casina dell'Aquila.
Are there water fountains at Pompeii?
The Park's FAQ says there are many drinking water fountains inside the excavation sites. It does not give a number or a location, so fill your bottle before you go in.
What shoes should I wear?
Closed, comfortable shoes with a grippy sole. The ground is uneven ancient paving with ruts and gaps. Avoid heels and flip-flops.
Can I wear shorts or sleeveless tops?
The regulation only forbids visiting scantily clad or bare-chested. The regulation says nothing about shoulders or knees, so think of sun protection first.
Can I bring an umbrella?
The 2025 regulation does not list umbrellas, but the Park's 2024 easy-read guide says not to bring them. A poncho avoids the question.
Can I use a tripod or a drone?
Drones need authorization. For tripods, the Park's FAQ allows pictures only without flash and tripod, while the regulation does not mention them. Leave the tripod behind.
Can I bring my dog?
Only dogs up to 10 kg and 40 cm, on a leash and carried inside buildings. Guide dogs are admitted with certification. Herculaneum accepts dogs of any size.
Data verified on . Rules read in the Park's regulation, FAQ and visitor pages; climate from WMO 1991-2020 normals. Advice is labeled as ours. Editorial Policy