Mon-Fri : 09:00 - 18:00
Sat : 09:00 - 17:00
Sun : 10:00 - 16:00
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Brooding Mount Etna forms a dramatic backdrop to your discoveries as you revel in Greek and Roman history and uncover medieval treasures.
Winter is a great time to explore the Canadian Rockies, with snowy peaks, frozen waterfalls and sleigh rides just some of the magical highlights.
In April 2026, Christina and her sister joined our Pompeii, Paestum & Herculaneum tour. It was their first trip with Travelsphere, and we caught up with Christina when she returned.
"My sister, Heather, and I have dreamt about visiting Pompeii since we learned about the famous eruption in school and with a guided tour of the ancient city and other famous sites in the area Travelsphere's Pompeii, Paestum & Herculaneum tour was exactly what we were looking for. Having never been on an escorted tour before, we were excited to discover the area with the help of our amazingly knowledgeable Holiday Director Karina and local guides Franco, Miriam and Marsha. We were also excited to meet our group which turned out to be an amazingly diverse group of couples, friends, siblings and solo travellers.
After arriving into Naples airport we were greeted by Karina and our coach driver Vinchento who took us to our hotel in the small town of Vico Equense, on the Sorrento Peninsula.
Our first full day took us on a picturesque drive along the Amalfi Coast with a few pit stops to take in the dramatic scenery and try our first gelato, before heading onto the UNESCO-listed archaeological site of Paestum. Here Karina guided us around the magnificent temples of Hera, Neptune and Athena and showed us some of the remarkable features of this ancient Greek city. It was a beautiful site to explore and is clearly well preserved and looked after. There is also a small museum showcasing some of the more delicate artifacts and exhibitions depicting what the city would have looked like at its peak. We could have easily spent all day wandering around the temples in the warm sunshine and making friends with the local cats.
Day two was the day everyone was waiting for, Pompeii.
We started early with a short train ride to the ancient city gates where we met our local guide, Franco. Once inside Franco gave us a short introduction to Pompeii and what happened during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD before starting the tour in the Basilica, the only building which still has remnants of the second floor. From here we explored the main square, the male bath house - which is the only building to still have a roof - and some of the famous houses, mosaics and casts.
Franco was an excellent guide bringing Pompeii to life with his exceptional knowledge and good humour. We finished the guided tour by visiting the current excavations taking place. It was fascinating and very interesting to see the archaeologists at work.
In the afternoon we were free to explore Pompeii at our own pace. By now the crowds had amassed in the main areas so Heather and I decided to explore some of the quieter parts of the city; including the amphitheatre, necropolis and some quiet back streets. I was amazed that we could find areas that felt so secluded in such a tourist hotspot, but then again I didn’t realise how big ancient Pompeii actually was!
On day three we ventured round to the other side of the Bay of Naples stopping first at Pozzuoli. Surprisingly hidden among the local houses, here is the third largest amphitheatre in Italy. It is quite a magnificent sight standing in the huge arena where gladiators once fought. There is also a maze of underground tunnels which you can normally explore, but due to some recent seismic activity they were closed during our visit.
After saying hello to the four legged security guard we left for our next destination Baia. This site was once a lavish retreat spread out over eight levels featuring thermal baths, extravagantly decorated rooms and stunning views over the bay and out towards the island of Ischia.
Our last stop of the day was by far my favourite. Cumae is probably one of the oldest sites we visited on this tour with much of the ruins reclaimed by nature, but this created a very serene and peaceful atmosphere while we were exploring. Being a fairly unknown place, we had the entire site to ourselves and started by exploring the Cave of Sibyl. According to legend, Sibyl was a priestess who prophesied from the depths of the earth beneath the Temple of Apollo, and the caves certainly do have a mysterious feel to them.
After this we started our ascent to visit the temples of Apollo and Zeus. There are a lot of steps and uneven ground here, but there is plenty of time to go at your own pace and enjoy the views as you wander. This was another place I could have spent all day at, exploring the temples, sitting in the dappled sunlight and watching the Italian wall lizards, aptly known as ruin lizards, scurrying across the stones.
The last of our included excursions was Herculaneum, also affected by Vesuvius’ deadly eruption. Herculaneum was hit by six pyroclastic flows which covered the city and turned to stone making it much harder to excavate than Pompeii, and as a result only 4 hectares of the ancient city have been unearthed. Everything here is remarkably well preserved. I was stunned by the colour and detail of the mosaics and frescos that were on display and was surprised to discover that Herculaneum has the only preserved wood from ancient Roman times, due to the sheer heat from the eruption instantly carbonising the wooden doors, beds and beams. Our local guides Miriam and Marsha were fantastic here, bringing the history to life and explaining how the eruption affected Herculaneum and Pompeii differently.
After a delicious lunch at a small local café we headed to the nearby Villa Poppaea at Oplontis. Being so close to Herculaneum this was also buried by the same material resulting in incredibly preserved artwork on the walls. Again I was left speechless by the detail and colour preservation - you would not think they were over 2,000 years old, let alone buried by a devastating volcanic eruption. Once we finished exploring, Karina took us to another local café where we sampled some Limoncello and brought some local hand-made pasta to take home (easily the best pasta I have ever eaten) before heading back to the hotel.
On our last two days Heather and I decided to stay local to the hotel, exploring the town, going down to the beach, doing some shopping and of course tasting some more gelato! About two thirds of the group decided to join the optional excursion to the island of Capri which they all loved and even enjoyed a boat ride around the island. On our last night we were treated to a special dinner at the hotel with music, fresh local food, some more Limoncello and a flaming desert!
We had a wonderful time in Italy, met some amazing people and ate the most delicious pizza and gelato. This tour gave us fantastic insight into the history of the area, and memories we will cherish for a long time to come.
