Mount Vesuvius
1,281 m
Italy
Also known as Везувий, Vesuv, +10Also known as
Везувий · Vesuv · Όρος Βεζούβιος · Vesubio · Vésuve · Vesúvíus · Vesuvio · ვეზუვი · Wezuwiusz · Vezuviu · Vezuv · Vesuvius
- Elevation
- 1,281 m
- Prominence
- 1,232 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Summit not accessible
The highest point on the north-east crater rim is closed by Park regulation; the ticketed trail ends on the crater rim.
parconazionaledelvesuvio.it
Path closedReported 1 Aug 2025
Access to the Gran Cono was closed during the large wildfire on the slopes of Vesuvius in August 2025 (source gives month-level timing); the Park reopened the crater trail from the Ercolano side later that month, with the Strada Matrone entrance unavailable.
en.cronachedellacampania.itAdvisoryReported 24 Nov 2025
Trail 5 'Gran Cono' reopened on 24 November 2025 after the Comune di Ercolano revoked ordinance no. 359/2025 and the Presidio Permanente Vulcano Vesuvio completed technical checks.
parconazionaledelvesuvio.itRegulationReported 29 Jun 2026
A revised protocol for the use of Trail 5 was approved by Park President's resolution no. 24 of 29 June 2026 (online-only ticketing, 360 walkers per hour in accompanied groups of 20, closure on orange weather alerts).
parconazionaledelvesuvio.itRegulationReported 11 Apr 2026
Since 11 April 2026 the 'last minute' Gran Cono tickets released on site are issued in the holder's name.
parconazionaledelvesuvio.it
Routes
1The only public way onto the cone: a wide, steep gravel path from the Piazzale di Quota 1000 above Ercolano to the crater rim at about 1,170 m and along its south-western edge, about 4 km and 175 m of ascent there and back. Timed tickets must be bought online in advance. The true summit (1,281 m) on the north-east rim is closed to the public.
This route ends at Gran Cono crater rim, about 540 m from the summit, which is not accessible. Distance, ascent and times are to that point.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 1.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +174 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,176 m
- Time Up
- 46m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 33m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
The road from Ercolano ends at the Piazzale di Quota 1000. Private cars cannot park there: they must use the municipal car parks along the provincial road around the Quota 800 junction, from where it is about 1.5 km on foot up the road or a short paid shuttle ride. Tour buses, the Vesuvio Express from Ercolano Scavi station and shuttle buses from Pompei Scavi drop passengers at the Piazzale. Entry is through an automatic gate with a pre-booked, timed ticket (groups of 20, at most 60 people every 10 minutes); Park staff of the Presidio Permanente Vulcano Vesuvio accompany each group above 1,000 m. The path zigzags up the western flank of the Gran Cono on loose volcanic gravel, reaching the crater rim after about 1 km and 170 m of ascent, then follows the rim south and south-east past several viewpoints into the 1944 crater, where fumaroles are often visible, with views across the Bay of Naples. Walkers keep to the right in both directions. The official trail sheet gives about 4 km return, a high point of about 1,175 m and 2–2.5 hours; most visitors spend 1–1.5 hours. The upper path over the north and east rim, including the highest point (1,281 m), is closed by Park regulation for safety and environmental reasons and is open only to people authorised by the Park. The visit must end within one hour of the last permitted entry. Trail and ticketing close automatically on days with a regional civil-protection weather alert of orange or above, and after fires or storm damage. A second gate at Piazzale di Quota 1050 (Ottaviano/Boscotrecase side, reached by the Strada Matrone, Trail 6) is foreseen but access has recently been possible only from Ercolano.
Start
Piazzale di quota 10001,001 m
- Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Ercolano Scavi, then the Vesuvio Express bus to Quota 1000; shuttle buses from Pompei Scavi station (private operators, seasonal timetables, check locally)
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piazzale di quota 1000 → Gran Cono crater rim | 1.5 | 174 | 5 | 46m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Piazzale di quota 10001,001 m
drop-off point; private car parking is lower down around Bivio di Quota 800
- Feature: Gran Cono crater rim1,169 m
end of the publicly accessible section; viewpoints along the south rim (not on route line)
- Waypoint: Gran Cono crater rim1,169 m
Summit not accessible beyond this point
Key Passages
- Zigzag gravel path up the western flank of the Gran Cono
- Viewpoints into the 1944 crater along the south rim
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The volcano that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79 and last erupted in 1944, rising above the Bay of Naples. A short, ticketed gravel path climbs from 1,000 m to the rim of its steaming crater; the true summit is closed to visitors.
Vesuvius is a stratovolcano on the east side of the Bay of Naples, its young cone (the Gran Cono) standing inside the partial caldera of the older Monte Somma, whose highest point, Punta Nasone, reaches 1,132 m. The summit of the cone is usually given as 1,281 m, a figure that changes slightly as the crater rim evolves. It is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted in the last hundred years and one of the most closely monitored in the world: around 600,000 people live in the evacuation 'red zone' on its slopes. The whole volcano has been a national park since 1995.
As a mountain walk Vesuvius is modest. A road climbs to the Piazzale di Quota 1000 above Ercolano, and the Park's Trail 5, 'Il Gran Cono', climbs about 175 m on loose volcanic gravel to the crater rim and along its south-western edge, looking into the 1944 crater with its fumaroles and out over Naples, Capri and the Sorrento peninsula. Access is strictly managed: entry is by timed online ticket only, numbers are capped at 360 people an hour, and the north and east rim, including the 1,281 m high point, is closed to the public.
The visit takes 1–2.5 hours on foot and is usually combined with Pompeii or Herculaneum. For a longer walk, the Park's other trails explore the Valle dell'Inferno, Monte Somma and the 1944 lava flows, though some are periodically closed after fires; large wildfires in 2017 and August 2025 burned much of the vegetation on the upper slopes.
Climbing Notes
No mountaineering skills are needed: anyone able to walk 4 km with 175 m of ascent on loose gravel can do it. The essentials are logistics. Buy a timed ticket on vesuviopark.vivaticket.it, the only authorised seller, up to 30 days ahead (summer slots sell out); you may enter up to two hours before or after your slot. Private cars cannot park at Quota 1000: use the municipal car parks lower down the provincial road (book parking only after securing a crater ticket) and walk or take the shuttle, or come by train to Ercolano Scavi and take the Vesuvio Express bus.
Go early or late in the day in summer: there is no shade, and July–August afternoons are hot and crowded. Wear closed shoes with grip, carry water and sun protection, and bring a windproof layer outside summer. Check the Park website on the day: the trail and ticketing close on regional weather alerts of orange or above, and have closed for weeks after fires and storm damage. Do not leave the marked trail; the upper rim and the true summit are off limits.
History
Vesuvius's eruption of AD 79 destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae; it was described by Pliny the Younger, whose uncle Pliny the Elder died in it, and gave its name to 'Plinian' eruptions. Major eruptions followed in 472 and 1631, when ash reached Constantinople, with frequent activity through the 18th and 19th centuries. The Vesuvius Observatory on the western slope, founded in 1841 by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, is the oldest volcanological institute in the world. A funicular to the cone opened in 1880, inspiring the Neapolitan song 'Funiculì, Funiculà'; it was destroyed by the eruption of March 1944, the most recent to date. Vesuvius National Park was established on 5 June 1995.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Good
- February: Good
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Good
- Jan
- Open 09:00–15:00 (last entry); cold wind on the rim; closures on weather alert days
- Feb
- Open 09:00–15:00 (last entry)
- Mar
- Open 09:00–16:00 (last entry)
- Apr
- Open 09:00–17:00 (last entry); mild, clear days
- May
- Open 09:00–17:00 (last entry)
- Jun
- Open 09:00–17:00 (last entry); getting hot and busy
- Jul
- Open 09:00–18:00 (last entry); very hot, no shade, crowded, tickets sell out; wildfire risk
- Aug
- Open 09:00–18:00 (last entry); very hot and crowded; wildfire risk
- Sep
- Open 09:00–17:00 (last entry)
- Oct
- Open 09:00–16:00 (last entry); often clear
- Nov
- Open 09:00–15:00 (last entry); rain and wind more frequent
- Dec
- Open 09:00–15:00 (last entry)
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Gran Cono (Trail 5) timed entry ticketRequired
Access to Trail 5 is by pre-purchased, timed online ticket only, sold exclusively at vesuviopark.vivaticket.it: €11.68 full, €9.55 reduced (residents of the 13 Park municipalities and under-25s), free for children under 6. 50 tickets per 10-minute slot are released 30 days ahead; 10 'last minute' tickets per slot are released 30 minutes before, purchasable only on the Wi-Fi at the entrance (maximum 5 per e-mail address, named tickets since 11 April 2026). Maximum 360 walkers per hour.
parconazionaledelvesuvio.it
- Fees
- Crater ticket €11.68 full / €9.55 reduced (including booking fee)
- Municipal parking along the Ercolano–Vesuvio provincial road (managed by the Comune di Ercolano, parkingsuvio.it) and shuttle to Quota 1000 are charged separately
- Rules
- Vesuvius National Park: stay on marked trails
- The upper path over the north and east rim of the crater, including the highest point, is closed to the public; access only with Park authorisation
- No private parking at the Piazzale di Quota 1000
- Each group is accompanied above 1,000 m by Park staff (Presidio Permanente Vulcano Vesuvio); walk on the right in both directions
- Trail and ticketing close automatically on days with a regional civil-protection weather alert of orange or higher
- Visits must end within one hour of the last permitted entry time
- Getting There
Ercolano
Naples International Airport (NAP)
- Circumvesuviana train from Napoli Garibaldi to Ercolano Scavi, then the Vesuvio Express bus to Quota 1000
- Shuttle buses from Pompei Scavi station to Quota 1000 (private operators, seasonal timetables)
- By car via the Ercolano–Vesuvio provincial road (about 13 km from Ercolano); park in the municipal car parks below Quota 1000 and walk about 1.5 km or take the shuttle
Hazards
- Weather
- Volcanic activity