Parco Archeologico Pausilypon
Parco Archeologico Pausilypon
5
About
Pausilypon was the Villa d’otium build by roman knight Publio Vedio Pollio. When Pollio died (15 b.C.) it was given in legacy to the emperor Augustus, becoming an official imperial estate. It is located in one of the most fascinating places in Naples with a fantastic view over the Bay of Naples.The gateway to the villa was given by the monumental Seiano’s cave (a tunnel 770 meters long caved in the hillside of Posillipo).
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Neighborhood: Posillipo
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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palustrian
beijing118 contributions
Feb 2023
Very impressive long tunnel, recently restored and made safe (Roman originally, renovated by the Bourbon rulers of Naples) giving access to a small part of the domain of a wealthy Roman in the time of Augustus with heavily restored theatre and odeon and the ruin of a Bourbon period palazzo. Good views over the Bay of Naples. Take the frequent train from Montesanto to Bagnoli and walk the 30 mins along Via Coroglio to the entrance. Guided tours (in Italian only; fee payable) and unguided but accompanied visits (free) reserved online (compulsory). Timings (on website) at 9.15 and 11.00.
Written February 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GailDeacon
London, UK120 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
Firstly excellent customer service re: booking tix. I booked the tickets online for the 3pm tour for myself and my boyfriend. I emailed ahead because although I study Italian my boyfriend only speaks English, I recieved a speedy response saying that it wasn't a problem and the guide would translate. The place is a little out of Naples but easily reached by the R7 bus or the Metro to Bagnoli and a 1.5mile walk.
We arrived in time and after checking tickets and green passes our guide Ilaria set off into the tunnel.
Ilaria spoke Italian in a very clear accent and slow enough that I understood almost every word. She then translated into English for the benefit of my boyfriend. The tunnel is a masterpiece in construction (even if the Romans didn't meet in the middle). There's a great view of the islands and the history is very interesting. This was definitely one of our best tours in Naples and I would highly recommend.
We arrived in time and after checking tickets and green passes our guide Ilaria set off into the tunnel.
Ilaria spoke Italian in a very clear accent and slow enough that I understood almost every word. She then translated into English for the benefit of my boyfriend. The tunnel is a masterpiece in construction (even if the Romans didn't meet in the middle). There's a great view of the islands and the history is very interesting. This was definitely one of our best tours in Naples and I would highly recommend.
Written November 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris_Farthing
London, UK134 contributions
Nov 2021
I really enjoyed my recent visit here. It is a bit out of town, nearly an hour by metro or bus, but still well worth doing. We were ushered by our fantastic guide Ilaria into an imposing tunnel through a mountain, to emerge in an open area with ancient theatres, roman remains, plentiful Larus michahellis and Phoenicarus ochruros, and a very friendly cat. Well worth the 6 euro entry.
Written November 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charlotte S
1 contribution
Jun 2022
When I bought the ticket, clearly not speaking Italian, no one bothered to tell me that the tour was only available in Italian. And as visiting without tour was not possible either - well, I got stuck in it.
We were three visitors in the tour. The guide knew I didn't speak Italian, but did not bother once to talk slowly, show me the tables I could read instead or look at me at all. I was just ignored while she kept on talking to the other two about their studies in Naples. I felt very uncomfortable and would have wished for at least a bit of politeness towards all visitors.
The tunnel was very long, but interesting. The view over the sea was beautiful.
We were three visitors in the tour. The guide knew I didn't speak Italian, but did not bother once to talk slowly, show me the tables I could read instead or look at me at all. I was just ignored while she kept on talking to the other two about their studies in Naples. I felt very uncomfortable and would have wished for at least a bit of politeness towards all visitors.
The tunnel was very long, but interesting. The view over the sea was beautiful.
Written June 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sf2410
London, UK1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Couples
A magical place so close but so far away from the buzz and noise of Napoli. Very well preserved archeological site with breathtaking views. I generally don’t like guided tours but Alessia is a really excellent guide, very knowledgeable, technically proficient but also engaging and never boring. Slightly “off the beaten track” but strongly suggested to experience something different in Napoli.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Camilla
4 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
This place should be part of every trip to visit Napoli! Probably less known due to the fact that it is open to visit only from 2006. It is hard to describe how suggestive and scenic it is to walk through the ‘Grotta di Seiano’, a tunnel first built by the Romans which crosses the mountain, and then to emerge in the flourishing garden of the ancient Roman villa of Pausilypon. Among the ancient ruins, there are two well kept theaters and breathtaking views. Ilaria, our guide, made the visit even more special with her energetic and charismatic explanations. Totally recommended!
Written September 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sipivu
Paris, France2,104 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
This is a interesting place deserving attention. You must pre-book your ticket by calling the following number: 0812301030.
The best is to go by taxi (20 minutes from the harbor at a cost of 15€) rather than by bus. It is much faster and easier. Alternatively, you can rent a car during your stay in Napoli. This is what we did, with a GPS, to go to Pompei, the top of Mount Vesuvio, Ercolana and finally Parco Archeologico del Pausilypon. We did that dir our 3 days stay.
The entrance is located in an area from where you have a beautiful view of the gulf of Pozzuoli and the island of Nisida.
You will not be allowed to walk freely through the site. You need to be with a guide.
You start visiting a grotto / tunnel that show the work done by the Romans.
Then, you reach the site which is much smaller but more natural than Pompei and Ercolana, with a great atmosphere.
The whole visit takes about 1 hour.
The best is to go by taxi (20 minutes from the harbor at a cost of 15€) rather than by bus. It is much faster and easier. Alternatively, you can rent a car during your stay in Napoli. This is what we did, with a GPS, to go to Pompei, the top of Mount Vesuvio, Ercolana and finally Parco Archeologico del Pausilypon. We did that dir our 3 days stay.
The entrance is located in an area from where you have a beautiful view of the gulf of Pozzuoli and the island of Nisida.
You will not be allowed to walk freely through the site. You need to be with a guide.
You start visiting a grotto / tunnel that show the work done by the Romans.
Then, you reach the site which is much smaller but more natural than Pompei and Ercolana, with a great atmosphere.
The whole visit takes about 1 hour.
Written May 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Montreal_traveller09
Montreal, Canada336 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
We visited Pausilypon before going to the Gaiola park for the snorkeling tour. I booked the 9h30 tour by email with Paola, and she made sure we knew where to go, not to confuse the two locations.
We took a cab from our hotel in Naples (Renaissance Mediterraneo), took about 20 mins. We had to negotiate the price with the taxi driver in advance, as he was not going to put the meter on! He was asking 25 euros, I balked, showed him the directions from google saying that there were only 10 km to there, and agreed on 20 euros. I knew it was still too much! but he brought us there safely, and exactly at the place we wanted to go.
It was useful to have the printed directions and map from google maps, I had printed them at the hotel before, and the driver did actually use them.
When we got at the Pausilypon site, it was 9h05, but two security guards were there, we explained that our tour was at 9h30, and they offered us the best espresso I had in Italy! Very nice and friendly people!
Then Marica, our guide, showed up, we waited for two more guests, then we went though the roman tunnel, quite an experience! Marica pointed out various features to us, very interesting!
There were also kids from a summer camp, they teach them the basics of archeology, and do archeology 'simulations' with them. Cool!
The remains of the villa (or I'd say palace!) are very interesting too, although not much remains, and not all the site has been excavated, as Marica explained, much of it is under the surrounding houses and they can't dig them.
The view from the site towards the Ischia and Procida was fantastic! The site was quiet, only the 6 of us were there that morning, quite inspirational!
I highly recommend this tour. Also, the price is only 5 euro per person for the guided tour.
From there, you can also do the Gaiola snorkeling tour as we did (or the Aquavision boat tour), or simply go to the Gaiola beach, your tour guide will bring you (not more than 10 mins walk).
We took a cab from our hotel in Naples (Renaissance Mediterraneo), took about 20 mins. We had to negotiate the price with the taxi driver in advance, as he was not going to put the meter on! He was asking 25 euros, I balked, showed him the directions from google saying that there were only 10 km to there, and agreed on 20 euros. I knew it was still too much! but he brought us there safely, and exactly at the place we wanted to go.
It was useful to have the printed directions and map from google maps, I had printed them at the hotel before, and the driver did actually use them.
When we got at the Pausilypon site, it was 9h05, but two security guards were there, we explained that our tour was at 9h30, and they offered us the best espresso I had in Italy! Very nice and friendly people!
Then Marica, our guide, showed up, we waited for two more guests, then we went though the roman tunnel, quite an experience! Marica pointed out various features to us, very interesting!
There were also kids from a summer camp, they teach them the basics of archeology, and do archeology 'simulations' with them. Cool!
The remains of the villa (or I'd say palace!) are very interesting too, although not much remains, and not all the site has been excavated, as Marica explained, much of it is under the surrounding houses and they can't dig them.
The view from the site towards the Ischia and Procida was fantastic! The site was quiet, only the 6 of us were there that morning, quite inspirational!
I highly recommend this tour. Also, the price is only 5 euro per person for the guided tour.
From there, you can also do the Gaiola snorkeling tour as we did (or the Aquavision boat tour), or simply go to the Gaiola beach, your tour guide will bring you (not more than 10 mins walk).
Written July 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lovewaswhen
Singapore51 contributions
Nov 2014 • Family
This attraction is a bit out of the way but definitely worth the 25 minutes taxi ride there. The taxi charged Euro 18 for trip but the return fare was only Euro14 by the meter. The place is at a lovely scenic area, on the Posillipo Hill. You are not allowed to roam freely and must pre-book a visit. There are glass bottom boat trips to the marine archeological site but these are not available after Oct 2014 due to the rough waters in winter. The entrance to the site is actually just a small gate (easily missed), about 100 metres down the sloping road after the address given in the Artecard booklet, on the left hand side of road. Walking tours are available at 9.30am, 10.30 a.m. and noon with advance booking. We had Antonella as our guide and she was very interesting, providing interesting details of place and the materials used in the construction of the structure. The tour of the site starts with a walk through a 750 metres tunnel, in the belly of the Posillipo Hill. A really nice feeling walking through the cool calm tunnels. A nice gentle breeze flows into the tunnel through aeration tunnels dug to provide oxygen for the flame torches of fore and to cool the long tunnels. The view from the site of the Villa and the arena is beautiful, overlooking the bay of Naples. Antonella has interesting stories about the construction of the tunnel, the building, the surrounding waters, the abandoned building on Gaiola and the submerged archeological site which can be viewed by glass bottomed boat tours or diving tours between the months of April to Oct normally. Definitely worth a visit.
Written November 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Johan17
Winterswijk, The Netherlands1,530 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
The Parco Archeologico Pausilypon is a hidden treasure, it is about 20 -30 minutes by car from the centre of Naples. We were advised that it can be reached by public transport, but that is not very regular. We used Discesa Coroglio 36 on our GPS, but found an old industrial estate on this address (maybe my GPS was wrong). Anyway we continued on this road towards the coast and found the entrance, which can easily be missed.
It is in fact a tour, but do not be alarmed, the cost is only 5 euro per person (and we were lucky to join another couple on our tour). The tour is in Italian or if you are lucky in French :-). But the sights speak for itselves and I would not have wanted to miss this.
The entrance is very impressive with very high beams (see photo) and a long tunnel. The tunnel extends over 770 m ! It is very wide and well illuminated.
You will be rewarded by what you find at the end of the tunnel, a magnificent area of excavations and a fantastic view on the sea. There are several buildings and a uncovered and formerly covered theatre on the end of a bluff.
It is in fact a tour, but do not be alarmed, the cost is only 5 euro per person (and we were lucky to join another couple on our tour). The tour is in Italian or if you are lucky in French :-). But the sights speak for itselves and I would not have wanted to miss this.
The entrance is very impressive with very high beams (see photo) and a long tunnel. The tunnel extends over 770 m ! It is very wide and well illuminated.
You will be rewarded by what you find at the end of the tunnel, a magnificent area of excavations and a fantastic view on the sea. There are several buildings and a uncovered and formerly covered theatre on the end of a bluff.
Written June 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Puo entrare il cane media taglia?
Paola M
Naples, Italy
I Cani possono entrare con museruola, guinzaglio e paletta. Per ulteriori info chiamare il centro visite del parco allo: 0812403235 oppure 3285947790
È possibile venire con un passeggino?
Trofoderm
Naples, Italy273 contributions
penso proprio di si
Buonasera. Qualcuno potrebbe dirmi se per le visite nel fine settimana (sabato e domenica) (senza guida) è previsto il biglietto? Grazie.
Walther von der Vogelweide
Italy7,106 contributions
Ciao, visita il sito (ci sono orari e numero di telefono per chiedere informazioni) areamarinaprotettagaiola.
Come si può accedere al Parco Archeologico? È previsto un biglietto? Se si, quel è il prezzo?
Grazie.
boscobi
Prato, Italy18 contributions
Salve vorrei sapere dove parcheggiare e se sono disponibili le visite gratuite a settembre grazie
giovanatalin
Sardinia, Italy132 contributions
Per le visite gratuite,dovresti contattare il Parco, sicuramente sul web troverai i contatti telefonici. Non penso che ci siano parcheggi del Parco, ma nelle vicinanze, ci sono dei piazzali dove si può lasciare l'auto.
SnorkelGirl07
ohio211 contributions
Hi again,
Does anyone know if the Hop On Hop Off bus stops at the Pausilypon Archeological Park? Thanks
SnorkelGirl07
ohio211 contributions
We will be in Naples end of September and would like to visit Pausilypon ruins and also the snorkel/glass bottom boat tour. Can you please tell me how go book these? Thank you.
Patti R
Edmonton, Canada325 contributions
I don't know about Pausilypon as we didn't have time to get there but this is the link for the boat, it's 10 euros.
Trip advisor won't let me post a link so google baiasommersa and it'll come up. It's in Italian not English.
Patti R
Edmonton, Canada325 contributions
We are coming from Rome to Naples by train 9:30 AM, going to Pozzuli first, then Baia. How would we get to Pausilypon from Baia? Is there a train, a bus, can we walk? Would anything still be open at 16:00 on a Saturday? Is there anything we could see? We have to be back in Naples for a 20:00 train back to Rome. thanks
Paola M
Naples, Italy
Hello, you can take train "cumana" and get off at "Mostra" station. Then, from "Piazzale Tecchio" take the bus C1 and get off at "Grotta di Seiano" stop. In this period we do guided tour from Tuesdt to Friday at 12, Saturday and Sunday at 10 and 12. Please, we need reservation. Best regards
marioeraffaella
Caserta, Italy1,268 contributions
Quanto tempo si sta nella grotta?
Giancarlo S
Salerno, Italy295 contributions
il tempo di attraversarla (grosso modo 10/15 minuti)
Parco Archeologico Pausilypon, Naples
Frequently Asked Questions about Parco Archeologico Pausilypon
- We recommend booking Parco Archeologico Pausilypon tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Parco Archeologico Pausilypon tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Parco Archeologico Pausilypon:
- (1.15 mi) Hotel Nuvo
- (1.38 mi) Hotel Cristina
- (3.13 mi) Dormire a Napoli Suite Spa
- (1.14 mi) B&B La Bouganville
- (0.51 mi) Residenza Le Rose Villa d'Arte
- Restaurants near Parco Archeologico Pausilypon:
- (0.05 mi) Ristorante Pizzeria El Sombrero
- (0.08 mi) Hbtoo
- (0.13 mi) Il lazzaretto
- (0.30 mi) O' Pazz Posillipo
- (0.35 mi) Villa Del Vecchio Pozzo
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