Pros: The driver was great and lunch was delicious. The Pompeii part of the tour was fantastic! The tour guide was very informative and knowledgeable. She communicated well and we even had a chance to go into the Pompeii Museum. Cons: Mt. Vesuvius was closed on the day of our tour and while I appreciated the email communication the day prior, the communication from the tour guide (a different guide than for the Pompeii part) was very poor. She didn’t state what the plan was, where we’re stopping or for how long, etc. We were just dropped from place to place. The little information we did receive about the volcano was basic facts we could’ve learned from a simple online search. Lastly, based on the itinerary, we thought we would see Pompeii first and then Mt. Vesuvius. Instead, we found out on the bus that we were visiting Mt. Vesuvius first.

We took the dual trips of Pompeii and the hike up Vesuvius. Pompeii is first, and it's a good thing, because you probably wouldn't have energy to do it after Vesuvius. Our guide was great; she was entertaining and knowledgable, and kept the group engaged throughout with funny stories and info you wouldn't be able to get just from looking at the ruins. Pompeii itself is quite large and fascinating (though I will say that if you only have one day to go to an ancient site, I'd give the edge to Ostia Antica, just outside of Rome). Climbing up Vesuvius is the second half of the day, and it is very much a climb. The bus ride up is scary enough, with the tight turns and very narrow roads, but the climb up the volcano is pretty strenuous (especially in 90-degree heat). But the views are undeniably incredible. If you're up to the hike, don't miss it.

The site of Pompeii is very interesting to visit. Unfortunately we did not have access to Vesuvius because of a landslide. We are also waiting for the reimbursement of the entrance tickets to the Park of Vesuvius. The guide in Pompeii knew her subject well, but showed little sympathy towards the members of the group. The guide for Vesuvius also knew her subject well. However, on the whole, the instructions for the day were not always clear. As we changed groups and buses during the day, it was not very reassuring. The included meal did not impress us. The pizza that was served to us was okay. But given the late lunch hour, she was welcome. In short, we enjoyed our visit, but some aspects could be improved.