Transform Your View: Pompeii Unveiled by an Archaeologist

We spent 2 memorable days with Pina exploring Pompeii and Villa Oplontis and another discovering the fascinating Phlegraean Fields. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for these wonderful places, putting everything in context, enhanced our visits. As a professional tour guide myself I can highly recommend Pina. She also covers Herculaneum, Naples city and the wonderful National Archaeological Museum etc.

Very knowledgable - provides an accessible narrative. Pina made the trip far more valuable to us by giving us the historical context of what we were seeing.

Having Dr. Esposito to guide our trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum made all the difference in the world. It was well worth the money we spent for this tour and in hindsight, we would not do it any other way. We were able to see much more than we could have on our own and learn much more about the culture, the times and events than we ever would have wandering aimlessly around reading plaques. She really made life in these two ancient cities a living reality for us. We usually get around by train but paid the extra for her driver on this outing. It made for a pleasant day, as having a car was a great time saver and an extra kindness to our feet. All around a rich experience!

My husband and I spent four incredible days with Pina in Naples, Pompeii ,Herculaneum and Paestum as well as the Amalfi coast. Pina has a highly knowledgeable in classical Roman and Greek history and Renaissance and modern Italian history. Her commitment to and enthusiasm for Italian history and culture is infectious. She is a delight to Be with and we recommend her highly.

If there is someone who knows more about Pompeii, then I want to meet that person. Because Dr Pina knows more about this historical site than any book or video I know! She explained the hidden gems of Pompeii in such an interesting and enjoyable manner! Plus, it was a one on one tour, so we were able to go at our own pace and look at things that large groups would not be able to experience. If you are thinking of going to Pompeii, I would highly recommend Pina!

We have recently spent two full days with Pina visiting Pompeii, Herculaneum, Villa San Marco at Stabiae, and Oplontis. We ended with a wine tasting and lunch at a vineyard on the slopes of the Vesuvius. Pina is the real thing; above all, she’s a scholar. My wife reads Greek and Latin and we are both interested in Roman history, so we wanted a knowledgeable guide. We learned from her. We also felt that she had an extra gear or two beyond what she used with us, and thought this was right. It’s never good to find out you know more than your guide (we had this experience twice in Rome, once with a private and once with a group guide). Pina is expensive. She’ll offer a discount up front but then tell you that a tip is expected which is larger than is usual in Italy and which erases the discount. We have made a concerted effort not to let that darken our experience. Pina is not only a knowledgeable guide, but also a good organizer. She bought all the tickets for us and arranged for transfers from the train station to the hotel on the first day and then back to the station on the last day. We did not want to experiment too much with the local drivers. On our only experience with the Napoli taxis, after we had walked to the seashore promenade on our own, the driver lived up to the reputation: he did not turn on the meter until he was asked to do so (in Italian - be ready to use the language). We owe Pina the visits to Oplontis, Stabiae, as well as the wine tasting and lunch at the vineyard on the slopes of the Vesuvius. We let her advise us on the content of the second day, and her advice was good. Above all we owe her our visit to the Sansevero chapel, where we got to see the Veiled Christ. Pina urged us to go there on our own on the last day in Napoli, before returning to Rome. She even looked up visiting times for us. She was absolutely right. Seeing Sansevero turned out to be the most astounding experience of our Italy trip. Next time we go to Napoli we would certainly consider hiring Pina again. There’s a lot to learn from her.

Pina is the best tour guide!!! We spent a day and a half with the lovely Pina Esposito. First a half day at the Archeological museum in Naples and the next day at Pompeii. She’s incredibly knowledgeable, and so lovely to be with. We learned so much at the museum with her. She gave us a lot of context for what we were about to see next day in Pompeii. She’s a historian and a teacher and a fantastic tour guide. English is perfect and her driver that took us to Pompeii has a very nice car! You’d be lucky to spend time in Napoli/Pompeii with Pina Esposito. Don’t try to wing it yourself. There’s so much to be gained from her knowledge. Enjoy.

Walking through Pompeii with an expert archeologist was a dream! I have visited twice before in years past and was completely lost, overwhelmed and exhausted. Pina led our small group through the maze of the city, explaining the highlights to bring the past to life. We were a smart and curious group--Pina met our expectations by answering all our questions. She was also attentive to our personal needs, like water, coffee, ice cream, and bathroom breaks. I highly recommend Pina for those who want a knowledgeable and attentive guide!

Pina gave us an amazing day at Pompeii and Herculaneum. She is deeply knowledgeable about these sites (see her impressive bio) and shared so much information with us. We arranged for her to pick us up at the cruise port and take care of all of the tickets and transportation to the 2 sites. That worked out very well, because we didn't have to "think" about any of that. All we had to do was listen, learn, see and ask questions. Our day with Pina really helped bring these ancient places AND their residents to life. Thank you, Pina, for sharing your intimate knowledge of these two sites with us. It's on our list to come back to Naples and have you take us to some of the other nearby sites!

We had a wonderful day touring Pompei, lunching at a winery on Mt Vesuvius, and then visiting the Naples National Archeological Museum. Our guide, Pina, expertly guided us through the roadways of Pompei, bringing to life the theaters, houses, and businesses that once existed there, and the people who inhabited them. After visiting Pompei, we drove up to Cantina del Vesuvius for a brief, but interesting winery tour and a lovely tasting of 4 wines accompanied by a yummy lunch. After lunch we enjoyed a drive through Naples then a very interesting and informative tour of the Naples National Archeological Museum where we were able to view mosaics, frescoes, and household objects recovered from Pompei and the surrounding areas.