One day when we were in Rome, we decided to take a day tour to Naples and Pompeii. The hotels have information in the lobby about these bus day trips. The one we picked cost 106€ and lasted all day, about 13 hours. The tour of Naples was mostly done while we sat on the bus, so it was not too exciting. But when we got to Pompeii… now that was a very interesting place! We first ate lunch in the new part of town (and even had the local Mount Vesuvius red wine!) and then visited the excavations on foot with a local guide. We saw the remains of the city that had been covered by ash after Mt. Vesuvius erupted in AD 97!! It was absolutely fascinating, especially since our tour guide explained everything about how they lived, etc. For instance, we even saw an ancient brothel with carved depictions on the wall of various sex acts that patrons point to and "order" – how funny! And, on the ground outside the brothel was a carved image of male genitalia, "pointing" people in the direction of the brothel. My husband and I got a lot of laughs out of that place! There were also several beautiful frescos and remnants of daily life.
The walking tour lasted about 2 hours. It is amazing how much of their life you can appreciate by looking at these ancient artifacts and preserved bodies in their state of shock and panic. The ride back to Rome takes about 3 hours, and there is a mandatory stop at a coral and cameo factory (I'm assuming they partially sponsor the tour).
Overall, this is a most enjoyable and educational tour. You will LOVE it! It's also a little bit off the beaten track of the usual sites.