AN American tourist sustained minor injuries after falling into Mount Vesuvius' crater to retrieve his phone and is hit with charges over a forbidden route.

The incident happened on Saturday when the 23-year-old and his family reached the 4,202ft summit of the volcano towering over the southern Italian city of Naples.

According to the local outlet Wanted in Rome, the tourist and three of his relatives bypassed the visitor entrance to the volcano and took a forbidden route to the summit.

The 23-year-old was taking a selfie when his phone slipped out of his hands and fell into the mouth of the volcano.

The man then descended into the crater to try and retrieve his phone, only to fall several meters after losing his balance.

Emergency services were able to pull the man out of the crater and treat him for cuts and bruises on his arms and back.

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The visitor and three of his relatives were charged with the invasion of public land, police told the outlet.

Mount Vesuvius is among the most active volcanos in Italy and is regarded by experts as one of the world's most dangerous.

Despite the warnings, hiking the volcano is a popular tourist activity.

The volcano is famous for an eruption in 79 A.D that killed 16,000 people living in the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, covering it in volcanic ash.

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