diff --git a/internal/fs/archive.go b/internal/fs/archive.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a52a22e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/fs/archive.go
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+package vfs
+
+import (
+	"archive/tar"
+	"archive/zip"
+	"compress/gzip"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+func ExtractArchiveToTemp(sourcePath string) (string, error) {
+	tempDir, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "vcom-archive-")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	cleanupOnErr := func(extractErr error) (string, error) {
+		_ = os.RemoveAll(tempDir)
+		return "", extractErr
+	}
+
+	sourceLower := strings.ToLower(sourcePath)
+	switch {
+	case strings.HasSuffix(sourceLower, ".zip"):
+		if err := extractZipArchive(sourcePath, tempDir); err != nil {
+			return cleanupOnErr(err)
+		}
+	case strings.HasSuffix(sourceLower, ".tar"):
+		if err := extractTarArchive(sourcePath, tempDir, false); err != nil {
+			return cleanupOnErr(err)
+		}
+	case strings.HasSuffix(sourceLower, ".tar.gz"), strings.HasSuffix(sourceLower, ".tgz"):
+		if err := extractTarArchive(sourcePath, tempDir, true); err != nil {
+			return cleanupOnErr(err)
+		}
+	default:
+		return cleanupOnErr(fmt.Errorf("archive format is not supported: %s", filepath.Ext(sourcePath)))
+	}
+
+	return tempDir, nil
+}
+
+func extractZipArchive(sourcePath string, targetDir string) error {
+	reader, err := zip.OpenReader(sourcePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer reader.Close()
+
+	for _, file := range reader.File {
+		relPath, ok := safeArchivePath(file.Name)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		fullPath := filepath.Join(targetDir, relPath)
+
+		if file.FileInfo().IsDir() {
+			if err := os.MkdirAll(fullPath, 0o755); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(fullPath), 0o755); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		src, err := file.Open()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := writeArchiveFile(fullPath, src, file.Mode()); err != nil {
+			src.Close()
+			return err
+		}
+		src.Close()
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func extractTarArchive(sourcePath string, targetDir string, gzipped bool) error {
+	file, err := os.Open(sourcePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer file.Close()
+
+	var reader io.Reader = file
+	if gzipped {
+		gzipReader, err := gzip.NewReader(file)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer gzipReader.Close()
+		reader = gzipReader
+	}
+
+	tarReader := tar.NewReader(reader)
+	for {
+		header, err := tarReader.Next()
+		if err == io.EOF {
+			break
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		relPath, ok := safeArchivePath(header.Name)
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		fullPath := filepath.Join(targetDir, relPath)
+
+		switch header.Typeflag {
+		case tar.TypeDir:
+			if err := os.MkdirAll(fullPath, 0o755); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		case tar.TypeReg, tar.TypeRegA:
+			if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(fullPath), 0o755); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if err := writeArchiveFile(fullPath, tarReader, os.FileMode(header.Mode)); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func writeArchiveFile(path string, source io.Reader, mode os.FileMode) error {
+	if mode == 0 {
+		mode = 0o644
+	}
+	output, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY|os.O_TRUNC, mode.Perm())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer output.Close()
+
+	_, err = io.Copy(output, source)
+	return err
+}
+
+func safeArchivePath(name string) (string, bool) {
+	clean := filepath.Clean(name)
+	if clean == "." || clean == string(filepath.Separator) {
+		return "", false
+	}
+	if filepath.IsAbs(clean) {
+		return "", false
+	}
+	if clean == ".." || strings.HasPrefix(clean, ".."+string(filepath.Separator)) {
+		return "", false
+	}
+	return clean, true
+}
diff --git a/internal/ui/model.go b/internal/ui/model.go
index b8d792c..18ef872 100644
--- a/internal/ui/model.go
+++ b/internal/ui/model.go
@@ -437,6 +437,7 @@ func (m Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 
 		switch {
 		case key.Matches(msg, m.keys.Quit):
+			m.cleanupArchiveMounts()
 			return m, tea.Quit
 		case key.Matches(msg, m.keys.Help):
 			m.openHelpModal()
@@ -800,6 +801,14 @@ func (m *Model) handleOpenSelected() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 		return m, m.loadPreviewCmd()
 	}
 
+	if isArchiveEntry(selected) {
+		if err := m.enterArchive(selected); err != nil {
+			m.status = err.Error()
+			return m, nil
+		}
+		return m, m.loadPreviewCmd()
+	}
+
 	if isEditableEntry(selected) {
 		return m.handleEdit()
 	}
@@ -809,6 +818,19 @@ func (m *Model) handleOpenSelected() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 func (m *Model) goParent() error {
 	m.hover = hoverState{}
 	pane := m.activePane()
+
+	if mount, ok := pane.CurrentArchive(); ok && pane.Path == mount.RootPath {
+		if _, popped := pane.PopArchive(); popped {
+			_ = os.RemoveAll(mount.TempDir)
+		}
+		pane.Path = mount.ParentPath
+		if err := m.reloadPane(pane.ID, filepath.Base(mount.SourcePath)); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		m.status = fmt.Sprintf("Closed archive %s", filepath.Base(mount.SourcePath))
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	parent := filepath.Dir(pane.Path)
 	if parent == pane.Path {
 		return nil
@@ -878,6 +900,11 @@ func (m *Model) handleDirSize() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 }
 
 func (m *Model) handleTransfer(kind fileOpKind) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
+	if m.activePane().InArchive() && kind != opCopy {
+		m.status = "Archive mode is read-only; only copy is allowed"
+		return m, nil
+	}
+
 	sources := m.operationSources()
 	if len(sources) == 0 {
 		m.status = fmt.Sprintf("Nothing to %s", operationVerb(kind))
@@ -916,6 +943,11 @@ func (m *Model) handleTransfer(kind fileOpKind) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 }
 
 func (m *Model) handleDelete() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
+	if m.activePane().InArchive() {
+		m.status = "Archive mode is read-only; delete is disabled"
+		return m, nil
+	}
+
 	sources := m.operationSources()
 	if len(sources) == 0 {
 		m.status = "Nothing to delete"
@@ -1181,6 +1213,11 @@ func (m *Model) cycleSort() (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 }
 
 func (m *Model) openMkdirModal() {
+	if m.activePane().InArchive() {
+		m.status = "Archive mode is read-only; create directory is disabled"
+		return
+	}
+
 	input := textinput.New()
 	input.Placeholder = "new-directory"
 	input.Focus()
@@ -1197,6 +1234,11 @@ func (m *Model) openMkdirModal() {
 }
 
 func (m *Model) openRenameModal() {
+	if m.activePane().InArchive() {
+		m.status = "Archive mode is read-only; rename is disabled"
+		return
+	}
+
 	selected, ok := m.activePane().Selected()
 	if !ok || selected.IsParent {
 		m.status = "Select an entry to rename"
@@ -2225,6 +2267,36 @@ func copyPlanCmd(kind fileOpKind, sourcePaths []string, targetDir string, overwr
 	}
 }
 
+func (m *Model) enterArchive(selected vfs.Entry) error {
+	pane := m.activePane()
+	tempDir, err := vfs.ExtractArchiveToTemp(selected.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	pane.PushArchive(ArchiveMount{
+		SourcePath: selected.Path,
+		ParentPath: pane.Path,
+		RootPath:   tempDir,
+		TempDir:    tempDir,
+	})
+	pane.Path = tempDir
+	if err := m.reloadPane(pane.ID, ""); err != nil {
+		_ = os.RemoveAll(tempDir)
+		_, _ = pane.PopArchive()
+		return err
+	}
+	m.status = fmt.Sprintf("Opened archive %s", selected.DisplayName())
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (m *Model) cleanupArchiveMounts() {
+	for _, pane := range []*BrowserPane{&m.left, &m.right} {
+		for _, mount := range pane.ClearArchives() {
+			_ = os.RemoveAll(mount.TempDir)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func deletePlanCmd(sourcePaths []string) tea.Cmd {
 	return func() tea.Msg {
 		stats := vfs.TransferStats{}
@@ -2630,6 +2702,10 @@ func isEditableEntry(entry vfs.Entry) bool {
 	}
 }
 
+func isArchiveEntry(entry vfs.Entry) bool {
+	return !entry.IsDir && !entry.IsParent && entry.Category() == "archive"
+}
+
 func (m *Model) hoverIndexFor(pane PaneID) int {
 	if m.hover.ok && m.hover.pane == pane {
 		return m.hover.index
diff --git a/internal/ui/pane.go b/internal/ui/pane.go
index aad579f..3ecf473 100644
--- a/internal/ui/pane.go
+++ b/internal/ui/pane.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package ui
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
@@ -25,6 +26,14 @@ type BrowserPane struct {
 	Cursor  int
 	Offset  int
 	Marked  map[string]struct{}
+	Archive []ArchiveMount
+}
+
+type ArchiveMount struct {
+	SourcePath string
+	ParentPath string
+	RootPath   string
+	TempDir    string
 }
 
 func (p *BrowserPane) Selected() (vfs.Entry, bool) {
@@ -171,6 +180,59 @@ func (p *BrowserPane) EnsureVisible(pageSize int) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (p *BrowserPane) InArchive() bool {
+	return len(p.Archive) > 0
+}
+
+func (p *BrowserPane) PushArchive(mount ArchiveMount) {
+	p.Archive = append(p.Archive, mount)
+}
+
+func (p *BrowserPane) PopArchive() (ArchiveMount, bool) {
+	if len(p.Archive) == 0 {
+		return ArchiveMount{}, false
+	}
+	last := p.Archive[len(p.Archive)-1]
+	p.Archive = p.Archive[:len(p.Archive)-1]
+	return last, true
+}
+
+func (p *BrowserPane) CurrentArchive() (ArchiveMount, bool) {
+	if len(p.Archive) == 0 {
+		return ArchiveMount{}, false
+	}
+	return p.Archive[len(p.Archive)-1], true
+}
+
+func (p *BrowserPane) ClearArchives() []ArchiveMount {
+	if len(p.Archive) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	out := make([]ArchiveMount, len(p.Archive))
+	copy(out, p.Archive)
+	p.Archive = nil
+	return out
+}
+
+func (p *BrowserPane) DisplayPath() string {
+	if len(p.Archive) == 0 {
+		return p.Path
+	}
+	top := p.Archive[len(p.Archive)-1]
+	rel, err := filepath.Rel(top.RootPath, p.Path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return p.Path
+	}
+	rel = filepath.ToSlash(rel)
+	if rel == "." {
+		rel = ""
+	}
+	if rel == "" {
+		return top.SourcePath + "::"
+	}
+	return top.SourcePath + "::/" + rel
+}
+
 func renderPane(
 	pane BrowserPane,
 	cfg config.Config,
@@ -229,7 +291,7 @@ func renderPaneHeader(pane BrowserPane, cfg config.Config, palette theme.Palette
 	return lipgloss.NewStyle().
 		Width(width).
 		Background(headerBg).
-		Render(pathStyle.Render(truncateMiddle(compactPath(pane.Path, cfg.UI.PathDisplay), pathWidth)))
+		Render(pathStyle.Render(truncateMiddle(compactPath(pane.DisplayPath(), cfg.UI.PathDisplay), pathWidth)))
 }
 
 func renderColumnsHeader(cfg config.Config, width int, palette theme.Palette, background lipgloss.Color, useNerdIcons bool) string {
diff --git a/vcom.toml b/vcom.toml
index 21812bb..8dc51c2 100644
--- a/vcom.toml
+++ b/vcom.toml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 [ui]
 app_title = "vcom"
 theme = "catppuccin-mocha"
+icon_mode = "auto" # auto | nerd | ascii
 show_title_bar = true
 show_footer = true
 border = "rounded"