4 hours
Half day
- 1.Spaccanapoli, from Piazza del Gesù to San Gregorio Armeno.
- 2.Sansevero Chapel (booking required).
- 3.Fried pizza or folded pizza “a portafoglio” on the street.
Campania
Naples
A city that doesn’t ask permission: it gets under your skin and stays with you forever.
Overview
A thousand faces, one city
Naples is dense, contradictory, alive. It moves at its own pace and doesn’t ask you to live it: it only asks you to walk through it.
Between Spaccanapoli, the Quartieri Spagnoli and the Mergellina seafront, the city changes face every five minutes, and every time it amazes you.
Character of the place
What to expect
Landscape
The Gulf of Naples, Vesuvius in the background, the city’s hills (Vomero, Posillipo).
Sea and coast
Lungomare Caracciolo, Castel dell’Ovo, Posillipo: the sea as a backdrop.
Towns and villages
The UNESCO historic centre, Quartieri Spagnoli, Sanità, Chiaia, Posillipo.
Where it is
Location & getting there
Where
On the Tyrrhenian coast of Campania, on the gulf that bears its name.
Area
Campania, regional capital.
Getting there
Naples Capodichino airport. High-speed train from Rome in 1h10, from Milan in ~4h30, arriving at Napoli Centrale in Piazza Garibaldi. Coach services from Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence, Bari and other major cities.
The Maradona mural, an icon of the city.
Curiosities
Did you know…
- 01
The Margherita pizza was created in 1889 in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy.
- 02
Beneath the historic centre lies Napoli Sotterranea: Greek cisterns, Bourbon tunnels, Second World War shelters.
- 03
The Veiled Christ, in the Sansevero Chapel, is carved from a single block of marble.
- 04
Spaccanapoli is the lower decumanus of the Greco-Roman city.
Itineraries
How to experience it
1 day
One day
- 1.Morning in the historic centre (Cathedral, San Domenico, Sansevero Chapel).
- 2.Quick lunch: folded pizza or a cuoppo by the port.
- 3.Afternoon at the MANN (National Archaeological Museum).
- 4.Sunset on the Mergellina seafront.
2–3 days
Two or three days
- 1.Day 1: the historic centre and Sanità.
- 2.Day 2: Pompeii as an excursion, back for dinner in Chiaia.
- 3.Day 3: Vomero (Certosa di San Martino, Castel Sant’Elmo) and Posillipo.
Not to be missed
Places and experiences
- 01
Sansevero Chapel
Seeing the Veiled Christ in person is something else.
- 02
MANN
The key archaeological museum for Pompeii and Herculaneum.
- 03
Certosa di San Martino
Sweeping views over the gulf from the Vomero.
- 04
Rione Sanità
The Catacombs of San Gennaro and a new cultural scene.
- 05
Lungomare Caracciolo
Sunset from Castel dell’Ovo towards Mergellina.
A feast for the eyes
Naples in pictures
Photo: Pexels. Antonio Vacca · Kelly · Luca Musella · Daniel Eliashevsky · Leefinvrede · Alberto Sharif Ali Soleiman / Unsplash · David Tadmor / Unsplash
Highlights
Icons of Naples
- Spaccanapoli
- Vesuvius
- MANN
- Veiled Christ
- Maradona mural
- Certosa di San Martino
Practical tips
Before you go
Best time to go
April–May, September–October.
Ideal length of stay
At least 2–3 nights, so you don’t have to rush.
Good to know
In the centre, get around on foot and by metro (Line 1, Line 2, Line 6 and various buses). The stations are genuine works of art.
Keep exploring
Other destinations
Ischia
Thermal springs steaming on the beach, lush gardens, the Aragonese Castle rising from the water.
Discover
