Traveleriences
Castel dell'Ovo on the Bay of Naples

Naples, Italy

Ideal: 2–3 daysBest: Apr–Jun, Sep–OctPrice: Inexpensive
OverviewSeeEatHidden gemsDrinkAreasStayPracticalHistoryNearby

In 60 seconds

Naples in 60 seconds

Naples is loud, layered and generous: an old centre of narrow streets and Baroque churches built over Greek and Roman foundations, the best archaeological museum in Italy, and pizza in the city that invented it. It is also the base for Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. Stay in the centro storico or near Toledo, whose Metro station is a sight in itself, and walk Spaccanapoli, the straight street that cuts through the old city. The famous pizzerias take no bookings, so go early. The Circumvesuviana train runs to Pompeii and Herculaneum, and ferries leave Molo Beverello for Capri. Give the city itself two days before heading out; keep valuables close in crowded streets.

Architecture

Best for

  • Food
  • History
  • Budget
  • Museums

Known for

  • Neapolitan pizza
  • The archaeological museum
  • Vesuvius

Skip if

Chaos wears you out. Traffic, noise and crowded streets are part of the city, especially in the historic centre.

Your match

Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Naples fits them. Choose interests

See

Must experience

The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.

National Archaeological Museum

Moderate

Treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum

The mosaics, frescoes and statues taken from Pompeii and Herculaneum. See it before you go to the ruins.

Centro StoricoHalf dayHistory

Eat

Where to eat

A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?

Local

Where to eat the food this city is actually known for.

Ristorante Europeo Mattozzi

Moderate

Neapolitan classics

A warm, old-school dining room where the owner greets regulars at the door; Neapolitan pasta and pizza.

CentroClassicNeapolitan

Trattoria da Nennella

Inexpensive

Boisterous trattoria

Cheap, chaotic and theatrical, with waiters who joke at your expense. Neapolitan home cooking.

Quartieri SpagnoliCheapLively

La Locanda Gesù Vecchio

Moderate

Neapolitan classics

An intimate, casual spot in the old centre serving no-fuss Neapolitan dishes.

SpaccanapoliCasualLocal

Casual

No booking, no ceremony, reliably good.

Pescheria Azzurra

Inexpensive

Fish stall turned trattoria

A fishmonger in the Pignasecca market that fries and serves its catch at outdoor tables.

PignaseccaMarketSeafood

Special occasion

Worth planning the evening around.

Diego

Expensive

Seasonal seafood

A seasonal, ever-changing seafood menu in Chiaia.

ChiaiaBook aheadSeafood

Il Garum

Expensive

Seafood on Piazza Monteoliveto

A refined seafood restaurant opposite a Renaissance church in the centre.

CentroSeafood

Coffee & fika

Mornings, and the slow hour between things.

Beyond the obvious

Hidden gems

Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.

Fontanelle Cemetery

Ossuary in a tuff cave

Thousands of skulls stacked in a quarry cave in the Sanità district, tended for centuries by Neapolitans.

SanitàFreeUnusual

Toledo metro station

Inexpensive

A station designed as art

Descend into a mosaic-lined shaft of blue light — one of the most striking metro stations in Europe.

ToledoDesignQuick

Certosa di San Martino

Inexpensive

Monastery and museum on the Vomero

A charterhouse museum with a terrace view over the whole bay and Vesuvius.

VomeroQuietView

After dark

Bars & nightlife

L'Antiquario

Expensive

Speakeasy cocktail bar

A dim, intimate cocktail bar in Chiaia, long regarded as the best in the city.

ChiaiaCocktailsIntimate

Cantina di Via Sapienza

Inexpensive

Wine cellar trattoria

A century-old wine cellar in the old town, as good for a glass as for a cheap lunch.

Centro StoricoCheapWine

Archivio Storico

Expensive

Cocktail bar inspired by the Bourbon kings

An elegant Vomero cocktail bar full of art, books and vintage furniture.

VomeroCocktailsElegant

Orientation

Neighbourhoods

How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.

Centro Storico

Greek streets, Baroque churches

Spaccanapoli and Via dei Tribunali follow the ancient street plan; pizza, churches and street life.

Chiaia

Elegant seafront quarter

Shops, wine bars and the seafront promenade to Mergellina.

Vomero

Hilltop residential quarter

Funiculars up to calmer streets, Castel Sant'Elmo and the city's best views.

Stay

Where to stay

Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.

Chiaia

Expensive

Seafront, calmer evenings

Elegant streets near the water, a short walk or metro ride from the centre.

CalmerSeafront

Centro Storico

Moderate

In the thick of it

Everything on foot, and noise to match.

CentralLively

Vomero

Moderate

Residential, on the funicular

Quieter, with views, linked to the centre by funiculars and the metro.

QuietView

Practical

Know before you go

Getting in
The Alibus shuttle links the airport with Napoli Centrale and the port.
Getting around
Walk the centre; metro line 1, funiculars and the Circumvesuviana cover the rest.
Money
Euro. Cards are widely accepted, but small pizzerias and bars may prefer cash.
Safety
Keep bags and phones close in crowded streets and on public transport.

Plan this trip — useful links

Visit Naples — tourism site (opens in a new tab)

Context

History in 5 minutes

Enough to make what you are looking at legible.

  1. c. 600 BC

    Greek settlers found Neapolis, the 'new city'; its street grid survives in the centre.

  2. AD 79

    Vesuvius erupts and buries Pompeii and Herculaneum.

  3. 1995

    The historic centre is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Further out

Nearby escapes

Worth a day if you have one to spare.

Herculaneum

Better preserved, smaller

Smaller than Pompeii and better preserved, with wooden beams and upper floors still standing.

By Circumvesuviana train to ErcolanoHalf dayUNESCO

Capri

Island in the bay

Ferries and hydrofoils from Molo Beverello. Go early to beat the day crowds on the island.

By ferry or hydrofoilFull dayIsland