4 days in Naples

Day by day

1. Day 1: National Archaeological Museum and Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ

   National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ and Spaccanapoli and the decumani, then Teatro di San Carlo in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Archaeological Museum

      Allow 3 hours (mid-priced). Visit before Pompeii to understand what you will see there, and head first to the mosaics on the mezzanine.

   2. Late morning

      Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ

      Allegorical statues line the walls, and the crypt holds two eerie 18th-century anatomical models of the human circulatory system.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Neapolitan pizza

      Historic pizzerias on Via dei Tribunali and in the Sanità and Quartieri Spagnoli; expect queues at the famous names.

   4. Afternoon

      Spaccanapoli and the decumani

      Allow 2–3 hours (free). Walk it end to end in the morning, then return to Via dei Tribunali at lunchtime for pizza.

   5. Evening

      Teatro di San Carlo

      If you cannot see a performance, the short guided tour shows the auditorium and royal box.

2. Day 2: Via San Gregorio Armeno and Naples Underground

   Via San Gregorio Armeno, Naples Underground and Naples Cathedral and the Treasure of San Gennaro, then Piazza Bellini and the historic centre in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Via San Gregorio Armeno

      Busiest from November to Christmas, it is lively all year.

   2. Late morning

      Naples Underground

      Allow 1.5 hours (mid-priced). Wear comfortable shoes and skip the narrowest passage if you are claustrophobic; there is a way around.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fried pizza

      Friggitorie and pizzerias in the historic centre and Sanità.

   4. Afternoon

      Naples Cathedral and the Treasure of San Gennaro

      It also incorporates the early Christian basilica of Santa Restituta and the baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte with 5th-century mosaics.

   5. Evening

      Piazza Bellini and the historic centre

      Student bars, cheap drinks and crowds spilling into the square near the university.

3. Day 3: Santa Chiara and its majolica cloister and Pio Monte della Misericordia

   Santa Chiara and its majolica cloister, Pio Monte della Misericordia and Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace, then Chiaia baretti in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Santa Chiara and its majolica cloister

      Allow 1 hour (low cost). The church is free; pay for the cloister and museum, one of the calmest spaces in the historic centre.

   2. Late morning

      Pio Monte della Misericordia

      Upstairs, a small gallery holds Neapolitan baroque paintings.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sfogliatella

      Pastry shops around Via Toledo, Piazza Garibaldi and the historic centre.

   4. Afternoon

      Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace

      Allow 1.5 hours (mid-priced). Combine the palace with Teatro di San Carlo and coffee at a historic café on Piazza Trieste e Trento.

   5. Evening

      Chiaia baretti

      Small cocktail and wine bars around Vico Belledonne a Chiaia and Via Bisignano, busiest at weekends.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Pompeii

   About 35–40 minutes by train each way. Getting there: Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Pompeii

      About 35–40 minutes by train (Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi); about 25 km.

   2. Day

      Pompeii

      The Roman town buried by Vesuvius in AD 79 is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, with streets, houses, frescoes, bathhouses, an amphitheatre and plaster casts of victims. It is huge; allow at least four to five hours.

   3. Evening

      Back in Naples

      Dinner: try Babà.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 4 nights, Centro Storico keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Chiaia ($$$) suits couples, shopping, nightlife and luxury. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–14 hours of visiting over 4 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Naples
• 2 days in Naples
• 3 days in Naples
• 5 days in Naples
• 7 days in Naples

Questions travellers ask