History · Naples · Italy
8 historic sites to see in Naples
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Baku, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ and Spaccanapoli and the decumani. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–13 hours across 3 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 12–13 hours
- Areas
- Centro Storico, Santa Lucia and the Lungomare and Municipio
Historic sites in Naples
Museum · Centro Storico
1.National Archaeological Museum
The Secret Cabinet displays erotic art from the buried cities.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Religious site · Centro Storico
2.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.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Street · Centro Storico
3.Spaccanapoli and the decumani
Along it stand the Gesù Nuovo church with its diamond-point stone facade, Santa Chiara and dozens of small shops, while parallel Via dei Tribunali is lined with famous pizzerias.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Food
- Photo spot
Palace · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
4.Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace
Inside are a grand double staircase, royal apartments and a court theatre.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Centro Storico
5.Naples Underground
Some tours also visit remains of the Roman theatre hidden inside a ground-floor home.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Castle · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
6.Castel dell'Ovo
Legend says the poet Virgil hid a magic egg in its foundations. Its terraces, free to visit, give views across the bay to Vesuvius, and the Borgo Marinari harbour below is lined with seafood restaurants.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- History
- Kids
Castle · Municipio
7.Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino)
Inside, the civic museum shows paintings and frescoes, and the Hall of the Barons has a remarkable star-vaulted ceiling.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Architecture · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
8.Teatro di San Carlo
Guided tours run most days, and the season includes opera, ballet and concerts.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes for a tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- After dark
- Architecture
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Storico | National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ, Spaccanapoli and the decumani and Naples Underground | 3 hours + 45 minutes + 2–3 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Santa Lucia and the Lungomare | Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace, Castel dell'Ovo and Teatro di San Carlo | 1.5 hours + 1 hour + 45 minutes for a tour |
| Municipio | Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 1 low cost, 5 mid-priced. Book ahead for Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ. The longest visit is National Archaeological Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ: Queues are long and entry is limited; book a timed ticket online.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Centro Storico): National Archaeological Museum → Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Centro Storico): Spaccanapoli and the decumani → Naples Underground, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Santa Lucia and the Lungomare and Municipio): Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace → Castel dell'Ovo → Teatro di San Carlo → Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino), at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and changeable; carnival brings children in costume to the streets.
- January: highs of 13°C (55°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild but often rainy; quiet sights and low prices, with clear days showing snow on distant mountains.
- November: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Rainy but mild; San Gregorio Armeno's nativity workshops fill with Christmas figures.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Centro Storico — Greek street grid of churches, pizzerias and nativity workshops
- Santa Lucia and the Lungomare — Seafront hotels facing Castel dell'Ovo and Vesuvius
- Rione Sanità — Working-class district of baroque palaces, catacombs and community projects
More of Naples
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Naples?
National Archaeological Museum. One of the world's great collections of Greek and Roman antiquities, with the Farnese Bull and Farnese Hercules, the Alexander Mosaic and frescoes and everyday objects from Pompeii and Herculaneum.
+Which of these are free in Naples?
Spaccanapoli and the decumani and Castel dell'Ovo.