Things to do · Naples · Italy
20 best things to do in Naples
20 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: © Ra Boe / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick answer
The essential sights in Naples are National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ and Spaccanapoli and the decumani. Of the 20 picks below, 8 are free, 9 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- National Archaeological Museum
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- National Archaeological Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Archaeological Museum | Centro Storico | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ | Centro Storico | 45 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Spaccanapoli and the decumani | Centro Storico | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace | Santa Lucia and the Lungomare | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Via San Gregorio Armeno | Centro Storico | 30–60 minutes | Free |
| Naples Underground | Centro Storico | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Castel dell'Ovo | Santa Lucia and the Lungomare | 1 hour | Free |
| Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) | Municipio | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Galleria Umberto I | Via Toledo | 20 minutes | Free |
| Teatro di San Carlo | Santa Lucia and the Lungomare | 45 minutes for a tour | Mid-priced |
| Castel Sant'Elmo and Certosa di San Martino | Vomero | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Museo di Capodimonte | Capodimonte | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Catacombs of San Gennaro | Rione Sanità | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Naples Cathedral and the Treasure of San Gennaro | Centro Storico | 1 hour | Free |
| Lungomare promenade | Santa Lucia and the Lungomare | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Toledo metro art station | Via Toledo | 20 minutes | Low cost |
| Posillipo and Parco Virgiliano | Posillipo | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Quartieri Spagnoli | Quartieri Spagnoli and Via Toledo | 1 hour | Free |
| Santa Chiara and its majolica cloister | Centro Storico | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Pio Monte della Misericordia | Centro Storico | 45 minutes | Low cost |
The 20 best things to do
Museum · Centro Storico
1.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. The Secret Cabinet displays erotic art from the buried cities.
Visit before Pompeii to understand what you will see there, and head first to the mosaics on the mezzanine.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Religious site · Centro Storico
2.Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ
This small baroque chapel holds Giuseppe Sanmartino's Veiled Christ of 1753, a marble sculpture whose shroud appears transparent. Allegorical statues line the walls, and the crypt holds two eerie 18th-century anatomical models of the human circulatory system.
Photography is not allowed inside; take time to look at the veil from several angles.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Queues are long and entry is limited; book a timed ticket online.
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Street · Centro Storico
3.Spaccanapoli and the decumani
The long straight street nicknamed Spaccanapoli ('splits Naples') follows an ancient Greek road through the historic centre. 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.
Walk it end to end in the morning, then return to Via dei Tribunali at lunchtime for pizza.
- 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
The city's largest square is framed by the colonnade of the San Francesco di Paola church and the Royal Palace, the residence of Spanish viceroys and Bourbon kings. Inside are a grand double staircase, royal apartments and a court theatre.
Combine the palace with Teatro di San Carlo and coffee at a historic café on Piazza Trieste e Trento.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Street · Centro Storico
5.Via San Gregorio Armeno
This narrow street is lined with workshops making figures for presepi, the elaborate Neapolitan nativity scenes, from shepherds and market stalls to caricatures of footballers and politicians. Busiest from November to Christmas, it is lively all year.
Visit on a weekday morning outside the Christmas season to watch artisans work without the crush.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Kids
- Photo spot
Historic site · Centro Storico
6.Naples Underground
Guided tours descend about 40 metres beneath the historic centre into Greek-era tufa quarries and Roman cisterns later used as Second World War air-raid shelters, squeezing through narrow candlelit passages. Some tours also visit remains of the Roman theatre hidden inside a ground-floor home.
Wear comfortable shoes and skip the narrowest passage if you are claustrophobic; there is a way around.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Castle · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
7.Castel dell'Ovo
The oldest castle in Naples sits on the islet of Megaride, where the first Greek settlers landed. 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.
Come at sunset and climb to the top terrace for views of the Lungomare and Vesuvius.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- History
- Kids
Castle · Municipio
8.Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino)
The massive 13th-century Angevin fortress near the port has five round towers and a white marble Renaissance triumphal arch added by the Aragonese kings. Inside, the civic museum shows paintings and frescoes, and the Hall of the Barons has a remarkable star-vaulted ceiling.
Look down through the glass floor in the Armoury Hall at excavated Roman remains.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Architecture · Via Toledo
1.Galleria Umberto I
Built between 1887 and 1890, this glass-domed shopping arcade opposite the Teatro di San Carlo has a marble zodiac floor and soaring iron-and-glass roof. It is a shady shortcut between Via Toledo and the San Carlo.
Look up from the centre of the cross to see the full height of the dome.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Architecture · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
2.Teatro di San Carlo
Opened in 1737, the San Carlo is the oldest continuously active opera house in Europe, with six tiers of red-and-gold boxes and a royal box facing the stage. Guided tours run most days, and the season includes opera, ballet and concerts.
If you cannot see a performance, the short guided tour shows the auditorium and royal box.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes for a tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- After dark
- Architecture
Viewpoint · Vomero
3.Castel Sant'Elmo and Certosa di San Martino
On the Vomero hill, the star-shaped Castel Sant'Elmo has ramparts with a 360-degree view over the city, the bay and Vesuvius. Next door, the former Carthusian monastery of San Martino houses a museum with a baroque church, a marble cloister and a huge 19th-century nativity scene.
Take the Montesanto or Centrale funicular up and walk down the Pedamentina steps for views all the way.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
- Art
Gallery · Capodimonte
4.Museo di Capodimonte
The Bourbon hunting palace on the hill above the city holds one of Italy's largest art collections, including Caravaggio's Flagellation of Christ, Titian's Danaë, Masaccio's Crucifixion and Parmigianino's Antea. The surrounding Real Bosco park is free and popular with families.
Allow time for the royal apartments and the porcelain parlour, then picnic in the park.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
- Outdoors
Historic site · Rione Sanità
5.Catacombs of San Gennaro
These early Christian catacombs on two levels, carved from the tufa from the 2nd century, contain frescoes, mosaics and the former burial place of the city's patron saint. Tours are run by a cooperative of young people from the Sanità district, and the ticket usually also covers the Catacombs of San Gaudioso.
After the tour, walk downhill through the Sanità for pizza and baroque staircases.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Art
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Religious site · Centro Storico
6.Naples Cathedral and the Treasure of San Gennaro
The Gothic cathedral contains the baroque Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, where a vial of the saint's blood is said to liquefy three times a year. It also incorporates the early Christian basilica of Santa Restituta and the baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte with 5th-century mosaics.
Pay the small fee for the baptistery; its mosaics are among the oldest in the Western world.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Art
- Architecture
Waterfront · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
7.Lungomare promenade
The pedestrian seafront along Via Partenope and Via Caracciolo runs for about 2.5 km from Castel dell'Ovo towards Mergellina, with views of Vesuvius, Capri and the Sorrento peninsula. Locals swim from the rocks in summer, and the Villa Comunale park runs alongside.
Walk it in the early evening for the passeggiata, and stop for a taralli and a cold beer on the rocks.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Kids
Architecture · Via Toledo
8.Toledo metro art station
Line 1's Toledo station, designed by Óscar Tusquets Blanca, plunges visitors into a deep-blue mosaic cone and sea-themed lighting. It is one of several 'Art Stations' on the line, with Università and Municipio also worth a look.
Buy a single metro ticket and ride the escalators down to see the light cone from below.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Posillipo
9.Posillipo and Parco Virgiliano
At the tip of the Posillipo headland, the terraced Parco Virgiliano looks out over the Gulf of Pozzuoli, the island of Nisida, Procida and Capri. Below it, the fishing hamlet of Marechiaro and the Gaiola underwater park offer clear water for swimming.
Go for sunset, then eat seafood in Marechiaro; take a taxi or bus, as it is far from the metro.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
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Neighbourhood · Quartieri Spagnoli and Via Toledo
10.Quartieri Spagnoli
A grid of narrow streets laid out in the 16th century for Spanish soldiers, with washing lines, street shrines, tiny shops and murals, including the large Diego Maradona mural in Largo Maradona, now a pilgrimage site for football fans.
Enter from Via Toledo and explore by day; keep phones and bags secure in the narrow lanes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Food
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Religious site · Centro Storico
11.Santa Chiara and its majolica cloister
The Gothic church of Santa Chiara, rebuilt after wartime bombing, holds tombs of the Angevin kings. Its cloister is a garden lined with 18th-century benches and columns covered in hand-painted majolica tiles showing country scenes, lemon groves and garlands.
The church is free; pay for the cloister and museum, one of the calmest spaces in the historic centre.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Couples
Gallery · Centro Storico
12.Pio Monte della Misericordia
This charitable institution, still active since 1602, keeps Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy above the high altar of its octagonal church, the place for which it was painted in 1607. Upstairs, a small gallery holds Neapolitan baroque paintings.
See it before visiting Capodimonte's Caravaggio to compare two of his Naples works.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ, Castel Sant'Elmo and Certosa di San Martino and Museo di Capodimonte |
| History | National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ, Spaccanapoli and the decumani and Naples Underground |
| Views | Castel dell'Ovo, Castel Sant'Elmo and Certosa di San Martino, Lungomare promenade and Posillipo and Parco Virgiliano |
| Outdoors and nature | Museo di Capodimonte, Lungomare promenade and Posillipo and Parco Virgiliano |
| Food and markets | Spaccanapoli and the decumani and Quartieri Spagnoli |
| After dark | Teatro di San Carlo |
| With children | Via San Gregorio Armeno, Naples Underground, Castel dell'Ovo and Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) |
| On a rainy day | National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ, Naples Underground and Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace |
What to book ahead
- Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ: Queues are long and entry is limited; book a timed ticket online.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in Naples?
Spaccanapoli and the decumani, Via San Gregorio Armeno, Castel dell'Ovo, Galleria Umberto I and Naples Cathedral and the Treasure of San Gennaro. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Naples when it rains?
Head indoors to National Archaeological Museum, Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ, Naples Underground and Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace.
+What is there to do in Naples at night?
Teatro di San Carlo are best after dark.