With kids · Naples · Italy
Naples with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Marco Ober, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Children love Naples's castles, pizza, underground tunnels and volcano. Pushchairs are hard work on cobbles and stairs, and traffic demands constant attention, but the seafront promenade and parks offer calmer breaks. Top picks: Castel dell'Ovo, Naples Underground and Lungomare promenade. Families usually base themselves in Santa Lucia and the Lungomare.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
- Rainy-day options
- 1
Best things to do with kids
Castle · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
1.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
Historic site · Centro Storico
2.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
Waterfront · Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
3.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
Castle · Municipio
4.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
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
Rainy-day ideas
- Naples Underground — Wear comfortable shoes and skip the narrowest passage if you are claustrophobic; there is a way around.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury, families and first-timers
Santa Lucia and the Lungomare
The pedestrianised seafront along Via Partenope and Via Caracciolo is lined with the city's grand hotels, looking across the bay to Vesuvius and Capri. Castel dell'Ovo and the Borgo Marinari harbour are on the doorstep, and Piazza del Plebiscito and the Royal Palace are a short walk away.
- Good
- Sea and Vesuvius views; Pedestrian promenade for evening walks; Calmer than the old centre
- Watch out
- Expensive hotels; Seafront restaurants are touristy
- Nearby
- Castel dell'Ovo, Piazza del Plebiscito, Royal Palace, Teatro di San Carlo
Family travel tips
- Use a baby carrier rather than a pushchair in the historic centre.
- Hold children's hands near roads; drivers and scooters rarely give way.
- Pompeii is vast and shadeless; bring hats and water, and plan a short route for younger children.
- The Vesuvius crater walk suits children who can manage a steep 30–45 minute climb on gravel.
- The Lungomare and Villa Comunale are good for scooters and playgrounds.
Day trips for families
- Pompeii (About 35–40 minutes by train) — 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.
- Herculaneum (About 20 minutes by train) — Smaller and better preserved than Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried by volcanic material that preserved wooden beams, upper floors and vivid mosaics.
- Mount Vesuvius (About 1 hour by bus or shuttle) — A gravel path climbs the cone of the volcano that destroyed Pompeii to the crater rim, with views over the Bay of Naples.
- Sorrento (About 40 minutes by ferry or 1 hour by train) — A clifftop resort town of lemon groves, limoncello shops and views back across the bay to Vesuvius, and a gateway to the Amalfi Coast and Capri.
- Royal Palace of Caserta (About 40 minutes by train) — The Bourbon kings' 18th-century palace, one of the largest royal residences in Europe, has grand state rooms and a park of fountains and cascades stretching about 3 km to an English garden.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–June and September–October. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Naples good for kids?
Children love Naples's castles, pizza, underground tunnels and volcano. Pushchairs are hard work on cobbles and stairs, and traffic demands constant attention, but the seafront promenade and parks offer calmer breaks.
+What can kids do in Naples?
Castel dell'Ovo, Naples Underground, Lungomare promenade, Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) and Via San Gregorio Armeno.
+Where should families stay in Naples?
Santa Lucia and the Lungomare: Seafront hotels facing Castel dell'Ovo and Vesuvius.