Naples is the Italian city people either adore or flee, and most of the arguing happens before anyone has tried the pizza. Our verdict: it's loud, crumbling in places and well worth it, as long as you book the three or four things that sell out and leave the rest loose.
This list of the best things to do in Naples, Italy is built for first-timers. We grouped 25 picks by area so you walk instead of zigzag, and every entry tells you what it costs, whether to book and what we'd skip in Naples. Prices and opening days come from official museum and ministry pages, checked on 29 October 2026. Where we couldn't confirm a number, we left it out rather than guess. For the bigger picture of how long to stay and where to base yourself, start with our Naples travel guide.
If you're wondering what to do in Naples on a first visit, here's the short version: one underground tour, one big museum, one pizza worth queueing for, and a day trip to the ruins.
Updated October 2026 with current ticket prices, opening days and closures.
Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Short on Time? Book These Before You Fly
If you only lock in four things for Naples, make it these. They're the ones that sell out, or punish you for turning up unannounced.
- Cappella Sansevero: advance booking is mandatory, so reserve on the museum's own site as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Pompeii: tickets are named and timed, so a guided Pompeii day trip with fast-track entry saves you the logistics.
- Underground Naples: the Bourbon Tunnel guided tour with entrance ticket is the easiest way into the city below the city.
- One food night: a street food walking tour with a local guide makes a good first evening.
Things to Do in Naples' Historic Centre
Start here, because the UNESCO-listed old city packs most of Naples' big-hitting sights into a few walkable streets, and grouping your first day around it saves you hours of backtracking across town.
1. Walk Spaccanapoli Before 9 a.m.
The ruler-straight street that slices the old city in two.
Spaccanapoli runs through the heart of the historic centre, changing names every few blocks.
It's free, it's always open, and it's the best first hour you can spend in Naples, especially if you go before 9 a.m., when shutters are still rattling up, delivery scooters outnumber tourists and the laundry hasn't yet been strung across the alleys.
By eleven you'll be shuffling.
Start at Piazza del Gesù Nuovo and walk east, ducking into whatever door is open. Keep your bag zipped and in front of you; the crowded middle stretch is where phones disappear.
Tip: Parallel Via dei Tribunali is where the famous pizzerias and the Duomo sit, so loop back along it.
Cost: Free.
2. Book the Cappella Sansevero Before You Fly
A tiny chapel with one of Europe's most talked-about sculptures.
The Veiled Christ looks like a body under a wet marble shroud, and the sculptor's trick is so convincing that most visitors lean in to check it's stone. There's also an eerie set of anatomical models in the crypt. That's why this little museum, not a cathedral, sits at the top of most Naples lists.
It's also why you can't just wander in.
The museum requires advance booking for every visit. Online sales open 60 days ahead, with extra tickets released two days before, and tickets are date-specific and non-refundable. In high season, hoping to walk up is a plan for disappointment.
Full tickets cost €12, with €8 for ages 18 to 26, €6 for ages 10 to 17 and free entry under 10. The audio guide is €3.50.
It's open daily 9:00 to 19:00. It's closed on Tuesdays, so don't pick Tuesday for your booking.
Important: It's a small space with timed entry. Arrive a few minutes early rather than late.
3. Go Underground in Naples
Two tours, two stories. Pick one, not both.
Under the pavement lies a second Naples: Greek and Roman cisterns, aqueducts and tunnels reused as air-raid shelters in the Second World War.
Two operators dominate. Napoli Sotterranea runs guided tours in English and Italian at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00, and groups under ten don't need a reservation. Its official site also sells a queue-jump ticket if you'd rather not gamble on the line.
The Bourbon Tunnel (Galleria Borbonica) tells a different story: a royal escape route turned wartime shelter, with the rusting evidence of both still down there.
We'd pick the Bourbon Tunnel if you like your history with a bit of drama, and Napoli Sotterranea if you want the ancient water system. If you're claustrophobic, skip both, because some routes squeeze through narrow passages.
Book the Bourbon Tunnel guided tour with entrance ticket ahead if your dates are fixed. We couldn't confirm current ticket prices from the operators' own pages, so check them when you book.
Tip: Wear closed shoes and bring a layer. It's cool and damp down there year-round.
4. Spend a Morning at the National Archaeological Museum
Pompeii's best finds live here, not in Pompeii.
The Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (MANN) holds the Farnese collection of ancient sculpture and the frescoes, statues and everyday objects dug out of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Visit it the day before the ruins, because the ruins make a lot more sense once you've seen what was carried out of them.
A full ticket is €20. EU, EEA and Swiss visitors aged 18 to 25 pay €2, and under-18s go free. It's open Wednesday to Monday, 9:00 to 19:30, with last entry at 18:30, and it's closed on Tuesdays.
Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, which also means the biggest crowds of the month. We'd pay the €20 and go on a quiet weekday instead.
Check before you go: the museum says its mosaics collection and Secret Cabinet are closed for refurbishment, the Alexander Mosaic is under restoration and not on display, and the entrance and ticket office are temporarily at the western door.
Prefer a guide? This private two-hour guided tour of the museum covers the highlights so you're not hunting for them.
5. Browse San Gregorio Armeno's Nativity Alley
Hand-made Christmas figures, all year.
Via San Gregorio Armeno is lined with workshops selling hand-crafted presepe (nativity scene) figures, including saints, shepherds and the odd footballer or politician. It's a ten-minute detour with plenty of photo ops. In December it turns into a crush, so go on a weekday morning if you can.
6. Duck Into Gesù Nuovo and Santa Chiara
The Gesù Nuovo church wears a facade of diamond-pointed stone that looks like nothing else in Naples, and its interior is far more ornate than you'd guess. Next door, the Santa Chiara monastery complex centres on a cloister covered in painted majolica tiles. Check opening times and ticket details on the monastery's own site, as we couldn't confirm current ones. Treat them as a short, quiet break from the street noise.
7. See Caravaggio at Pio Monte della Misericordia
Few small museums have a headline act this good.
The Pio Monte della Misericordia houses Caravaggio's The Seven Works of Mercy, painted for this very church. A ticket costs €10 (€8 reduced). It's open Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 18:00 with last entry at 17:30, and on Sunday 9:00 to 14:30 with last entry at 14:00.
Tip: It's two minutes from the Duomo, so combine them.
8. Visit the Duomo and Treasure of San Gennaro
Naples' cathedral is the home of San Gennaro, the patron saint whose blood is said to liquefy on feast days, a ritual locals still take very seriously.
The adjoining Treasure of San Gennaro museum is the showpiece. We couldn't confirm current hours or prices for either, and a notice on the treasure museum's site mentioned a Wednesday closure, so check the official site before you go.
9. Ride Line 1 to Toledo Station
The metro stop that tops "most beautiful in Europe" lists.
Toledo's blue mosaic walls and light-filled shaft make it one of the few metro stations you'd actually detour for, and since you'll be riding Line 1 anyway, all it costs you is a few minutes.
Hop off, look up, take your photo, and carry on.
Royal Naples: Plebiscito, Castles and the Waterfront
The second walkable cluster sits near the sea, where the Bourbon kings built their palaces.
10. Cross Piazza del Plebiscito
The city's big, open square is framed by the Royal Palace on one side and a colonnaded church, San Francesco di Paola, on the other. It's free and open at all hours, and it's the best place to see how big Naples once thought of itself. Cross it slowly, and then go find a coffee (see number 21).
11. Tour the Royal Palace of Naples
Gilded apartments, a free garden and an honest price check.
A full ticket costs €15, with €2 for ages 18 to 24 and free entry under 18. The Romantic Garden is free to enter. The palace is open daily except Wednesday, from 9:00. The official page lists the closing time as either 19:00 or 20:00 in different places, so confirm before a late visit.
Verdict: worth it if you love sumptuous state rooms. If you're museum-tired after MANN, skip the interior, enjoy the free garden and spend the €15 on lunch. You can book online via Italy's national museums portal or buy at the ticket office.
12. Peek Into Castel Nuovo
The medieval castle by the port, with a Renaissance triumphal arch.
Also known as the Maschio Angioino, Castel Nuovo houses the city's civic museum, and tickets cost €6 (€3 reduced). It's open Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 19:00, with the ticket office closing at 18:00.
It's closed on Sundays, which is exactly when many first-timers turn up. No reservation is required.
13. Browse Galleria Umberto I and Teatro San Carlo
Galleria Umberto I is a glass-roofed 19th-century arcade that's free to wander and good for a few photos. Across the road, the Teatro di San Carlo offers guided visits of the opera house, though we couldn't confirm the current price and times, so check the theatre's website or catch a performance if you're in town for one.
14. Walk Borgo Marinari and the Lungomare
Sea air and a view of Vesuvius.
Borgo Marinari is the little fishing harbour tucked under Castel dell'Ovo, and the seafront Lungomare runs along from there. It's a flat, free stroll, and it's the best sunset walk in the city. One caveat: sources we found disagree on whether the castle interior is currently closed for renovation, and we couldn't confirm either way. Admire it from outside, and treat going in as a bonus.
Vomero, Capodimonte and the Hill Views
Naples is built on hills, and the best views, and a few of the best museums, sit above the centre.
15. Ride Up to San Martino and Sant'Elmo
Sunset over the bay, from a monastery on the hill.
Take one of Naples' funiculars up to Vomero and head for the Certosa e Museo di San Martino, a former monastery with sweeping views over the bay. A ticket costs €6 (€2 for ages 18 to 25, free under 18). It's open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, 8:30 to 18:30, with last entry at 17:30, and it's closed Tuesday. Some sections open at 9:30 and the gardens close an hour early.
Castel Sant'Elmo sits right beside it with panoramic views of its own. We found conflicting official information on its price and hours, so check them locally. Go late in the afternoon, then walk back down the Pedamentina steps as the lights come on.
16. Spend a Morning at Capodimonte
Titian, Caravaggio and a royal park, without the crowds.
Capodimonte is the museum most visitors skip, which is exactly why it's pleasant.
A ticket costs €15 (€2 reduced). The galleries are open 8:30 to 19:30 with the ticket office closing at 18:30, and the museum is closed on Wednesdays. On Sundays the first floor, which houses temporary exhibitions, is shut. The Real Bosco park opens at 7:00 and closes at 18:00 in October and 17:00 from November to January.
Verdict: great if you're staying three days or more. If you only have two, skip it and spend the time elsewhere.
17. Visit the Catacombs of San Gennaro
A burial ground under the Sanità district.
The Catacombs of San Gennaro lie in the Rione Sanità, a neighbourhood that's rougher around the edges but rewards the walk. Visits are guided and reservations are mandatory. The official site shows tours between 10:00 and 17:00 and a closure on Wednesdays. The nearby Catacombs of San Gaudioso follow the same booking rules.
Important: Book ahead, and don't arrive on a Wednesday.
18. Wander the Quartieri Spagnoli
Laundry lines, shrines and Maradona murals.
The Spanish Quarter is the dense grid of narrow streets west of Via Toledo, famous for scooters, hanging laundry and shrines to Diego Maradona. The big restored mural was still being worked on in late summer 2026, and we couldn't confirm it's been unveiled. Go by day, stay on busier streets, and consider a guided walk if you're nervous.
Eat Your Way Through Naples
Skip a sit-down dinner on night one. Naples does its best eating standing up.
19. Eat Pizza at a Classic
The pizza question, answered.
Naples is where pizza began, and a few historic pizzerias still define it, from Da Michele (whose official site shows just four pizzas on the menu, which tells you everything about how they work) to Sorbillo and Starita.
Expect a queue at the big names, little or no booking at the most famous ones, and a pizza you'll talk about for months. Go mid-afternoon to dodge the line.
Want to make one yourself? Book this Neapolitan pizza and tiramisù making class here. Our best pizza in Naples guide goes deeper on where to eat.
20. Eat Your Way Through the Street Food
Pizza fritta (deep-fried), cuoppo cones of fried seafood or vegetables, and sfogliatella pastry for breakfast add up to the cheapest and most Neapolitan lunch you'll have, all eaten standing up. If you'd rather have someone steer you away from the tourist traps, this street food walking tour with a local guide takes the guesswork out.
21. Drink Coffee Standing at Gran Caffè Gambrinus
A historic café on the edge of Piazza del Plebiscito. Do as locals do and drink your coffee at the bar. Sitting at a table is where the price goes up.
Day Trips From Naples
Naples is the best base in southern Italy for ruins, volcanoes and islands, and these day trips are the things to do in Naples that most first-timers regret skipping. Our day trips from Naples guide covers more options.
22. Take a Day Trip to Pompeii
The big one. Plan it properly.
A Pompeii-only ticket costs €20 (since 12 January 2026).
Tickets are named, and entries are timed with a daily cap of 20,000, so book ahead in busy months. From mid-October to mid-March the site opens at 9:00, with last entry at 15:30 and closing at 17:00; in summer last entry is 17:30. Entry is free on the first Sunday of each month, which is also the busiest day.
By train, take the Circumvesuviana from Napoli Garibaldi to Pompei Scavi–Villa dei Misteri; it takes about half an hour. The site is huge and shade is scarce, so a guide earns its fee. Try this guided Pompeii day trip with fast-track entry. See our full Pompeii guide and how to get from Naples to Pompeii.
23. Visit Herculaneum
Pompeii's smaller, better-preserved sibling.
A full ticket costs €16 and it's open daily. From 15 October to 15 March it runs 8:30 to 17:00, with last entry at 15:30. The Villa dei Papiri and the Teatro Antico are closed until further notice. If you only have time for one set of ruins and don't like crowds, Herculaneum is the easier day. Read more in our Herculaneum guide, or book a skip-the-line guided tour with an archaeologist.
24. Climb Mount Vesuvius
Tickets for the Gran Cono (the summit crater path) are sold online only, and the park closes at short notice for weather alerts: it shut on 8 to 10 October and again on 21 October. Don't build your only free day around it without a backup. A combined Pompeii and Vesuvius day tour covers both in one trip. More in our Mount Vesuvius guide.
25. Take a Day Trip to Capri
Hydrofoils leave Naples from Molo Beverello and take under an hour to reach Capri, while Ischia and Procida are further options on the same stretch of water. The Blue Grotto only runs when the sea is calm, so don't make it the point of your day. A guided Capri island day trip from Naples handles the boats for you. Compare options in our Naples to Capri guide, our Capri travel guide and our Naples to Ischia ferry guide. For the coast beyond, see things to do on the Amalfi Coast and Naples to Sorrento.
How Many Days in Naples?
Three days is the sweet spot, because that's enough for the historic centre, a ruins day trip and a day for the royal quarter and the hill views.
That's the whole plan.
Spend day one on Spaccanapoli, Sansevero, the underground and pizza, day two at Pompeii or Herculaneum, and day three on Plebiscito, the Royal Palace and a sunset up at San Martino.
With two days, drop Capodimonte and the Royal Palace interior, and with four, add Capri. Wondering whether the city is worth it at all? Read is Naples worth visiting.
Getting Around Naples
Walk the historic centre in Naples, use Metro Line 1 and the funiculars for the hills, and make sure any taxi runs on the meter or agrees the fare before you get in.
Coming from Rome? The fastest way is the train, and you can compare times and book a Rome to Naples train in advance. Our Rome to Naples guide has the details. Day-trip towns like Sorrento and Positano are covered in Naples to Positano.
Best Time to Visit Naples
Spring (April and May) and early autumn (September and October) are the easiest months to enjoy Naples, because they're warm enough for the sea and cool enough for the ruins.
Summer is hot and crowded at the big sites. Winter is mild but wetter, and boat trips can be cancelled for rough seas.
Is Naples Safe?
Mostly yes, with big-city habits.
Pickpocketing and phone snatching from passing scooters are the main risks, so keep bags zipped and phones out of back pockets near busy corners. Stay alert around Napoli Centrale station, and avoid empty backstreets late at night. Cross roads decisively; traffic doesn't stop politely.
Where to Stay in Naples
Pick your area first, because the Historic Centre puts you among the sights, Santa Lucia and the waterfront are calmer and prettier, and the port area is handy for ferries and the airport bus. Our where to stay in Naples guide and best hotels in Naples go deeper.
- Historic Centre: Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments sits in the old city and scored 8.9 on Booking.com when we checked.
- Waterfront: Grand Hotel Vesuvio on Via Partenope scored 9.0 on Booking.com when we checked.
- Port area: Palazzo Turchini is on Via Medina near the ferries, and scored 8.3.
Naples charges a city tax per person per night, usually collected by your hotel.
Plan Your Naples Trip: The Checklist
- Hotel: book the area you want first, using the links above.
- Tickets: reserve Cappella Sansevero and your Pompeii slot as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Airport transfer: the Alibus runs to the centre, or pre-book a driver such as Welcome Pickups.
- eSIM: set up data before you land. Yesim sells plans you can install at home.
- Travel insurance: for US travelers, Visitors Coverage compares policies for trips abroad.
Book the few things that sell out, keep your afternoons loose, and let Naples surprise you in the gaps between.
Frequently asked questions
What is the number one thing to do in Naples?
The historic centre. Walk Spaccanapoli early, then book the Cappella Sansevero and eat pizza at a classic pizzeria. If you only have a day, those three give you the real Naples. Then add one underground tour or a ruins day trip if you have a second day.
Is one day in Naples enough?
One day covers the highlights if you stay in the historic centre: Spaccanapoli, the Cappella Sansevero, the Duomo, Piazza del Plebiscito and a pizza. You'll miss the museums, the hill views and the ruins, so plan at least three days for a proper visit.
Is 3 days in Naples enough?
Yes. Three days is the sweet spot: one for the historic centre, one for Pompeii or Herculaneum, and one for the royal quarter, the waterfront and a sunset up at San Martino. Add a fourth day for Capri or Capodimonte.
What are the best free things to do in Naples?
Walk Spaccanapoli, cross Piazza del Plebiscito, stroll the waterfront at Borgo Marinari, browse Galleria Umberto I and the nativity street, and wander the Royal Palace's Romantic Garden. Several state museums and Pompeii are also free on the first Sunday of the month.
Is Naples worth visiting?
Yes, if you like food, history and energy more than polish. It has a world-class archaeological museum, unmatched pizza and the best base for Pompeii, Herculaneum and Capri. It's also chaotic, with petty crime and traffic, so go with realistic expectations.
Is Naples safe for tourists?
Mostly. Pickpocketing and scooter phone-snatching are the main risks, so keep bags zipped and phones out of back pockets. Be extra alert around Napoli Centrale station and avoid empty backstreets late at night. Daytime sightseeing in the centre is routine.
What do I need to enter Italy from the US?
A valid passport. The EU's Entry/Exit System, which registers non-EU travelers' biometrics at the border, has been fully running since 10 April 2026. We found no confirmed start date for ETIAS, so check the EU's official pages before you fly.
What is the best day trip from Naples?
Pompeii is the classic, Herculaneum is easier and smaller, and Capri is the best if you want sea views. Vesuvius works in good weather but can close for alerts. Our day trips guide compares them all.
Affiliate disclosure: some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.