City in Italy
20 things to see
Naples is where pizza was invented, and a proper Margherita still costs only a few euros from the places that have been making it for over a century, which makes it one of the cheapest major cities in Italy. Most of the best of Naples is free anyway: walk the length of Spaccanapoli, the dead-straight street that splits the historic centre, then loop through grand free squares like Piazza del Plebiscito and slip into baroque churches such as Gesu Nuovo at no charge. Climb to the Vomero hill for sweeping belvedere views over the bay and Vesuvius without paying to enter the castle or monastery up top, and stroll the Lungomare seafront promenade for sunset. On the first Sunday of every month state museums and archaeological sites, including the National Archaeological Museum and the Capodimonte palace, drop their entry fee entirely, so plan a culture-heavy day around that date. Naples also makes a cheap base for day trips by regional train to Rome, Sorrento, and the start of the Amalfi Coast, and prices and crowds ease noticeably in the spring and autumn shoulder months.
What to see
What each one costs, where the cost is known.
The Cappella Sansevero is a small baroque chapel in the historic center housing the Veiled Christ, a marble sculpture of such technical mastery that the veil appears to be real fabric laid over the body. Entry is paid at a modest price.
Castel dell'Ovo is a seaside fortress on the tiny island of Megaride, connected to the Naples waterfront by a short causeway. Entry is free.
Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino) is a 13th-century castle on the waterfront between the port and Piazza del Plebiscito, with a triumphal arch entrance carved in white marble. The courtyard is free.
The Circumvesuviana is the cheap regional train connecting Naples to Pompeii (Pompei Scavi station, 35 minutes), Herculaneum (Ercolano Scavi, 20 minutes), and Sorrento (1 hour). A single ticket costs a few euros.
The Cloister of Santa Chiara (Chiostro Maiolicato) is a 14th-century cloister behind the Basilica of Santa Chiara on Spaccanapoli, famous for its colorful majolica-tiled columns and benches depicting garden scenes, pastoral landscapes, and mythological figures. Entry is paid at a modest price.
The Forum was the civic heart of Pompeii, a rectangular open space surrounded by temples, markets, and public buildings with Vesuvius rising behind. Included in the park ticket.
The Galleria Umberto I is a 19th-century glass and iron shopping arcade opposite the San Carlo opera house, modeled on Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Free to walk through.
The Lungomare is Naples' seafront promenade, stretching from Castel dell'Ovo along the bay toward Mergellina. Free.
The Naples Archaeological Museum holds the finest collection of Roman artifacts in the world, including mosaics, frescoes, and sculptures from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Entry is paid at a modest price.
The Naples Cathedral (Duomo di San Gennaro) is the main cathedral of Naples, famous for the twice-yearly Miracle of San Gennaro when the patron saint's dried blood supposedly liquefies. Free to enter.
Naples Underground is a network of tunnels, cisterns, and passageways 40 meters beneath the historic center, carved from volcanic tufa over 2,400 years. Guided tours are available at modest prices.
Piazza Dante is a semicircular square at the western entrance to the historic center, anchored by a large statue of Dante and flanked by the 18th-century Convitto Nazionale building. Free.
Piazza del Plebiscito is the grand semicircular square at the heart of Naples, framed by the Royal Palace on one side and the Church of San Francesco di Paola with its Pantheon-like colonnade on the other. Free.
Pompeii is the Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD, excavated over centuries into an open-air archaeological park covering 66 hectares. Entry is paid.
San Gregorio Armeno is a narrow street in the historic center famous for its nativity scene workshops (presepi), which operate year-round but explode with color and crowds during the Christmas season. Free to walk.
The Certosa di San Martino is a 14th-century Carthusian monastery on the Vomero hill above Naples, now a museum (paid). The terrace and the Largo San Martino viewpoint in front of the monastery are free.
Spaccanapoli is the straight, narrow street that splits the historic center of Naples in two, running from the Spanish Quarter to Forcella. Free to walk.
Mount Vesuvius is the volcano that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD and the only active volcano on mainland Europe. The summit crater is paid (modest ticket, bus to the upper car park is cheap).
Via dei Tribunali runs parallel to Spaccanapoli one block north and is where Neapolitans eat pizza. L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Sorbillo, and Di Matteo are all on or just off this street, serving full pizzas for five euros or less.
The Villa of the Mysteries is a suburban villa at the edge of the Pompeii site, famous for its room-sized frescoes depicting a Dionysian initiation ritual. Included in the park ticket.
On foot
Tip-based tours and self-guided routes, which is usually the cheapest orientation there is.
The Naples Spaccanapoli to Waterfront walk is a self-guided route from the dense historic center to the open bay. Free. It covers the full range of Naples in 2 to 3 hours, from medieval chaos to seaside calm, with Vesuvius across the water as the finish line.
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