Things to Do in Naples

Naples has more to see than you can fit into one trip: castles, catacombs, world-class museums, churches packed with art, and views over the bay that stop you in your tracks. Here is a practical starting list. Hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Free museum Sunday

On the first Sunday of every month, Italy's state museums and archaeological sites open their doors for free (Domenica al Museo). In and around Naples that usually includes the National Archaeological Museum, Capodimonte, the Royal Palace, Castel Sant'Elmo with the Certosa and Museum of San Martino, plus Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Phlegraean Fields. Expect crowds, so arrive early, and check which sites are taking part and whether booking is required. Privately run museums, like Cappella Sansevero, still charge.

Castles

• Castel dell'Ovo: the oldest castle in Naples, sitting on a tiny peninsula in the bay. Walk out for the view and finish with a drink at the Borgo Marinari.
• Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino): the imposing medieval castle with five towers, right by the port and Piazza Municipio.
• Castel Sant'Elmo: the star-shaped fortress on top of the Vomero hill, with one of the best panoramas in the city.

Walking tours to do

Naples is best on foot, and a few routes give you a great feel for it.

• Spaccanapoli and Via dei Tribunali: the two straight lines that cut through the historic center, lined with churches, pizzerias and shops.
• Via San Gregorio Armeno: the nativity-scene street, a joy all year and packed in December.
• Via Toledo to Piazza del Plebiscito: the main shopping avenue leading to the grand square, the Royal Palace and the San Carlo opera house.
• Quartieri Spagnoli: the dense, colorful Spanish Quarters, with their famous murals.
• The seafront (Lungomare): from Mergellina along the water to Castel dell'Ovo, best at sunset.
• Rione Sanità: a neighborhood with great local life, catacombs and the Fontanelle cemetery.

Prefer a guide? Our street food tour walks you through the historic center while you taste your way through it.

Museums to hit

• National Archaeological Museum (MANN): one of the greatest archaeological collections in the world, with treasures from Pompeii and Herculaneum.
• Capodimonte Museum: a former Bourbon palace set in a big park, with masterpieces by Caravaggio, Titian and more.
• Cappella Sansevero: a small chapel holding the astonishing Veiled Christ sculpture. Book ahead.
• Pio Monte della Misericordia: a small church-museum with Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy.
• Royal Palace of Naples: the Bourbon royal residence on Piazza del Plebiscito.
• Certosa and Museum of San Martino: a monastery on the Vomero hill with cloisters, a nativity collection and views.
• MADRE: the contemporary art museum in the historic center.

Official sites: MANN, Capodimonte, Cappella Sansevero, Campania museums network.

Underground Naples: crypts, catacombs and Fontanelle

Naples has a whole city under the city, and a long, atmospheric relationship with its dead.

• Cimitero delle Fontanelle: a vast cave ossuary in the Sanità district holding the bones of tens of thousands of people, and a centuries-old Neapolitan tradition of caring for the "souls" of the unknown dead. Haunting, and unforgettable.
• Catacombs of San Gennaro and San Gaudioso: early Christian burial sites with frescoes and mosaics, in the Sanità and Capodimonte areas. See the official site for guided visits.
• Napoli Sotterranea: a guided walk through the Greek and Roman aqueducts and wartime shelters beneath the historic center. Official site.
• San Lorenzo Maggiore excavations: a Roman market and street, still intact under a church.
• Purgatorio ad Arco: a church on Via dei Tribunali known for its skull cult and crypt.
• Cappella Sansevero's lower chamber: home to the anatomical machines, two extraordinary and eerie skeletal figures.

The major churches

• Duomo (Cathedral of Naples): home to the Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro and the saint's famous blood, which is said to liquefy on feast days.
• Santa Chiara: a huge basilica with a beautiful cloister covered in hand-painted majolica tiles.
• Gesù Nuovo: a striking church with a facade of diamond-shaped stone.
• San Domenico Maggiore: a historic church on a lively square.
• San Lorenzo Maggiore: a Gothic church with the layers of Roman Naples beneath it.
• Basilica di San Francesco di Paola: the columned neoclassical church facing Piazza del Plebiscito.

Great panoramic spots

• Castel Sant'Elmo and the Certosa di San Martino (Vomero): the classic all-around view of the city, the bay and Vesuvius. Take a funicular up.
• Parco Virgiliano (Posillipo): a hilltop park with sweeping views toward Capri, Ischia and Procida.
• Lungomare and Castel dell'Ovo: the postcard view of Vesuvius across the water.
• Villa Floridiana (Vomero): a quiet park with terraces over the bay.
• Parco di Capodimonte: green space and city views, away from the crowds.
• Mergellina and the Posillipo funicular: a pretty harbor and a short ride up to the hillside.

Day trips

Naples is the best base for a whole region. Pompeii and Herculaneum (reached by the Circumvesuviana) show you Roman life frozen in time, and Mount Vesuvius is a good half-day hike. Head west to the Phlegraean Fields and Pozzuoli for the Solfatara volcano and the Roman amphitheater. Take a ferry to Capri, Ischia or Procida, or go further to the Amalfi Coast. Caserta's Royal Palace is a grand Bourbon palace with gardens, about 40 minutes north. Our transportation guide covers how to get to each.

Official sites: Pompeii, Reggia di Caserta.

Opera, theater and what's on this week

The Teatro di San Carlo is the oldest continuously active opera house in Europe, and a night there is a Naples bucket-list moment. For concerts, festivals, food events and everything else happening right now, check the live "What's On" section on our home page or in the HelpmeNapoli app, updated every morning.

Want a plan built around your dates? Get in touch and we will put together a custom itinerary.