Best Things To Do In Naples

Colourful, picturesque, historical, passionate, cultural, chaotic and tasty, Naples is a city that will not leave you indifferent. It is also very close to real gems such as Capri, Herculaneum, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Let's take a look at the 10 must-see places in and around Naples.

The immense Piazza del Plebiscito, one of the largest in Italy, is also one of the greatest emblems of Naples. Located at the end of Via Toledo, you can observe the daily life of the city and visit the important buildings that surround it, such as the Royal Palace, Palazzo Salerno, the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola and the Palace of the Prefecture.

A good way to learn all about the history of Piazza del Plebiscito is to visit it as part of a guided walking tour of the city.

Close to the Piazza del Plebiscito you'll find another of the essential sites to see in Naples, the formidable Galleria Umberto I. Similar to Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, this elegant shopping ar cade is made up of 4 marble-floored corridors covered by an iron and glass structure that converge under an impressive dome.

A visit to this gallery is included in several walking tours of Naples. Take the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing moment strolling around the various shops or sipping a typical espresso coffee in one of the cafés.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta or San Gennaro is the most important religious building in Naples. This magnificent cathedral was built in 1314 on the site of an earlier temple dedicated to the god Apollo, and presents a mixture of Gothic, Baroque and Neo-Gothic styles.

Its interior houses works of great value, such as the oldest baptistery in the West and the unforgettable 'Treasure Chapel', which houses more than 50 silver figures, including the patron saint of Naples, San Gennaro, with his blood.

• Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 8.00 am to 12.30 pm and from 4.30 pm to 7.00 pm, with free admission.

Discover other important churches

If you want to delve into the surprising underground Naples, a visit to the Basilica dell'Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio is a must. Not to mention visiting the Catacombs of San Gennaro, undoubtedly one of the most authentic experiences of Naples underground.

Another of the chapels you must visit is the Chapel of Sansevero, better known as the church of Santa Maria della Pietà, where you will discover a unique carving by the little-known architect, Giuseppe Sanmartino. We are talking about the well-known statue of the Veiled Christ.

Naples is a city of impressive fortifications. The Castell dell'Ovo, literally 'Castle of the Egg', is one of the best, both for its imposing architecture and for the views that its Terrazza dei Cannoni offers of the Gulf of Naples, as well as for the legend that its walls hide and that gave it its curious name.

According to legend, the Latin poet Virgil, considered a magician in the Middle Ages, hid an egg in its foundations. It was said that as long as the egg was not broken, the castle and the city would be protected. If you want to know all its history and details, visit this castle as part of a guided tour of Naples.

• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm (closed at 1.00 pm on Sundays).

To know a place is also to understand its gastronomy. In Naples this is especially important when you discover that this city is the birthplace of one of the world's most popular foods, pizza. It was here that pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito prepared a dough with tomato, mozzarella, oil and basil in honour of Queen Margherita and the Italian flag and the authentic Margherita pizza was born.

But the city 's gastronomic tradition doesn't stop there, you should also savour dishes such as its pizza a portafoglio (folded), limoncello, mozzarella di Bufala, taralli, pastiere and stuffed croquettes.

Naples' most famous pizzerias

You'll be lucky to find a table at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, the most popular and the setting for films such as 'Come, Pray, Love', but you'll also taste the best pizzas of your life at Gino Sorbillo, Napoli in Bocca, Pizzeria Sorbillo or Di Matteo. A gastro route through Neapolitan street food will help you get to know the best places to enjoy these flavours.

The Castel Nuovo is a medieval fortress in Renaissance style built in 1282 and another symbol of Naples. Once a cultural centre and defence fortress, today it houses the Civic Museum and is a stage for shows. Its interior has been restored, although vestiges from the 14th century remain, such as the Capella Palatina, but just to go inside and see its moat and the great wall that joins its five towers is worth it.

• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9.00 to 19.00 (closed at 13.00 on Sundays).

The original Naples is here, in Spaccanapoli. Its name, in Spanish 'rompenápoli', is due to the fact that it is the area that divides the old city between north and south, going from the also interesting 'quartieri spagnoli' (Spanish quarters) to the neighbourhood of Forcella. Here you will enjoy scenes of real Neapolitan life, with its street performers, chaotic streets crowned by rows of hanging clothes and lots of motorbikes.

In addition, this area is home to several of Naples' must-see sights, such as the Duomo, the Piazza del Gesù and the Basilica di San Domenico Maggiore, which you can explore on a walking tour with a guide if you want to enrich your visit.

Hidden beneath the narrow streets of Naples lies another city, an underground one, which hides a fascinating history and one of the largest tunnel networks in Europe. The origin of this 'underground Naples', 40 metres deep, dates back to the Greeks, who dug it as underground water reservoirs.

It was extended in Roman times as a quarry for the building of the city and was used as an air-raid shelter during the Second World War. This area ended up becoming a giant rubbish dump that remained in oblivion until the 19th century, when it was rescued and became one of Naples' main attractions that you can enjoy with a guided tour.

The National Archaeological Museum is the cultural must-see in Naples as it is considered one of the most important archaeological museums in Europe. Housed in a palace dating back to 1585, it is recommended to take a guided tour of its enormous collection, which is divided into 4 floors and houses important remains from the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, works from Ancient Egypt and a formidable Hall of the Sundial, reminiscent of the Salone del Cinquecento in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

• Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday from 9.00 am to 7.30 pm.

Staying in the city of Naples alone, although it is capable of satisfying the curiosity of any traveller, is to miss out on much of the richness that the beautiful region of Campania has to offer. I recommend you reserve a few days of your trip to get to know the area around Naples, which you can travel to in the most comfortable way and in the day thanks to the multitude of organised excursions that cover the best things to see in the area around Naples.

If you have, for example, three days in Naples you can see such wonders as the idyllic island of Capri, fascinating cities such as Pompeii and Herculaneum and the volcano that buried them centuries ago, the imposing Mount Vesuvius.

If you are lucky enough to have five days to travel, you can take an unforgettable tour of the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful in Italy and declared a World Heritage Site for idyllic villages such as Sorrento, Amalfi and Positano.

To find out what each destination has to offer or how to get to each of them, I leave you with this list of the best posts:

• How to get from Naples to Capri
• Sorrento and Amalfi Coast from Naples

Vicky's Traveller tip

Naples is a fascinating city that can be covered on foot in about 3 days, but if you don't want to miss out on the wonderful surroundings, set aside a couple of extra days for your trip.

It is true that the Neapolitan city can be seen in one or two days. However, talking about Naples and not referring to Pompeii is impossible, so you can't miss this architectural wonder on one of the excursions to Vesuvius and Pompeii from Naples.

In just 25 minutes by car you can be in the legendary city buried by one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, Mount Vesuvius. But going on your own and on an adventure can sometimes be a bit of a headache, so I'm going to give you some links so that you can find out how to get there, what to visit and the best excursions with tickets to Pompeii and Vesuvius:

• Excursions to Pompeii from Naples
• Visiting Vesuvius from Naples
• Excursions to Pompeii and Herculaneum from Naples
• Where to eat during your excursion to Pompeii
• Tips for visiting Pompeii
• How to visit Pompeii on your own
• Tickets to Pompeii
• What to do and what to see near Pompeii
• How much does it cost to visit Pompeii: Ticket and tour prices
• Duration of tours and visits to Pompeii
• Visiting Pompeii with children
• How to visit Mount Vesuvius, the volcano of Pompeii
• Best time to visit Pompeii
• What to see and do in Pompeii

Although Naples is a relatively small city, it has many attractions to visit, so one of the tips I give you to make sure you don't miss anything is to hire one of the city's tourist buses. Whether it's summer or winter, this is undoubtedly the best option to get to know the capital of Campania. If you travel at Christmas time, you will also enjoy the special illumination of its monuments.

Finally, whether you arrive by plane, train or cruise, I recommend that you plan well the transfers between the airport and Naples and do not waste unnecessary time once there.