Things to Do in Naples
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Naples, Italy, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Right, Naples. Loud, chaotic, wonderful, try to keep pace, the genuine birthplace of pizza, sitting in the shadow of a volcano that's still technically active, and the gateway to one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites anywhere on Earth. This is the proper, no-nonsense guide to things to do in Naples: what things actually cost, when to go, what to skip, and which bits are worth the day trip. Five main stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site to see if you were paying attention.
Authentic Neapolitan Pizza
Naples is widely credited as the birthplace of pizza, Margherita, specifically, named for a queen, the Margherita pizza, tomato, mozzarella, and basil arranged to echo the colours of the Italian flag, was reportedly created here in 1889 in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy, a genuinely significant piece of culinary history.
Naples takes its pizza genuinely, seriously, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana certifies restaurants that follow strict traditional methods, wood-fired ovens, specific dough preparation, worth seeking out one of these certified pizzerias for the real thing rather than a tourist-oriented version elsewhere.
Best time Lunch or dinner
Mount Vesuvius
A looming volcano overlooks the Bay of Naples and famously buried Pompeii in AD 79, Mount Vesuvius, a genuinely dramatic backdrop to the whole city, hiking to the crater rim is a popular day trip, offering sweeping views over the bay and, weather permitting, down into the crater itself.
It's worth combining with a Pompeii or Herculaneum visit given how directly connected the two are, the same eruption that destroyed both cities is what you'll be standing above during the crater hike.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am–4pm, shorter in winter
Getting there About 1 hour from Naples
Pompeii & Herculaneum
An ancient Roman city, preserved almost perfectly by volcanic ash, sits just outside Naples, Pompeii, genuinely one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites anywhere, an entire Roman city frozen at the moment of catastrophe, streets, homes, and even plaster casts of victims preserved in remarkable detail, a sobering, essential visit.
Herculaneum is the other one nearby, worth visiting both if your schedule allows, Herculaneum's more compact size and genuinely superior preservation (buried by pyroclastic flow rather than ash, preserving even wooden structures) make it a worthwhile complement to the larger, more famous site.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am–7pm, shorter in winter
Getting there Both about 30–45 minutes from Naples by train
Spaccanapoli & the Historic Centre
Naples's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, genuinely one of the largest and densest old towns in Europe, Spaccanapoli, a long, narrow street literally splitting the old town in two, is worth a proper walk, churches, shrines, and street life packed tightly together in a way that feels different from Italy's more polished northern cities.
It's a good, unhurried wander, worth combining with the Naples Underground (Napoli Sotterranea), tunnels and cisterns beneath the city dating back to Greek and Roman times, a genuinely different, subterranean perspective on the city's layered history.
Best time Morning or evening
Address Spaccanapoli, Naples
The Amalfi Coast Gateway
Naples serves as a common gateway to the Amalfi Coast, one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world, worth a day trip or longer if your schedule allows, the coastal towns of Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello each offer their own genuinely striking version of the same dramatic cliffside scenery.
It's a full day at minimum, worth booking an organised tour or hiring a driver rather than attempting the notoriously narrow, winding coastal roads yourself if you're not genuinely comfortable with that kind of driving.
Getting there About 1.5–2 hours from Naples
Best time to visit Naples
April through June and September through October give the most comfortable weather for the amount of walking and day-tripping this list involves, mild without summer's peak heat and crowds.
Summer brings genuinely intense heat and the biggest crowds at Pompeii specifically, worth targeting the shoulder seasons if you have flexibility, or an early start regardless of season given the site's popularity.
Getting around Naples
Naples's historic centre is genuinely walkable, though the traffic and general chaos take some getting used to. Trains (the Circumvesuviana line) are the practical way to reach Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Mount Vesuvius.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Naples worth visiting?
- Yes, unquestionably, the genuine birthplace of pizza, gateway to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, and a genuinely atmospheric historic centre unlike anywhere else in Italy.
- How many days do you need in Naples?
- Four days covers the historic centre, Pompeii, and Mount Vesuvius comfortably; add a day for the Amalfi Coast.
- Is Naples expensive?
- No, genuinely affordable, generally cheaper than Rome, Florence, or Milan for food and accommodation.
- What is Naples famous for?
- Being the birthplace of pizza, its proximity to Mount Vesuvius and the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and its dense, atmospheric UNESCO-listed historic centre.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
