What to See in Naples: Guide to Neighborhoods, Historic Sites, and Unmissable Views

See Naples and then die. This is undoubtedly a proverb that helps to understand how fascinating this city can be. From breathtaking views to culture, there are countless things to see in Naples. We have created a short list that can suggest which places you simply cannot miss during your holiday: what to see in Naples and what to visit.

Discover Naples in video

A short visual journey through the wonders of Naples: atmospheres, views, and iconic places of the Neapolitan city.

The 12 most famous attractions in Naples

Naples is a unique mix of history, culture, folklore, and breathtaking views. Below you will find a selection of the 12 most famous and beloved attractions in the city, perfect for discovering the authentic essence of the Neapolitan capital.

What to visit in Naples: places of interest and monuments

Naples is a city to visit over several days. Among the many attractions this city offers, we want to recommend some key places in Naples: what to visit during your holiday.

1 Piazza del Plebiscito

Piazza del Plebiscito, in the Santa Lucia district, is the heart and symbol of the city. Within the 25,000 sqm that border it, you can find some of Naples’ most important works, such as the Royal Palace and the Church of San Francesco di Paola. The square reflects palaces from the 18th and 19th centuries. From here you can admire Mount Vesuvius, located in front of the back part of the Royal Palace. The square should be placed first in the list “Naples: what to see”.

2 Royal Palace of Naples

The Royal Palace of Naples was built in the 17th century by the Spanish viceroys. It was later expanded by the Bourbons during the 18th century. The royal apartments are visitable from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, with ticket purchase. The inner courtyard and gardens are free to enter. Not far from the Royal Palace is the San Carlo Theatre, a very famous opera house, open every day from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, except during performances.

3 Maschio Angioino

The Maschio Angioino is the icon of historical Naples, located on the seafront in a special position. It is one of Naples’ main attractions. Inside, you will find the Civic Museum of Naples.

4 Spaccanapoli

Spaccanapoli is the soul of the Neapolitan city. The meaning of its name is literal: the district is indeed split in two by a street. This split is clearly visible from above. Here intersect via Benedetto Croce, San Biagio dei Librai and Vicaria Vecchia (deumanus inferior while the decumanus major was Via dei Tribubnali). Spaccanapoli starts from Piazza del Gesù where the Church of Gesù Nuovo from the late sixteenth century is located. Not far away, in the alleys, is the Cloister of Santa Chiara, dating back to the 14th century. In this district, you will find the true soul of Naples and it is here you must go to experience the nightlife of Naples.

5 San Gregorio Armeno

Via San Gregorio Armeno is one of the most famous streets in Naples, especially during the Christmas season. Perpendicular to Spaccanapoli, here you find many artisan shops that produce examples of the Neapolitan nativity scene. It is, in fact, known as the “Street of Nativity Scenes”. But don’t worry; it is possible to see artisans working on the figurines all year round. To be included in the list “Things to do in Naples”.

6 Spanish Quarters and Via Toledo

Via Toledo is the street, full of shops, that links Piazza del Plebiscito to Piazza Dante. Perpendicular to the street are the Spanish Quarters, a degraded area of the city that, however, retains its charm. Speaking of picturesque areas of Naples, further down from Piazza Dante, coming from Piazza Plebiscito, is Pignasecca, where typical city markets take place. Here too it is good to be attentive. The closest metro station to Pignasecca is Montesanto but you can also choose to get off at the Via Toledo metro stop, considered one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. Absolutely not to be missed.

7 Posillipo and Via Chiaia

The Posillipo district is located high above Piazza Plebiscito. The hill of Posillipo offers a breathtaking view of the city that is absolutely unmissable. Below is the small port of Mergellina. Via Chiaia is another street to explore if you go to Naples. It winds from Piazza Plebiscito towards Piazza dei Martiri and is an ideal place for shopping and a stroll. At the end of Via Chiaia is one of the city’s historic theaters (Teatro San Carlo and Bellini being the most famous), the Teatro Sannazaro.

8 Underground Naples

Underground Naples is a visit into the tunnels and cisterns of underground Naples and is definitely to be included in the list “Naples: things to do”. If you are not claustrophobic, it is the ideal place to discover the hidden treasures of the Neapolitan city.

9 Naples Stock Exchange Building

The Stock Exchange building (1895, designed by Alfonso Guerra and Luigi Ferrara), now home to the Chamber of Commerce of Naples, preceded by the staircase with bronze lions by Luigi De Luca on the sides, was born from the works of the Risanamento, in the new Giovanni Bovio Square (1841-1903, philosopher and politician who lived here for a long time) created in the area of the small squares of the Port Market. Here, in 1898, the Neptune fountain was moved back to its 17th-century location in via Medina as a consequence of works on metro line 1.

10 San Carlo Theatre

The San Carlo Theatre, besides staging the great melodramatic repertoire and presenting masterpieces of the 19th century, has in recent years also carried out intense work aimed at recovering 18th-century Neapolitan comic opera. The design by Medrano for the San Carlo Theatre of Naples provided for a hall 28.6 meters long and 22.5 meters wide, with 184 boxes, including proscenium boxes, arranged in six tiers, plus a royal box capable of hosting ten people, for a total of 1379 seats. Eight months after the start of construction, on November 4, 1737, the theatre was already completed.

11 Capodimonte Royal Palace

The Capodimonte Royal Palace, with the large park, houses the art collections of the Farnese and the Bourbons. The Royal Palace is open every day except Wednesday, from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm. Entrance with ticket.

13 Monastery of Santa Chiara

The Monumental Complex of Santa Chiara, including Church, Monastery, and Convent, was built from 1310 to 1328 by order of the monarch Robert of Anjou and his wife Sancia of Majorca. The rulers, both devoted to Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare, wanted to build a Franciscan citadel that would house the Clarisses in the monastery and the Friars Minor in the adjacent convent. The Church, the central core of the entire complex, was established with the title of Holy Host or Holy Body of Christ, dedication suggested by the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, which occurred in 1264; the aforementioned name quickly changed to Santa Chiara, probably because of the extraordinary number of Clarisses present in the monastery.

14 Pious Mount of Mercy

The Pious Mount of Mercy is a charitable institution, still active, founded in 1602 by seven Neapolitan noblemen. The seat of the Pious Mount of Mercy also hosts an Archive/Library particularly precious for the quantity and rarity of the documents and volumes kept therein. Of notable importance is the painting executed by Caravaggio “The Seven Works of Mercy” (1607), placed in the church on the main altar.

15 Charterhouse of San Martino

The Charterhouse of San Martino with its museum, is located in a dominant part of the city, on the Vomero hill (upscale district of Naples). The Carthusian monastery dates back to the 14th century and is an attraction of the Neapolitan city. The museum hosts a nativity scene exhibition and an important collection of paintings. From the terrace, there is a magnificent view of the Gulf of Naples. The museum is open every day, except Wednesday, from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Entrance fee required.

Museums of Naples

16 Archaeological Museum of Naples

The Archaeological Museum is one of the most important archaeological museums in Europe. The MANN hosts, in addition to important works and ancient artifacts, the Pompeian Collections derived from the excavations of Pompeii.

17 Chapel of San Severo and Veiled Christ

Visiting the Chapel of San Severo is certainly an exciting experience. Inside this building it is possible to observe one of the most beautiful works of art in Naples: the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sammartino, from 1573. The Chapel of San Severo is located at Via De Sanctis No. 19 and is open every day except Tuesday, from 10:00 to 17:40. On Sundays it closes at 13:10. Admission is charged.

18 Museum of the Twentieth Century of Naples

The Museum of the Twentieth Century of Naples was created in the spaces of the Upper Prison of Castel Sant’Elmo. About 170 works by 90 Neapolitan artists are exhibited, along with some contributions from non-Neapolitan artists who were active in the city with different roles. From the various testimonies on what was produced between the two wars to the experiences that followed in the post-war period (1948-1958), from the ‘South’ Group to the so-called Neorealism, from the M.A.C. group to Informal art or the ’58 Group up to our times.

19 Museum Complex Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco

The Museum Complex Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco — which includes the Church, the Museum of the Opera, and the Hypogeum — represents an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the ancient cult of the souls of Purgatory. In 1605 a group of nobles founded a Pious Work, a lay Congregation, which had among its main objectives the ‘care’ of the souls of Purgatory: thus arose, designed by Giovan Cola di Franco, the elegant church conceived from the start on two levels, the upper church, a true masterpiece of Neapolitan Baroque art, and the lower church or hypogeum, still today the seat of the cult of the poor souls. The church’s iconographic set is of great value: on the high altar the masterpiece by Massimo Stanzione, The Madonna of the Souls in Purgatory, surmounted by the painting by Giacomo Farelli Saint Anne offers the Virgin Child to the Eternal Father, and in the side chapels the Transit of Saint Joseph by Andrea Vaccaro, and the Death or Ecstasy of Saint Alexis, a youthful masterpiece by Luca Giordano. The Complex also hosts a small but precious Museum of the Opera that holds a collection of paintings and artifacts made between the 17th and 19th centuries, the Historical Archive, and a medical clinic dedicated to the needy.

20 Museum Complex of the august Archconfraternity of Pilgrims

The Museum Complex of the august Archconfraternity of Pilgrims includes a sixteenth-century church, an eighteenth-century church (Medrano and Carlo Vanvitelli) magnificent for the unique plan of two octagons connected by rectangles; the Holy Land (work of the architect Giovanni Antonio Medrano); the spaces intended for the life of the Archconfraternity (Mandate Hall, Dressing Rooms). Everywhere there are very fine pictorial works (from the 15th to the 19th century) (Bernardino Campi, Andrea Vaccaro, Francesco Fracanzano, Onofrio Palumbo and Didier Barra, Giacomo Farelli, Francesco De Mura, Giuseppe Bonito, Giacinto Diano), sculptural works (in bronze the expressive statue of the founder Fabrizio Pignatelli kneeling, by Michelangelo Naccherino; in marble a Madonna with Child by Francesco Laurana; in stucco the spectacular group of the Trinity by Angelo Viva), wooden works (polychrome statues of the Passion by unknown Neapolitan authors of the 15th century; walnut burl choir and dome with 24-carat gold motifs designed by the architect Astarita), precious furnishings and liturgical objects. A very important historical archive rich in over 1245 volumes and registers and precious parchments numbering 328. The confreres wear a red habit (from the sixteenth century to the present day) symbolizing charity which recalls the blood of Christ shed for the redemption of humanity.

21 Other museums in Naples

• Hermann Nitsch Contemporary Art Museum, Naples
• Ascione Coral Museum, Naples
• Castelnuovo Civic Museum, Naples
• Sea Museum of Naples, Thetys Foundation
• Museum of the Twentieth Century of Naples
• Treasure Museum of San Gennaro, Naples
• Elena Aldobrandini Textile and Clothing Museum, Naples
• Duca di Martina Ceramics Museum in Villa Floridiana, Naples
• Giuseppe Caravita Prince of Sirignano Museum, Naples
• Laboratory Museum of Peasant Civilization “Masseria Luce”, Naples
• Madre Museum, Naples
• Scientific Museum of Technology and Work “Luigi Petriccione”, Naples

22 How to get around in Naples

If you are wondering “How to get around in Naples?”, we recommend doing it by metro; we also add that it is interesting to take a real tour of the Naples metro stations, a truly interesting example of contemporary art. The stop at the Via Toledo metro is one of the most beautiful in Europe, worth a visit. Alternatively, you can take the urban buses and, as a last resort, a taxi.

Quick information about Naples: where to eat, how to get there, where to sleep

23 How to Get to Naples

The best way to reach Naples is by train or by arriving by plane. The Naples airport, Capodichino Naples Airport, is about 7 km from the center, which you can reach in a few minutes by taxi or by bus to the Central Train Station. Naples International Airport offers connections to routes from various locations around the world, and the train station, adjacent to the bus station, is very efficient and well served.

24 What to eat in Naples

Naples is famous for its fabulous cuisine. Therefore, you will have no trouble finding the perfect place to taste dishes from Neapolitan cuisine. In the list “Naples: what to eat,” remember to include: pizza (it was born in Naples and you can’t not eat it) from Pizzeria Brandi (the steps of Via Chiaia, where the Margherita pizza was born) or the one from Michele or Sorbillo on Via dei Tribunali, buffalo mozzarella, beans and mussels, and for dessert babà and sfogliatelle. Note Scaturchio pastry shop in Piazza San Domenico, but many others serve quality products.

25 Where to Sleep in Naples: Panoramic Areas and Strategic Tips

In Naples, you can choose from neighborhoods full of charm and breathtaking views. For those seeking romance and sea views, the Mergellina area is perfect: quiet, elegant, and overlooking the Gulf. If you want to stay central, Maschio Angioino and its surroundings offer great connections to the port and main attractions.

The historic center is also an excellent choice, especially for those who love staying in B&Bs, holiday homes, or more typical and informal accommodations. It is ideal for exploring on foot among art, history, and Neapolitan street food.

🛏️ Tip: discover our selection of hotels and accommodations in Naples for every price range or how to stay in Naples on a limited budget.

💡 Or look for deals on: Booking.com

26 Superstition

At the conclusion of this complete guide to Naples, we could not fail to dwell on “good and bad luck.” Superstition is inherent in the Neapolitan tradition, and numbers (17), things, and events often require superstitious rituals that have been passed down through the ages in this thousand-colored city, as the son of Naples, Pino Daniele, says in “Napul’è.” Paraphrasing another great Neapolitan figure, Peppino De Filippo, “It’s not true… but I believe it.”

27 Funiculì funiculà

The famous song “Funiculì funiculà” was written right in Naples when the mythical Vesuviana was in operation, which took people to the volcano’s crater. After that historic system was decommissioned, today four funiculars operate in the Neapolitan capital, connecting the city center to the upper neighborhoods of the hills.

Comfortable, fast, with a total of 16 stations and over 3 km of rails, their small colorful carriages are among the preferred means of transport for Neapolitans and tourists. The Centrale, Chiaia, and Montesanto funiculars connect the center to the panoramic Vomero neighborhood; the Mergellina one, instead, is the link between the Posillipo hill and the sea. The Centrale has been humorously nicknamed the “shopping funicular,” as it connects the most prosperous and elegant commercial areas: via Roma and surroundings (Galleria Umberto and via Chiaia) with via Scarlatti and via Giordano. Areas rich also from a historical, monumental, and cultural point of view.

The Chiaia funicular dates back to 1889 and is one of the oldest in Italy, connecting the neighborhoods adjacent to the Riviera di Chiaia to the very green Vomero, using two modern lines with a maximum capacity of 300 people.

The Montesanto line, in operation since 1891 and deeply renovated in recent times, also leads to the fresh heights of Vomero, but starting from the working-class heart of Naples, the Pignasecca neighborhood. Meanwhile, the Mergellina goes up and down between the tourist harbor and the elegant Posillipo.

Frequently Asked Questions About What to See in Naples

❓ What to see in Naples in one day?

Visiting Naples in just one day requires well-thought-out choices, but it is possible to capture its essence. You can start from Spaccanapoli, the beating heart of the historic center, continue towards the Duomo of San Gennaro, and from there reach Piazza del Plebiscito and the nearby Maschio Angioino. A walk along the Caracciolo seafront, perhaps at sunset, offers a magnificent view of Mount Vesuvius. With a well-planned itinerary, even one day can become memorable.

❓ What are the most famous places to visit in Naples?

Naples is rich in attractions, including historic monuments, panoramic views, and places of strong cultural identity. Among the most famous are Napoli Sotterranea, the Sansevero Chapel with the Veiled Christ, Castel dell'Ovo, Maschio Angioino, the Duomo of San Gennaro, Piazza del Plebiscito, and the Spanish Quarters. There are also natural wonders like Posillipo and the view from Vomero.

❓ What to see in Naples for free?

Naples offers many free experiences that allow you to appreciate the city without spending money. You can walk through Spaccanapoli, visit the Galleria Umberto I, admire the views from the San Martino Belvedere or Virgiliano Park, enter some historic churches, and stroll along the seafront. Even just wandering through the neighborhood markets is an authentic experience.

❓ Where can you enjoy the best view in Naples?

Naples offers breathtaking views from various points around the city. Castel Sant'Elmo and the Certosa di San Martino, in Vomero, offer spectacular views of the Gulf. Also, the Belvedere of Posillipo, Virgiliano Park, and the seafront are perfect spots to observe Vesuvius, the sea, and the distant islands. The best time? Sunset, when the colors of the city become poetry.

❓ What is the best time to visit Naples?

The ideal periods are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October), when the weather is mild and the city is less crowded. December, with its lights and Christmas traditions (especially in San Gregorio Armeno), offers a unique atmosphere. Summer is very hot but lively, while winter can be rainier but still pleasant.