What to See in Naples: A 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 many things to see in Naples. We thought of creating a short list that can suggest which places you absolutely cannot miss during your vacation: what to see in Naples and what to visit.

Discover Naples in video

A short visual journey through the wonders of Naples: atmospheres, glimpses, 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 that this city offers, we want to recommend some key places of Naples: what to visit during your vacation.

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 define it, you can find some of the most important works of Naples, such as the Royal Palace and the Church of San Francesco di Paola. The square reflects buildings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. From here you can admire 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 eighteenth century. The royal apartments are visitable from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, upon ticket purchase. The inner courtyard and gardens are free to access. 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 historic 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 city of Naples. Its name’s meaning is literal: the neighborhood is literally 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 Tribunali). 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 that you must go to experience Naples’ nightlife.

5 San Gregorio Armeno

Via San Gregorio Armeno is one of the most famous streets in Naples, especially during the Christmas period. Perpendicular to Spaccanapoli, here you will 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 despair; it is possible to watch artisans crafting figurines throughout the year. To be included in the list “What to do in Naples.”

6 Spanish Quarters and Via Toledo

Via Toledo is the street, full of shops, that connects Piazza del Plebiscito to Piazza Dante. Perpendicular to the street are the Spanish Quarters, a rundown area of the city that, however, retains its charm. And speaking of picturesque areas of Naples, further down from Piazza Dante, coming from Piazza Plebiscito, is Pignasecca, where typical city markets take place. Caution is advised here too. The nearest metro station to Pignasecca is Montesanto but you may also choose to get off at the Via Toledo metro stop, considered one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. Absolutely not to miss.

7 Posillipo and Via Chiaia

The Posillipo district is located above Piazza Plebiscito. The Posillipo hill offers a city view that is absolutely not to be missed. Below is the small harbor of Mergellina. Via Chiaia is another street to visit if you go to Naples. It runs 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 (San Carlo and Bellini are the most famous), the Theatre Sannazaro.

8 Underground Naples

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

9 Palace of the Stock Exchange of Naples

The Palace of the Stock Exchange (1895, designed by Alfonso Guerra and Luigi Ferrara), today home to the Naples Chamber of Commerce, preceded by the staircase with bronze lions by Luigi De Luca on the sides, was built during the Risanamento works, in the new Giovanni Bovio square (1841-1903, philosopher and politician who lived long in these walls) created in the area of the small squares of the Port Market. Here, in 1898, the Neptune fountain was moved, restored to its seventeenth-century location on Via Medina as a consequence of the works on line 1 of the metro.

10 San Carlo Theatre

The San Carlo Theatre, alongside productions of the great melodramatic repertoire and the re-performance of masterpieces from the nineteenth century, has also carried out intense activity in recent years aimed at recovering eighteenth-century Neapolitan comic opera. The design by Medrano of the San Carlo Theatre of Naples provided for a hall 28.6 meters long and 22.5 meters wide, with 184 boxes, including the proscenium boxes, arranged in six orders, plus a royal box capable of hosting ten people, for a total of 1379 seats. Eight months after the start of works, on November 4, 1737, the theatre was already completed.

11 Capodimonte Royal Palace

The Capodimonte Royal Palace, with the large park, houses the art collection of the Farnese and the Bourbons. The Palace is open every day, except Wednesdays, from 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM. Ticket required.

Churches of Naples

12 Naples Cathedral

The Naples Cathedral is very important for the Neapolitans; it is in this place that the famous “miracle of San Gennaro” is celebrated every year. The Cathedral dates back to the 13th century and can be visited from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:30; from 16:30 to 19:30. On Sunday, the Cathedral can be visited from 8:00 to 13:30 and from 17:00 to 19:30. It definitely deserves to be included in the list “Naples: what to visit“.

13 Monastery of Santa Chiara

The Santa Chiara Monumental Complex, including Church, Monastery, and Convent, was erected from 1310 to 1328 by order of the monarch Roberto D’Angiò and his wife Sancia di Maiorca. The sovereigns, both devoted to Saint Francis of Assisi and to Saint Clare, wanted to build a Franciscan citadel that welcomed the Poor Clares in the monastery and the Friars Minor in the adjacent convent. The Church, the central core of the entire complex, was built under the title of Holy Host or Holy Body of Christ, a dedication suggested by the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, which took place in 1264; the aforementioned denomination immediately changed to Santa Chiara, probably because of the extraordinary number of Poor Clares present in the monastery.

14 Pio Monte della Misericordia

The Pio Monte della Misericordia is a charitable Institution, still active, founded in 1602 by seven Neapolitan noblemen. The headquarters of the Pio Monte della Misericordia also houses an Archive/Library particularly valuable for the quantity and rarity of the documents and volumes conserved there. Of notable importance is the painting executed by Caravaggio “The Seven Works of Mercy” (1607), placed in the church on the main altar.

15 Certosa di San Martino

The Certosa di San Martino with an attached museum, is located in a dominant part of the city, on the hill of Vomero (an upscale neighborhood of Naples). The Carthusian monastery dates back to the 14th century and is one of the attractions 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 Naples gulf. The museum is open every day, except Wednesday, from 8:30 to 19:30. Paid admission.

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 ancient works and artifacts, the Pompeian Collections from the excavations of Pompeii.

17 San Severo Chapel and Veiled Christ

Visiting the San Severo Chapel is certainly an emotional 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 San Severo Chapel is located at Via De Sanctis number 19 and is open every day except Tuesday, from 10:00 to 17:40. On Sundays it closes at 13:10. Admission is paid.

18 20th Century Museum of Naples

The 20th Century Museum of Naples was created in the spaces of the High Prison of Castel Sant’Elmo. About 170 works made by 90 Neapolitan artists are displayed, along with some works by non-Neapolitan artists who were active in the city in various roles. From the various testimonies of 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 Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco Museum Complex

The Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco Museum Complex – which includes the Church, the Museum of the Work, 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 Charitable Work, a Lay Congregation, whose main purpose was the ‘care’ of the Souls of Purgatory: thus arose, designed by Giovan Cola di Franco, the elegant church, conceived from the beginning 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 furnishings are of great value: on the main altar the masterpiece of Massimo Stanzione, The Madonna of the Souls in Purgatory, topped by the painting by Giacomo Farelli Saint Anne presents 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 houses a small but precious Museum of the Work, which preserves a collection of paintings and artifacts from the 17th to the 19th century, the Historical Archive, and a medical clinic dedicated to the needy.

20 Museum Complex of the Most August Archconfraternity of the Pilgrims

The Museum Complex of the Most August Archconfraternity of the Pilgrims includes a 16th-century church, an 18th-century church (Medrano and Carlo Vanvitelli) magnificent for its unique plan of two octagons connected by rectangles; the Holy Land (work of architect Giovanni Antonio Medrano); the rooms designated for the life of the Archconfraternity (Mandate Hall, Vestition Rooms). Everywhere there are priceless works of pictorial art (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 art (the expressive bronze 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 art (polychrome statues of the Passion by unknown Neapolitan authors from the 15th century; walnut burl choir and dome with motifs in pure gold designed by architect Astarita), precious furnishings and liturgical objects. A very important historical archive rich with over 1245 volumes and registers and precious parchments numbering 328. The confreres wear a red habit (from the 16th century to today) symbolizing charity and recalling the blood of Christ shed for the redemption of humanity.

21 Other Museums in Naples

• Hermann Nitsch Contemporary Arts Museum, Naples
• Ascione Coral Museum, Naples
• Castelnuovo Civic Museum, Naples
• Sea Museum of Naples, Thetys Foundation
• 20th Century Museum 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
• Masseria Luce Laboratory Museum of Peasant Civilization, Naples
• Madre Museum, Naples
• Scientific Museum of Technology and Work “Luigi Petriccione”, Naples

22 How to get around Naples

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

Quick info about Naples: where to eat, how to get there, where to stay

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 towards the Central Train Station. Naples international airport has 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 an ideal place to taste dishes from the Neapolitan cuisine. In the list “Naples: what to eat”, remember to include: the pizza (it originated in Naples and you can’t miss eating it) from Pizzeria Brandi (steps of Via Chiaia, where pizza margherita was born) or from Michele or Sorbillo in Via dei Tribunali, buffalo mozzarella, beans and mussels, and for dessert babà and sfogliatelle. Note the Scaturchio pastry shop in Piazza San Domenico but many others serve quality products.

25 Where to stay in Naples: panoramic areas and strategic tips

In Naples you can choose among 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 surroundings offer excellent links to the port and main attractions.

The historic center is also an excellent choice, especially for those who love staying in B&B, holiday homes, or more typical and informal accommodations. It is ideal for walking around 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 offers on: Booking.com

26 Superstition

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

27 Funiculì funiculà

The famous song “Funiculì funiculà” was written right in Naples when the legendary Vesuviana was in operation, which took people to the crater of the volcano. 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 more than 3 km of tracks, their small colorful carriages are among the preferred means for Neapolitans and tourists. The Centrale, Chiaia, and Montesanto funiculars connect the center to the panoramic Vomero neighborhood; the Mergellina is instead the link between the Posillipo hill and the sea. The Centrale has been playfully nicknamed the “shopping funicular” because 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 recently, always leads to the cool heights of Vomero, starting however from the popular heart of Naples, the Pignasecca district. While the Mergellina goes up and down between the tourist harbor and the elegant Posillipo.

Frequently Asked Questions About What to See in Naples