Top 10 Things to Do in Naples

I never really expected to fall in love with Naples, but that's what happened. I could have spent ages wandering the alleys of the historic center, and I'd love to know them well enough to have the cobblestones memorized. I'd like to know the guys at Pizzeria Di Matteo by name, and I wouldn't mind picking up some Neapolitan dialect while I'm at it. Those are dreams for future trips.

My fascination is admittedly narrow: one small part of a vast, sprawling city. But I can still give you my list of the top 10 things to do in Naples, partly because most visitors need not stray far from the old center, and partly thanks to the good advice of Naples-loving friends.

Before the list, one planning note that will save you a wasted morning: Tuesday is a bad museum day in Naples. The National Archaeological Museum, the Sansevero Chapel and MADRE are all closed on Tuesdays. Spend Tuesday on Pompeii, the islands or the streets.

Top 10 Things to Do in Naples (According to Jessica)

1. Eat Pizza
   If you do nothing else in Naples, even if your cruise ship gives you a paltry two hours ashore, you must eat pizza here. It may sound odd that the first thing to do in a city is eat something, but this is the birthplace of pizza, and Neapolitans take their signature dish very seriously. The craft of the Neapolitan pizzaiolo is even on UNESCO's intangible heritage list. Some people rave about Da Michele and its famously short menu, but I'm a Di Matteo girl myself, and both are on Via dei Tribunali or a short walk from it. Order a margherita or a marinara, the two classics, and eat it with a knife and fork the way locals do. If you don't have time to sit down, get a pizza fritta to go: fried pizza dough folded around (usually) cheese and (sometimes) meat, ready to eat on the move. Fair warning, you may be spoiled for pizza for the rest of your life.
   >> My full list, with addresses: the best pizza places in Naples
2. Wander the Historic Center
   Just as I think the best way to see Venice is to get lost there, I think the best way to enjoy the historic center of Naples is to wander without a plan. The one difference is that a map on your phone actually helps here. The centro storico is at once ancient and modern. The street grid is the one the Greeks laid out, and the buildings have held shops and apartments for centuries. It's no preserved museum piece: it's crowded, loud and very much alive, and nobody slows down for tourists. The two parallel streets to walk are Via dei Tribunali and Spaccanapoli. It's frenetic, and some corners are better seen with a guide or in daylight, but this is one of the most exciting ways I can think of to see history as a living thing. (And these streets are eye candy for photographers.)
3. Visit the National Archaeological Museum
   So you're taking a day trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum (of course you are, it's #4 below), but if you want to see the "stuff" that used to be at both sites, you don't even need to leave Naples. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale (MANN) holds one of the greatest collections of Roman art anywhere: huge frescoes and mosaics lifted from the buried cities, plus the Farnese collection of ancient sculpture. When I went, the labels were thin and the layout so confusing you could miss a whole wing without noticing, so bring a self-guided route from a good guidebook or take a guided tour. The museum is open 9am to 7:30pm and closed on Tuesdays.
4. Take a Day Trip to Pompeii and Herculaneum
   Plenty of people sleep in Naples mainly because it's the obvious base for Pompeii and Herculaneum. Combined into one long day or split into two, this look into ancient Roman life is unforgettable. Pompeii is the famous one and it's enormous. Herculaneum is smaller and better preserved, with more left in place, and I think it's the more rewarding of the two if you only have a morning. Pompeii now sells timed tickets with your name on them, so book ahead; its basic ticket is about 20 euros in 2026. Herculaneum has its own ticket, about 16 euros. The Circumvesuviana train from Napoli Porta Nolana and Napoli Garibaldi stops at both (Ercolano Scavi, then Pompei Scavi). Which order you do #3 and #4 in is up to you: see where the stuff was, or see the stuff first. Just see both, because together they complete the puzzle.
   >> Read more: Pompeii and Herculaneum visitor tips and how to see both in one day without a tour
5. Eat Sfogliatelle
   Yes, another food item. (You're lucky I didn't add more.) Any good day needs something sweet, so I can't skip Naples' signature pastry, the sfogliatella (zfohl|yah|TELL|ah; the plural is sfogliatelle). It's a study in contradictions: crackly layers of pastry outside, dense sweetened ricotta with a hint of citrus inside. There are two kinds. Riccia (REE|chah) is the flaky, shell-shaped one and harder to make. Frolla (FROHL|lah) has a smooth shortcrust shell and is no less delicious. Locals often eat them for breakfast, but I ate them any time of day. Buy them warm from any busy pastry shop and eat them standing at the counter with an espresso. Given how much Neapolitans love their sweets, I'm beginning to wonder if I was Napoletana in a previous life.
6. See the Veiled Christ at the Sansevero Chapel
   Guidebooks say "the statue seems to come to life" so often that the phrase means nothing, but it's exactly what springs to mind when you see the Veiled Christ in the middle of the Cappella Sansevero. Giuseppe Sanmartino carved it in 1753: the dead Christ lying under what looks like the thinnest possible sheet of fabric, with the face, the body and even the wounds visible through the marble veil. Two other remarkable sculptures honor the parents of the prince who rebuilt the chapel, but the Veiled Christ rightly takes all the attention. I defy you not to leave in awe. The chapel is small and very popular, so book a time slot on the Museo Cappella Sansevero site. It's open 9am to 7pm and closed on Tuesdays.
7. Tour Naples Underground
   No, I don't mean the city's seedy underbelly. I mean the city under your feet. Rome isn't the only honeycomb of ruins below street level; Naples has had just as much trouble building metro lines. The best-known tour is Napoli Sotterranea, which starts at Piazza San Gaetano on Via dei Tribunali and takes you about 40 meters down into Greek and Roman tunnels and cisterns. My favorite glimpse of the past is under the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, a few steps away, where you can walk down a Roman market street. Unlike the Roman Forum, where you need a lot of imagination, the shops here still have their walls and vaulted ceilings. You can walk into what was a laundry (one basin for washing, another for rinsing) and a bakery whose oven looks much like a Naples pizza oven today. There are Greek remains down there too. It gives you chills, and not only because it's cold underground.
8. Take a Day Trip to the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento or the Islands
   Even if you fall for Naples the way I did, use its closeness to the Amalfi Coast and the islands, especially if you have four or more days. Fast boats and ferries to Capri, Ischia and Procida leave from Molo Beverello and Calata Porta di Massa, next to the Municipio metro stop. Capri takes about 50 minutes on a fast boat. Procida is the least touristy of the three and my pick for a slower day. Sorrento isn't on the Amalfi Coast proper, but it's Amalfi-like and easy: in season a fast boat is the nicest way there, and year round the Circumvesuviana gets you there in a bit over an hour. For the Amalfi Coast itself, Positano and Amalfi are doable in a long day by boat in summer. Some of these places feel invaded when the cruise ships are in (and often they have been), but the colors, the views and the seafood make up for it. Don't leave without trying limoncello.
   >> Read more about getting from Naples to Sorrento and other day trips from Naples
9. Pick Up a Figurine for Your Nativity
   If you visit in summer, Christmas may be the last thing on your mind, but one turn down Via San Gregorio Armeno will change that. This is the presepi (PREH|seh|pee) street, where workshops have made and sold nativity scenes and figures for generations, all year round. The nativity scene is the centerpiece of Christmas in Italian homes, and you'll see big ones outside churches and in town squares. You may not want to carry home a life-size shepherd, but the stalls sell small figures too. Look for the ones that don't look very Biblical: the workshops add a new crop of celebrities every year, so politicians, footballers and pop stars stand among the shepherds. The street is jammed in November and December, so come earlier in the year if you want room to browse.
10. Go Modern at MADRE, the Museum of Contemporary Art
    Naples is swimming in antiquities, but it also has a lively contemporary art scene. If you've had enough old stuff, head to the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina, known as MADRE, at Via Settembrini 79. The permanent collection mixes Italian and international artists, with rooms made by the artists themselves, and there's a steady run of temporary shows. It's a short walk from the historic center and not far from the Archaeological Museum, so you can do something old and something new in one day. MADRE is open 10am to 7:30pm (8pm on Sundays), is closed on Tuesdays, and is free on the first Sunday of the month.

Getting Around and Saving Money

• Metro: Line 1 links the central station (Garibaldi) with Museo (for the Archaeological Museum), Dante, Toledo and Municipio (for the port). The stations are part of the "Art Stations" project, and Toledo in particular is worth a look even if you aren't going anywhere.
• From the airport: the Alibus runs to the central station and on to the port for about 5 euros in 2026. The metro extension to the airport isn't open yet; it's due around 2027.
• The Campania Artecard: the 3-day Napoli card costs about 27 euros in 2026 and includes public transport plus free or reduced entry to museums and sites. It pays off if you'll visit two or three paid sights. See Naples at a discount.
• The tourist train to Pompeii: EAV's reserved-seat Campania Express is suspended from 1 October 2026, so in autumn and winter plan on the regular Circumvesuviana.
• Staying over: see hotels in the historic center and hostels in the city center.

There are many more things to add to a Naples list: three castles, the Teatro di San Carlo (the oldest opera house in continuous use), the Capodimonte museum, the Sanità neighborhood, countless churches, and that volcano looming over everything. If you thought Rome could fill a month, the same is true of Naples.

But don't wear yourself out trying to do it all in one visit. You'll get tired and cranky, and that isn't Naples' fault. Do what you can, from the list above or from this list of things to do in Naples, and plan to come back. Naples has been here a long time, and she'll wait for you. I promise.
>> Read the things you should know about Naples, the free and cheap things to do in Naples, and some weird Naples attractions to add to your itinerary.
photo credits: Naples & Vesuvius by clydeye, Di Matteo pizza by dawvon, Herculaneum by Rita Willaert, sfogliatella by LexnGer, Veiled Christ from Wikipedia, San Lorenzo underground by Martin Dixon, Procida by J.Salmoral, MADRE from the official MADRE site; all others by Jessica Spiegel & may not be used without permission