%22%2F%3E%3Ccircle%20cx%3D%22600%22%20cy%3D%22300%22%20r%3D%2290%22%20fill%3D%22%23c8a06a%22%20opacity%3D%220.35%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M0%20620%20L300%20420%20L520%20560%20L760%20360%20L1000%20540%20L1200%20460%20L1200%20800%20L0%20800%20Z%22%20fill%3D%22%23a97c50%22%20opacity%3D%220.22%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M0%20700%20L260%20540%20L480%20640%20L720%20500%20L980%20620%20L1200%20560%20L1200%20800%20L0%20800%20Z%22%20fill%3D%22%2320241f%22%20opacity%3D%220.14%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
THINGS TO DO
Eat pizza at its birthplace
A pizza in the city that invented it — the margherita, born here in 1889, baked in the wood-fired ovens of the historic pizzerias of the old town.
Cities & Culture
Naples
A dense, noisy bay city beneath Vesuvius — the birthplace of pizza and a UNESCO-listed old town.
QUICK INFORMATION
- COUNTRY
- Italy
- REGION
- Campania
- BEST TIME TO VISIT
- April to June and September to October
- DURATION
- 2 days
ABOUT THE DESTINATION
Naples is the capital of Campania, a densely layered city on the Bay of Naples beneath Mount Vesuvius, founded by the Greeks and shaped by Spanish, French and Bourbon rule. Its UNESCO-listed historic centre is the largest in Europe, the birthplace of pizza and the natural base for Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast and the islands of Capri and Ischia.
MAP & LOCATION
Naples
HISTORY & CULTURE
The Story Behind the Place
Naples was founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC as Neapolis, on a grid plan that still underlies the historic centre, and it became a Roman city and the favourite resort of the emperors. After the fall of Rome it passed through the Byzantines, the Normans, the Angevins and the Aragonese, each adding a layer, before it became the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies under the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century. At its peak Naples was one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe, a capital of the Enlightenment under Charles VII and his son Ferdinand, and the birthplace of the pizza in 1889. The unification of Italy in 1861 ended the kingdom and reduced Naples to a provincial city, but its historic centre — the largest UNESCO-listed old town in Europe — preserves the whole layered history, and the city remains the cultural capital of southern Italy.
TOP THINGS TO DO
Experiences Not to Miss
TOP ATTRACTIONS
Sights & Highlights of Naples
FOOD & DRINK
WHERE TO EAT
01
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele — the most famous pizzeria in Naples, the birthplace of the margherita, since 1870
02
Pizzeria Gino Sorbillo — the celebrated pizzeria on the Via dei Tribunali, queues around the block
03
Trattoria da Nennella — a boisterous trattoria in the Spanish Quarter for honest Neapolitan cooking
04
Trattoria San Ferdinando — a refined trattoria near the Royal Palace for classic Neapolitan dishes
05
Pintauro — the historic fry-shop on the Via Toledo, for cuoppo and fried street food since 1750
HOTELS & STAYS
WHERE TO STAY
01
Grand Hotel Vesuvio — a grand seafront hotel with views of the bay and Vesuvius, since 1882
02
Romeo Hotel — a design hotel by the harbour, with a rooftop pool and bay views
03
Hotel Piazza Bellini — a boutique hotel in the historic centre, in a 16th-century building
04
Hotel Costantinopoli 104 — a charming garden hotel near the National Museum, good value
ITINERARIES
Keep Driving
More here soon — the road is still being mapped.
NATURE & WILDLIFE
The Living Landscape
Naples sits on the Bay of Naples, a volcanic caldera with Vesuvius to the east and the Campi Flegrei to the west, and the city is wrapped around by the sea and the volcanoes. Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the European mainland, rises behind the city and is now a national park, its slopes covered in the pine and broom of the Vesuvius park. The Campi Flegrei, the burning fields to the west, are a volcanic field of craters and fumaroles, partly underwater. The islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida lie across the bay, and the Posillipo hill and the Camaldoli park above the city give the broadest views over the whole caldera.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Practical Information
Getting There
Naples is reached by air via Capodichino airport (a bus to the centre). High-speed trains run to Napoli Centrale from Rome (1h10), Florence (3h) and Bologna (4h). The Circumvesuviana train runs from Naples to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sorrento; the ferries run to Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.
Park Entrances
Book the Archaeological Museum and the Royal Palace online for timed slots. The underground is visited on guided tours; book ahead in season.
How Long to Stay
Allow two full days for the city. A third day lets you reach Pompeii and Vesuvius; a fourth, the Amalfi Coast or Capri.
When to Go
April to June and September to October are ideal — warm, bright and less crowded than July and August. Winter is mild, quiet and cheap, with the Christmas cribs.
What to Wear & Bring
Comfortable shoes for the cobbles, a money belt or zipped bag for the busy centre, and a healthy appetite for the pizza and the street food.
Accessibility & Mobility
The historic centre is largely flat but cobblestoned and very busy, with narrow streets; the underground is not accessible, and the Vesuvius path is steep. The museums have lifts and accessible routes.
WEATHER
Naples — Current conditions & forecast
Forecast data from Open-Meteo. Updated regularly.
TRAVEL GUIDES · STORIES
More here soon — the road is still being mapped.
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the Journey
INTERESTS
Explore by what you love
REGIONS
Explore the region
COUNTRIES
Explore the country
MORE TO EXPLORE
Keep exploring
The atlas goes on — more destinations, stories and road trips from every corner of the world.