As you know, we love Italy, and since we found a plane ticket to Naples at an unbeatable price, we went for it without thinking too much. What a good idea, because it was an immediate change of scenery, stay there we tell you everything!
Naples is the third largest city in Italy, behind Rome and Milan, located in the south of Italy, the atmosphere and ambiance have absolutely nothing to do with the northern cities.
We were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of its buildings, the Mediterraneanatmosphere that reigns there, its terraces of cafes that are never empty, the underground city, and the activities to do in Naples. There’s a permanent vacation feeling!
We share with you, below, our itinerary and all our advices to visit Naples on foot in 1 day . We have also grouped all our good addresses on our map to facilitate your visit to Naples.
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Is Naples worth it?
First, a little background! Naples is located in the south, on the west coast of Italy, only 2.5 hours from Rome, and is an ideal destination to extend the summer (before or after)!
The bay of Naples is home to the famous islands of Capri (it’s finiiii, don’t thank us for having the song in your head for the day), Procida and Ischia which offer very nice walks (including by boat).
In the vicinity, 30 minutes away, there are also the famous archaeological sites of Pompeii, andHerculaneum, less known, which is really worth a visit and the natural site of the volcano Vesuvius.
You will have understood that the region is incredible and that the city of Naples is a good place to go around and above all, it offers a lot of things to see on the spot!
If you are more used to the northern cities, Naples will surprise you. Indeed, at first sight, it’s a mess, the city is noisy, with some waste, people drive any way… You may want to flee.
The historical center, with its small pedestrian streets, its Mediterranean atmosphere, its scooters parked everywhere, and the laundry drying on the balcony will guarantee you an immediate change of scene. It is in this part that we walked, so it is especially of it that we are going to speak to you!
When is the best time to visit Naples?
It’s always hard for us to answer this question, honestly we would almost like to say all the time depending on your preferences and your equipment, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes 😉
Naples is located in the south of Italy and on the Mediterranean Sea, so the weather will always be better than in France!
In the summer the temperatures remain bearable, but they can rise to 40° and there are, as everywhere in Italy, many people. Note that it can rain in November and December. Obviously the best seasons, in our opinion, are spring and autumn. We were in t-shirts in October!
Visit Naples in 1 day on foot
Morning: walking tour of the historic center [carte]
Naples is an interesting city to visit, however we recommend that you spend a day there, to have time to explore the surroundings of Naples (the islands and the archaeological sites).
We recommend a morning stroll through the Centro Scorico (historic center) and then to the south of the Spanish Quarter, to the Piazza del Publicito, from where you will have a view of the Bay of Naples.
Then in the afternoon you can explore the underground and at the end of the day we recommend you to go to the Spanish quarter for dinner, it is here that the streets are the narrowest with scooters parked everywhere and you will also have frescos of Diego (the REAL local star)
Our itinerary in the historical center
Let’s take you there, the circuit that we followed is about 4 km long. It can be done in just over an hour , but of course, we advise you to take your time. We advise you to visit at least the interior of the Sanservero chapel, with the famous veiled Christ, so count rather 2h30!
The“Centro Scorico“, in Italian, is the historical district of Naples, crossed by the great street Spaccanapoli. Here you will feel the weight of centuries, Roman and Greek influences are everywhere. It is a district that has many palaces and churches classified as world heritage byUNESCO. We advise you to open your eyes and enjoy!
The letters correspond to the locations on our map!
- 1. Startfrom the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Naples (A), is better known as Duomo San Gennaro, which is one of the fifty protectors of the city, especially against the eruptions of Vesuvius, which explains the importance of this church for the Neapolitans.
- 2. Then do not miss the street San Gregorio Armeno (B) for its stores and boutiques filled with Christmas decorations. Nativity scenes, garlanded santons, handmade baubles… at any time of the year. This is really part of the city of Naples where religion is omnipresent.
- 3. Basilica Santa Chiara (C) is the largest Gothic church in Naples. It was built in the fourteenth century and has a rich interior decoration, with frescoes and mosaics. The site is worth a visit for its beautiful garden in the center, especially its cloister which is beautiful and quiet which is something rare in Naples (ticket price 6,00€, count 1h of visit) .
- 4. Sansevero Chapel (D) with its breathtaking statues and especially the famous veiled Christ which is of an impressive realism. The paintings on the walls are magnificent. There is only one room with everything in it, but there is a lot to see. (price 10€ for 30 minutes of visit, visit to be privileged)
- 5. Castel Nuovo (E), you can’t miss it, the exterior is impressive and well preserved. We advise you not to visit the interior, if you don’t have time, because we had read rather mixed reviews because as on the other historical sites, there are few explanatory panels and the site is not very well maintained.
- 6. Galleria Umberto I (F), you will feel like you have been teleported to Milan, this beautiful and majestic shopping gallery is one of the main attractions of Naples.
- 7. Piazza del Pleblicito (G), is a huge rectangular square located in the historic center of Naples that houses some of the most emblematic buildings of the city including the Royal Palacebuilt by Ferdinand IV in the 18th century, as well as the basilica San Francesco di Paola and the equestrian status of Carlo III of Borbon. Especially from here you will have a superb view on the bay of Naples!
Si vous souhaitez en apprendre davantage sur l’histoire de la ville, la culture Napolitaine et comprendre plus finement son architecture nous vous conseillons de réserver une visite guidée avec un guide local !
➡️ Réservez votre visite guidée combinée du centre historique et du fameux Christ voilé à la Chapelle Sansevero. Pendant 2h30, Votre guide vous racontera tout au sujet de l’histoire et l’architecture de Naples. La ville n’aura plus de secret pour vous !
➡️Vous pouvez opter pour une visite guidée de la ville combinée avec une dégustation des meilleurs plats et boissons Napolitains, pizza, glaces, pizza, limoncello… Un peu de culture mélangé à une excellente gastronomie, le combo parfait. Les dégustations feront largement office de repas !
➡️En bus :si vous préférez, vous pouvez opter pour visiter la ville en bus à arrêts multiples (hop on and hop off).
Le système est simple vous pouvez descendre pour visiter un monument qui vous intéresse et ensuite monter dans le bus suivant pour poursuivre votre visite, deux lignes circulent A et B et desservent 23 arrêts ! La ligne B, est la plus intéressante car elle longe la côte. Pour réservez vos billets c’est par ici.
Vous pouvez réserver vos billets, en sélectionnant votre jour de visite (audio guide en Français inclus)
Afternoon: Explore the secret city
We were surprised to learn that a real underground city exists in Naples, with nearly 80km of tunnels and galleries that stretch under the city, and good news it is possible to visit part of the site.
Before a bit of history, the Greeks (yes, of course) are at the origin of the first tunnels, which were used to extract tuff in order to reinforce the city walls.
Then the Romans enlarged these underground galleries in order to collect rainwater to supply the houses of the city with water. Following an epidemic, caused by water contamination, the tunnels were abandoned and then used as a refuge for the inhabitants during the Second World War. In short, a unique place full of history, a must-see!
Don’t forget to cover up well even in summer, it’s between 10 and 15 degrees all year round!
La pour le coup nous vous conseillons de réserver une visite guidée, que nous vous garantissons riche en information !
Nous vous conseillons de réserver votre billet coupe file avec visite guidée, à l’avance car ces visites se font en groupe et sont très prisées en haute saison et certainement les jours de pluie !
Evening: Take the lice of the city The heart of Spanish neighborhood
This neighborhood was built in the 16th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is in this lively neighborhood that you will find the typical atmosphere that reigns in Naples, houses of 3-4 floors form very narrow streets, with laundry on every balcony, good plan it is shaded in summer.
Here the star is Diego Maradona, the famous soccer player, he is omnipresent in Naples, here he is present on all the walls, a café is even dedicated to him.
Practical information (hotel, transportation, restaurants…)
Where to sleep in Naples?
No hesitation to stay in Naples, opt for an accommodation near the historical center, we advise you to read the comments carefully because Naples is one of the noisiest cities we visited!
➡️We recommend the Garibaldi Rooms hotel, the location is ideal right next to the central station, and therefore the airport shuttle stop right in the historic center so you can do everything on foot.
The room was nicely decorated and clean, with double-glazed windows. In short, an excellent address with a good quality/price ratio!
Our tip to find your happiness, we advise you to use the search engine Booking to select your accommodation, by filtering the notes above 8/10 we are rarely disappointed. We advise you to book as soon as possible, as Naples is one of the most touristic cities in Italy.
Where to eat in Naples?
Be careful, pizza comes from Naples, here it is a real institution, there are pizzerias at every corner of the street you will find your happiness for a few euros and you will certainly take a few pounds during your stay!
Please note that the price of cutlery and drinks (even water) are not included in the price of the dish, once there is no surprise the amount is indicated at the bottom of the menu generally, it is 1 to 2 € per person.
We love to go to Italy because we think it is the country with the best food after France. Like the French, Italians have a wide range of regional products and cook mainly with fresh produce.
- Gino e Toto Sorbillo: a real institution to eat an excellent pizza with fresh ingredients from 4€ + 1,5€, in short the perfect place in the historical center! We advise you to arrive early, as soon as it opens, if you are on the waiting list, there are many bars around to drink a Spritz while waiting! (historical center)
- Pizzeria 400 Gradi: small and not very expensive, you can enjoy pizza with crust filled with gorgonzola and/or fried pizza filled and folded on itself, very fat but delicious, we warned you not to start a diet before coming to Naples! (Spanish district)
- Antichi Sapori Partenopei: close to Piazza del Plebicito, yet away from the crowds, delicious traditional cuisine until the amazing and tasty dessert. We recommend the “rigatoni alla genovese”, a delight!
- Mennella Il Gelato: ice creams with an incredible taste, with typical Italian flavors, stracciatella, tiramisu… (historical center)
How to get to Naples?
There is only one airport, Capodichino, located northeast of Naples. The tickets are more affordable than for Rome because the destination is less popular while there are many things to do, we advise you to compare prices on the site Skyscanner.
To give you an idea we paid 55€ round trip (in March) from Bordeaux with Easyjet.
How to get to the city center from the airport?
Nothing complicated, on the contrary, it’s fast and affordable, the Alibus shuttle leaves every 20 minutes (from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm), the ticket costs 5€, you can buy it directly in the shuttle or at the automatic terminals located in front. Depending on the traffic, in only 15 minutes the shuttle bus will drop you off at the central station in Piazza Garibaldi, and if necessary you can take the subway lines 1 and 2. The high-speed trains to Rome also leave from the central station.
What to do around Naples?
You will clearly be spoilt for choice, depending on your wishes, you can either rent a car or use the train or bus:
- If you are in the mood for nature, you can explore one of the beautiful islands located in the Bay of Naples, Capri, Procida and/or Ischia
- If you are interested in culture, don’t miss the archeological sites of Ercolano and Pompeii, located 20 and 30 minutes respectively from Naples
- If you want to go up: of course Vesuvius is waiting for you, located only 20 minutes from Naples
- Fancy a wild coastline: discover the Amalfi Coast
To visit the surroundings of Naples, you can rent a car, to compare the prices of the rentals we advise you the site RentalCars (about 40€ per day)
Pour visiter les alentours de Naples, vous pouvez louer une voiture, depuis l’aéroport ou depuis le centre ville, pour comparer les prix des locations nous vous conseillons le site RentalCars. (environ 40€ par jour + assurance)
La conduite est sportive à Naples, nous vous conseillons de louer votre voiture depuis l’aéroport afin d’éviter le centre ville. Et nous vous conseillons d’être plus attentif que lorsque vous conduisez en France, nous n’avons eu aucun souci !
Feel free to leave us a note below to let us know if you are planning this trip, ask any questions or share on social networks(our Instagram) we will answer you with great pleasure!
