We stopped by Piazza del Plebiscito for a quick look while exploring Naples. The square is huge and…read moresurrounded by some of the city's most recognizable landmarks, making it a great place to pause and take in the architecture. Originally completed in the early 1800s, the piazza is named after the 1860 plebiscite that voted for Naples to join a unified Italy. On one side sits the Royal Palace of Naples, while the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola anchors the other with its impressive domed church and curved colonnades. We didn't spend a lot of time here, but it was an easy stop between other sights and gave us a chance to appreciate a different side of Naples. If you're already in the historic center or heading toward the waterfront, it's well worth adding to your itinerary.

Naple's most iconic square is framed by Prefettura di Napoli a government office on the north, on…read morethe south by Palazzo Salerno (Sede del Comando Territoriale Sud - currently military offices), by the royal palace on the east, and Basilica of San Francesco di Paola to the west. The last two are open for visitors and pretty quiet on an April evening. The port area and waterfront public park Giardini del Molosiglio are nearby within walking distance to the southeast. As magnificent and grand as these surrounding buildings and others nearby are, this piazza also very much a piece of the local cloth. Where school groups and tourists frequent during the day, is open space in the evening for kids riding bikes and playing soccer, for families taking walks with strollers and dogs. While I was there it was fun to see a group of students singing along to a couple musicians on a guitar and mic, a few kids flying kites, the sun setting to the west casting a warm glow onto the structures in the square. Fun facts: - named after a plebiscite (aka referendum or survey) which united Naples with the rest of Italy. - Joachim Murat, bro-in-law of Napoleon had planned to dedicate the square to the emperor though when the Bourbon rulers were restored to the throne plans changed. Hence today the two statues in from of the church are Bourbon kings Charles III and his son Ferdinand I. They also instructed the completion of the neoclassical basilica along this square. - there's a local game/tradition of attempting to cross the square blindfolded starting from the center of the main entrance of the royal palace with the goal of walking directly in the middle of the two statues. Legend is that it's an impossible feat, due to the irregular shape of the square, uneven cobblestones and slight slope. - the square became a parking lot in 1963 to deal with the overflow of cars in the city, then reconfigured back to pedestrian only in 1994.

You're greeted with beautifully carved pillars and arches with details that tell you stories. The…read moremassive doors are dramatic! Do some neck and shoulder stretches before visiting because looking up and around is required. It's a castle on the outside and a Civic Museum inside. For €6 entry, you get a lot for your visit. An audio guide is optional for €4 more. Note that you're able to get a brochure with a map in English. After entry, you step into a huge courtyard. It appeared an event was being set up the day of my visit. I headed to the left toward the stone steps to start my self-paced tour into the: BARON'S HALL - it looks like a courtroom. Awesome ceiling architecture! Tried to follow the map; forget about going in alphabetical order. On the ground level you'll find the: PALATINE CHAPEL - closed doors for preserving artwork; so full of emotion. No flash photography. Place your camera glass to glass against the doors. Up more stairs to the: 1st FLOOR - find a bronze door with a cannon ball stuck in it. This floor has a lovely collection of religious paintings from 15th-18th centuries. 2nd FLOOR - you'll see more of paintings with war stories and lifestyles from 18th-20th centuries. 3rd FLOOR - modern day collections. Note that these floor exhibits are not directly above each other. Refer to the map and legend on the brochure for your preferred route. Art lovers and appreciators can take their time. Definitely a recommended visit for tourists. Don't forget to catch a breeze and take in views of the Tyrrhenian sea.

Constructed in 1279, and for centuries the Royal residence of Naples' kings into the 16th century,…read morethe gothic exterior of this massive fortress with five towers is a magnificent reminder of Napoli's medieval history and maritime prowess, with an entrance over the largest man-made moat I've seen. Arriving at 5pm on a weekday afternoon, I scrambled (ie. speed walked for half a mile) to make it before their assigned last entry time, which I thought was 5pm for a 6pm closing time, though apparently it's last entry at 5:30pm. Well...I got an extra workout. There's a small ticket window to the left inside the main doors, which takes cash or card, and can also validate your city/museum pass (I had a Naples Pass). Regular admission is €15, tickets for local residents €10, free for children under 18. However because of ongoing renovations to major sections, they were offering reduced admissions of €10 and €6 respectively. Inside what's available to view as of mid-April 2026 are several components. To me each stands alone and feels a bit disjointed to the others, though given its lengthy history and different functions over time perhaps the range of spaces truly embodies the story of the castle, one embued with varied relevance and purpose. - Palatine Chapel: an austere chapel with stone block floors, inset with ledger stones.* - Archaeological route and former Armory room: this is where the ruins can be viewed below a glass floor--of what's believed to be past of a lavish Roman villa from 1st century BCE beneath the castle. Tours need to be pre-booked in advance if you want to descend to the underground level to visit these. - Hall of the Barons: this is the kind of grand hall I'd imagine medieval royalty to preside over, with a massive octagonal star-shaped arched stone ceiling and central round skylight, though it was actually a later construction in the 15th century. The layout includes a U-shaped wooden seating arrangement where the current Napoli city council meets. - Chapel of the Souls of Purgatory: single room with entrance off the courtyard to the right of the entrance to the Palantine Chapel, the frescos are colorful though space is small. - First floor Civic Museum - Art Gallery: this is up a flight of steps (aka the second floor for those of us across the pond), a gallery of about 50 works ranging from 15-18th century religious Neapolitan art, transferred here from other historic buildings that are no longer in use. - terrace on second floor with partial view of the port: I was a little disappointed since I thought the roof of the castle would be accessible though I'm glad I didn't rush here on my first day in Naples and instead went to Monte Echia nearby where the views were much better, more panoramic. It took about 30 minutes to walk around the parts that were open, there are more extensive galleries on the upper stories that were under renovation. I felt it made sense to reduce the price since some portions were closed. For more info: https://www.comune.napoli.it/vivere-il-comune/luoghi/castel-nuovo-maschio-angioino/#orari_apertura https://www.naplesinsider.com/en/e/castel-nuovo-maschio-angioino *an inscribed stone slab usually laid into the floor of a church to commemorate or mark the place of the burial of a deceased person. (as per Wikipedia)

It's a vibrant place to be when visiting the historical center of Napoli with its beautiful…read morechurches & saintly landmarks. It's the straight road that divides the city. You'll get a great view of it from Largo di San Martino. We were there on a busy Friday morning. Entering Via Benedetto Croce from the Piazza del Gesù Nuovo. It was the perfect way to start this exploration. We walked just a little past the Obelisk of San Domenico Maggiore while checking out the street food items, bakeries, and shops along the way. We visited the ornate Chiesa del Gesù Nuovo after taking in this whole experience. There is also the Santa Chiara Monumental Complex, the Sansevero Chapel, and Chiesa di San Domenico Maggiore that you'll run into along the way. It's not just a steet. It's a cultural & historical local experience that shouldn't be missed. If anything, you can find great souvenirs, street food, and important things (like an ATM).

Friendly & clean. Right on the main cobblestone road of downtown Napoli. Beautiful outdoor…read morebreakfast area in top tourist destination.

A great way to spend a rainy day in Napoli…read more The guided tour itself takes between 90 minutes to an hour 45. It worth it. There is a good amount of stairs. There's several different paths through the catacombs. If you're claustrophobic, it would be a good idea to skip doing this part.

Checks the box off for interesting tour to take in a foreign city. Tour itself was 5 stars, the…read morewait and the crowds dropped it a star. Underground tours in Naples are very popular with multiple sites and entry points, this one being the main location. Entrance is via an alley along Via dei Tribunali, one of the main stretches in the historic center, and on a Sunday noon it was packed with visitors waiting for their tour times. Like probably 70-80 people waiting in a 12 x 20 foot area...a fair number of staff on hand wrangling the lines, telling people/groups with pre-bookings to line up in front of those without. Each person basically has to talk to a staff member to figure out exactly who they should be standing behind. Then there are staff members calling out times for each tour at the front, Italian then English alternately. I'm not sure why they don't implement an easier, more straightforward system, for each language--one line for prebooked and one line without. Tickets can be booked in advance online by tour language and they ask you to be there 15 minutes prior to your time slot. This is most certainly not only recommended, but required if you want to avoid inadvertently missing your timeslot due to the confusing line as mentioned above. Also their website refers to the online tickets as "skip-the-line" though to be clear you are essentially just booking a spot in advance, you still need to wait in line at the entrance. And hands down book in advance. They "guarantee" entry at the door (as I heard a few different staff members mention to certain people in line), however what they don't initially mention is this is only after all pre-booked visitors enter, so this could mean an indefinite wait of 30 minutes, an hour, 1.5 hours...who knows. For safety reasons entry is only possible via guided tour, and there are limits to the size of each group. They definitely push it though, considering my group of about 35ish was one of several groups to go down in staggered times of about 15-20 minutes apart. Once the guide directs the group to enter the pathway leading underground, they make you line up along the stairs while another group exits, then your group can enter. It's several flights down (then back up) so I saw some elderly with walking handicaps and families with strollers struggling. Honestly I wouldn't recommend coming here if you fall into either group. I imagine it could be dangerous for the former (think slippery stone in some areas) and there was a toddler crying during two-thirds of my tour that made for a very distracting experience if you consider the cavernous reverberations. After waiting in line for about 15-20 minutes outside, then another 10-15 minutes on the stairs inside, the tour itself lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes after we finally got downstairs. It was very informative and our guide tried her best to crack jokes and maintain a light-hearted atmosphere while at the same time projecting her voice as loud as possible and telling other nearby groups to keep their voices down (yes, bc there were a few different groups in close proximity sometimes so she had to practically yell to be heard). She shared about the history, functions (aquifer, munitions storage, landfill, war bunker, etc) and unique conditions (cool temps and high humidity) that makes this subterranean complex such an integral part of Naples' story. The last 20 minutes was dedicated to visiting the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater only a few minutes walking from the Sotterranea entrance/exit. It's in a separate building altogether on a residential street and it was intriguing to see the intersection of antiquity and modern life. Tickets are €18 for adults, €15 for students 11-24 yrs old, €10 for children 5-10 yrs old. Time slots available on the hour from between 10am to 7pm daily, last entry at 6pm. For more info: https://www.napolisotterranea.org/en/

Our Mediterranean cruise ported here, nice area & amazing views of the sea & the volcano, pretty…read morecool to see in the distance. Nice port area there are plenty of places to eat, shop & just take in the scenery. The port was a nice stop a good way to spend some time exploring the area.

A huge port with facilities and many shops to check out before you get back on board! Also it's…read moreright across the street from the hustle and bustle of Napoli! An impressive looking building actually!

It's also called the Fountain of Giants. The artists were 17th century designers Michelangelo…read moreNaccherino and Pietro Bernini. This fountain was made for Palazzo Reale di Napoli, but it's been moved, and now stands here. Well it's got a breathtaking backdrop of Mount Vesuvius and wonderful seascapes! How can you rate a beautiful monument that's been blocked off? Perhaps for shrubbery grooming... Well you can't walk up to it to sit and pose. It's still marvelous, regardless. You can capture it at so many angles - your choice! Seascape view, skyscape or cityscape! It's such an awesome fountain. Only thing is there isn't an actual water fountain hahaaa... Enjoy the pics.

Phenomenal collection of ancient artifacts. The museum is…read morehuge! It was a bit too hot to make it through the entire museum.

One of Naples' crowning museums, the artifacts here complement a visit to Pompeii in the same trip,…read moresince the collections span archaeological finds from Pompeii, Rome and beyond. From sculpture, sacred and funerary objects, mosaics, paintings, household items and furniture, to architectural models and decorative elements, there's plenty of intriguing objects to pique various interests. On a grey Sunday morning in April, I arrived at 10am, and was glad I didn't come later! There were two lines, one for those purchasing tickets at the entry and those with pre-booked tickets online in advance. The latter was a fairly short line, maybe about 10 people, while the former was about 20ish. When I left a couple hours later both lines had more than doubled in length. Inside, the exhibit halls begin with sculptures unearthed during archaeological finds, with the direction of visit encircling one of the smaller inner courtyards. They do an excellent job of providing Italian and English translations for didactic labels and descriptions, and I was able to learn much about a) the background and provenance of sculptures and other finds, b) key figures in archaeological excavations which discovered many of the pieces now housed here, and c) the history of this museum. The route of visit continues to a columned hall with some waiting area seating and contemporary local art pieces, (apparently where school groups rest before touring the museum with docents), which lead up a pair of curved stone staircases where you can look upwards at a central dome. On the second floor highlights include a collection of watercolor works from watercolorist Luigi Bazzani, who captured colorful paintings of Pompeii at the turn of the 20th century, a collection of elaborate furniture, and many rooms of artifacts from steles, ceramics, blown glass and tableware. Many colorful wall paintings found in villas and homes were transferred from archaeological sites to this museum. There's a curious collection of erotic art from antiquity called the Secret Cabinet* too. Unfortunately both these sections were closed: a) the mosaic floor where they previously allowed visitors to enter wearing cloth covers over shoes, and b) the sprawling mini replica of Pompeii that looked to be at least 12 x 15 feet. The latter I glimpsed thru a walkway that was cordoned off. The Sundial Hall, named after (you guessed it) a functional sundial installed in the SW corner of the room, was one of the most impressive rooms in the museum, originally serving as the Bourbon** Royal Library of Naples, then later as the National Library. The beautifully restored ceiling fresco depicts the Bourbon royalty as patrons of the arts. Among the most famous group of objects here are items from the Farnese Collection, begun by then Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (1468-1549), who later became Pope Paul III. Theses works were displayed in various settings notably the Farnese palace, villa and gardens in Rome, then subsequently passed down to descendants. Farnese Hercules, Farnese Artemis, the Farnese Bull and the Farnese Cup are all sublimely sculpted pieces. The total time recommended is easily 2.5-3 hours, additional if you want to read more of the placards. Free lockers, coat check and bathrooms are available. Admission is €20.00 for regular tickets, €2.00 for 18-25 year olds, free for teachers, disabled and those with certain city passes including Artecard and Naples Pass. Hours: 9.00 am - 7.30 pm with last entry at 6.30 pm Closed Tuesdays. *did not post these pics as I didn't want to get flagged for posting explicit content! lol **Bourbon as in the royal dynasty that ruled southern Italy from 1734 until 1860. Not the whisky made with a higher percentage of corn from the southern United States. =)

Intriguing architectural facade for appreciation if you're in the neighborhood!…read more Commissioned by Nicola Moscati, marquis of Poppano in 1738, the Rococo design is attributed to Ferdinando Sanfelice, who connected two existing palazzo buildings with an imaginatively devised double staircase, also used in other buildings by the same architect. This was referred to as "falcon's wings" due to the curving arched outline of the ascending staircases on either side of an octagonal base. In the 19th century the lower apartments of the building were purchased by businessman Tommaso Atienza, nicknamed lo Spagnolo (the Spaniard), hence the building's current name. This is quick walk-by situation, neither the building nor stairs are open to the public. You can walk through the base of the stairs from one side to the other, both sides used as a parking lot currently as of April 2026.