A huge expansive public space that puts you in awe to the size of the building fascia the closer…read moreyou get to it. A vast open sweeping pair of arms that you could imagine holding the entire commerce of the city back in ancient times, filled with vendors and craftsmen from all over selling their wares. This is one of the few plazas I found so large and in excellent shape.

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.

Piazza Tasso is a lovely square in Sorrento…read more Lucky to stumble across a local festival on our cruise ship tour to Sorrento and Pompeii. Our tour guide was not sure what they were celebrating. Take time to check out the beautiful baroque yellow church and everything Limoncello while you are in the neighborhood. The lemons in Sorrento are enormous and the geography reflects their impact. Limoncello granitas. Lemon pasta. Lemon biscotti. Lemons on everything from dish towels, baskets and bags to headbands. My sister-in-law even bought a pair of swim shorts that were covered with a large lemons in the pattern. Nice for a short stop while exploring Sorrento. Tip: There is a bathroom next to the church. It takes one euro each.

On your way around Sorrento's city center, you're bound to pass this piazza since it connects the…read morepedestrian only zones to the part of town with many hotels, summer apartments and leads to more local residential areas. Restaurants, cafes, hotels and a couple miscellaneous shops and church buildings line this thoroughfare. The car traffic coupled with many pedestrians constantly crossing, I'd warn drivers to be very careful in this area! A statue of Saint Antoninus of Sorrento, patron saint of the city, stands in the center, a salutation to those entering the historic old town. On the north edge, the sidewalk overlooks and connects to stairs that descend down to a hairpin turn in the road at the base. On the southern edge, there's a deep ravine (Vallone dei Mulini) filled with plants, trees and shrubs, and an old abandoned mill?), smack dab in the middle of the block. Constantly tourists take pictures here day and night lol. Walking thru here about a dozen times over the course of two days, there wasn't ever a quiet moment, even during shoulder season. Restaurants are busy being that it's such a central meet up point. Perhaps only at around 7am one day when most tourists were still sleeping was it quieter with only locals out and about.

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.

Mount Vesuvius is pretty bare and dusty; nothing polished about it. You feel where you are the…read moreentire time. It's not long, but it's enough to slow you down. At the top, you're right at the crater. Just you, the edge, and a very real reminder of what it is. A beautiful view of the Bay of Naples behind you but at the same time knowing it's that same volcano.... The one that buried Pompeii changes the tone a bit. It's not dramatic; just heavy. Worth doing the hike but just don't expect it to feel super touristy.

A hike up Mount Vesuvius is the perfect way to get panoramic views of the Naples area, and wow, are…read morethey stunning! The hike itself is straight up and not paved for one mile there and back. I would not advise you to try and make it to the top if you aren't athletic. Just go up a little ways and get some photos. If you do make it to the top, you can enjoy a nice gift shop with souvenirs and even a glass of wine. They do provide bathrooms at the entrance but they were disgusting.

Only stop in Capri long enough to catch a $20 cab to Anacapri. Shopping area so quaint. A far cry…read moredifference from the congested/tacky shopping marts at Capri. No cheap trinkets here. If your idea of shopping in Italy is "T-shirts, shot glasses and gelatis", this will not appeal to you. But, if you love quiet walks with lovely linen and ceramic shops, no Vespas running you over and nobody shouting at you to eat at their restaurant, you'll love it as much as I do. No smell of petrol. Just the aroma of the abundance of flowers and puddled cobblestones.

If you have a short amount of time when visiting Napoli (Naples) and want to see ancient Romans,…read morethen Herculaneum is a great option. Highlights/Tips: + Can be reached by public transportation; however, there is a bit of a walk from the stop + Extremely well preserved + While smaller than Pompeii, there are less crowds and you can easily see all structures and key sites with a 2.5 hour visit depending upon how long you stand and look. + If you really want a more in depth understanding of the site, I'd go with a guide. While you can do a self guided tour, I feel that a guide can provide much more context and clue you in on additional things + Accessibility- some may find the experience a bit strenuous; however, the roads/ paths into the structures are much easier to navigate than Pompeii. They seem to be much flatter and not as steep. If you are a wheelchair user, I would highly recommend seeking recommendations from other individuals as I can't speak to this. +Shade- This is especially important during the summer months. There are more shady spots to be found in the Herculaneum. I would recommend going in the Gymnasium cave like area if you really need to cool down. ***Watch your step, especially if it has rained and/or just in general. Some of the areas for walking are uneven stones and I saw quite a few older individuals slip and cause themselves potentially ending vacation injuries on the day I went.

We wanted to tour some Vesuvius ruins, and like most people assumed Pompeii was the place to go…read more But luckily while researching I found Herculaneum...the much smaller and closer option for our brief stay in Naples. The train station was a short walk away. They provide (and require) free lockers for large backpacks. The grounds are fairly small and therefore quite manageable to wander in a couple hours. Everything was neat and clean, signed well, and easy to tour on your own...although there are guided tours of course.

Excellent place to walk and take a guided tour. I used a separate tour company that provided a 10…read moreperson tour with an actual archeologist. This site is in much better condition than Pompei so you get a better feeling for daily life and the layout of an ancient city. You can also take a self guided tour with a headset or just walk around by yourself. Prices are very reasonable. Parking is a breeze and cost 6€. Entrance ticket was €11 per person. The gift shop is excellent. Bathrooms near the gift shop and at the beginning do the tour. There are gift shops in the parking lot but they are very much tourist in nature. Save your parking ticket and take it with you. You pay when you leave BEFORE you get to your car.

Ercolano was the other city disseminated by the unforgiving lava of Mount Vesuvius. Archaeological…read moreexcavations are still underway. Neighboring this historical city is the modern city, literally across the street. A self-guided walking tour takes you down through layers of the ancient city. You can only imagine what was considered their sophisticated lifestyle in their time. The swampy waterways are open and visible; currently occupied by ribbiting frogs. There are hundreds of 'houses' where observers can mentally picture where one would place furniture if it were their place today. Unfortunately, these aren't habitable. Some homes restrict the number of entrants. Ancient art is everywhere: in the tiles, on the walls, along and within the building structures, and on some artifacts. All of these unintentionally left-behind... including their own remains of human bones.

One of the best experiences I've ever had. We had an archaeologist-led private tour and couldn't…read morehave asked for more. Amazing history, absolutely huge - I didn't understand the scale of Pompeii until we were there. Worth the trip to Napoli to visit Pompeii alone! Spectacular 10/10 highly recommend!!

The Scavi di Pompei is the English name for the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, which is an ancient…read morecity once buried by ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It's one of the most remarkable sites in Italy for visiting, and I would suggest at least make it a half day trip or a minimum three hours visit here.