• Home »
• Guides and Info »
• Italy »
• Naples »
• Things to See in Naples

The first thing to strike you about Naples is not what it is in the city, but instead what surrounds the city. The city enjoys the spectacular setting on the Bay of Naples and all along the bay are powerful vistas over to Mount Vesuvius.

Away from the coast, where squares are big attractions in other Italian cities, here it is the old, authentically Italian neighbourhoods of Chiaia, Spaccanapoli and Mercato that are the attraction. Other quarters like Forcella where the Duomo is and Toledo are unlike any other in Italy.

Naturally, you can’t ignore the fact that Naples is located beside Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that produced the lava to engulf the aforementioned city. If Naples is the furthest south you will reach in Italy take the day trip to both attractions.

A city in ruins

Victim of probably the most famous volcano eruption ever, Pompeii has to be seen to be believed. As you wander around the streets of the ancient city, it is hard to fathom that it was once completely buried. Highlights of Italy's number one tourist attraction include Teatro Grande and Anfiteatro. Open daily from 8.30am-5pm/7pm; admission €11.

Attractions in Naples

• Pompeii

  , Naples, Italy

  Victim of probably the most famous volcano eruption ever, Pompeii has to be seen to be believed. As you wander around the streets of the ancient city, it is hard to fathom that it was once completely buried. Highlights of Italy's number one tourist attraction include Teatro Grande and Anfiteatro.
  
  Open daily from 8.30am-5pm/7pm; admission €11.

• Il Dumo

  Via del Duomo, off Via Sapienza, Naples, Italy

  Even though Naples' cathedral was built between 1272 and 1315, today it has a 19th century façade. Over the years it has lost its original Gothic architecture, and today resembles a neo-Gothic style. Within the cathedral is Cappella di San Gennaro where the head of St Januarius is kept, and Christianity’s first basilica, the Basilica of St. Restituta.

• Naples' Catacombs

  , Naples, Italy

  Three of Italy's best preserved catacombs can be found in Naples - Catacomba di San Gaudioso, Catacomba di San Severo and Catacomba di San Gennaro, the best-known of the three. All are equally macabre and different from any other attraction in the city.
  
  Opening times and admission prices vary.

• Museo Archeologico Nazionale

  Piazza Museo, 19, Naples, Italy

  Built in the 17th century, this is Naples' best-known museum and home to innumerable archaeological arterfacts. Here you will find one of the world's best collections of Roman, Greek and Egyptian relics. It also houses paintings and frescoes from Pompeii.
  
  Open Wed-Mon from 9am-8pm; admission €6.50.

• Mount Vesuvius

  , Naples, Italy

  Visible from almost anywhere in Naples, Mount Vesuvius looms over the city, reminding the Neapolitans of what could happen one day. Even though it hasn't erupted in over 100 years, that one fateful eruption in 79AD that buried Pompeii is arguably the best known eruption of all time.
  
  Check with tour operators for details of day trips.

• Villa Communale

  , Naples, Italy

  Overlooking the Bay of Naples is Villa Communale, the city's most famous park. While it isn't the biggest park in the world, it is where you will find a series of statues, some very famous within Naples. Inaugurated in 1871, it is also home to the city's aquarium.
  
  Open daily from 7am-midnight; admission free.