The city of Naples has so much history and Roman ruins and is also the birthplace of pizza. What most people won’t tell you is that it’s also one of the dirtiest cities you’ll ever go to. Trash everywhere, dog poop in the middle of the street, graffiti on buildings. Despite this rough reality, I still think it’s worth visiting for all the historical places. In this blog post I’ll share my Naples 2 day itinerary to help you plan the perfect trip. This blog post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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Day 1: Explore the historic center of Naples
Visit the Duomo di Napoli
The Duomo is a Roman Catholic cathedral and the main church of Naples. It was built in the 13th century. Greek and Roman artifacts were found underneath the building.
The Duomo in Milan is much more impressive than this Naples cathedral in my opinion. But the cool thing about this cathedral, and all of Naples really, is the ancient city that exists in the underground from Greek and Roman times.
Stroll in the historic center
The Centro Storico, which means historic center in Italian, is the oldest part of the city. Its history goes back over 2,700 years.
It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 and it is included on the list of historic assets to be preserved.
This part of town has narrow streets, old buildings that have soccer or Napoli decorations in between neighboring balconies, and lots of shops and restaurants.
It’s the perfect place to take a stroll and take everything in.
I have never seen a city that loves soccer more than Naples. They have Forza Napoli messages, soccer shirts, and Maradona art everywhere in the city.
They even sell toilet paper with the names of teams from other Italian cities. I guess it’s just a big part of the local culture.
Spaccanapoli is the straight main street that traverses the historic center. It translates to “Naples splitter” since it looks like it’s dividing Naples into two.
Rub Pulcinella’s nose for good luck
Pulcinela is a commedia dell’arte character that became famous in the 17th century. It represents the simple Neapolitan man who is at the bottom of the social scale, but always has a smile on his face.
It is now one of the symbols of Naples. He wears a pointy hat and has a large, crooked nose.
The legend says that rubbing Pulcinella’s nose brings good luck and fortune. So of course I had to do it!
The statue is located on Vico del Fico al Purgatorio. You will probably see a lot of people rubbing its nose, so you can just join the line.
Eat pizza at Sorbillo
While in Napoli, you have to eat pizza since it’s the birthplace of this delicious dish. Antica Pizzeria da Michele is probably the most famous pizzeria in Naples, with a history dating back to 1870.
I had their pizza in Salerno. It was delicious. But since I had it before, I decided to eat at Sorbillo purely because there was always a line for this particular pizzeria.
Which meant it was either really good or a huge tourist trap. But I was willing to risk it, so in I went.
And let me tell you it was good. Really good. Probably the best pizza I had in Naples. I understood why people were waiting in line to get in.
I had a pizza diavola, with spicy salami. The dough was perfect and not burnt, the ingredients were high quality, and it had just the right amount of spiciness. Loved it! I highly recommend this place.
It got so famous that they now have locations in Milan and NYC as well. I lived in NYC almost 14 years, and surprisingly, I’ve never eaten here. But the Naples location did not disappoint.
See the Diego Maradona street art in Quartieri Spagnoli
Napoli’s Spanish Quarter is a vibrant neighborhood where you can also find a statue and murals of Diego Maradona.
Maradona is a hero for Neapolitans as he played for their soccer team from 1984 until 1991 and led them to winning multiple titles and even a UEFA Cup.
They also sell Maradona t-shirts and other souvenirs in the Spanish Quarter and literally everywhere else in Naples.
I’m telling you, Napoli loves soccer, its team, and Maradona. You’ll clearly see this no matter where you are in the city.
Shop at Galleria Umberto I
Galleria Umberto I is very similar to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan. It’s a shopping arcade located close to Piazza del Plebiscito and the San Carlo opera house.
Even the gallery in Milan is close to the Duomo Piazza and the Scala opera house. They are not similar just aesthetically, but also in the way there are located.
Unlike the Galleria in Milan, the one in Naples does not have the famous mosaic of a bull on the floor.
The legend goes that if you spin 3 times with your heel on the bull’s uhmmm, body part in between its legs, it will bring you good luck. You won’t be able to do this in Naples, just in Milan.
Take a walk through Piazza del Plebiscito
As you walk out Galleria Umberto and walk a few more minutes you’ll end up in Piazza del Plebiscito. This is a large central square in Naples. It is also home to the Royal Palace of Naples.
Marvel at Castel dell’Ovo
If you continue walking towards the sea from Piazza del Plebiscito you will get to the waterfront in about 10 minutes. I highly encourage you to take a walk by the water.
There are street musicians who create a cool vibe. And the view of Naples and the sea is incredible.
Also in this area you can see the famous Castel dell’Ovo. I couldn’t go in since the castle is closed for renovations.
The name of the castle translates in English to “egg castle”. That’s because the legend says that Roman poet Virgil put a magical egg into the castle’s foundation to prevent its destruction.
Even though I couldn’t go in, I still loved spending some time in this area of Naples. It’s a very different vibe compared to Centro Storico.
Day 2: Explore outside of Centro Storico
Eat sfogliatelle for breakfast
Naples is the city of sfogliatelle, a pastry that’s crunchy on the outside and has a delicious ricotta cream inside. There are sfogliatelle shops everywhere in Naples.
Attanasio is one of the most popular ones. The shop is located close to the train station. They don’t have any tables where you can sit down and eat, but there is a cafe across the street where you can buy a coffee and sit at one of their tables.
They sell 2 kinds of sfogliatelle: soft and crunchy. The soft version is a crumbly pastry, while the crunchy one is very crunchy. I tried both and I liked the soft one better.
The cream was a bit too sweet for my taste, but overall it was a solid sfogliatella. And it came warm from the oven.
Another sfogliatelle shop I recommend is Cuori di Sfogliatella. They have multiple locations in the city, including one close to the train station.
This shop is more modern and they have so many options for sfogliatelle and other pastries. I tried their lemon and pistachio sfogliatelle and they were delicious.
If you want an old school pastry shop, go to Attanasio. If you want a modern take on sfogliatelle, go to Cuori di Sfogliatella. Or you can always try both.
Visit Castel Sant’Elmo
Castel Sant’Elmo is a medieval fortress located on Vomero Hill, overlooking the city. It was built in the 13th century and it was a military property until 1976.
Now it’s a tourist attraction, it hosts art exhibits, and it can also be used as a conference center.
I loved the view from here. It’s one of the best views of Naples in my opinion.
The other cool thing is that in order to get to the castle you can take one of the funicular lines in Naples. You have to buy a ticket from the funicular station and the final stop is a short walk from the castle.
It reminded me of Barcelona‘s Montjuic cable car that gets you to Montjuic Castle.
Take a guided tour of the underground tunnels
The underground tunnels of Naples are one of the main attractions in the city. There are multiple guided tours being offered since the underground tunnel system spans the entire city. I went on this tour and it was fantastic.
The underground can be placed to the Greek and Roman era, a few centuries BC. While visiting a 100 year old palace is cool, this tunnel network spans millennia. It’s such an important piece of history, that I highly encourage you to take this tour even though you might not be a history buff.
The tour starts by going down about 150 stairs to get to the tunnel system. It is cooler down there, but if you visit during the summer season, it will feel like you’re in an air conditioned room.
The guide will walk you through various parts of the tunnel system and he will provide a lot of explanations for what you see.
You will also walk through a very narrow tunnel at one point, which I found really cool. This part lasts for only 2 minutes, so if you’re claustrophobic rest assured it won’t be long. If you’re really scared to do it, you can opt out of this part of the tour.
After visiting the tunnels the group came back up to street level. And then the tour guide took us to a nearby building that used to be a bar. A few years back some archeologists were having a drink there and they discovered that there is an entire Roman theatre underneath the bar.
Now it’s a museum open to the public. But how cool that literally everywhere you are in Naples there is some building underneath that dates back to thousands of years ago?
Eat a light lunch or have a drink and gelato
After being immersed in all this amazing history, you can take a break to let everything sink in. There are plenty of bars, gelato shops, and restaurants in this area. You can always pick whatever looks good to you.
If you want to have gelato, I recommend Mennela Il Gelato and Mozzelato.
While in the South of Italy, besides an Aperol spritz, you should also try a limoncello spritz.
See The Veiled Christ at Sansevero Chapel Museum
The Veiled Christ is a marble sculpture that was completed in 1753. It was carved by a local Neapolitan artist, Giuseppe Sanmartino.
The sculpture was made from a single block of white marble, including the transparent shroud that covers Jesus.
This sculpture is a very popular attraction and tickets sell out days, if not weeks, in advance. I highly encourage you to buy your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment.
Go to a pizza-making workshop
Since Naples is the birthplace of pizza, what better place to learn how to make authentic pizza than this city?
I went to this workshop and it was awesome. We had a local, Neapolitan pizza chef teaching us how to make pizza.
We learned what the right amount of ingredients is, how to make the dough, how to shape it, and what the right toppings are for a traditional pizza Margherita.
Fun fact: Queen Margherita wanted a dish that had the colors of the Italian flag (red, white, and green) and the chefs made a pizza that became famous worldwide. It had tomato sauce (red), cheese (white), and basil (green) and the queen like it. Hence why it is called pizza Margherita, after the queen.
Midway through the class everyone takes a break to enjoy a bruschetta and a drink.
Then once the pizzas are ready to be cooked everyone heads upstairs and they bake the pizzas in a traditional pizza oven that cooks the pizza in about 60-90 seconds.
Then, once it’s done they let you take the pizza out of the oven and put it on your plate.
After so much work and learning, the best reward is eating your own creation at the end of the workshop. My pizza turned out delicious even though I never made pizza from scratch.
I this this workshop can be really fun for all types of travelers: solo, couples, family. Everyone loves pizza, so I’m pretty sure everyone will enjoy this cooking class.
If you have an extra day, take a day trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
If you can spare another day in the Naples area, you should take a day trip to Pompeii and Vesuvius. These are two additional places that have so much history. It would be a pity to not visit them.
Pompeii was a city that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The city was covered by 8 meters of ash and pumice, thus preserving the city. This allowed us to see what Roman life looked like at the time.
It’s not just a few rocks that were part of buildings, but it’s entire buildings, streets, and neighborhoods that you can see in Pompeii. In addition, you can also see plaster casts of some victims of the eruption.
Vesuvius is the volcano whose eruption destroyed not only Pompeii, but also Herculaneum, Oplontis and other settlements. The volcano erupted multiple times since, its last eruption being in 1944.
If you join the same tour I did, the bus will take you up to 1,000 meters altitude, and from there you have to hike another 280 meters to reach the crater.
The hike is not that hard, but the ground is full of little volcanic rocks, so you just have to be careful not to fall.
It’s really cool to see a volcano with so much history in person. It’s absolutely worth the trip and the hike. Plus, the view of the Gulf of Naples from up there is incredible.
FAQs about Naples
Where should I stay in Naples?
I booked this trip last-minute for the end of June, so most hotels were already sold out. That’s because Naples is the closest large city to the Amalfi Coast, so most people spend a few days there when in Southern Italy.
I ended up booking a one-bedroom apartment, called Dimora Carafa. I loved it!
The apartment was about a 15-20 minute walk from the train station in a residential neighborhood. I could also walk to most tourist attractions from there.
The host, Tina, was super nice and responsive via WhatsApp. I arrived in Naples earlier than 3pm (the check-in time). But she said I could check in early and just wait for her to finish cleaning the apartment.
I really appreciated this gesture since I didn’t have to store my luggage for a few hours and waste time. She also told me to contact her whenever if I had questions or something was wrong with the apartment.
She had 6 bottles of water in the fridge for me, and she also had biscuits and toast on the kitchen table as a welcome gift.
The kitchen was fully stocked with everything I needed to cook breakfast (it even had a mocha pot for Italian coffee!).
The apartment was spacious, clean and it had an AC unit both in the bedroom and the living room. The building was clean and pretty quiet.
Overall, I loved staying here and if you prefer an apartment over a hotel room, Dimora Carafa could be a great choice. The price was very affordable too.
If you want to stay at a hotel I recommend Santa Chiara Boutique Hotel, Caruso Place – Boutique & Wellness Suites, or Starhotels Terminus (next to the train station).
What is the best time to visit Naples?
I visited at the end of June. This is peak season. The weather was hot and there were a lot of tourists. Especially since everyone who has the Amalfi Coast as their final destination usually spend a few days in Naples too.
While I’m not a huge fan of peak summer season travel, I had a good experience in Naples, so I didn’t mind it.
How can I get around Naples?
Naples is a very walkable city and most attractions are clustered together. If you need to go between places that are further apart you can take public transport.
Either the bus or the subway are great options. Otherwise, you can also hail a taxi (in person or on the Uber app).
How can I get to the city center from the Naples airport?
Bus
You can take the Alibus which will take you to the main train station, Napoli Centrale, in about 15 minutes. The bus has an additional stop after the train station, which is the port.
The ticket costs 5 euros one way. You can buy it online. You can use the ticket on any Alibus, you don’t need to reserve a certain time.
The bus usually comes every 10-15 minutes, so you don’t have to wait long to hop on it.
It’s not very clear where the Alibus stop is when you exit the airport. Continue walking straight as you exit, you’ll go through a parking lot, and the bus stop is after the parking lot on the right hand side.
There will be taxi drivers in the parking lot offering you a taxi ride. Just ignore them and keep walking.
Taxi
If you don’t want to deal with public transportation, then you can get a taxi from the airport.
While the Uber app works in Naples, it just connects you to taxi drivers.
Alternatively you can also schedule a private transfer.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone in under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Is Naples safe for a solo female traveler?
I heard some stories that Naples is dangerous and I even had people telling me I shouldn’t go there. However, I never had any problems in Naples. I visited all the popular spots, I walked through various neighborhoods and I didn’t feel unsafe.
Maybe I was just lucky. Maybe the situation is a bit exaggerated. I don’t know what to say. But as long as you’re on high alert, as you should be anytime you travel solo, you’ll be fine.
I didn’t go out after dark as a precaution. But during the day I felt safe in Naples.
However, Naples is a very dirty city. There is trash everywhere on the street, the buildings have graffiti on them, and there is dog poop in the middle of the street. While I didn’t personally find the city unsafe, I found it very dirty.
Do I need cash for my trip to Naples?
It’s always a good idea to carry some cash when you’re in Southern Italy. While most places accept cards, you can tip tour guides or buy souvenirs or something else from small mom-and-pop shops who don’t accept them.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the airport instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Naples?
Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 1-2 euros as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
I highly recommend you book tickets for popular attractions online in advance of your trip. Naples is a very popular destination so it’s very likely that tickets will sell out. Especially if you visit during the summer months. Booking in advance will give you peace of mind.
Do people speak English in Naples?
Yes, they do. Naples attracts a lot of visitors each year and, as you can imagine, not all tourists speak Italian. I still recommend you learn a few Italian words ahead of your trip though. I do this for every country I visit.
Do you recommend Naples as a solo destination?
I do recommend Naples as a destination for solo female travelers. The city has such a rich history, there are so many things to do, the weather is great all year round, and the food is delicious.
I personally felt safe while visiting. But it was one of the dirtiest cities I’ve ever visited so far.
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Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 80K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.