View over Naples with the port, the bay and Vesuvius in the background
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Naples in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 6.8 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

One day in Naples goes a long way if you plan it well: the old town and the seafront are less than half an hour's walk apart. This itinerary is for cruise passengers, travellers heading on to the Amalfi Coast or anyone with a single free day. It strings together all three routes, from the city's liveliest street to the castle on the sea and the skulls of the Purgatorio, with pizza for lunch and ragù for dinner.

One day in NaplesFrom the sea to the skulls

Start early in Piazza Dante with “From Piazza Dante to the sea”: walk down Via Toledo, peer into the Spanish Quarter, cut through the Galleria Umberto I and finish facing the bay at Castel dell'Ovo. Head back towards the centre for a Neapolitan pizza at Port'Alba, next to Piazza Dante. In the afternoon, follow “From Greek Neapolis to the Bourbon court”, from San Lorenzo Maggiore to the Royal Palace. At dusk, climb back up to Spaccanapoli for “Deals with the devil”: the Sansevero Chapel and Purgatorio ad Arco. For dinner, ragù napoletano at Tandem on Via Paladino, a few minutes from the Sansevero.

  1. Morning

    From Piazza Dante to the sea: the Naples you can't miss

    Mixed · 2.7 km · 2 h 10 min

    1. Piazza DanteAn old market that Vanvitelli turned into a forum honouring King Charles of Bourbon.
    2. Via Toledo and the Spanish QuarterThe street a Spanish viceroy opened in 1536 and the maze of alleys his soldiers lived in.
    3. Galleria Umberto IA cathedral of iron and glass, built after the cholera of 1884 on top of one of the city's poorest districts.
    4. Piazza del PlebiscitoA vast square between a palace and a Roman-style temple, with a game almost nobody manages to win.
    5. Fontana del GiganteA Baroque fountain that has moved four times and is named after a statue that no longer exists.
    6. Castel dell'OvoThe oldest castle in Naples, on the islet where the city was born, and which, legend says, rests on an egg.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Neapolitan pizza at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. Via Cesare Sersale, 1, Nápoles

  3. Afternoon

    From Greek Neapolis to the Bourbon court

    History · 2.3 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. San Lorenzo MaggioreA Gothic basilica built right on top of the market of the Roman city, which you can still walk through underground.
    2. Piazza San Domenico MaggioreThe square of the nobles, of the kings of Aragon and of a friar called Thomas Aquinas.
    3. Santa ChiaraThe great church of the Angevin kings, which burned for days in 1943 and was rebuilt stone by stone.
    4. Castel NuovoThe castle of the kings of Naples, with a Renaissance triumphal arch wedged between two medieval towers.
    5. Royal PalaceA palace built for a king who never came, guarded on its facade by eight stone monarchs.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Deals with the devil, alchemist princes and restless souls

    Mysteries & legends · 1.8 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Palazzo PenneA palace from 1406 which, legend says, the devil built in a single night.
    2. Gesù NuovoA palace facade turned into a church, with mysterious marks carved into its diamond points.
    3. Sansevero ChapelThe chapel of an inventor and alchemist prince, home to the Veiled Christ and two skeletons with every vein in place.
    4. Statue of the NileAn Egyptian god that Neapolitans mistook for centuries for a mother nursing the city.
    5. Purgatorio ad ArcoThe church of the skulls, where Neapolitans adopted a lost soul in exchange for favours.
    6. Naples CathedralSan Gennaro's church, where three times a year the city waits for its patron saint's blood to liquefy.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Ragù napoletano at Tandem Ragù. Via Giovanni Paladino, 51, Nápoles

The map

Naples in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Naples in 1 day

  • Wear comfortable shoes with good grip: the centre is paved with basalt slabs that get slippery in the rain, and it's uphill all the way from the port to the old town.
  • Book your ticket for the Sansevero Chapel in advance, as it often sells out, and check the opening times: it's the stop that takes the longest all day.
  • Many churches in the centre close over lunch, which is why this plan saves the old-town churches for the afternoon and the seafront for the morning.

Questions

Naples in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Naples in one day?

The highlights, yes: the old town, Via Toledo, Piazza del Plebiscito and the seafront are all close together. You'll miss the big museums, the Vomero and the underground city, but you'll leave with a clear sense of the place and a taste of the best pizza on earth.

How many kilometres will I walk?

The three routes add up to about 6.8 km, plus the walks linking them, which come to no more than a couple of kilometres. It's a long but manageable day, with sloping streets and plenty of cobbles, so spread your breaks out well.

Is the Sansevero Chapel worth it?

Yes. Giuseppe Sanmartino's Veiled Christ is one of the most astonishing sculptures in Italy, and the visit is short. There's an entry fee and often a queue, though, so book a time slot and plan the start of your evening route around it.

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