A short history of Naples
Three times a year Naples Cathedral fills to bursting. The archbishop raises the vial holding the dried blood of San Gennaro, the city's patron saint, and the crowd waits for the blood to liquefy. If it does, a good year is believed to follow. The biggest ceremony is on 19 September.
Neapolis, the new city, was founded by Greeks around the 5th century BC. The three parallel main streets of the historic centre still follow that plan. In AD 79 the eruption of Vesuvius buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash. The volcano's most recent eruption was in 1944.
For centuries Naples was the capital of a kingdom. The Teatro San Carlo, opened under the Bourbons in 1737, is today the oldest working opera house in Europe. The city joined unified Italy in 1861. There is another Naples beneath the streets. Tuff quarries and cisterns from ancient times served as air-raid shelters in the Second World War, and today you can visit them on a guided tour.
Naples neighbourhoods
The Quartieri Spagnoli is a grid of narrow streets climbing uphill just west of Via Toledo. With washing lines strung between balconies, scooters and the big mural on Largo Maradona, this is where you see the city's love of football up close.
Rione Sanità lies north of the historic centre, in a valley that tour groups rarely go down into. The Catacombs of San Gennaro and the Fontanelle cemetery, filled with skulls, are in this neighbourhood.
In the mornings at the Pignasecca market in Montesanto, fishmongers, greengrocers and fry stalls set up side by side. It's an easy place for a cheap lunch.
Mergellina is a small harbour at the western end of the seafront, and some hydrofoils to the islands leave from here. In the evenings there are queues for frappé and ice cream at the kiosks along the water. Climb the hill and Posillipo's villas begin, and from Parco Virgiliano you can see the bay and Capri.
Where to stay
- Centro Storico / Spaccanapoli: The UNESCO-listed old town, full of pizzerias and churches, noisy but full of life.
- Chiaia: Naples' elegant district of smart shops and bars, close to the sea.
- Santa Lucia / Seafront: Along the seafront with views of Castel dell’Ovo and Vesuvius.
- Vomero: A calm, green hilltop district with funiculars running down to the centre.
- Toledo: The main shopping street, with a metro stop and everything close by.
When to visit Naples
The easiest months for Naples are May-June and September-October. Days are 20-28 °C, the sea is warm enough to swim, and you won't have to tour Pompeii under a scorching sun. San Gennaro's day on 19 September falls in this period.
In December, Via San Gregorio Armeno gets so crowded it's hard to walk. Handmade nativity figures are sold on this narrow street all year, but the real season is before Christmas. Winter is mild, 10-15 °C by day, with frequent rain in November and December. Boat services to Capri and the Amalfi Coast are reduced in winter.
July and August are hot and humid, with the thermometer at 30-33 °C. Neapolitans head for the coast, and some restaurants close in mid-August. Beaches, islands and ferries are at their busiest in these months.
Food culture in Naples
A Neapolitan pizza bakes for about ninety seconds in a wood-fired oven. It comes out wet and soft in the middle, eaten with a knife and fork at the table or folded in four (a portafoglio) on the street. Everyone orders their own pizza, and sharing isn't really the custom. The margherita is said to have been made for Queen Margherita in 1889. Fried pizza fritta and fried snacks sold in a paper cone, the cuoppo, are part of street food.
Sunday lunch means ragù that has simmered for hours. By the sea there's spaghetti alle vongole, and buffalo mozzarella everywhere. For dessert, layered sfogliatella and rum-soaked babà.
Coffee is short and strong, and most bars serve it with a glass of water. Under the caffè sospeso tradition, someone finishing their coffee pays for another one for a later customer who can't afford it. Lunch is 13:00-15:00 and dinner after 20:30. Tips aren't expected, leaving your small change is enough.
Naples trip budget
Of Italy's big cities, Naples is the easiest on your wallet. A good margherita is 5-8 € and an espresso standing at the bar 1-1.50 €. For 2026 you can think of a daily budget in three tiers. A hostel and street food come to 50-80 €. A mid-range hotel, trattoria meals and a museum or two mean 110-180 €. For a sea-view hotel and good restaurants, plan on 280 € and up.
One ride on the metro, a funicular or a bus is 1.50-1.80 €, and unlimited travel for a day around 4-5 €. The Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii is 3-4 € each way, and entry is 18-22 €. The National Archaeological Museum is around 20 €, and the Veiled Christ in the Cappella Sansevero costs 10-12 €.
Walking Spaccanapoli, Piazza del Plebiscito and the seafront are free. Most churches are free to enter. Seeing the mosaics of Toledo metro station costs no more than a ticket.
Prices are approximate as of October 2026.
Build your route on the Naples map
More guides for Italy
Florence travel guide · Milan travel guide · Rome travel guide · Venice travel guide