Start with the National Archaeological Museum and the Sansevero Chapel with its Veiled Christ. Then give a full day to Pompeii or to the Vesuvius crater trail.
At a glance
- Top sights to see first: National Archaeological Museum (MANN), Sansevero Chapel, Palazzo Reale, Castel Nuovo
- Main access: Metro Line 1, stop Municipio (also Line 6 for Castel Nuovo)
- Day trips: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius, Procida, Capri
- Warmest months: July and August, with highs of 87°F to 88°F (31°C)
- Wettest months: October and November
What are the best things to do in Naples?
National Archaeological Museum (MANN)
The Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (MANN) stands at Piazza Museo 18/19.
A full ticket costs €20 and a reduced ticket €2. Entry is free for everyone under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month, so plan around that Sunday if your dates are flexible. The OpenMANN card costs €25 for adults and gives unlimited entry for 365 days from the first visit, which suits a long stay.
Sansevero Chapel
The Sansevero Chapel, also known as S. Maria della Pietà, is at Via Francesco De Sanctis 19/21. It was founded in 1590. From 1749 Raimondo de Sangro devised its decorative program himself, working with sculptors including Antonio Corradini, Francesco Queirolo, Francesco Celebrano and Giuseppe Sammartino. Sammartino made the famous Veiled Christ at the center of the chapel.
Online booking is mandatory, and tickets are released 60 days ahead. Small groups of up to nine people can also buy at the ticket office for the same day and the next seven days, subject to availability. The ticket office was temporarily moved to Via Raimondo di Sangro 12 in February 2026. A full ticket costs €12, ages 18 to 26 pay €8, ages 10 to 17 pay €6, and children up to 9 enter free. The audio guide is €3.50, or €6 for two.
Palazzo Reale
The Palazzo Reale was founded in 1600 as the palace of King Philip III of Spain and designed by Domenico Fontana. In 1734 Naples became the capital of an autonomous kingdom under Charles III of Bourbon, and the palace was enlarged. Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy ceded it to the State in 1919. It sits at the southern edge of the ancient city, with its façade facing west toward Largo di Palazzo.
A full ticket costs €15 and the reduced ticket for ages 18 to 24 costs €2. Under 18s enter free. The ticket is open-dated, so you can use it on any ordinary opening day, and you can buy it online or at the ticket office.
Castel Nuovo
Castel Nuovo has a trapezoidal plan and houses the Museo Civico. Under Robert of Anjou it became a cultural center where Giotto, Petrarca and Boccaccio stayed. In the courtyard, look for the low-arched portico and the outer piperno staircase by Guglielmo Sagrera.
Residents of Naples and the Città Metropolitana pay €6. The museum route takes in the Sala dell’Armeria, the Cappella Palatina and the Sala dei Baroni. Gallerie d’Italia, at Via Toledo 177, is reached from the same Municipio stop or from Toledo on Line 1. It charges €8, or €4 reduced, and offers audio guides through its app.
Pompeii
Pompeii is part of the Great Pompeii park, which also takes in Boscoreale, Oplontis and Stabia. The standard ticket covers the ancient city, the suburban villas (Villa of the Mysteries and Villa of Diomedes) and Villa Regina in Boscoreale. The Pompeii Artebus shuttle connects all the sites.
Tickets are personal, with a daily limit of 20,000 entries. From March 16 to October 14, up to 15,000 can enter between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and 5,000 between 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. A full ticket costs €25 and a reduced ticket €2. The Express ticket, €20, covers the ancient city only. The Pompeii Plus ticket, €30, is valid for 3 days with one entrance to each site. Official ticket offices are only inside the archaeological area, so buy there or on the official channel. The Civic Pompeii and Daily Pompeii themed itineraries last about 1.5 hours and cost €8 on top of entry.
Herculaneum
Herculaneum Park includes the Archaeological Area, the Theater, the Villa of the Papyri, the Antiquarium and the Boat Pavilion. The Villa dei Papiri and the Ancient Theatre are currently closed, with no reopening date set.
A full ticket costs €16 and a reduced ticket €2. Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month, and on April 25, June 2 and November 4. A season ticket costs €30 and is valid for 365 days from first use.
Mount Vesuvius
The Gran Cono is nature trail no. 5. It starts from the square at 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) above sea level in Ercolano. The high route on the crater summit is closed for safety and environmental protection.
Tickets are sold only online, and 50 are released every 10 minutes starting 30 days ahead. Ten more last-minute tickets go on sale each day, 30 minutes before each time slot. Full price runs from €10 to €11.68 and reduced from €8 to €9.55. The hike is up to 2 hours round trip on the shortest route and 3 hours on the longest, so book a morning slot if you want the rest of the day free.
When is the best time to visit Naples for sightseeing?
Summer brings full sun, about 10 hours a day in July, and highs of 87°F (31°C) in August, so museum days suit the heat better than the Pompeii ruins. Winter is cooler, with a January high of 56°F (13°C) and about nine rainy days. Spring is milder, with May at 75°F (24°C) and about six rainy days. November is the wettest month, with about ten rainy days, so pack for rain and favor the indoor sights.
Outdoor things to do in Naples
Procida, the smallest island of the Campania archipelago, offers views among beaches, bays and inlets. SNAV hydrofoils connect Naples to Procida with daily departures all year, and boats also link Procida to Ischia (Casamicciola port). SNAV is based at Stazione Marittima, Molo Angioino.
For a boat day, the Capri Experience excursion includes a stop at the Blue Grotto.
On foot, free guided walks run in Secondigliano until November 23. The Avenue Secondigliano walk starts at Villa Alfiero, Corso Secondigliano 200, at 10:30 a.m. Il Tempo delle Corti starts at the Chiesa di San Carlo al ponte, Corso Secondigliano 375. Both require booking by email. The Giardino di Babuk, at Via Giuseppe Piazzi 56, covers about 1,000 square meters (roughly 10,800 square feet). Below it is a hypogeum with four caves, which became an air-raid shelter during the war.
Day trips from Naples
Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum are the archaeological and volcanic day trips, and Procida and Capri are the island ones. The Vesuvius trail starts in Ercolano, where you can follow a linear out-and-back route or a loop on Sentiero n. 5 to the Rifugio Imbò. The Pompeii Plus ticket also opens Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco, the Archaeological Museum of Stabiae and Boscoreale.
- Mount Vesuvius, Gran Cono: 2 to 3 hours round trip · on foot from the square at 1,000 m in Ercolano · for walkers who book online ahead
- Pompeii and the Great Pompeii sites: Plus ticket valid for 3 days · Pompeii Artebus shuttle between sites · for those who want several sites
- Procida: daily hydrofoil all year · SNAV · for a quiet island day
- Capri Experience: boat excursion · stop at the Blue Grotto · for a sea day
For a long day, choose Pompeii or Vesuvius, and book Vesuvius first, since its tickets are limited.
Things to do in Naples with kids
Museums are cheap for families. MANN and the Palazzo Reale are free for everyone under 18, and the Sansevero Chapel is free up to age 9, with ages 10 to 17 paying €6. A hydrofoil ride to Procida makes a good boat day.
At Pompeii, the Civic Pompeii and Daily Pompeii itineraries last about 1.5 hours, a manageable length for kids. Book the Sansevero Chapel online ahead, as entry is by reservation only.
Sources
- parconazionaledelvesuvio.it (https://www.parconazionaledelvesuvio.it/en/visit-the-park/the-paths/the-great-cono-of-vesuvius/), checked 2026-10-30
- pompeiisites.org (https://pompeiisites.org/en/visiting-info/timetables-and-tickets/), checked 2026-10-30
- open-meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/historical-weather-api), checked 2026-10-30
- comune.napoli.it (https://www.comune.napoli.it/maschioangioino), checked 2026-10-30
- museoarcheologiconapoli.it (https://www.museoarcheologiconapoli.it/en/timetables-and-fares/), checked 2026-10-30
- cultura.gov.it (https://cultura.gov.it/luogo/palazzo-reale-di-napoli-1?page=19), checked 2026-10-30
- comune.napoli.it (https://www.comune.napoli.it/novita/presentato-programma-feste-patronali/), checked 2026-10-30
- snav.it (https://www.snav.it/en/destinations/ischia-2/procida-casamicciola-2), checked 2026-10-30