Keyword – Naples, the jewel of central Italy is a city full of history, culture, and spectacular cuisine. Besides that Naples has a unique vibe all its own just waiting to be discovered. With so much to offer, it would seem that a short trip wouldn’t be enough to enjoy Naples, but that would be wrong. Check out this curated itinerary for 2 days in Naples Italy and you’ll get the most out of your time in this magnificent city.
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DAY ONE
Napoli Sotterranea
Start your journey to Naples under the city. This underground tour gives you a unique view of the ancient city. Discover the hidden history, ancient aqueducts, war shelters along with many other tunnels. It’s an adventure that gives you a different glimpse of a fascinating area of Italy.
From the tour, you can take a 5-minute walk down to the piazza and the palace, and on the way you get to pass through Piazza Trieste e Trento, which has in the middle of it the Carciofo Fountain.
Piazza del Plebiscito
Before heading into the Palace spend some time in this immense piazza, the largest in Naples. The massive open space is surrounded by stunning examples of neoclassical architecture including the Palace and the Basilica di San Francesco di Paola.
This piazza is a landmark that has been home to numerous festivals celebrations and other public gatherings over the years.
Royal Palace of Naples
The palace is situated right in the piazza so once you’re finished admiring that space, you can walk right into the palace. This majestic landmark is a popular stop on most people’s itineraries because of its opulent architecture, history, and culture.
Explore the splendor that the palace has to offer by taking in the throne room, royal apartments, and royal chapel among many others. Other highlights of the Palace are the Royal Armory and the Royal Gardens.
Once you’ve completed your tour of the palace head south out of the piazza and down Via Cesario Console until it ends. From there you’ll be treated to an amazing view.
Via Nazario Sauro
The evening is the perfect time to experience a stroll along the Gulf of Naples on this scenic promenade, but it’s an amazing view any time of day. Naples is full of breathtaking views and this is one of the best.
It includes a view of the Castel dell’Ovo and Mount Vesuvius looming across the water. This is a great area to grab a gelato and go for a nice walk.
Follow Via Nazario Sauro all of the way down to the castle and don’t miss the Fontana del Gigante along the way.
Castel dell Ovo
Take time to explore this medieval fortress sitting on the Gulf of Naples. This massive fortress provides panoramic views of the Gulf of Naples with Mount Vesuvius in the distance along with the city.
But the castle is more than just a fortress, but has served as a symbol of Naples’ spirit and holds centuries of history.
Currently, this castle is closed for renovations; however, If it remains closed you can instead continue down to…
Villa Comunale di Napoli
This relaxing green space is just across the street from the bay. It contains fountains, gardens, and even a playground. It provides a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city and provides a different more peaceful side of Naples.
And is a nice activity for the family in place of the castle or even after a visit to the castle.
DAY TWO
Visit Pompeii and Herculaneum
This trip just outside the city of Naples is conveniently only about 30 minutes away by train. Take the metro to the Napoli Centrale train station and take the direct train to Pompeii. Even though you only have 2 days to see Naples, these sites are just too amazing to miss when you’re in the area.
The site at Pompeii is massive so don’t worry about trying to see it all. You’ll find things that are interesting all around the site and a visit here is literally a trip back in time.
So much of the ancient town is well preserved. When we visited it was an unforgettable experience to walk the streets and enter the homes of the city.
It’s much easier to purchase your tickets ahead of time and the option of an audio guide can be helpful to provide more context to what you’re seeing.
You can also purchase your tickets ahead of time for Herculaneum as well.
Thanks to Naples’ fantastic public transportation system, it’s easy to catch an early train to Pompeii, or Herculaneum, enjoy the site, and be back in Naples for lunch.
You actually could spend a whole day visiting either site, but since you only have 2 days in the area, cutting it to a half day makes sense and you can get a good experience in that time.
Naples National Archaeological Museum
After seeing Pompeii or Herculaneum, get a bit more info about those two fascinating sites. This museum contains plenty of info and items from each.
This is an amazing place to get a feel for the history of the region. Here you’ll also find many artifacts, sculptures, and mosaics among many other items from Roman and Greek history.
Once you’ve had your fill of history, you make your way to one of the most popular streets in Naples. To do that you can either take a bus by heading to Via Santa Maria di Costantinopli and catching either the 147, 184, or 201 heading east or you can simply take the 15-minute walk.
Centro Storico/Spaccanapoli
This hectic energetic street bisects the Centro Storico region of Naples and is full of centuries-old buildings. These buildings along with the narrow streets of this area provide an authentic view of the history and architecture of Naples.
It’s a fascinating walk down this historic street. There are also plenty of markets, restaurants, and shops along Via Spaccanapoli. Don’t confine yourself to just the main street, you can also branch off to the narrow alleyways as well.
This is also a great place to find plenty of that great pizza that Naples is known for. This pizza is called the Pizza Margherita. A popular place for this is L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, one of the oldest pizzerias in Italy.
Whether it’s here or some other pizzeria in the area, be sure to try the pizza. I’m sure that there are several places that you can go in the city that’s the birthplace of Pizza Margherita and you’ll get something delicious. We tried a couple of different places and were never disappointed, the pizza was amazing.
NAPLES IN TWO DAYS
There are so many fascinating things to do and great things to eat in Naples that you don’t want to miss anything so also check out our ultimate guide to the city. Even if you only have two days you can be sure that they’ll be memorable by following this itinerary. But also remember to take some time and to get lost and explore the city as well. If you’re just passing through Naples there’s still so much to see and do in the region. Check out this article to see where else you can visit once you’re finished with Naples and also find out what you need to pack for your Italian adventure.
