2 days in Naples, Italy: the complete itinerary

Two days in Naples suit a long weekend or a stop inside a bigger trip. That's enough to see the old town and the hill above it, to eat a proper pizza and to understand why the bay is famous. It's not enough for everything: the Sanità district or a full visit to Pompeii stay out, unless you trade something else for them. Here's how to split the hours, what changes if one of your two days falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and how the plan shifts if you add a day trip.

If you have even less time, there's the one day version; with one more day, the three day version adds room for the Sanità and a proper trip out of the city. For the practical details on every single place, from opening hours to tickets, there's the things to see in Naples guide.

Day 1: the old town and Toledo

The first day is walked, in an area measured in blocks rather than kilometres. Start early: the old town in the morning is far more livable, with fewer people and more light inside the cloisters.

Morning: Spaccanapoli and the Veiled Christ

From Piazza del Gesù, with the diamond-pointed facade of the Gesù Nuovo church, you enter the majolica cloister of Santa Chiara: pillars and benches covered in eighteenth century tiles, the quietest spot of the day. Then Spaccanapoli, the straight street that cuts through the old town along the Roman decumanus, down to San Domenico Maggiore and the Cappella Sansevero next door. Inside is the Veiled Christ, carved by Giuseppe Sanmartino in 1753: a marble body covered by a veil that looks like real cloth. Walk around the statue in silence, and book the time slot a few days ahead because tickets sell out; the chapel is open every day except Tuesday, full ticket 12 euros. Last stop before lunch: San Gregorio Armeno, the street of the nativity scene makers, with workshops open all year round.

Lunch and early afternoon: pizza and a museum or the underground

Between Via dei Tribunali and Via Duomo you'll find historic pizzerias, nearly all of them with a queue: either sit down early or settle for a pizza a portafoglio, folded in four and eaten while walking. In the early afternoon, pick one thing only between the National Archaeological Museum, with the mosaics from the House of the Faun and the bronzes from the Villa of the Papyri, or underground Naples, carved into the tuff with cisterns and air raid shelters. The MANN is open every day except Tuesday, 9:00 to 19:30 (ticket office until 18:30), full ticket 20 euros.

Evening: Toledo and Piazza Bellini

Head down toward Via Toledo, with the Galleria Umberto I and Piazza del Plebiscito, or back to Piazza Bellini, a tree-lined square above the Greek walls from the fourth century BC that are visible in the open air among the outdoor tables: it's where Neapolitans have a drink before dinner. If you'd rather stay in the old town, you'll find the easiest trattorias to reach on foot without crossing half the city.

Day 2: the Vomero, the sea and an alternative

The second day climbs the hill in the morning and comes back down to the sea in the afternoon. If you'd rather have a real neighbourhood than a view, you'll find the Sanità alternative below.

Morning: the Certosa di San Martino and Castel Sant'Elmo

Go up with the Centrale funicular from Via Toledo (the Chiaia one is another option; the Montesanto funicular stays closed for a twenty year overhaul until mid February 2027). The Certosa has the large cloister with skulls carved on the balustrade and a nativity scene collection that includes the famous Cuciniello setup; open every day except Tuesday, 8:30 to 18:30, full ticket 6 euros. Castel Sant'Elmo is two minutes away on foot, same weekly closing day, and from its ramparts the whole city is visible, from the old town to the bay; full ticket 5 euros.

Afternoon: Chiaia, the seafront and Castel dell'Ovo

From the Vomero, go down to Chiaia by funicular or on foot down the Petraio, a stairway between liberty style villas and views over the bay you can't see from the road. From Chiaia, it's a few minutes to the seafront, pedestrian from Via Partenope to Mergellina, with Castel dell'Ovo sitting on an islet linked by a bridge. If you'd rather look at the city from the water than from dry land, there's an hour and a quarter by boat leaving right from Santa Lucia, taking in Vesuvius, Posillipo and Nisida: a different way to close the second day before dinner.

The alternative: the Rione Sanità

If you'd rather have a real neighbourhood than a view, you can swap the Vomero morning for the Sanità district: the Catacombs of San Gennaro, two levels of galleries carved into the tuff with frescoes over a thousand years old, open every day except Wednesday, 10:00 to 17:00, full ticket 13 euros, always with a mandatory booking. The neighbourhood is then explored at an easy pace among murals, historic bakeries and the Palazzo dello Spagnolo, before heading back toward the centre for the seafront in the afternoon. Worth knowing so you don't end up in front of a closed gate: the Certosa and Castel Sant'Elmo rest on Tuesdays, the catacombs on Wednesdays.

The variant: half a day in Pompeii

If you'd rather drop the Vomero or the Sanità to add a day trip, you can swap the second day's morning for Pompeii: half a day is enough for the archaeological site, getting back to Naples in time for the afternoon by the sea. In winter, from 15 October to 15 March, the site closes earlier, with last entry at 15:30 and closing at 17:00, so it's best to leave Naples by 9. Full ticket for the ancient city alone is 20 euros, open every day except 25 December and 1 January.

To skip the queue at the ticket office, there's Pompeii in two hours with a guide, groups of up to twenty people, skip the line ticket included, and for those who'd rather not drive or take the train, round trip coach transport from Naples as an option.

Getting around

No car: the old town is largely pedestrian, parking is a hassle and traffic eats up the hours. Three means of transport cover both days: metro Line 1 (stopping at Museo, Dante, Toledo, Municipio, Garibaldi), the funiculars up to the Vomero, and for Pompeii, the Circumvesuviana train from Naples Porta Nolana or the central station, getting off at Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri. The urban ticket is integrated and time based, valid on metro, funiculars and ANM buses for a limited period (the fare type is called TIC): the exact price is worth checking at the ticket machines or on the UnicoCampania app on the day, since fares get updated.

What to book before you go

Book the Cappella Sansevero ticket as soon as you know your dates, not the night before: it's the bottleneck of the whole itinerary. The Catacombs of San Gennaro, if you choose that route, always require booking ahead. Nearly all our experiences can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, so booking early and changing your mind later costs nothing.

Everything else, weekend events, temporary exhibitions and markets, is kept up to date every day on the what to do in Naples page: worth checking the night before, especially if your two days fall on a Saturday and Sunday. To see where everything in this itinerary sits relative to where you're staying, there's also the map.

Frequently asked questions

Is two days in Naples enough for Pompeii too?

Not for a full visit, but yes for half a day, trading off the Vomero or the Sanità. If you want to see both Pompeii and Herculaneum at an easy pace, consider the three day version instead.

Is the Vomero or the Sanità the better choice?

The Vomero gives you the view and two monuments that are easy to see together in a few hours; the Sanità gives you a real, less touristy neighbourhood, with the catacombs as the heart of the visit. There's no right answer, it depends on whether you're after a postcard view or a less traveled slice of the city.

Is it better to stay in the old town or in Chiaia?

With two days, the old town shortens the walking on day one, while Chiaia or the seafront are more convenient for day two, when you come down from the Vomero toward the sea. Both areas are linked by metro Line 1 in a few minutes.

What do you skip, compared to a longer itinerary?

Capodimonte, an unhurried visit to the Quartieri Spagnoli and a second day trip (Herculaneum, Capri, the Amalfi Coast) are left out: that's what the three day version adds.

Information checked on 15 October 2026 on the official websites of Cappella Sansevero, Certosa e Museo di San Martino, Castel Sant'Elmo, Catacombe di San Gennaro, MANN and Pompeii Sites.