Using our guide for 3 days in Naples you will discover most of the city’s major sites and monuments, as well as marvel at the ruins of Pompeii and majesty of Mount Vesuvius up close.

Three days is a great amount of time to visit Naples and experience some of what’s on offer in this incredible city. Across 72 hours you can visit many of the city’s principle museums, churches, underground sites, and also venture outside of the city to explore ancient Roman ruins and geological wonders.

Day 1 – Morning

Starting from your accommodation or Napoli Centrale train station, make your way to the statue of Augustus, just past Piazza del Plebiscito.

Here you’ll start your day with incredible views of Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples. Tomorrow we’ll be getting to know Vesuvius much better!

From your vantage point, retrace your footsteps slightly and visit Piazza del Plebiscito, one of Naples’ most iconic landmarks. Here you’ll find the Royal Palace and Basilica Reale Pontificia San Francesco di Paola.

You’ll also find the Gran Caffe Gambrinus, a Naples institution and a fantastic spot to fuel up for your day ahead.

Before grabbing a coffee however, don’t miss the Galleria Umberto and famous Teatro San Carlo opera house. Both of these major attractions warrant dedicated visits if you’re in the city for longer, but our time is somewhat limited if you are following this 3 days in Naples itinerary.

Use Google Maps to navigate freely (be sure to get yourself a virtual SIM with plenty of data before arriving) and head to the entrance of the Bourbon Gallery just off Vico Grottone. This is one of my favorite sites in Naples as it covers the city’s entire history!

Day 1 – Afternoon

Welcome to the Naples’ National Archaeological Museum (MANN)! This museum contains some of the world’s greatest examples of classical sculpture and much more.

History and art lovers will be in their element here and visiting the MANN will set you up well for our next day where we’ll visit Pompeii where a lot of what is on show in the museum was uncovered.

Our top tip for visiting the MANN is to head immediately upstairs on arrival. Not everyone makes it up here and as such it is quieter than the downstairs galleries, and a great way to start your visit.

Work your way down and when you reach the base of the grand central staircase, bear right and follow the signs for the café. Here you can recharge before visiting the more popular galleries on the ground floor.

Day 1 – Dinner

We couldn’t create a 3 days in Naples itinerary and not include some authentic Neapolitan pizza!

One of our go-to places is Portico Pizzeria located on Via dei Tribunali and therefore close to where you will have had aperitivo if you have followed our recommendations up to now.

If you have found yourself in another part of the city by this point, use Google Maps to search ‘pizza’ and head to any highly rated place – it’s hard to find bad pizza in Naples!

In either instance, you need to get from Naples to the Pompeii Scavi train station – not the Pompeii train station in the modern town!

If you are visiting the ruins of the ancient Roman city at Pompeii first, follow the signs for the archeological park, passing the souvenir stalls and small restaurants/bars along the path.

Another option for this day is to book a tour which will take care of the logistics of getting to, from, and between Pompeii and Vesuvius. Day trip tours often include lunch (another thing to not worry about) and are run by local guides who can offer unique insights about the area.

Visiting Pompeii and Vesuvius can take a lot of energy (particularly in the warmer months) so treat yourself with a good dinner when you get back to Naples!

Day 3 – Morning

To start your day I recommend booking to visit the Catacombs of San Gennaro just outside the immediate historic center.

Getting to the catacombs couldn’t be easier; you can walk from the center (Piazza Dante area) in around 30 minutes, opt for a bus (there are several options – check Google Maps on your day of travel for live updates) which will take around 15 minutes, or take an Uber (10 minutes).

The Catacombs of San Gennaro are one of Naples’ most popular sites and as such booking in advance is highly recommended.

On arrival, follow the signs to the ticket desk to confirm your visit start time. If you have some time to spare before your tour starts, there is a small bar offering coffee and simple drinks, and a small, but well stocked book and gift shop.

Once your tour time starts, a guide will call out in English to follow them down to the catacombs’ entrance.

Note that there are quite a few steps down to the entrance and they are not wheelchair friendly. If you consider yourself to have mobility challenges you should contact the site operators via the official website in advance to understand access.

This is a fully guided tour where you will be accompanied by a guide throughout the site. Most groups are around 20-25 people, but there will only be two groups at one time in the catacombs so hearing your guide will not be an issue.

As you enter the catacombs you’ll notice how they are not claustrophobic in the slightest. Unlike other catacombs in Italy (such as those in Rome along the Via Appia), the ceilings are high and there is plenty of space to maneuver. This is because the rock that the catacombs are cut into is relatively soft and therefore building the catacombs was less labour intensive compared to those in other places.

At the end of the visit you’ll be given an option to exit into the La Sanità nighborhood or back where you entered the catacombs.

If you started your day early with the 9AM or 10AM tour, you have time to opt for the first option and explore La Sanità. It will mean a slightly longer journey to our next stop, but La Sanità is an authentic Neapolitan neighborhood, different from the historic center.

Consider visiting the Basilica of Santa Maria della Sanità church and soaking up the street scenes. This neighborhood might not appear welcoming at first, but if you stop somewhere for a coffee, you’ll be welcomed with the same warmth as in any other part of Campania!

From La Sanità, either walk up the hill via the street Discesa Sanità or take the La Sanità lift (ensure you have some coins to use the elevator) to get to Via Santa Teresa degli Scalzi.

At this point you can either walk to our next stop, the Capodimonte Museum and park which will take around 20 minutes (but consider it is uphill) or a bus. There are several bus options – I recommend using Google Maps on the day of your adventure to check live timetables.

If you opted for the 11AM, or 12PM tour at San Gennaro, exit via the entrance to the catacombs and walk uphill for 10 minutes to our next destination, Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte.

As well as the National Gallery with pieces from Raphael, Caravaggio and Titian, you can also see ancient classic pieces from the Farnese collection (the ones that aren’t in the MANN) and admire the palace itself.

Our next stop will take us back into the city center, but if you prefer, you can spend more time at Capodimonte. Given the collection in the Capodimonte Museum you’ll likely ask yourself why it’s not busier, but the peace here is one of the joys of visiting!

Before exiting the park, bear right from the Royal palace and follow the paths through the lawns and trees. You should come out in a space with a large central fountain and at the far edge you will find a fantastic viewpoint with the vistas of Capri out in the Bay of Naples.