With Naples being such a busy city, with connections to top locations like Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast and more, it’s always a good idea to plan at least some activities before arriving.

In this guide I’ll tell you what to book in advance and when, including:

• The top things you should absolutely book ahead, as soon as possible
• What to book ahead by at least 3 months
• What to book ahead by at least 1 month
• What to book in advance Naples Italy by 1 week
• Things you do not need to book in advance in Naples
• Things you should book in advance in Rome and Florence

Let’s cut to the chase; there are some things that you should absolutely book as soon as possible once your trip to Naples is confirmed – here are the sights that need the most pre-planning:

Pompeii

The archeological site of Pompeii is one of the the most visited places in Italy, and daily visitor numbers to the ancient city are capped. As such, booking in advance if you want to see the famous ruins should be considered almost mandatory.

Only if you’re visiting Naples Italy in the winter do you have the chance to turn up and purchase tickets on site, but even then, if it’s a sunny weekend day you might struggle!

Sansevero Chapel

The chapel museum of Sansevero in the historic city centre contains the Veiled Christ sculpture, one of the most incredibly detailed pieces of art I’ve ever seen.

The life-sized statue sits in the center of the chapel, carved from one single piece of marble so skilfully that for a long time it was thought that the veil couldn’t possibly be part of it!

While the chapel is packed full of artworks, it is small and visitor numbers are strictly controlled.

Entrance tickets book up very quickly so I’d recommend booking these first and then planning other activities in the surrounding area after confirming your time slot.

Ferries

If you’re looking to explore the islands in the Bay of Naples (Capri, Ischia, Procida) or venture to the Amalfi Coast during your trip you’ll need to utilise Campania’s ferry network. With a finite number of crossings daily, which are used by locals as well as visitors and are subject to sea and weather conditions, guaranteeing your spot well in advance should be a top priority.

Booking sooner rather than later also means you’ll save money; we have found the closer to your day of travel you book ferries, the more expensive they are.

Restaurants

Naples is one of the world’s greatest food cities and many visitors have particular restaurants in mind that they want to try when they visit.

Avoid disappointment by reserving in advance if there is somewhere on your must-try list. Most restaurants in Naples are small establishments and quickly fill up at any point of the year with little-to-no accommodation for walk-ins.

Be aware that many restaurants won’t accept reservations too far in advance (more than 4-6 weeks away), so set yourself a reminder.

Beyond the things detailed above, here are our recommendations for what you should book well before your arrival in Naples Italy:

Herculaneum

Like Pompeii, Herculaneum was buried by the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, and also like Pompeii, is extremely popular with visitors looking to step back in time and see how the ancient Romans lived in this area.

Herculaneum is a smaller site compared to Pompeii, meaning the maximum number of tickets available is limited.

As such, if you have your heart set on visiting Herculaneum, get your tickets a few months in advance.

Trains

Similar to ferries, train prices in Italy (for the inter-regional fast trains) tend to increase the closer you get to your travel date.

This is not the case for local trains which have fixed rates, but in both cases, seats can fill up fast, particularly in peak season.

As getting a particular train could be fundamental to your arrival/departure, why leave things to the last minute when you could book in advance?

Vesuvius

Drawing history enthusiasts and nature lovers alike, Campania’s iconic volcano Mount Vesuvius is a very popular site for most people coming to Naples and the surrounding area.

For safety reasons the maximum number of people permitted at the crater is limited (there are no restrictions for visiting the wider national park) and therefore you should consider booking well in advance of your arrival to guarantee yourself admittance.

Rental cars

If you’re planning on driving while visiting Naples or Campania, consider arranging your hire car well ahead of your arrival.

In our experience, prices skyrocket with major providers the less notice they get of your booking as the number of available vehicles decreases. This is particularly the case at Naples airport.

That said, smaller local hire companies will always have vehicles on hand at the last minute, but we have found the quality can be unreliable.

Specific tours

If you are planning to take a specific tour of a site in Naples, or want to do a certain experience, you should book this as soon as the operator makes dates available.

Consider that because Campania is not as popular with visitors compared to Rome or Florence, there are less tour agencies and therefore less licensed tour guides.

This means that the spaces available on tours can be limited, particularly during the busy and popular months (May–October). This is particularly true of boat tours in locations such as Capri and the Amalfi Coast – these are some of the most popular things to do here during the summer, and therefore fill up fast!

Tickets for events

Are you coming to Naples for a specific event such as a concert or sports game? Chances are you already have your ticket (and have planned the rest of your trip around this event), but if not, get your ticket locked in as soon as you can.

In Italy (and Europe in general), ticket resales are strictly regulated, meaning if you can’t get your ticket through the official channels, picking one up later will be difficult and likely very expensive.

Once you’ve ticked off everything in the previous sections that’s relevant to you, consider booking these sites and services:

Airport transfers

If you’re landing at Naples International Airport or Rome Fiumicino Airport, be sure to organise your travel to your accommodation.

While there are a range of public transport options available from both airports, for ease and convenience I recommend utilizing this service that we use ourselves wherever we travel – find out more here:

MANN

The MANN (Museo Archeologico di Napoli / National Archeological Museum of Naples) is Naples’ premier museum, housing an incredible collections of ancient artefacts from Pompeii, Herculaneum, Rome and beyond.

As such, the MANN is extremely popular with visitors and locals alike, and while thankfully it is a big museum, it can get busy which results in queues to enter.

Therefore, if you’re planning to visit this museum, buy your ticket or book your tour in advance to save time at the ticket office and make the most of your visit.

Treasures of San Gennaro

If you’re interested in learning more about San Gennaro and his connection to Naples, you need to visit the Tesoro di San Gennaro museum.

Connected to the Chapel of San Gennaro in Naples Duomo, the small museum showcases important religious and historic items.

With limited numbers allowed inside and time restrictions depending on when the chapel is open, tickets can be difficult to get hold of at the last minute.

Underground sites

Naples is famous for its various underground sites, from catacombs to subterranean ancient Greek cities, you’ll find an entire world under the historic centre of Napoli!

While all of these sites are no way near as popular as other locations such as Pompeii, getting tickets in advance is recommended as almost all of them run strict tour schedules with a maximum number of people per slot.

I have found myself on numerous occasions caught out by this when I’ve wanted to visit a particular underground site at a certain time. This means I’ve either had to go at a less convenient time, or pass entirely and try again at a later date. Learn from my mistakes and book ahead if these sites are on your list!

Restaurants

If you haven’t yet locked in your lunch and dinner reservations, a month ahead of your arrival is a good time to do so – almost all restaurants will accept bookings by this point, and in our experience, almost all will have availability even in the busy months.

The main exception to this are the Michelin-starred and high-end restaurants such as Il Buco in Sorrento. For these you should reach out further in advance to secure your reservation(s).

Once all the big and most popular things are secured, think about booking these sites in advance – doing so will save you time during your visit, making for a much more enjoyable experience.

Naples’ royal residences

While it is less likely that these famous sites will sell out when compared to Pompeii or the Chapel of Sansevero, we have experienced difficulty getting these tickets when trying to visit at the most convenient time for us.

Some forward planning in those cases would have saved us stress, so learn from our mistakes!

The Royal Palace of Naples

Located on Piazza del Plebiscito, the Royal Palace is the most convenient regal residence to visit as it’s within walking distance of the historic centre of Naples.

Capodimonte Palace

Just outside of the centro storico of Naples you’ll find the huge palace of Capodimonte and its sprawling grounds which makes a great place to escape the hustle and bustle if you’re short on time.

Caserta Palace

Around 40 minutes from Naples train station you’ll find the biggest regal residence in Europe with an appropriately huge park offering visitors the perfect all-year round day trip.

The Royal Palace of Caserta is large but access to the royal apartments is controlled so at peak times it is a good idea to book your ticket in advance.

Beach clubs and thermal spas

If you’re coming to this region to enjoy the beautiful beaches and natural thermal spas, we’d recommend securing your entrance a week (or more) in advance of your arrival.

Campania’s best beach clubs (such as our favorite in Vico Equense, Antico Bagno) and famous spas (those on Ischia in particular) offer the ability to book online, meaning not only will have you definitely have a spot, but you can focus on relaxing instead of worrying about whether you’ll get in or not.

These locations are hugely popular with Italians and they tend not to be that large. Sunbeds will fill up fast in high season, so if you turn up on the day it is highly likely there will be no places left for you.

There are some activities where reservations are not needed or not possible:

• All churches in Naples and Campania can be accessed freely when masses are not being held.
• The beautiful cloister of Santa Chiara can be busy in high season but even then, you can still walk in and buy your ticket without a long wait.
• Smaller museums and galleries in Naples and throughout Campania are very rarely busy and therefore you can purchase your tickets on the day for sites like the Jago art museum or the Napoli Galleria D’Italia.
• There is no need to book local taxis for your transit between museums, restaurants and other short distances. During your visit you will not struggle to find cabs, either via apps such as Uber, or at the numerous taxi ranks throughout the city.
• Open air sites like Via San Gregorio Armeno (Christmas Alley) or the Spanish Quarter do not need bookings to explore them.

Are you visiting Naples as part of a bigger trip within Italy? We know that a lot of visitors to Campania are also planning to visit Rome and Florence, if not other places in southern Italy or beyond. These iconic Italian cities are the two most visited places in this country, so here are some tips on what you should book in advance to avoid being disappointed:

Rome

Colosseum (and the Roman Forum with Palatine Hill)

One direct recommendation; if you’re looking for a super special experience, consider booking this exclusive access tour of the Vatican Museums where you’ll accompany the keymaster who opens the Vatican Museums each morning.

Sara and I have done this experience ourselves and it was a real privilege to explore the Vatican Museums as the sun came up, before any members of the public arrived.

Find out more about visiting the Colosseum, Vatican and Rome’s other major sites on Romewise here:

Florence

Uffizi Gallery

Accademia Gallery

The Accademia is where you’ll find the world famous statue of David by Michelangelo. As one of the world’s most renowned sculptures, this gallery is on almost everyone’s list who comes to Florence.

Admission numbers are strictly managed with time slots to ensure a safe flow of visitors, and tickets are hard to come by if you haven’t booked in advance.

Find out more about visiting the Uffizi Gallery, Accademia, Duomo and Florence’s other major sites on Florencewise here: