Last updated: September 2026
Naples holidays put you at the heart of southern Italy’s most raw, passionate and historically rich city — a place where the world’s best pizza was invented, where the ruins of Pompeii lie within easy reach, where Vesuvius smokes on the horizon and where a UNESCO-listed historic centre of staggering depth and intensity unfolds across a dramatic bay. Naples holidays are not for those seeking polished, sanitised travel — they are for those who want to experience Italy at its most authentic, most chaotic and most deeply rewarding.
Naples (Napoli) is unlike any other Italian city. Where Rome trades on its grandeur and Florence on its refinement, Naples seduces with passion, noise, chaos and an overwhelming generosity of spirit. The city’s UNESCO World Heritage historic centre is one of the densest concentrations of Greek, Roman, medieval and baroque art and architecture anywhere in the world. Its position on the Bay of Naples, with Vesuvius as a backdrop and the islands of Capri and Ischia visible on the horizon, gives it a dramatic natural setting that few cities can match.
Naples has a warm Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. It is a year-round destination — unlike beach resorts, the city’s historic and cultural attractions are enjoyable in any season. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times for exploring on foot. The proximity of the Neapolitan Riviera, Pompeii and the islands makes Naples an excellent base for a wide-ranging southern Italy holiday.
The Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli is one of the world’s great archaeological museums and an essential destination for anyone visiting the region. It houses the most important collection of Greco-Roman artefacts in existence, including the entire contents of Pompeii and Herculaneum — mosaics, frescoes, sculptures, everyday objects and the extraordinary Secret Cabinet of erotic art. The Farnese Collection, including the massive marble Farnese Hercules and the Farnese Bull, forms one of the highlights of any visit to Naples.
The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 and preserved in remarkable condition for nearly two millennia, are among the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the world. Pompeii is the larger and more visited of the two, offering an almost complete Roman city frozen in time, with streets, houses, shops, temples, baths and theatres all preserved beneath the volcanic debris. Herculaneum, smaller but in many ways better preserved, offers an even more intimate glimpse of Roman domestic life. Both are easily reached from Naples by the Circumvesuviana commuter railway.
Naples’ centro storico, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, follows the original Greek street grid laid down in the fifth century BC and contains an extraordinary concentration of monuments spanning two and a half thousand years. Spaccanapoli, the arrow-straight street that literally splits Naples in two, is lined with churches, chapels, palazzos, bookshops and street food vendors. The underground Greco-Roman city beneath the streets — accessible through various tour operators — adds yet another layer to the city’s extraordinary archaeological depth.
Naples’ oldest castle, the Castel dell’Ovo, sits on a small island connected to the city’s waterfront by a causeway. Built on the site of a Roman villa once owned by Lucullus, the castle offers excellent views across the Bay of Naples and is free to enter. The surrounding Santa Lucia waterfront and the elegant Chiaia neighbourhood beyond it offer a more refined side of Naples — lined with seafood restaurants, fashionable cafés and the magnificent Villa Comunale public gardens.
Naples is the birthplace of pizza and the city takes its primacy in this respect extremely seriously. Neapolitan pizza is a Protected Designation of Origin product with strict rules governing its preparation — the dough must be made with specific flour, proved for at least eight hours, hand-stretched and cooked at very high temperature in a wood-fired oven for 60 to 90 seconds. The result, when properly executed, is a charred, blistered, incredibly light pizza quite unlike anything produced elsewhere. The legendary Pizzeria Brandi claims to have invented the Margherita in 1889 for Queen Margherita of Savoy. The L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, dating from 1870, serves only two varieties and has been called the world’s best pizzeria.
Naples is superbly placed for day trips. Pompeii and Herculaneum are 30–45 minutes by rail. Mount Vesuvius itself can be climbed with a guided excursion from Naples. The Neapolitan Riviera — including Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and the island of Capri — is reachable by ferry, bus or car. The Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei), an active volcanic area to the west of Naples with ancient ruins, crater lakes and thermal springs, is another extraordinary excursion.
Naples International Airport (Capodichino) is located approximately 7 kilometres north of the city centre and is connected by bus to Piazza Garibaldi (the main railway station) and the seafront. Direct flights operate from UK airports, with EasyJet and Ryanair both serving Naples. Flight times from London are approximately two and a half hours. Naples is also on Italy’s high-speed rail network, with services from Rome (1 hour 10 minutes), Florence (3 hours) and Milan (4.5 hours).
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The day trip to Pompeii is the single most popular excursion from any Naples holiday, and for excellent reason. The UNESCO-listed Roman city, buried under volcanic ash in 79 AD and excavated since the 18th century, is one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the world — a Roman town frozen in time, its streets, bakeries, brothels, temples, amphitheatre and private houses preserved in extraordinary detail. Plan a full day for a comprehensive visit. The site is large and crowds are significant in peak summer — arriving early (when the gates open at 9am) is essential. The nearby site of Herculaneum (Ercolano) is smaller, better preserved and significantly less crowded — many archaeologists consider it more interesting than Pompeii. Both are easily reached by the Circumvesuviana railway from Naples Piazza Garibaldi station in 30–40 minutes.
The ascent of Mount Vesuvius — the only active volcano on the European mainland — is a highlight of Naples holidays for the physically able. A shuttle bus from Ercolano station takes visitors to the car park at 1,000 metres, from which a 30-minute walk reaches the 1,281-metre summit. The view into the crater and across the Bay of Naples — with the islands of Capri and Ischia visible in clear conditions — is memorable. Guided tours combining Pompeii and Vesuvius in a single day are widely available from Naples.
No Naples holiday is complete without eating in its original and definitive form: the Neapolitan pizza, created in this city and unlike any pizza found elsewhere. The strict Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (True Neapolitan Pizza Association) governs the authentic preparation — soft, chewy dough made with specific Neapolitan flour, San Marzano tomatoes from the slopes of Vesuvius, fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella, baked for 60–90 seconds in a 485°C wood-fired oven. Pizzeria Brandi (credited with creating the Margherita pizza in 1889), Di Matteo and Sorbillo on Via dei Tribunali in the Spaccanapoli neighbourhood are historically significant addresses. Naples street food beyond pizza — fried pizza (pizza fritta), sfogliatella (flaky pastry filled with ricotta), ragù Napoletano slow-cooked for hours — is equally outstanding and extremely affordable.
Naples itself — chaotic, magnificent and unlike any other Italian city — rewards at least 2–3 full days of exploration on any Naples holiday. The Spaccanapoli straight street through the heart of the historic centre passes through successive layers of Neapolitan history: the Egyptian obelisk, Greek ruins beneath the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, the Baroque churches of Gesù Nuovo and Santa Chiara, and the extraordinary Christmas crib (presepe) tradition concentrated in the Via San Gregorio Armeno. The MADRE contemporary art museum, the Palazzo Reale, and the Certosa di San Martino monastery with its panoramic terrace complete a cultural programme of remarkable depth.
Naples Capodichino Airport (NAP) receives direct flights from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and several UK regional airports, with flight times of approximately 2.5 hours. Naples is also 70 minutes from Rome by high-speed Frecciarossa train, making a combined Rome–Naples Italy holiday easy to plan. The Campania Artecard (48-hour or 72-hour) covers unlimited public transport and entry to the major museums and archaeological sites.
Naples has a reputation that is somewhat overstated in terms of danger for tourists. Like any large city, it requires normal urban awareness — keep valuables secure, be alert in busy areas and use authorised taxis. The historic centre and tourist areas are generally safe for visitors, and the city’s residents are famously warm and hospitable. Take the same sensible precautions you would in any major European city and Naples will prove a thoroughly rewarding destination.
Pompeii is approximately 25 kilometres from Naples and is easily reached in 30–40 minutes by the Circumvesuviana commuter railway from Naples Porta Nolana or Garibaldi station. The Pompeii Scavi (excavations) stop is right at the site entrance. Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s great archaeological attractions — allow a minimum of three hours to do it justice, and ideally half a day or more.
Naples has dozens of legendary pizzerias. L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele in the Forcella neighbourhood, which opened in 1870 and serves only Margherita and Marinara, is considered by many to be the finest. Sorbillo on Via dei Tribunali is enormously popular and serves a superb range of Neapolitan pizzas. Starita in the Materdei neighbourhood is another classic. The debate over Naples’ best pizza is one the city takes very seriously, and exploring the options is one of the great pleasures of any Naples holiday.
The Amalfi Coast is reachable from Naples but requires planning. Ferries run from Naples Molo Beverello to Positano and Amalfi from spring to autumn, offering a scenic and practical option. By road, the drive from Naples via Sorrento and the coastal corniche is spectacular but can be very slow in summer. Sorrento, the main gateway to the Amalfi Coast, is 45 minutes from Naples by Circumvesuviana train and makes an excellent base for exploring the coast.
Italian is the official language throughout Naples and the surrounding region. A distinct Neapolitan dialect (Napoletano) is also widely spoken locally and differs substantially from standard Italian in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. In tourist areas, hotels and restaurants, English is generally spoken to a reasonable standard, and younger Neapolitans in the hospitality sector often speak excellent English.
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