Weekend in Naples: A 48-Hour Travel Guide

Forget what you’ve heard about Naples. Imagine a city full of energy. The smell of fresh pizza fills the air. Scooters zip through old alleyways covered in laundry. Every corner reveals another layer of history, from Greek foundations to Baroque palaces. This is the city’s famous “chaos”—and it’s the most beautiful, delicious chaos you’ll ever experience.

This guide offers a simple plan to explore the city’s vibe.
It shows you what to see in Naples in two days, stress-free. You’ll go from the birthplace of pizza to jaw-dropping views over the bay and Mount Vesuvius. Get ready to experience a real, living Italian city, one perfect bite at a time.

Getting Your Bearings: Transport and Neighborhoods Made Simple

Choosing where to stay sets the tone for your trip. For a short visit, choose one of three neighborhoods. These areas are great for first-timers exploring Naples without a car.

• Centro Storico (Historic Center): The vibrant, beating heart of the city. Stay here to be immersed in history, with ancient streets and world-famous pizzerias at your doorstep.
• Chiaia: Naples’ elegant, upscale district. Choose Chiaia for high-end shopping, chic cocktail bars, and relaxing walks along the seaside promenade.
• Vomero: A calm, residential neighborhood on a hill. It has amazing views and is easy to reach by a quick funicular, which is a cable car that goes up the hill.

Getting from the airport is simple. The easiest option is the Alibus, a dedicated airport shuttle. For just €5, you can go straight to the central train station or the city port. It takes about 20-35 minutes, so you can easily reach all major areas.

Once settled, the city’s Metro Line 1 is your best friend. The “Art Line” is known for its beautiful stations. It connects the Centro Storico at the “Dante” or “Toledo” stops. It also links to the hilltop Vomero neighborhood at the “Vanvitelli” stop.

Day 1 Morning: Walk Through 2,000 Years of History in the Centro Storico

Your first mission is to find the street that splits Naples in two. This ancient road, Spaccanapoli, is a series of streets forming a long, straight artery through the old city. Following it is the perfect way to explore.
You will feel the energy as scooters zoom by. Small shops spill onto the cobblestones. The smell of espresso blends with the sound of church bells.

As you wander, look for a traditional bakery (pasticceria) and treat yourself to a sfogliatella. This shell-shaped dish is served warm. It has many thin, crispy layers. These layers wrap around a sweet, orange-scented ricotta cheese filling. It’s a delightfully messy and essential Neapolitan experience.

Tucked away on a side street is a chapel holding one of the world’s most breathtaking sculptures. The entrance fee to the Cappella Sansevero is worth it for a single piece: the Veiled Christ. The marble veil draped over the figure appears so lifelike it seems transparent—a feat of artistry that must be seen to be believed.

Day 1 Afternoon: See Pompeii’s Treasures at the Archaeological Museum

All that ancient history comes into focus at Naples’ National Archaeological Museum. If you plan to visit Pompeii, you must stop here first.
This is where all the most amazing treasures were kept safe. Seeing the stunning mosaics, bright frescoes, and marble statues here gives important context. It helps turn the empty ruins of Pompeii into a place you can easily picture filled with life.

The collection is enormous, so it’s smart to have a game plan. Seek out these three world-famous masterpieces:

• The Farnese Bull is the largest single sculpture from ancient times. It shows a huge, dramatic scene carved from a single block of marble.
• The Alexander Mosaic: This amazing mosaic was found on a floor in Pompeii. It uses over 1.5 million tiny tiles (tesserae). The artwork shows a fierce battle between Alexander the Great and the Persian king.
• Vivid Frescoes: Be sure to see the rooms with bright wall paintings saved from Roman villas. These paintings show everything from myths to peaceful home life.

Finally, make your way to the infamous Gabinetto Segreto, the “Secret Cabinet.”
For nearly 200 years, this collection of erotic art from Pompeii’s homes and brothels was locked away. Today, it offers a fascinating and refreshingly human look into the private lives of the Romans.

Day 1 Evening: Eat The Best Pizza of Your Life (The Right Way)

After a day with ancient art, it’s time for Naples’ most famous living masterpiece: pizza. You’re in the city that invented it, where authenticity means beautiful simplicity. A true Neapolitan pizzeria often focuses on just two classics. The Pizza Margherita is a tribute to the Italian flag, featuring San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil. The even simpler Pizza Marinara is a cheeseless pie with just tomato, garlic, and oregano.

To see this for yourself, think about a famous place like L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. It became well known through Eat, Pray, Love. Don’t be surprised by the line outside or the no-frills interior; it’s part of the experience. The menu is very short—only Margherita or Marinara. The goal is to serve you one of the best meals quickly and easily.

When your bill arrives, you’ll likely notice a small charge called the coperto. This isn’t a tourist trap. The coperto is a common cover charge at many Italian restaurants. It is a per-person fee that includes bread and table setting. It’s not the tip, which is generally not expected, but is appreciated for great service.

Day 2 Morning: An Easy Day Trip to Pompeii

Today you’ll visit the world’s most famous Roman ruins, frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. For a first-time visitor, the sheer scale of Pompeii is an unforgettable experience.

Getting there is a mini-adventure on the Circumvesuviana train, a local line running between Naples and Sorrento.
From the main Napoli Garibaldi train station, follow the clear signs for “Circumvesuviana.” Buy a ticket for Pompei Scavi—the stop right at the ruins’ entrance—and get on the train towards Sorrento. The ride takes about 35-40 minutes.

Pompeii is enormous, so don’t try to see everything. Give yourself about three hours and focus on the highlights. Start at the Forum, the city’s main public square, to get a sense of its scale. From there, stroll along the main streets. You can see the stone storefronts of old bakeries and bars. Take a look inside a grand home, like the famous House of the Faun. This will help you imagine what daily life was like in Roman times.

After a morning in the ancient world, have a quick lunch near the station. Then, hop on the train back to Naples. Get ready for an afternoon of seeing the city from a new angle.

Day 2 Afternoon: Ride a Funicular for the Best View of Naples

After a morning in the past, it’s time to see Naples from high above its beautiful chaos.
To get there, you’ll use a classic piece of Neapolitan engineering—the funicular (funicolare). From the busy shopping street of Via Toledo, take the Funicolare Centrale for a quick, scenic ride up the hill.

Your destination is Vomero, an elegant, relaxed neighborhood that feels a world away. A short walk from the funicular station leads to the imposing, star-shaped fortress of Castel Sant’Elmo. For a few euros, you can access its top terrace, which offers what is undeniably the single best view in the city.

From this vantage point, all of Naples spreads out beneath you like a living map.
You can trace the coastline, spot the dense grid of the Spanish Quarter, and gaze across the shimmering bay to Mount Vesuvius. It’s a breathtaking panorama that puts the whole city into context.

Day 2 Evening: Experience the Real Naples in the Spanish Quarter

Once you descend from the calm of Vomero, you’ll be at the edge of the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter).
This dense, vibrant grid of narrow alleyways is the absolute beating heart of Naples. Exploring it as evening falls is essential. Walk by balconies with laundry hanging, busy ground-floor homes, and many small shrines for saints and soccer stars.

As the city lights twinkle, embrace the beloved Italian ritual of aperitivo. It’s Italy’s answer to happy hour, focused on relaxing before a meal. Find a small bar and order a drink like an Aperol Spritz. It often comes with free snacks like olives, nuts, or Taralli crackers. It’s a wonderful way to people-watch and soak in the electric atmosphere.

For your final dinner, move beyond pizza and seek out a traditional trattoria in the Spanish Quarter. These casual, family-run restaurants serve spectacular home-style Neapolitan food. Some may not have a menu but will simply tell you what they’ve cooked that day. Trust them. This is your chance to try a legendary local pasta dish or fresh seafood.

Your Naples Checklist: Final Tips on Budget, Safety, and Food

When it comes to budget, you can have a great time for about €50-€70 per person each day. This amount covers food, attractions, and local transport. As for safety, Naples is as safe as any large European city. Simply use common sense: keep your bag zipped, be mindful in crowds, and don’t leave your phone on a café table.

Finally, while you’ll have eaten the best pizza of your life, don’t leave without sampling the city’s other street food treasures. They’re cheap, delicious, and a perfect answer to what to eat in Naples besides pizza. Keep an eye out for these grab-and-go icons:

• Pizza a Portafoglio: A small pizza folded into quarters like a wallet, perfect for eating as you walk.
• Frittatina di Pasta: A small, deep-fried cake made of pasta, cheese, and creamy sauce—a local obsession.
• Cuoppo: A paper cone filled with lightly fried treats, most famously small fish, calamari, and shrimp.

More Than a Weekend

You came for the pizza, but you leave seeing the city for what it truly is: a place to be felt. It’s amazing to see the Veiled Christ.
The simple perfection of a real Margherita is delightful. The view of Vesuvius from above takes your breath away. Naples is a city that rewards the curious and gets under your skin in the best possible way. This weekend is just the beginning.