Naples itinerary: 1, 2 and 3 days

Naples rewards a slower pace than most Italian cities: the centre is dense, the museum is huge and the day trips south are half-day trips at minimum. Match the length to what you actually want to see, not to how many boxes you can tick.

Day 1, the centre: start at the Duomo and the Chapel of San Gennaro, walk Spaccanapoli and the side lanes of the historic centre, then the National Archaeological Museum in the afternoon. The museum holds the Roman finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum, so it works either before or after the ruins. Finish with pizza in the centre or along the waterfront.

Day 2, the ruins: take the Circumvesuviana from Napoli Centrale to Pompeii or Herculaneum. Pompeii needs three to four hours; Herculaneum is smaller and often quieter. Back in Naples, walk the lungomare at sunset and eat seafood in Chiaia or Mergellina.

Day 3, choose one: Vesuvius by bus from Ercolano, a ferry to Capri, or a slow morning in the Spanish Quarter and up to Castel Sant'Elmo and Posillipo for the view. If you have a fourth day, add the one you skipped.

Naples is cheaper than Rome or Florence for food and beds, but the day trips add up. Budget roughly €60–120 per person per day for a mid-range trip: bed, two meals, transport and one paid sight. A hostel dorm or a simple guesthouse in the centre brings the daily figure down; a hotel in Chiaia or on the seafront pushes it up.

Stay near a Metro Line 1 or Line 2 stop or a funicular: the centre is walkable but the hills are steep and the buses are slow in traffic. Buy tickets before you board and validate them.

Book the archaeology museum, Pompeii and any Capri ferry in advance for May–June and September–October. In July and August, start early and take a long lunch break in the heat of the day.

Naples is a good base for the wider south: Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius, Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are all day trips by train, ferry or bus. If you plan to move on, leave the city by train rather than doubling back.