Rome & Naples — the imperial capital and the volcanic south in 6 days

Baroque Rome at its most theatrical — the Pantheon's coffered dome, Bernini's fountains in Piazza Navona, and Campo de' Fiori's morning market give way to café tables after dark. The Trevi Fountain is unmissable but always crowded — go at dawn or late evening to actually see it, and mind the pickpockets in the crush.

1. 08:30
   Campo de' Fiori MarketMarket, 40m

   A working morning market since 1869, when it replaced the fruit-and-vegetable stalls that used to fill Piazza Navona — flowers, produce, spices and Roman souvenirs crowd the square Monday to Saturday, 7:00–14:00, then vanish by mid-afternoon for the evening bar and restaurant crowd. At the centre, a brooding bronze statue marks where the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 for heresy — he still faces the Vatican. No entry fee; bring small cash, since some stalls don't run cards.

2. 09:25
   Villa FarnesinaMuseum, 1h 15m

   A Renaissance banker's pleasure villa turned museum, its ground-floor loggias frescoed by Raphael and his workshop — the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche's ceiling and the adjoining Galatea fresco, painted around 1517-1519 for the banker Agostino Chigi, are the highlights. Unlike most Rome museums, it keeps mornings-only hours: Monday to Saturday 9am-2pm (last admission 1:15pm), closed Sundays except the second Sunday of each month (9am-5pm, with a curated concert at 11:30am) — plan a morning visit here, not an afternoon one. Full ticket €12, reduced €10; a ramp gives step-free entry at the main loggia and a lift reaches the upper floor. A quiet, often near-empty counterpoint to the crowds across the river in Centro Storico.

3. 10:55
   PantheonHistoric site, 45m

   Ancient Rome's best-preserved monument — a 2,000-year-old dome with a 9-metre oculus still open to the sky, and no visible support columns holding it up. Entry now requires a paid, timed ticket (raised to €7 on 1 July 2026, from the €5 fee introduced in 2023); reduced €2 for EU citizens 18–25, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of the month (queue on-site for that slot — no online booking for free Sundays). Book the standard timed entry on the Musei Italiani site or app days ahead to skip the door queue; dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) since it still functions as a working church. A ramp on the Via della Minerva side gives step-free access.

4. 12:00
   Lunch Forno Campo de' Fiori1h

   A cash-only hole-in-the-wall bakery on the market square, famous since long before Instagram for pizza bianca — a chewy, olive-oil-and-salt flatbread sold by weight, best split open and stuffed with mortadella from the deli next door. Come before 13:00 for the widest choice of toppings (potato, zucchini flower, tomato); the queue moves fast but can wrap around the corner at lunch. Takeaway only, no seating — eat it standing on the piazza. In July and August the shop skips its usual 17:00–20:00 evening reopening on Saturdays.

5. 13:00
   Piazza NavonaLandmark, 40m

   Rome's grandest baroque piazza, laid out on the oval footprint of Domitian's 1st-century stadium — Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers anchors the centre, flanked by his Moor Fountain and the Fountain of Neptune, all freshly restored for the 2025 Jubilee. Free to enter any time; street artists, portrait painters and gelato stands crowd the edges by day, café terraces take over by evening. No ticket, no queue — just come, though café tables here charge a premium for the view.

6. 13:55
   Trevi FountainLandmark, 20m

   Rome's most theatrical fountain — Neptune's chariot pulled by sea-horses through a wall of travertine, restored to a gleam for the 2025 Jubilee. Since February 2026, non-residents pay €2 to step down onto the basin's stone edge for the classic coin-toss photo (tap a card or phone at the on-site machines, or book at fontanaditrevi.roma.it); viewing from the piazza itself stays free, and the fee doesn't apply after 22:00 or before 09:00 (11:30 on Mondays and Fridays) — go late evening or early morning for both a thinner crowd and a free basin. Legend says a coin thrown over your shoulder with your right hand guarantees a return to Rome.

7. 14:30
   Santa Maria in TrastevereChurch, 30m

   One of Rome's oldest churches dedicated to the Virgin — founded in the early 4th century and rebuilt into its current form around 1148 — famous for the glowing 12th-century apse mosaic of Christ enthroned beside Mary, with Pietro Cavallini's 13th-century Life of the Virgin cycle in the same apse below it. Free entry, no ticket needed, roughly 7:30am to 8pm daily (hours run shorter in August and visits pause during Mass, so check locally if you're set on a specific time). The piazza outside, built around one of Rome's oldest public fountains, is Trastevere's social heart from morning coffee through to the evening crowd.

8. 15:15
   Janiculum Hill TerraceViewpoint, 40m

   Rome's widest panoramic view, unfolding from St Peter's dome across every rooftop and hill of the historic centre — reachable by a stiff 20-25 minute uphill walk from Trastevere, or more easily by bus 115 or a taxi straight to the piazzale. Time it for noon: a cannon has been fired from just below the terrace, beneath the equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, every single day since 1847 (originally to give Rome's churches one shared signal to synchronise their bells) — the blank round is loud enough to hear across much of central Rome, and you can walk right up to watch two uniformed attendants load and fire it. Free to visit any time; a few kiosks along the terrace sell drinks and snacks for a cheap view-side aperitivo.

9. 17:30
   Dinner Giolitti1h 15m

   Rome's oldest gelateria, scooping since 1890 and once supplier to the Italian royal family — the marble counters and gilt mirrors haven't changed much since, and neither has the queue, which is the honest trade-off for genuinely artisan-made gelato rather than the industrial tubs sold at some Pantheon-area shops. Order and pay at the register first, then take the receipt to the counter to choose flavours; fruit sorbetto flavours are typically dairy-free. Expect €3–10 depending on size, and go a little later in the evening if the midday line looks daunting — it's open until 1:30am daily.

The Spanish Steps and Via del Corso's flagship stores anchor Rome's fashion triangle, but climb past Piazza del Popolo and the day opens into Villa Borghese's shaded paths, rowboat lake and the Galleria Borghese — book the gallery's timed entry weeks ahead, as same-day tickets rarely exist.

1. 08:30
   Piazza del Popolo & the Pincio TerraceLandmark, 1h

   Rome's monumental northern gateway — a wide oval piazza framed by an Egyptian obelisk brought here in 1589 and Carlo Rainaldi's baroque 'twin' churches, their domes deliberately mismatched (one oval, one round) to disguise the piazza's uneven proportions. A ramped, switchback path Giuseppe Valadier built on the eastern side climbs to the Pincio Terrace, where crowds gather every clear evening for a free view over the piazza's rooftops to St Peter's dome — arrive at least an hour before sunset for a spot at the railing. Both the piazza and the terrace are free, always open and wheelchair-navigable via Valadier's ramp (paved, no stairs required); the flower-sellers working the piazza can be persistent, so a polite no is normal.

2. 09:45
   Spanish StepsLandmark, 30m

   Rome's most photographed staircase — 135 travertine steps built in 1725 with French funding, linking Piazza di Spagna below to the twin-towered church of Trinità dei Monti above. A 2019 city ordinance bans sitting or lying on the steps: expect a €250 fine just for perching, rising to €400 if you damage or stain the stone — whistle-blowing officers patrol by day and the rule is still strictly enforced. At the base, Bernini's father carved the boat-shaped Fontana della Barcaccia, sunk low because of weak local water pressure. The steps themselves have no ramp; wheelchair users can reach the top via the elevator at Spagna metro station instead, while the piazza below is flat and step-free.

3. 10:30
   Villa Borghese GardensPark, 1h 30m

   Rome's grandest public park — 80 hectares of shaded avenues, formal gardens and a small artificial lake where you can rent a rowboat (roughly €3–5 per person for 20 minutes, minimum two people) to row past the neoclassical Temple of Asclepius. The park is free and unenclosed by any single gate — main paths are paved and wheelchair-navigable — though it holds several separately-ticketed attractions inside: the Galleria Borghese, the Bioparco zoo (adults €16, children 3–12 €13), and the Pincio Terrace viewpoint. A natural pairing for families: let kids loose at the Bioparco or the lake while adults take a timed slot at the low-child-appeal Galleria Borghese nearby. Bike and golf-cart rentals are available near the main entrances for covering more ground.

4. 12:15
   Lunch Il Margutta1h

   Rome's original vegetarian restaurant, running as an art-gallery-meets-dining-room concept since 1979, with rotating exhibitions and a plant-filled room around a hidden courtyard just off Via Margutta. Weekends bring the well-known Green Brunch buffet (around €28 per person, seatings 12:30–16:00) with roughly forty vegetarian and vegan dishes, cold and hot; weekdays it's a simpler €16 menu of the day or €18 lunch buffet, both served until 4pm. Dinner switches to à la carte and leans more refined — the seitan cotoletta and the artichoke risotto are the dishes locals order — with multi-course tasting menus also on offer. Call ahead to book, especially for the weekend brunch, which fills up fast with both Romans and visitors. It's a short walk from Piazza del Popolo, so pair a meal here with a stroll down the artists' street outside.

5. 13:15
   Galleria BorgheseGallery, 2h

   One of Rome's richest small museums — Bernini's Apollo and Daphne and David, plus Caravaggio and Titian canvases, all inside Cardinal Scipione Borghese's 17th-century villa. Visits are strictly capped: book a fixed 2-hour entry slot in advance (there is no walk-up ticketing), with online booking opening only about 10 days ahead of a visit date and popular slots — especially spring and autumn mornings — selling out within hours of release. The ticket is €18 total (€16 admission plus a mandatory €2 reservation fee, charged on every ticket including reduced and free ones); arrive 30 minutes early for the mandatory bag check, and be ready to leave promptly when your 2 hours end — there's no re-entry and no extensions. Closed Mondays. A side entrance and small elevator-compatible wheelchairs make the ground and first floors accessible, per the gallery's own accessibility page.

6. 15:30
   Castel Sant'AngeloHistoric site, 1h

   Hadrian's 2nd-century mausoleum, later a papal fortress and prison, now a museum — the climb up through the Sala Paolina and the papal apartments ends on a rooftop terrace with one of the best skyline-and-river views in Rome, especially near sunset. Adult ticket €18, reduced €2 for EU citizens 18–25, free on the first Sunday of the month. Closed Mondays year-round, with one exception: a 'Mondays in the Castle' initiative (August–December 2026) opens the museum 14:00–20:00 that day for a flat €5. It's an old fortress, so accessibility is only partial — an assisted lift reaches most levels but needs a staffed escort arranged at the dedicated accessible entrance on Lungotevere Castello, not a free-roam route.

7. 16:45
   Ponte Sant'AngeloLandmark, 15m

   The pedestrian-only approach to Castel Sant'Angelo, lined with ten marble angels — each carrying an instrument of the Passion — carved in Bernini's workshop in the 1660s (two originals now live in a church nearby, replaced here by copies). Free, always open, and one of the best places in Rome to frame the castle against St Peter's dome, especially at golden hour. The old stone paving underfoot is uneven in places, worth noting for wheelchairs or strollers.

8. 17:15
   St Peter's BasilicaChurch, 1h

   Free to enter, no ticket needed — but the security screening line (bags scanned, metal detectors, the dress code enforced right at this checkpoint) regularly runs 1–2 hours by mid-morning in high season. Arrive before 08:00, or plan around it entirely with an early Mass. Shoulders and knees must be covered for everyone, long trousers for men, skirts below the knee or trousers for women — guards turn people away with no exceptions, so pack a cover-up even in August. Inside, the dome climb (up to 551 steps) costs €10 on foot or €15 with a lift partway, still leaving roughly 320 steps to the summit — the lift only reaches the lower terrace. The main basilica floor is step-free via a ramp near the security checkpoint and an elevator, though the dome's very top isn't wheelchair-reachable.

9. 18:30
   Dinner Gelateria dei Gracchi1h 15m

   Alberto Manassei's gelato bar, a few streets from the Vatican walls — one of the earliest in Rome to ditch pre-made bases and additives for genuinely natural ingredients, and Anthony Bourdain once called his gelato 'the best of the best.' Pistachio and hazelnut are the benchmark flavours; fruit sorbetti are naturally dairy-free, and dedicated gluten-free and lactose-free options are on offer. Open until midnight most nights, later on Friday and Saturday — a solid post-dinner stop after a Prati trattoria, without the queue you'd find nearer the Trevi Fountain.

The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill sit on one combined ticket — book timed-entry online days ahead, since walk-up lines can run past an hour in summer. A few minutes north, Monti's sloped cobblestone streets swap ruins for vintage shops, wine bars and Rome's most villagey feel this close to the centre.

1. 08:00
   Breakfast Pasticceria Barberini30m

   Testaccio's own pasticceria since 1925 — this isn't a branch of some grander shop elsewhere in Rome, it's the original, and locals will tell you the neighbourhood splits into two camps: Barberini loyalists and those who swear by Linari down the street. The draw is the cornetto made with a natural sourdough starter, maritozzi stuffed with whipped cream, and the house "Torta Barberini" (zabaglione cream and dark chocolate mousse); espresso and pastries run a few euros each. Open early — 6:00am Monday to Saturday, closing at 9pm (8pm on Sunday) — so it works well as a stand-up breakfast before a morning at the market a few streets over. No reservations, just walk up to the counter.

2. 08:30
   Testaccio MarketMarket, 1h

   Rome's best working food market, rebuilt into a modern covered hall in 2012 and still run for locals first — lunch-counter stalls like Mordi e Vai (offal panini) and Casa Manco (fried supplì) draw a midday crowd of market workers and regulars rather than tour groups. Open Monday to Saturday, 7:00–15:30, and closed all day Sunday — come before 11:00 for the fullest stalls, or a little later once the lunch counters start cooking. Bring some cash: bigger vendors take cards, but many of the smaller produce and deli stalls still prefer euros. A separate, ticketed Republican-era warehouse beneath the market (its walls built from reused amphorae) opens only on the second Tuesday of the month by guided visit — a different thing entirely from the food market above it.

3. 09:45
   ColosseumHistoric site, 1h 30m

   Rome's ancient amphitheatre, and the single most booked sight in Italy — as of April 2024, ticketing moved off CoopCulture entirely onto the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo's own site (ticketing.colosseo.it); buy only there or at official partner sites, never a .com reseller. The standard ticket (€18) is nominative — tied to your name, checked against photo ID at the gate — and covers one entry each to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill within 24 hours. Slots release exactly 30 days ahead at 9:00 Rome time and the summer 08:30–19:15 window sells out fastest at peak hours. The Full Experience upgrade (Underground & Arena, €24 + a non-refundable €2 booking fee) adds the reconstructed arena floor and the gladiator/animal tunnels beneath it — the best add-on for a first visit, but it sells out within minutes of release, so book the moment your date opens. A dedicated accessible entrance, lifts between levels and free wheelchair loan are available at the reception/security office; disabled visitors plus one companion enter free.

4. 11:30
   St Peter in ChainsChurch, 20m

   Free entry to see one of Michelangelo's greatest sculptures without a ticket, a booking, or a crowd — his seated Moses, muscular and horned per medieval iconography, was carved for Pope Julius II's never-finished tomb and anchors the right transept. The church closes for a genuine midday break, roughly 12:30–15:00 (stretching later into the evening — up to 19:00 — in summer), so plan around lunch rather than showing up at 13:00. It's two minutes uphill from the Colosseum but sees a fraction of the visitors. Note the entrance is a flight of steps with no ramp — not workable for wheelchairs or strollers without prior arrangement with staff.

5. 12:05
   Lunch Ai Tre Scalini1h

   Monti's soul, by most locals' account — a wine shop since the 1800s and a bottiglieria proper since 1895, pouring roughly 100 wines by the glass from a tiny standing-room counter that spills onto the steps of Via Panisperna. No reservations taken and it's genuinely packed most evenings, so arrive right at noon or by 18:00 to actually get a seat on the steps. Vegetarian and vegan small plates sit comfortably alongside the wine list — this is a grazing-and-drinking stop, not a full sit-down dinner.

6. 13:05
   Piazza della Madonna dei MontiLandmark, 30m

   Monti's living room — a small fountain-centred square where the neighbourhood actually sits, day and night, on the steps around the basin. It's the natural hub for wandering the sloped, cobbled lanes fanning out from it — Via del Boschetto and Via dei Serpenti for vintage and indie shops, Via Urbana for a quieter stroll — all a five-minute walk from the Colosseum but feeling like a different, villagey Rome. No opening hours, no ticket: come for an aperitivo at dusk when the square fills up and stays that way past midnight on weekends.

7. 13:50
   Roman Forum & Palatine HillHistoric site, 2h

   The same nominative ticket that gets you into the Colosseum also covers one entry each here — no separate booking, just walk in with the same QR code within its 24-hour window. The main visitor entrance sits at Largo della Salara Vecchia near the Arch of Titus, with a second access point off Via di San Gregorio. Give it a solid two hours: the Forum's temple foundations and the Palatine's imperial palace ruins (with sweeping views down over the Circus Maximus) reward slow wandering, and there's almost no shade — bring water and a hat in summer. Roughly a fifth of the site is step-free and wheelchair-passable via ramps and lifts near the main entrances; the rest is original ancient stone paving, uneven and gap-ridden, so wheelchair users should ask staff about the accessible route and the golf-cart shuttle on request.

8. 16:05
   Non-Catholic Cemetery of RomeLandmark, 45m

   One of Europe's oldest continuously used non-Catholic burial grounds, and still active today — this is where John Keats is buried ("Here lies One Whose Name was writ in Water") and where Percy Bysshe Shelley's ashes rest beneath a stone inscribed with lines from The Tempest, a short walk from William Wetmore Story's haunting "Angel of Grief." There's no fixed ticket price, but the cemetery explicitly asks for a €5-per-person donation at the gate — it's what keeps the gardens, and a resident cat colony documented here since at least 1850, going. Open Monday–Saturday 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) and Sunday 9:00–13:00 (last entry 12:30), with extra closures around Christmas, New Year and two weeks in mid-August. Paths are gravel and the cemetery itself notes architectural barriers, so it's a rougher walk than a paved piazza — wear flat shoes, and leave your phone off social media while inside, a house rule here.

9. 17:05
   Monte Testaccio (Monte dei Cocci)Landmark, 1h

   An entire hill built from roughly 53 million broken ancient Roman amphorae — mostly olive-oil jars discarded over centuries as cargo was unloaded at the nearby river port — Monte Testaccio is genuinely one of Rome's strangest ancient sites, but it is not a park you can just walk up. The hill is fenced and managed as a protected archaeological area; the only way in is a reserved guided visit (call 060608 daily 9:00–19:00 to book, meeting point Via Nicola Zabaglia 24; €4 full / €3 reduced, free for Rome residents and MIC cardholders), and even then paths are uneven gravel and steps with no wheelchair access. A 2024–2026 restoration project aims to eventually reopen the summit for unrestricted public use, but as of writing it still isn't a walk-up site. Without a booking, the closest most visitors get is eating at one of the restaurants built directly into caves at its base — Flavio al Velavevodetto's dining rooms still have amphora shards visible in the walls.

10. 18:20
    Dinner La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali1h 15m

    A one-minute walk from the Forum entrance, with a menu that mixes daily chef's specials into the standard Roman canon — the burrata ravioli is the dish regulars order twice. Closed Tuesdays; every other day runs lunch 12:30–15:00 and dinner from 19:30, and it fills fast on both — book a table or expect a wait, especially outdoors in summer. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are on the regular menu, not a special request. Cards are accepted without issue.

The ridge west of Mergellina where Naples turns quiet and green — a clifftop park with the whole gulf laid out below, a fishing hamlet whose little window inspired the city's best-loved song, and a sunken Roman villa now a protected cove. No metro reaches it; you get here by the coast bus or a taxi, and that detachment is most of the point.

1. 09:40
   Check out of your stay
2. 10:00
   TrainRoma Termini → Napoli Centrale (Piazza Garibaldi)2h 21m
3. 12:21
   Drop your bags at your stay
4. 12:51
   Lunch Zi' Teresa1h

   Naples' oldest continuously-run seafront restaurant, open since the 1870s at Borgo Marinari — the little fishing harbour village at the foot of Castel dell'Ovo — with a terrace looking straight across the water at the castle. The menu runs classic Neapolitan seafood (crudo, pasta ai frutti di mare, the day's catch) alongside pizza, including a Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano — dairy-free) and a Margherita for anyone not eating fish. It's a genuinely historic, picture-postcard setting, and reviews reflect that split honestly: the location and history are the draw, while the cooking itself gets mixed notes on consistency and value for the prices charged — go for the view and the occasion, temper expectations on the plate. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-24:00, closed Mondays; reservations are recommended given the location's popularity. Wheelchair accessible and card payment standard.

5. 13:51
   Parco Virgiliano (Posillipo's clifftop park)Park, 45m

   A 70,000-square-metre clifftop park on the most advanced rocky spur of Posillipo hill, opened 1931 and also called Parco della Rimembranza (a WWI war memorial) — the wide terraced walkway looks straight down onto the gulf, Capri, the Sorrento peninsula, Ischia, Procida, Nisida and Vesuvius, and is one of the best sunset spots in Naples. Free entry, two gated entrances (Viale Virgilio and Via Tito Lucrezio Caro). Open daily 07:00-21:00 in summer (21 June-30 September); hours stretch later, to midnight, from 1 May-20 June, and stay similar in winter with a later 22:00 weekend closing — the posted board at the gate has the current cut-off. The main terraces are paved and level enough for a stroller, but there's no official confirmation of full wheelchair access across the whole park, and some visitors have flagged patchy upkeep of the lawn and play equipment — go for the view, not a polished city park. No metro reaches it; take bus 140 or C21 along Via Posillipo, or a taxi.

6. 14:51
   Marechiaro (the fenestella fishing hamlet)Landmark, 45m

   A tiny fishing hamlet at the foot of Posillipo, famous for 'a fenestella — a small window in a seaside house that Salvatore Di Giacomo immortalised in his 1885 song 'Marechiare' ('quanno spunta la luna a Marechiare...'), still sung as one of Naples's signature classics. From Via Marechiaro, a steep, narrow lane drops down past bougainvillea-covered walls to the little harbour, where wooden boats can be hired for a short trip along the coast to see Palazzo Donn'Anna and the Gaiola cove from the water. The descent is uneven stone paving with steps in places — not workable for wheelchairs or a stroller. No set hours or gate, but come in late afternoon for the light that gave the place its name ('mare chiaro', clear sea). A handful of seafood restaurants cluster at the harbour.

7. 15:51
   Gaiola Underwater Park & IsletPark, 1h 30m

   A protected marine area around the tiny Gaiola islet, with the sunken and shoreline ruins of the Roman-era Pausilypon villa visible in the clear water. Entry is free but a reservation is mandatory year-round (book at areamarinaprotettagaiola.it) — a maximum of 200 people a day, sometimes fewer. Summer (May-September) access runs in two shifts, roughly 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-18:00; winter hours are shorter (check the site month by month) and same-day walk-up registration is possible if capacity allows. The site closes on bad-weather days — check the Campania civil-protection alerts before setting out. The only way down is a roughly 150-step staircase on Discesa Gaiola, descending then climbing back up — not workable for wheelchairs, strollers, or anyone with significant mobility limits. If you'd rather skip the stairs and the booking, the islet and cove are also clearly visible (and photographable) from the clifftop road above.

8. 17:36
   Dinner Enoteca Belledonne1h 15m

   A beloved, intimate wine bar tucked into a narrow vico just off Via Chiaia, running since the late 1990s — exposed brick, a wall of bottles, and a genuinely serious by-the-glass list at fair prices, paired with cheese and cured-meat boards, bruschette and crostoni. Vegetarian and vegan boards are offered alongside the classics, and gluten-free/lactose-free options are available too. Hours run long: Monday-Thursday 9:30-13:30 and 16:30-midnight, Friday-Saturday 9:30-13:30 and 16:30-2:00, Sunday evenings only 18:30-midnight — but the real atmosphere is an evening one, busiest from about 19:00. It's one of several similar wine bars clustered on the same short street (Lo Chandelier is a few doors down) — this is the classic anchor of the block. Cards are accepted. It is one small room down a narrow vico, so it fills fast after 20:00 — come early or expect to stand with your glass outside.

The UNESCO core, cut by the dead-straight Greek street everyone calls Spaccanapoli — churches with astonishing sculpture, a subterranean city beneath your feet, and the pizzerias that made the form famous, all within a few noisy blocks.

1. 09:00
   Sansevero Chapel Museum (the Veiled Christ)Museum, 45m

   Home to Giuseppe Sanmartino's Veiled Christ, a single block of marble carved to look like a translucent shroud over the body beneath it — reason enough on its own to come to Naples. Every visit is a timed slot and must be booked online in advance; walk-up entry is not possible and slots regularly sell out weeks ahead in high season, so book as early as the 60-day release window allows. Arriving more than 15 minutes late forfeits the slot. No photography is permitted inside. Closed every Tuesday. Wheelchair users can reach the main chapel and sacristy where the Veiled Christ stands, but the underground crypt holding the Anatomical Machines is down a narrow 19th-century spiral stair with no alternative access.

2. 10:00
   Napoli Sotterranea (Underground Naples)Historic site, 1h 30m

   You cannot walk this on your own — every visit is a guided tour (about 1h30, departing roughly hourly from 10:00 to 18:00, in Italian and English), down 40 metres into the Greek-quarried, Roman-enlarged cistern and aqueduct network that once supplied the city and later doubled as a WWII air-raid shelter. Wear shoes you don't mind getting a little damp and bring a light layer — it's cool underground year-round. The descent is via long, narrow stone stairways with no lift or ramp, so it isn't workable for wheelchairs, strollers, or anyone with significant mobility limits; a couple of short passages also require briefly turning sideways. Book ahead in high season, tours can sell out.

3. 11:45
   Via San Gregorio Armeno (the Nativity Scene Street)Market, 45m

   A narrow, sloping lane of pastori (nativity figurine) workshops that has made hand-crafted presepe figures here since the 1700s — alongside the traditional shepherds and Holy Family you'll find the shop-window running gag of the year's celebrities and politicians recast as terracotta figurines. It's busiest and most magical in the run-up to Christmas, but the workshops sell year-round. Individual shop hours vary — some close for a couple of hours in the early afternoon or shut earlier on Sunday — and the lava-stone paving is uneven in places, worth knowing if pushing a stroller. Haggling a little on multi-piece purchases is normal; card machines are common but a few of the smallest stalls still prefer cash.

4. 12:45
   Lunch Cantina del Gallo1h

   A family-run tavern since 1898, tucked between the Catacombs of San Gaudioso and the Fontanelle Cemetery in the heart of Rione Sanità — genuinely as old as the neighbourhood's other sights, not a tourist-era addition. The kitchen does both a proper wood-fired pizza (including the cafona style) and Neapolitan trattoria classics — pasta e patate, a meat-free 'finta genovese', baccalà — with staff happy to point out the vegetarian dishes. Open daily for lunch 12:30-15:30 and dinner 19:00-23:30. Prices are genuinely modest for the quality (starters and primi around €10-15, secondi €15-20). Card payment (Visa/Mastercard) is accepted; it's a five-minute walk from Materdei metro station (Line 1).

5. 13:45
   Naples Cathedral & the Treasury of San GennaroChurch, 1h

   The cathedral nave is free to enter (roughly 08:30-13:30 and 14:30-19:30 Mon-Sat, shorter and shifted on Sunday) and holds the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, the oldest baptistery in the Western world. The real draw for most visitors is separate: the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of San Gennaro, off the right nave, and its adjoining museum, which need their own small ticket and run on their own hours (around 09:30-18:00 daily) — buy online ahead in peak season. Twice a year (the Saturday before the first Sunday in May, and 19 September) huge crowds gather for the ceremony where San Gennaro's dried blood relic is said to liquefy; expect the piazza and nave to be packed on those dates. Shoulders and knees covered, as at any Italian cathedral.

6. 15:00
   Santa Chiara Monastery & the Majolica CloisterChurch, 1h

   The 14th-century Poor Clares monastery's real showpiece is the Chiostro Maiolicato — a cloister garden that Domenico Antonio Vaccaro re-dressed in 1742 with hand-painted majolica tiles and pergolas depicting Neapolitan country life, a striking calm break from the noise outside. Tickets are sold only at the on-site ticket booth (no advance online booking as of this writing), and last entry is 30 minutes before closing — note Sunday's short 10:00-14:30 window. The basilica itself was heavily rebuilt after WWII bombing damage. The path around the cloister's outer walkway is flat and paved, but the raised central path through the garden is reached by a single step of about 30cm.

7. 17:30
   Dinner L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele1h 15m

   Baking since 1870 a short walk east of Spaccanapoli near Corso Umberto I (not literally on the Decumani, but well within reach on foot), and the reason 'Margherita or marinara, nothing else' became a Naples cliche — the historic menu really is just those two pizzas, though a couple more have crept onto the card. There's no queueing system beyond a numbered ticket handed out at the door — take yours, wait to be called, then squeeze onto a shared bench; it moves fast but can still mean 30-45 minutes at peak times. No reservations. Both cash and card are accepted despite the old-school reputation. The marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano, olive oil, no cheese) is vegan; the margherita is vegetarian. Closed Sundays.

The hill above the old city, reached by funicular — a star-shaped fortress and a Carthusian monastery looking straight down the bay to Vesuvius, with a leafy villa park and the city's calmest shopping streets behind them.

1. 07:40
   Check out of your stay
2. 08:00
   Breakfast Gran Caffè Gambrinus30m

   Naples's grandest historic café, founded in 1860, with two adjoining entrances at Via Chiaia 1 and Piazza Trieste e Trento 42, right beside Palazzo Reale and Teatro di San Carlo. Open daily 08:00-23:00 (closed some public holidays). Standing at the counter for an espresso or a sfogliatella costs a few euros; sitting at a table — especially outside, facing Piazza del Plebiscito — adds a substantial service surcharge, so decide up front which experience you're paying for. Coffee, pastries and gelato are all vegetarian-friendly; vegan options aren't clearly signposted, so ask. It's a historic bar and also serves cocktails/aperitivo, so it isn't an alcohol-free venue. One review flagged limited disabled-restroom access, so ask staff if that matters to your visit.

3. 08:30
   Castel Sant'ElmoHistoric site, 1h 30m

   A 16th-century star-shaped fortress crowning the Vomero hill, with the best 360-degree panorama in Naples — the whole bay, Vesuvius, and on a clear day Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. The castle itself now opens daily 08:30-19:30 (last entry 18:30) with no weekly closure day, closed only 1 Jan and 25 Dec. The Museo del Novecento a Napoli inside it keeps separate hours — closed Tuesdays, 09:30-18:30 (last entry 17:30) — so check which part you want before you climb up. Ticket from about €7, or €9 combined with the Certosa di San Martino next door. Best visited before mid-afternoon for clear light; reach it by the Montesanto or Centrale funicular plus a short uphill walk. Bring some cash as backup at the ticket desk even though card payment is generally accepted at Italian state museums.

4. 10:15
   Charterhouse & Museum of San MartinoMuseum, 2h

   A 14th-century Carthusian monastery turned museum right next to Castel Sant'Elmo, with an ornate baroque church, cloisters and hanging gardens that open onto the same sweeping bay views. The highlight for many visitors is the collection of 18th-century Neapolitan presepi (nativity scenes) with astonishingly detailed figurines. Open daily except Tuesday, 08:30-18:30 (last entry 17:30, extended from 1 July 2026). Ticket €6 alone, or €9 combined with Castel Sant'Elmo — buy the combined ticket if you're doing both, which most visitors do since they sit side by side. Allow a full 90 minutes to two hours; the cloisters alone are worth lingering in.

5. 12:30
   Lunch Acunzo 19641h

   Vomero's classic neighbourhood pizzeria-trattoria since 1964, a few minutes from Piazza Vanvitelli, now run by a third generation and officially recognised as a 'bottega storica' (historic shop) by the City of Naples. DOP/STG-certified flour and toppings on a traditional Neapolitan pizza menu, alongside a handful of trattoria dishes. Open daily 12:30-15:30 and 19:30-23:30; no reservations for a casual visit, so expect a short wait at peak lunch (13:00-14:00) and dinner (20:00-21:30) times. Reviews are generally positive for the classic pizza, though some recent visitors noted quality dipped a little after a renovation.

6. 13:30
   Funicolare Centrale (Central Funicular)Landmark, 15m

   The busiest of Naples's four historic funiculars, running underground from Piazzetta Duca d'Aosta — right by Galleria Umberto I and Piazza del Plebiscito, at the foot of Via Toledo — up to Piazza Fuga in the heart of Vomero in about 3-4 minutes. Trains run roughly every 10 minutes at peak, every 30 minutes off-peak from 08:30. A single UnicoCampania ticket (about €1.30-1.50) covers this ride plus 90-100 minutes of onward travel including transfers, or buy a day ticket (~€3.50) if you're also using the Metro, the Toledo art station, or the other funiculars the same day. Runs Mon-Tue 07:00-22:30, and until around 00:30 Wed-Sun. Accessibility varies by station on Naples's older funicular lines — if mobility is a concern, check with ANM before relying on a lift being available.

7. 14:00
   Villa Floridiana & Museo Duca di MartinaPark, 1h

   A neoclassical park laid out in 1817-19 for the Duchess of Floridia, second wife of Bourbon king Ferdinand I, with English-style landscaping and sweeping bay views. Two entrances: Via Domenico Cimarosa 77 and Via Aniello Falcone 171. Free to enter daily from 09:00 until about an hour before sunset (roughly 19:30 in midsummer, earlier in winter — check the posted closing time, which shifts through the year); reduced hours 09:00-14:00 on 24, 26 and 31 Dec, Easter and 15 Aug; closed 25 Dec, 1 Jan, Easter Monday and 1 May. Inside the park, the Museo Duca di Martina (a fine Oriental and European ceramics/decorative-arts collection) costs €4 (€2 reduced, free under 18 and on the first Sunday of each month) and, since 1 July 2026, closes Tuesdays, open 09:30-18:30 (last entry 17:30) other days. The park's paths are on a hillside with some slopes and steps.

8. 15:15
   Galleria Umberto IHistoric site, 25m

   A neo-Renaissance covered arcade built 1887-1890 as the centrepiece of Naples's post-cholera 'risanamento' rebuilding — a soaring glass-and-iron cross-vault over four intersecting streets, with the historic underground Salone Margherita theatre (opened 1890) tucked near the Santa Brigida entrance. Free to walk through at any time; the shops and cafes inside keep their own daytime hours. As part of an ongoing security and restoration project, gates were added at the Santa Brigida and Via Verdi entrances that now close nightly (roughly 22:00-06:00); the Via Toledo side stays open for continuous passage. Marble floors are flat and step-free at ground level, though it gets crowded and slippery when wet.

9. 15:55
   Royal Palace of NaplesHistoric site, 1h 30m

   The former royal residence of Spanish viceroys and Bourbon kings, facing Piazza del Plebiscito. Open Thursday-Tuesday 09:00-20:00 (last entry 19:00), closed all day Wednesday and on 1 Jan, 25 Apr, 1 May and 25 Dec. Full ticket €15 (reduced €2 for EU citizens 18-24, free under 18); an evening-special reduced ticket (€5) applies close to closing. The internal courtyards and the Museo Pignatelli's carriage atrium are free to enter without a ticket. Elevators reach both the museum floor and the rooftop Hanging Garden, and the palace runs a dedicated accessibility service (wheelchairs, tactile itineraries, Italian Sign Language videos) bookable ahead by phone. Some visitors have flagged patchy upkeep in a few rooms and the roof garden — go for the state apartments and the view over the bay rather than expecting museum-perfect polish throughout.

10. 17:40
    Dinner Zia Esterina Sorbillo — Fried Pizza1h 15m

    Gino Sorbillo's fried-pizza counter, named for the aunt who trained him, steps from Teatro di San Carlo and Gambrinus. Naples's classic pizza fritta: dough folded around a filling (ricotta, provola, tomato and often salami) and deep-fried to a golden crisp, around €3.50-5, with a version made without salami for a meat-free option. Open daily 11:00-22:00. It's mostly a grab-and-go window with a few stools rather than a sit-down restaurant, so don't plan a leisurely meal here — a dedicated vegan Margherita exists at Sorbillo's regular pizzerias, but isn't confirmed on this fried-pizza-only menu.