Two days in Naples covers the essentials and nothing else: the Veiled Christ, San Gennaro, MANN, and Napoli Sotterranea, no Pompeii or Amalfi detour eating into either day. If you’ve got a third day, our 3-day plan adds the waterfront and the hill; if you’re stopping here, this is a complete trip on its own terms. Book these before you go: Cappella Sansevero timed entry : closed Tuesdays, more than 15 minutes late forfeits the slot Napoli Sotterranea skip-the-line : walk-up queues run up to 90 minutes A pizza-making class or food tour : the easiest way to taste more than one pizzeria in one sitting Your Naples hotel : Centro Storico if noise doesn’t bother you, Chiaia if it does Day Focus 1 Centro Storico, Cappella Sansevero, Duomo di San Gennaro, pizza 2 MANN, Napoli Sotterranea, Quartieri Spagnoli Day 1: The Veiled Christ, San Gennaro and Spaccanapoli Start in the Centro Storico while the alleys are still just busy, not solid.

Two days covers Naples’ two unmissable ancient sites and nothing else: Pompeii on day one, Herculaneum paired with Vesuvius on day two. Skip the islands and the coast at this length, both need a full day this trip cannot spare. Longer versions start at the 3-day plan . Book these before you go: Vesuvius crater trail ticket , nominative, timed, online-only, no gate sale exists Pompeii entry via the official Vivaticket portal , the only sales channel from 2 March 2026 Herculaneum entry, a gate ticket exists but the queue rewards booking the official tickets ahead Day Stop Distance Train/ferry time Focus 1 Pompeii ~23km 30-40 min, Circumvesuviana Ancient city, Villa dei Misteri 2 Herculaneum + Vesuvius ~12km, plus shuttle 20-25 min train, plus shuttle bus Smaller ruins, crater hike Day 1: Land in Naples, then straight to Pompeii Base yourself near Napoli Centrale, every Circumvesuviana train in this itinerary starts there, so a taxi across town each morning is wasted time.

Three days is our 2-day plan plus the waterfront and the hill: Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo, Chiaia, and a Vomero funicular ride, still entirely inside the city. Add a fourth day for the metro art stations and a slower pace via our 4-day itinerary . Book these before you go: Cappella Sansevero timed entry : closed Tuesdays, more than 15 minutes late forfeits the slot Napoli Sotterranea skip-the-line : walk-up queues run up to 90 minutes A pizza-making class or food tour : the easiest way to taste more than one pizzeria in one sitting Your Naples hotel : Centro Storico if noise doesn’t bother you, Vomero if it does Day Focus 1 Centro Storico, Cappella Sansevero, Duomo di San Gennaro, pizza 2 MANN, Napoli Sotterranea, Quartieri Spagnoli 3 Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo, Chiaia, Vomero Day 1: The Veiled Christ, San Gennaro and Spaccanapoli Start in the Centro Storico while the alleys are still just busy, not solid.

Three days covers the two unmissable ancient sites, Pompeii and Herculaneum paired with Vesuvius, plus one island day at Capri. Amalfi, Procida, Paestum and Ischia all need a longer trip to do properly. For more ground, see the 4-day version ; for less, drop to 2 days . Book these before you go: Vesuvius crater trail ticket , nominative, timed, online-only, no gate sale exists Pompeii entry via the official Vivaticket portal , the only sales channel from 2 March 2026 Capri ferry , booked loosely rather than to a fixed return time Day Stop Distance Train/ferry time Focus 1 Pompeii ~23km 30-40 min, Circumvesuviana Ancient city, Villa dei Misteri 2 Herculaneum + Vesuvius ~12km, plus shuttle 20-25 min train, plus shuttle bus Smaller ruins, crater hike 3 Capri by ferry 45 min-1h15 Island day, Blue Grotto optional Day 1: Land in Naples, then straight to Pompeii Base yourself near Napoli Centrale, every Circumvesuviana train in this itinerary starts there, so a taxi across town each morning is wasted time.

Four days is our 3-day plan plus the Toledo and Municipio metro art stations and a full pastry-and-coffee afternoon. Still zero day trips. If Pompeii or the Amalfi Coast are actually on your list, our Naples Italy itinerary builds a trip around those instead. Book these before you go: Cappella Sansevero timed entry : closed Tuesdays, more than 15 minutes late forfeits the slot Napoli Sotterranea skip-the-line : walk-up queues run up to 90 minutes A pizza-making class or food tour : the easiest way to taste more than one pizzeria in one sitting Your Naples hotel : Centro Storico if noise doesn’t bother you, Vomero if it does Day Focus 1 Centro Storico, Cappella Sansevero, Duomo di San Gennaro, pizza 2 MANN, Napoli Sotterranea, Quartieri Spagnoli 3 Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo, Chiaia, Vomero 4 Metro art stations, coffee culture, a trattoria dinner Day 1: The Veiled Christ, San Gennaro and Spaccanapoli Start in the Centro Storico while the alleys are still just busy, not solid.

Four days covers Pompeii, Herculaneum paired with Vesuvius, Capri, and an honest look at the Amalfi Coast, the four day trips that justify a dedicated day each. Procida, Paestum and Ischia wait for a longer stay. For more ground, see the 5-day version ; for less, drop to 3 days . Book these before you go: Vesuvius crater trail ticket , nominative, timed, online-only, no gate sale exists Pompeii entry via the official Vivaticket portal , the only sales channel from 2 March 2026 SITA bus ticket for the Amalfi Coast, bought at a tabaccheria before boarding, never sold on the bus itself Capri ferry , booked loosely rather than to a fixed return time Day Stop Distance Train/ferry time Focus 1 Pompeii ~23km 30-40 min, Circumvesuviana Ancient city, Villa dei Misteri 2 Herculaneum + Vesuvius ~12km, plus shuttle 20-25 min train, plus shuttle bus Smaller ruins, crater hike 3 Capri by ferry 45 min-1h15 Island day, Blue Grotto optional 4 Amalfi Coast ~50km to Sorrento 1 hr train, then SITA bus Positano/Amalfi, best as overnight Day 1: Land in Naples, then straight to Pompeii Base yourself near Napoli Centrale, every Circumvesuviana train in this itinerary starts there, so a taxi across town each morning is wasted time.

Five days is our 4-day plan plus a full day at Capodimonte, the Bourbon-era museum and park most visitors skip entirely because it sits outside the Centro Storico’s usual walking radius. Everything still happens inside city limits; for the full week version see our 6-day itinerary . Book these before you go: Cappella Sansevero timed entry : closed Tuesdays, more than 15 minutes late forfeits the slot Napoli Sotterranea skip-the-line : walk-up queues run up to 90 minutes A pizza-making class or food tour : the easiest way to taste more than one pizzeria in one sitting Your Naples hotel : Centro Storico if noise doesn’t bother you, Vomero if it does Day Focus 1 Centro Storico, Cappella Sansevero, Duomo di San Gennaro, pizza 2 MANN, Napoli Sotterranea, Quartieri Spagnoli 3 Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo, Chiaia, Vomero 4 Metro art stations, coffee culture, a trattoria dinner 5 Capodimonte museum and park Day 1: The Veiled Christ, San Gennaro and Spaccanapoli Start in the Centro Storico while the alleys are still just busy, not solid.

Five days covers Pompeii, Herculaneum paired with Vesuvius, Capri, an honest look at the Amalfi Coast, and Procida’s quiet island day. Paestum and Ischia both wait for a longer trip. For more ground, see the 6-day version ; for less, drop to 4 days . Book these before you go: Vesuvius crater trail ticket , nominative, timed, online-only, no gate sale exists Pompeii entry via the official Vivaticket portal , the only sales channel from 2 March 2026 SITA bus ticket for the Amalfi Coast, bought at a tabaccheria before boarding, never sold on the bus itself Capri ferry , booked loosely rather than to a fixed return time Day Stop Distance Train/ferry time Focus 1 Pompeii ~23km 30-40 min, Circumvesuviana Ancient city, Villa dei Misteri 2 Herculaneum + Vesuvius ~12km, plus shuttle 20-25 min train, plus shuttle bus Smaller ruins, crater hike 3 Capri by ferry 45 min-1h15 Island day, Blue Grotto optional 4 Amalfi Coast ~50km to Sorrento 1 hr train, then SITA bus Positano/Amalfi, best as overnight 5 Procida by ferry 35-60 min, or via Pozzuoli Small, walkable island Day 1: Land in Naples, then straight to Pompeii Base yourself near Napoli Centrale, every Circumvesuviana train in this itinerary starts there, so a taxi across town each morning is wasted time.

Six days is our 5-day plan plus a dedicated pizza-and-pastry day: multiple pizzerias compared side by side, San Gregorio Armeno’s artisan shops properly browsed, and one full sit-down dinner that isn’t pizza. For the full week, see our 7-day itinerary . Book these before you go: Cappella Sansevero timed entry : closed Tuesdays, more than 15 minutes late forfeits the slot Napoli Sotterranea skip-the-line : walk-up queues run up to 90 minutes A pizza-making class or food tour : the easiest way to taste more than one pizzeria in one sitting Your Naples hotel : Centro Storico if noise doesn’t bother you, Vomero if it does Day Focus 1 Centro Storico, Cappella Sansevero, Duomo di San Gennaro, pizza 2 MANN, Napoli Sotterranea, Quartieri Spagnoli 3 Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo, Chiaia, Vomero 4 Metro art stations, coffee culture, a trattoria dinner 5 Capodimonte museum and park 6 Pizza-and-pastry crawl, artisan shopping Day 1: The Veiled Christ, San Gennaro and Spaccanapoli Start in the Centro Storico while the alleys are still just busy, not solid.

Six days covers Pompeii, Herculaneum paired with Vesuvius, Capri, an honest look at the Amalfi Coast, Procida, and Paestum’s Greek temples. It leaves out only Ischia, the one island that rewards an overnight more than a single day anyway. For the full roster, see the 7-day version ; for less ground, drop to 5 days . Book these before you go: Vesuvius crater trail ticket , nominative, timed, online-only, no gate sale exists Pompeii entry via the official Vivaticket portal , the only sales channel from 2 March 2026 SITA bus ticket for the Amalfi Coast, bought at a tabaccheria before boarding, never sold on the bus itself Capri ferry , booked loosely rather than to a fixed return time Day Stop Distance Train/ferry time Focus 1 Pompeii ~23km 30-40 min, Circumvesuviana Ancient city, Villa dei Misteri 2 Herculaneum + Vesuvius ~12km, plus shuttle 20-25 min train, plus shuttle bus Smaller ruins, crater hike 3 Capri by ferry 45 min-1h15 Island day, Blue Grotto optional 4 Amalfi Coast ~50km to Sorrento 1 hr train, then SITA bus Positano/Amalfi, best as overnight 5 Procida by ferry 35-60 min, or via Pozzuoli Small, walkable island 6 Paestum ~95km 1h15, regional train Greek temples Day 1: Land in Naples, then straight to Pompeii Base yourself near Napoli Centrale, every Circumvesuviana train in this itinerary starts there, so a taxi across town each morning is wasted time.

Seven days is our 6-day plan plus one deliberately unplanned day for whichever neighborhood grabbed you hardest. Naples the city, on its own, easily fills a full week without ever touching Pompeii or the coast; our Naples Italy itinerary is the one for that trip instead. Book these before you go: Cappella Sansevero timed entry : closed Tuesdays, more than 15 minutes late forfeits the slot Napoli Sotterranea skip-the-line : walk-up queues run up to 90 minutes A pizza-making class or food tour : the easiest way to taste more than one pizzeria in one sitting Your Naples hotel : Centro Storico if noise doesn’t bother you, Vomero if it does Day Focus 1 Centro Storico, Cappella Sansevero, Duomo di San Gennaro, pizza 2 MANN, Napoli Sotterranea, Quartieri Spagnoli 3 Castel dell’Ovo, Castel Nuovo, Chiaia, Vomero 4 Metro art stations, coffee culture, a trattoria dinner 5 Capodimonte museum and park 6 Pizza-and-pastry crawl, artisan shopping 7 Unplanned: your favorite neighborhood, again Day 1: The Veiled Christ, San Gennaro and Spaccanapoli Start in the Centro Storico while the alleys are still just busy, not solid.

Seven days covers Naples’ full Campania day-trip roster: Pompeii, Herculaneum paired with Vesuvius, Capri, an honest look at the Amalfi Coast, Procida, Paestum, and Ischia. It is ambitious without a car, built entirely on the Circumvesuviana and Molo Beverello’s ferries. For fewer days, see the 6-day or shorter versions of this same plan. Book these before you go: Vesuvius crater trail ticket , nominative, timed, online-only, no gate sale exists Pompeii entry via the official Vivaticket portal , the only sales channel from 2 March 2026 SITA bus ticket for the Amalfi Coast, bought at a tabaccheria before boarding, never sold on the bus itself Capri ferry , booked loosely rather than to a fixed return time Day Stop Distance Train/ferry time Focus 1 Pompeii ~23km 30-40 min, Circumvesuviana Ancient city, Villa dei Misteri 2 Herculaneum + Vesuvius ~12km, plus shuttle 20-25 min train, plus shuttle bus Smaller ruins, crater hike 3 Capri by ferry 45 min-1h15 Island day, Blue Grotto optional 4 Amalfi Coast ~50km to Sorrento 1 hr train, then SITA bus Positano/Amalfi, best as overnight 5 Procida by ferry 35-60 min, or via Pozzuoli Small, walkable island 6 Paestum ~95km 1h15, regional train Greek temples 7 Ischia by ferry 45 min-1h, or via Pozzuoli Thermal spas, one area only Day 1: Land in Naples, then straight to Pompeii Base yourself near Napoli Centrale, every Circumvesuviana train in this itinerary starts there, so a taxi across town each morning is wasted time.

Pompeii sits thirty minutes from Naples on a train that costs less than a tourist cafe coffee, and most visitors still get the day trips wrong. Some skip them entirely because Naples itself already feels chaotic. Others try to cram Pompeii, Vesuvius, Capri and the Amalfi Coast into three exhausting days. Naples earns its reputation as Italy’s best day-trip base because nothing on this list runs more than about an hour away by train or ferry.

Most Naples guides spend half their word count insisting the chaos is charming, then rush you onto a train to Pompeii before lunch. Skip that framing. The city on its own earns two full days, not a one-night layover before the ruins. These are the 7 things in the historic center and along the bay actually worth the time, the EUR12 Cappella Sansevero booked first, and 2 you can walk past without a shred of guilt.