How to Spend 5 Days in Naples, Italy (Including Visits to the Amalfi Coast)
I had travelled to Italy several times before I made it down to Naples and the surrounding area, officially known as the Campania region. Like many others, I had heard that Naples was dirty, grungy, sketchy, and, according to some, even dangerous. However, I quickly fell in love with this (admittedly dirty) but vibrant city. So much so that I actually extended my stay. Not only is the city a fun and affordable destination on its own, but it serves as a fantastic gateway to explore the nearby Amalfi Coast. So, if you have 5 days in Naples, Italy, here’s how I suggest you spend them.
Is Naples Safe?
Let’s start with the biggest question when it comes to Naples, Italy: Is it safe? After all, for years, this city has been linked to crime and violence. Italy’s mafia-type family, the Camorra, which operates in this region. Is that a bit intimidating? Sure. But let’s be honest. You are coming to Naples to eat pizza and sight-see. Stick to the main, touristic parts of the city and don’t go looking for trouble. Easy.
Otherwise, Naples is a big city like any other, and yes, it has some sketchy spots and pickpockets (honestly, tell me a city that doesn’t), but common sense goes a long way, and as long as you use it, you will be fine. I travelled solo to Naples and never felt anxious or unsafe. I did a bit of research ahead of time as to where to stay and where to avoid (which I will share below), and I had a great time. In fact, I liked this city so much that I extended my stay.
Getting to Naples, Italy
Naples has an international airport, making it relatively easy to arrive by air, even for those coming from further abroad. However, most people come by train. The main train station for the city centre is Napoli Centrale, which easily connects to the metro lines.
Naples is also a port city, which means you can also arrive or depart by boat. Keep in mind that there are different ports depending on the type of ferry you are taking. Hydrofoils leave from one port while the larger ferries that transport vehicles leave from another. Your ticket will tell you.
Getting Around Naples, Italy
I found Naples incredibly easy to travel around by public transit. The metro connects most of the main areas of interest, but a lot of the city is also very pedestrian friendly. One thing to note with the metro is that you can buy paper tickets, or you can use your phone to tap on and tap off. It is important to tap off at the end of your journey, or else you will be charged the highest rate for the day. Sometimes the tap off machines are not very obvious (often small on the wall by the exit), but there are people around the station to ask.
When it comes to buses, most city buses do offer the tap options as well. But some of the ones that go outside of the city centre do not, so it’s best to get a paper ticket. These are sold at the Tabbaconists. The buses do get checked, and you will get fined without a ticket.
Finally, there are taxis (Uber uses taxis and is more expensive than just a taxi), but taxis can be pricey. Keep in mind, taxis do have fixed rates- you can see the sheet posted in the back of official taxis. That being said, don’t always trust the driver. When I visited, there was a flat rate to the airport, which I was told in advance by my hotel who booked me the taxi, and the driver still tried to charge me more. I held firm, but he wasn’t happy. Taxis should also take credit cards, but often don’t want to, so it’s best to have cash on hand.
Where to Stay in Naples, Italy
For first-timers to Naples, I suggest either near the Old Historic Quarter (which was my favourite area) or close to Via Toledo, more towards the Spanish Quarter, which is easily accessible to the Port. Both of these areas are lively, full of restaurants, and make it easy to get around by metro or by foot. However, they can also be a bit loud (especially on weekends) and busy. If you want something quieter, the Chaia neighbourhood is beautiful, but it’s not quite as central.
As I said, I really loved staying in the Old Historic Quarter. It is definitely touristic but also has a real local feel to it which I loved. It’s full of life and energy and while at first glance it might seem a bit grungy, I felt very safe here as a solo female traveller.
I stayed in a beautiful apartment overlooking Bellini Square that had an incredible view across to Mount Vesuvius. The building does have an elevator (you still need to go up one flight of stairs) and the room was very clean, comfortable, and large for European standards. You can find it here, I would definitely recommend it.
If you prefer more of a hotel try:
If you would like to be closer to the port, try the Plebescito area (central, pretty, but a bit more expensive)
Final tip: As I said, I did feel very safe in Naples, but everyone will tell you, like in most places, to avoid staying near the train station. While it might be convenient, it’s not the best area to be in after dark.
How to Spend 5 Days in Naples, Italy: My Naples Itinerary
Naples is a pretty big city with plenty to see and do on its own, but it also makes an excellent base to explore more of the region including some of the towns in the Amalfi coast which is perfect for those who are more budget minded or, those like me, who wanted to see and experience the towns but didn’t want to deal with staying there given how popular and crowded they could be. Here’s my suggested Naples itinerary. Feel free to mix up the days to better fit the weather schedule!
Day 1: Arrive & Orientation
Welcome to Naples! Once you check into your hotel, I highly recommend joining a “free” (tip-based) walking tour of the historic old town area. There are multiple companies that offer them, so do a quick search ahead of time and find one that fits your timing. There are usually both morning or afternoon options.
These tours usually last about 3 hours and offer a bit of history, some fun facts, and great recommendations for your time in the city. In my opinion, it’s the best way to start a trip! In the old town, you will learn about the Greek history and ruins, the underground tunnels and cisterns, the nativity scenes of Via San Gregorio Armeno, and more.
After your tour, it’s time for the famous Napoli pizza! There is no shortage of pizza restaurants in this city, and I’m sure your guide will give you suggestions for something nearby. Keep in mind that many restaurants in Italy close from about 3-7pm.
Day 2: Pompeii & Winery Tour
One of the biggest attraction near Naples is nearby Pompeii; once a thriving Roman city that was tragically destroyed during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Since the city was buried under so much ash, it’s been incredibly well preserved and today is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Pompeii is HUGE, and while you can explore on your own, I highly recommend taking a guided tour. There is so much to see and know that, unless you are an expert, you will miss much of it on your own. The guided tours are usually just a couple of hours so you won’t see it all (you will need multiple visits to do so anyway, it’s that big), but you’ll get some history, some really interesting facts, and get to see some of the biggest highlights.
I took this small-group organized day trip, which including private transportation by bus (a lifesaver), a 2-hour guided tour of Pomeii, and then lunch and a local wine tasting on Mount Vesuvius. To be honest, I had planned to go to Pompeii on my own, but there was a public transit strike and this was the only tour left with availability.
I LOVED it.
It was a smaller group, so I made friends for the day. I learned so much that I would have missed on my own, and the lunch and winery visit was shockingly delicious and beautiful. I felt like this had excellent value and I highly recommend.
You can book the tour I did here.
Or if you want to visit Pompeii with a pick up and guide, but aren’t interested in the wine you can book this option with the same company. (I really liked them!)
*Note: There is a local train called the Circumvesuviana that people will tell you to take to explore Pompeii DIY style. It goes from Naples all the way to Sorrento. It’s AWFUL. I took it to Sorrento, and it was absolutely jam-packed with sweaty, sticky, uncomfortable standing room only for the 45 minutes + to get to Pompeii or over an hour to Sorrento. I also felt awful knowing this is meant to be transportation for locals to get to/from work and school. Is it cheap? Sure. But it’s genuinely not worth it. I was so miserable.
Day 3: Naples Exploring & Food Tour
Take today to explore more of the city!
I absolutely recommend a street food tour. The offer them in a couple of different parts of the city (I did this one in Old Town) but Naples is known for so many different foods, this is such a great way to try them. Pizza fritta (fried pizza) buffalo mozzarella, frittatina (fried pasta), baba, cuoppo, sfogliatelle etc. Most companies offer a lunchtime tour or a dinner-time tour, so choose whatever is most appealing to you.
For the rest of the day, visit some of the other highlights of Naples. The Spanish Quarter for street art of Maradona (who you will see depicted across the city), the Royal Palace, the Archaeological Museum (especially if you’d like to see more from Pompeii), and Galleria Umberto. There are also plenty of churches open to visitors, as well as the two seaside castles: Castel Nuovo and Castel dell’Ovo. If you have a nice evening, consider taking the funicular (or hiking) up to Castel Sant’Elmo on the hill for a 360 view of the city.
Day 4: Amalfi Coast
The towns of the Amalfi Coast are stunning but, they are incredibly busy. I didn’t want to stay there (especially given the cost) but I did want to see them.
It is possible to go on your own. There are buses and ferries that go from Naples to the various towns on the Amalfi Coast. However, they are incredibly busy and chaotic, and I can tell you from personal experience, if the journey there is so miserable that you spend the entire time dreading the return, it’s not going to be a very enjoyable visit.
After my nightmare of a DIY day trip to Sorrento, I found this day trip that offered transportation from Naples to Positano and Amalfi, as well as a couple of hours of free time in each town. I quickly signed up and it was perfect. We got the scenic drive to Positano (sit on the right side of the bus!), then 3 hours in Positano on our own time, from there we took a ferry to get the coastal views of Amalfi, where we had an optional boat ride (do it!), and free time before returning by bus to Naples. I had the best day doing this trip because all I needed to do was show up when I was told for transportation, and the rest of the time was mine to explore as I wanted.
You can book the tour I did here.
If you would prefer, there are other options that include different stops such as:
Another reason why I suggest these day trips is because the Amalfi Coast does struggle with over tourism, but it also relies on tourism. So, taking a local day trip like this does help give back locally.
PS: if you are looking to shop in Positano and bring home something unique and special, check out Profumi di Positano. It’s located near the top and is a small, family-owned perfume store that has been around for 100+ years. Their fragrances are beautiful, and it’s a fun souvenir that, again, supports a small, local business.
Day 5: Capri Day Trip
For your last day in Naples, I suggest another day trip, this time to the island of Capri. Again, somewhere that is beautiful and I think deserves to be seen. But not somewhere I actually wanted to stay.
Like with the towns on the Amalfi Coast, you can take a ferry, but I opted for a private small group speed boat trip. It wasn’t the cheapest (not that the ferries are cheap either!), however, it was SO fun. This trip gets you to Capri and back by a beautiful speedboat. Once you arrive in Capri, you will take a boat trip around the island where your guide will point out some of the most interesting sites and features. The scenery itself is stunning. You will stop for photo ops (the guide is quick to help if needed!) and a swim stop with spritz and snacks.
After the boat trip around the island, you will have 3 hours of free time to explore before returning to Naples. To be honest, 3 hours wasn’t a ton of time. I wanted to do the chairlift to the top and that took up most of it. But I was mostly interested in that and Anacapri rather than the main shopping areas and port anyway.
You can book the tour I did here. But note it does not do the Blue Grotto. If you want to do that you can try This one which includes the Blue Lagoon but travel by ferry
If You Have More Time
If you have more than five days in Naples, you can for sure find more things to do in the city and beyond. Here are some ideas:
- Other towns in the Amalfi Coast
- Sorrento
- Herculaneum, which is a smaller but better preserved city that was also destroyed during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
- The islands of Procida and Ischia (although I spent 3 nights on each, and absolutely worth staying if time allows)
- Take a local cooking class like this one which is for pizza and tiramisu
Final Tips for Naples, Italy
Most people don’t think to add Naples to their Italy itineraries, or only spend a day in the city before taking off to the Amalfi Coast. I genuinely loved my time in Naples. I found the people to be pretty friendly, the food was fantastic, and it was pretty affordable by Italian standard, making it a great base to explore some of the nearby area.
I think that five days in Naples is a perfect amount of time to get to experience the city and some nearby highlights. But I would suggest booking things in advance, especially tours and day trips. Italy is one of the most popular countries in the world to visit, and it is suffering from over tourism in general so things book up quickly!
Happy exploring!
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