I could have spent at least a month in Naples. Even then I would not have had enough time to visit every pizzeria or church in the city. In fact, there are over 8,000 pizzerias and 450 churches in the city center alone. Here’s how to spend a long weekend in Naples, Italy with no regrets but of course, hoping to come back for more.
Note: Every day includes a lot of pizza and a lot of walking. Get ready to eat your way through a long weekend in Naples.
A long weekend in Naples
Just click the link to jump to that section or check out the GoogleMaps to get a sense of where things are.
- Day 1 – Centro Storico, pizza and Castel Sant’ Elmo
- Day 2 – A food or walking tour and bar hopping
- Day 3 – Pizza and a day by the sea
- Day trips from Naples
Friday | Day 1 in Naples
Check into your hotel in Naples
On Friday, arrive in the morning and check into your hotel. We chose a hotel in between the Centro Storico and the Quartieri Spagnoli on the Corso Umberto. This made it easy for us to walk everywhere we wanted to visit. I’d recommend you do the same.
If you’re like us, you woke up early and rushed to the airport. Do yourself a favor and find a counter espresso bar. Most bars like this still charge about €1-1.50 for an espresso. Don’t pay anything more! If it looks dingy, it’s quality.
Your first Neapolitan pizza in Naples
First stop? Well, pizza of course. That’s why you’re here isn’t it? We came with a long list of recommendations from friends but decided to trust our host and visit his favorite pizzeria first. La Figlia del Presidente was delicious. We arrived just after noon and the restaurant was already beginning to fill with hungry pizza eaters. We each ordered a pizza and split a salad. The food arrived very quickly and was delicious. Our favorite sauce of all the pizzas we tried.
Underground sightseeing
We tend to be more about food than we are about museums. So you won’t find any of those on this list. I do however recommend hopping on the metro to check out the most beautiful metro stations in the world. That’s right, Naples has won a few awards for this. My favorite was the Toledo station. Take the metro from another stop and ride up to admire the exquisite underwater mosaic.
You can take your underground sightseeing a few steps forward and visit the Catacombs of San Gennaro or Underground Naples. Underground Naples is a series of underground tunnels used as Roman aqueducts and later WWII bomb shelters. Book both in advance. Both are especially a good idea if it’s a hot summer day.
Castel Sant’ Elmo
From underground to high above. Head on up to one of the best viewpoints overlooking Naples at Castel Sant’ Elmo. The hike up is arduous, I warn you. Stair after stair, until you eventually arrive at a free viewing point, Belvedere San Martino.
From here, you can see the entire city below, as far as Mount Vesuvius. What you should look for is the infamous Spaccanapoli. This is the famous street you likely walked up to arrive here. Spaccanapoli runs straight down the center of Naples, cutting the city in two.
You can continue on to visit the 14th century castle and former prison as well. The cost on arrival is only €2.50-5. It depends when you visit. If you prefer not to walk, you can also reach the Castel Sant’ Elmo via funicular. Check the website for details.
Stop for a spritz or an espresso before heading back down at the charming Arx Café. When you arrive back in the city, I recommend a nap before aperitivo.
Friday aperitivo in Quartieri Spagnoli
Enjoy the first night of your long weekend in Naples with an aperitivo in Quartieri Spagnoli. We particularly enjoyed Sta Ben! If you’re not feeling too hungry, they also serve small plates for dinner.
Friday dinner in Naples
If you are feeling hungry, head to one of the many trattorias in Spagnoli. Do book in advance if possible, as on weekends the city is crowded. If you don’t have a reservation you can also try a pizzeria or Gagliotta Domenico. This is a fresh fish store that turns into a small restaurant in the evenings. The freshest fish you can imagine. We enjoyed a cuopo, fried seafood and fish served in a paper cone from here on Saturday morning.
Saturday | Day 2 in Naples
Visit Centro Storico with a walking tour or food tour
Saturday is for the Centro Storico. I’d recommend taking a walk through the historic UNESCO heritage city center before all the tourists wake up. Get up early and go to get the best photos of this beautiful city.
We chose to do a 3-hour walking food tour. This was a small tour, there were just three of us and our guide was a lovely local woman. Our tour visited some delicious locations in the Centro Storico and we got some great tips about other places to visit in the city as well as a small history lesson. I highly recommend it!
Alternative to a walking tour
If you don’t want to do a food tour during you long weekend in Naples, I suggest starting your day with an espresso and a sfogliatella (or as we call it where I’m from, a lobster tail puff pastry stuffed with cream) from Scaturchio. After that, pop by the neighboring Taralleria Napoletana. They serve all sorts of flavors of the local taralli.
Taralli is a wheat based sort of breadstick. In Campania, they are made with lard whereas on the other side of the country, in Puglia, they are made with oil. Delicious with coffee or in the afternoon with an ice cold beer.
And for lunch, head to the famous pizza street, Via dei Tribunali. Try a fried pizza at Zia Esterina Sorbillo or sit down at Pizzeria di Matteo. Not in the mood for pizza? The ragu at Tandem was one of the best dishes I tried in all of Naples. It tasted just like a summer Sunday at my grandma’s house. Note, the location on Spaccanapoli is a takeaway spot, but there is another sit down location.
From Spaccanapoli you can access most of the tourist sights in Naples. My advice, stop in every church you see, walk down every alley, and touch every shiny gold statue for good luck. Be sure not to miss Via S. Gregorio Armeno. On this street you’ll find hundreds of artisan workshops with intricate handmade nativity scenes. There is also plenty of junk made in China, but simply ignore those pieces.
Visit Complesso Monumentale di Santa Chiara
After your tour or after lunch, visit the monastery of Santa Chiara in the heart of the Centro Storico. This is a quiet respite away from the crowds of tourists. They also have a free bathroom and audio tour you can get straight on your phone. No need to book in advance, you can get tickets at the entrance. It costs €7. I loved the ornately decorated tiled cloister gardens amidst the citrus trees.
After the monastery, I suggest an afternoon nap.
Saturday night out in Naples
We chose to skip a formal dinner. While we were there there was also a large street market in Piazza Dante. We were incredibly full from the food tour. Instead we opted for a bit of bar hopping on a Saturday night in Naples Centro Storico. You can’t spend a long weekend in Naples without a bit of bar hopping, right?
Piazza Bellini
On Saturday, we went to Piazza Bellini for an aperitivo. This time, spritz with the students from the conservatory and other universities. Piazza Bellini was a great time, with great prices. We especially loved the spritz bar on the corner. You can spot it right away, it’s brightly decorated with aperol. But in case not, I believe it’s called Caffè dell’Epoca.
Libreria Berisio
The night we were there there was live music in the square. We also wandered on the famous book street, through Porta’Alba. There was a much more quaint bar if you are looking for a spot a bit more low key in a bookstore, Libreria Berisio. Certainly more pricey though.
Enoteca Scagliola
A small wine bar on the narrow street leading from Piazza Bellini to the busy pizza street. We were surprised by the fun decor inside the tiny Enoteca Scagliola and the pleasant service.
WineCafe Da Mario
This is a quaint bar in a small piazza in the Centro Storico. High top tables and some low ones spill into the piazza. Take a seat and enjoy the people watching at WineCafe Da Mario.
Cantina Central 92
The perfect place to grab a walking spritz or cocktail. Many bars serve cocktails-to-go on the streets of Naples. But the majority are overpriced. Cantina Central 92 was the best deal we found.
Pepi Vintage Room
A bar tucked away just off the busy road on a narrow street with outdoor tables. Pepi Vintage Room is the perfect place to visit after dinner. The lighting is moody, the cigarette smoke is thick and the graffiti on the walls makes everything all the more entertaining.
Sunday | Day 3 in Naples
If the weather permits, Sunday is the perfect day to spend by the sea.
Baba Napoletano
Start your day with an espresso and if you haven’t already, stop for a baba or a sfogliatella at Pintauro. A Baba Napoletano is a delicious sponge cake drenched in a sticky boozy rum syrup. It’s a strangely light pastry compared with the decadent custard filled puff pastry, sfogliatella, and Pintauro make some of the best in the world.
Chiaia neighborhood
Next enjoy the more upscale neighborhoods of Naples. Start in Chiaia around Palazzo Cellamare and head towards Palazzo Mannajuolo. You can of course pop your head into some of the stores like Fendi, Louis Vuiton, Prada and Gucci. Even if you don’t like to shop, this area of the city is very different than the others you’ve seen. Definitely take a stroll around.
Villa Comunale di Napoli
Once you are done, admiring, or perhaps buying, make your way to the Villa Comunale di Napoli. This is a large public park and green space on the waterfront. Enjoy your time meandering in the park as long as you wish.
50 Kalo pizzeria for lunch
Of course, you need at least one more pizza before you end your long weekend in Naples. 50 Kalo is the place to get the best pizza in the whole city. At least that’s what I think. As well as many others, including the Michelin Guide and Gambero Rosso, year after year. 50 Kalo opens at noon for lunch each day. Arrive on time and the wait won’t be long for the pizza of your dreams. We shared the margherita and a diavola. Both were incredible.
Don’t want to walk quite so far? You can try Pizzeria Salvo instead. In 2023 their pizza was ranked #12 in the world, and I hear their fried pizza is even better. They also accept reservations.
After lunch you can also walk up to the scenic viewpoint, Belvedere di Sant’Antonio a Posillipo before heading back to the city itself.
A walk on the promenade by Castel dell’Ovo and Borgo Marinari
Walk off the calories with a walk along the sea. You’ll pass the Mappatella city beach and eventually arrive at Castel dell’Ovo. The castle itself is temporarily closed for renovations, but the view and vibes by the sea are lovely. Especially on the weekends. Explore the small fishing village souring the Castel dell’Ovo called the Borgo Marinari. It is cluttered with upscale seafood restaurants and makes the perfect spot to enjoy a leisurely lunch. Since we already ate our pizza, we opted for drinks instead.
Stop for an aperitivo
Maybe not quite aperitivo time yet, but Al Barcadero Cafe is the perfect spot to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon. The view from here is simply perfect.
Enjoy a gelato
If you prefer, you can also enjoy a gelato on your stroll back into the city. Mennella Il Gelato or Casa Infante are said to be the best. I loved the flavors at Mennella.
And of course, nap time again.
Sunday dinner at a taverna
Enjoy your final dinner in a classic taverna like La Taverna di Santa Chiara. You could also choose a restaurant known for fish. My friend suggested Diego.
The end to a long weekend in Naples
And that’s all. A long weekend in Naples is never enough, but I hope this guide will help you make the most of your stay. If you have more time, you can also take a day trip to one of the islands. I suggest Procida. I had the best time on the pastel island, and the size and proximity make it the ultimate day trip. You can also visit Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii, Sorrento or Capri.
