DK Travel : Naples & the Amalfi Coast : Itineraries

A Day in Royal Naples

Morning

Begin your tour inside Galleria Umberto I, where you can enjoy a morning cappuccino at Caffè Roma (No. 25–6) and get a sense of the bustling optimism of 19th-century Naples. Coming out onto Via San Carlo, the elegant Neo-Classical façade of the Teatro San Carlo is directly across the street.

Go to the right and around the corner into Piazza del Plebiscito. On your right is the massive dome of the church of San Francesco di Paola , and on your left, Palazzo Reale (see Palazzo Reale, Naples). First walk over to the church, noting the bronze equestrian statues of kings Charles III and Ferdinand I, then go back across the piazza to the Royal Palace. Enter the courtyard and take the magnificent staircase up to the apartments.

Take a break for a snack or lunch at historic Gambrinus (see Caffè Gambrinus), just outside the piazza.

Afternoon

After lunch go back past the Teatro San Carlo and the palace gardens, and be sure not to miss the giant statues of the horse-tamers at the gate. Continue on down and across the lawns to the Castel Nuovo (see Castel Nuovo, Naples). Your visit here should include the views from the parapets.

Finally, head up Via Medina to the Caffetteria Medina , where you can enjoy a drink while admiring the Fountain of Neptune.
A Day’s Island Hopping

Morning

The tour begins on the island of Procida. To get there, take either the first hydrofoil from Naples-Beverello or Naples-Mergellina or the first ferry from Pozzuoli, all of which take about 35 minutes. You will arrive at Marina Grande, greeted by the sight of fishing boats and the colourful houses lining the port. Take a quick hike to the island’s highest point, the Terra Murata (“walled town”).

Back down on the marina, enjoy some refreshment at Bar Capriccio (Via Roma 99) while waiting for your hydrofoil to Ischia.

On Ischia you will arrive at Casamicciola, the island’s second port, where you can have lunch at the wonderfully rustic Il Focolare (Via Cretaio 68).

Afternoon

After lunch embark on a tour around the island in a glass-bottom boat (departs 2:30pm), stopping at the town of Sant’Angelo for an hour. Here you can take in the views, lounge by the dockside or walk along the cliff above Maronti Beach.

At the end of your tour, you can opt to stay over in one of the hotels in Casamicciola, or take a hydro-foil back to the mainland. If you spend the night, the next morning take the only hydrofoil of the day to Capri departing at 10:40am. After riding the funicular up to Capri Town, follow the signs up to the ruins of Villa Tiberius for the breathtaking view.
A Morning at Old Naples’ Churches

Begin your tour of Naples’ two oldest main streets at Piazza del Gesù, where you can admire the Guglia dell’Immacolata and the rusticated façade of the church. Further along, enter Santa Chiara to take in the medieval tombs and then around the back to see the famous tiled cloister.
Continuing on, stop for a drink at one of the cafés in Piazza San Domenico, where you will note that the Guglia di San Domenico has mermaids sculpted on its base. Across the street, stop in at the church of Sant’Angelo a Nilo to see its Donatello bas-relief, and at the next corner, look for the ancient statue of the god of the Nile, known familiarly as “The Body of Naples”. Follow the street all the way to Via Duomo, pausing at the shops of all kinds along the way.
Next, visit the culturally amazing Duomo , and then go behind it to see the earliest guglia , topped by a statue of San Gennaro, and Caravaggio’s revolutionary painting The Acts of Mercy in the Pio Monte della Misericordia . Double back along Via dei Tribunali, where you can visit more fascinating churches, including San Gregorio Armeno and Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco .
Finally, head for Piazza Bellini, where you can relax and have a drink or a full meal at one of the friendly cafés.
A Morning in Ancient Pozzuoli

Start the tour in the cool of the morning with a visit to Solfatara (opens 8:30am), the vast volcanic lava cap about 1 km (0.5 mile) north of the town. This stark, bizarre site will set the tone for the day’s musings on the ephemeral nature of all things. Next, head back towards town on the Via Vecchia di San Gennaro and take a quick left on Via Domiziana, which follows the ancient Roman road of basalt stones built to link Rome to Puteoli (Pozzuoli). Visit the Santuario di San Gennaro and see the spot where Naples’ patron saint met his martyrdom under Emperor Diocletian.
From here, turn back and go down Via Vecchia di San Gennaro to the Piscina Cardito, a 2nd-century cistern with a vaulted ceiling supported by pillars. Continue on to the great Anfiteatro Flavio and try to imagine what it might have been like, with full scenery and exotic beasts springing out of trapdoors. Next, follow Via Terracciano along to the Terme di Nettuno, huge terraced baths, and on the opposite slope the Ninfeo di Diana, a fountain that may have been part of the baths.
Work your way down towards the ancient port, most of it now underwater, to the Serapeum (market). Walk up onto the promontory, the Rione Terra, to visit the 2,000-year-old Duomo (cathedral).
Finally, enjoy a well-deserved lunch at the Antica Trattoria da Ciuffello (see Antica Trattoria da Ciuffello, Pozzuoli).