Vespas reign supreme in the narrow streets of the city's old quarter. Photo / Getty Images
Vespas reign supreme in the narrow streets of the city's old quarter. Photo / Getty Images
A two-day trip is just long enough to take in the sights and sample the foodie delights of vibrant Naples, writes Brett Atkinson.
Day 1
9am
Ease into a Neapolitan day with coffee at one of the city's most-loved historic cafes. Caffe
Gambrinus has been at the heart of the city's political scheming for more than150 years, and Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini actually closed down a few chandeliered rooms to deter meetings of his left-wing opposition. You'll pay more for an outside table, but it's worth it for morning views of the sprawling elegance of Piazza del Plebiscito, Naples' largest public square.
10am Anchoring the eastern edge of the square is the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace), built under Spanish rule in the 16th century, and home to the Museo del Palazzo Reale. Arrayed throughout the building's royal apartments, the palace's museum showcases Baroque and Neoclassical tapestries, paintings and sculpture, and it's worth checking the Palazzo Reale website for special exhibitions. Previous highlights have included the work of Claude Monet and vintage 1930s Italian photography.
The seaside city boasts historic cafes, a grand Royal Palace, and a world-leading museum with artefacts from nearby Pompeii. Photo / Getty Images
12.30pm Pizza fans perpetually crowd the narrow entrance to Pizzeria Gina Sorbillo in Naples' gritty Centro Storico, but it's definitely worth a wait for the some of the city's best pizza, Margherita. Be prepared to share a table, and look forward to the occasional neighbourhood local serving up impromptu live opera while you're waiting outside.
2pm Book ahead online for guided tours with Napoli Sotterranea, leaving from nearby Piazza San Gaetano, and exploring 40m beneath the city's streets in Naples' underground. Ancient tunnels negotiate a multi-layered history dating back 2500 years, and revealed by soft candlelight highlights carved in the soft tufa rock include a Greek-Roman aqueduct and World War II air-raid shelters. Above ground, take in the modern street art adding a contemporary overlay to the bohemian and centuries-old laneways of Naples' historic centre.
7pm Just north of Naples' lungomare (waterfront promenade), eat and drink in the Chiaia neighbourhood. Options for early evening aperitivo drinks include a world of gin at Barril, and L'Antiquario for classic cocktails. Owned by a local fishing family, Chiaia's Pescheria Mattiucci serves the freshest of seafood. Secure a seat at the bar and watch the kitchen team swing in action. If you're still hankering for pizza, Sorbillo also have a nearby waterfront location with Bay of Naples views.
As the birthplace of pizza, Naples is the place to go for the perfect slice. Photo / Getty Images
Day 2
9.30am
Kick off a day exploring Naples' archaeological heritage with a super-strong espresso –
enjoyed standing up Neapolitan-style at the Salvator Rosa cafe – before crossing the road to the city's Museo Archaeologico Nazionale (National Archaeological Museum). Much of the institution's extraordinary world-leading collection comes from Pompeii and Herculaneum, two nearby towns buried by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD 79.
12.30pm After an early lunch at the modern and innovative Lazzarelle Bistrot, housed amid the soaring atrium of the historic Galleria Principe di Napoli shopping arcade, catch the M1 or M2 metro line from the nearby Museo station to Napoli Centrale, Naples' main railway station. From the adjacent Garibaldi station, the Circumvesuviana line links to Sorrento around the Bay of Naples, also stopping at the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
1.30pm Both Pompeii and Herculaneum are popular destinations from Naples, but Pompeii's vast and more spread-out site means it definitely needs a full day of exploration. By contrast, Herculaneum – just 16 minutes by train from central Naples – is more compact, less visited, and can easily be explored in an afternoon. Formerly a fishing town of 4000 people, Herculaneum's streets and plazas have been meticulously excavated, with superb mansions and mosaics, a 'high street' with shops, snack bars, and even millennia-old advertising for red and white wine.
5.30pm Returning back on the Circumvesuviana to Naples, spend your second night amid the bar and restaurant scene of the Centro Storico. An ideal destination for aperitivo drinks is Forcella Spritz, a hole-in-the-wall spot where the Aperol and Negroni-fuelled action quickly overflows into a narrow laneway. From there, it's a short stroll to WineCafe da Mario for natural wines and Italian birra artigianale (craft beers). After aperitivo action, La Locanda Gesu Vecchio combines classic Neapolitan flavours with an informal and relaxed neighbourhood vibe.
Getting there and around One-stop options for New Zealand travellers to Rome include Singapore Airlines, Emirates via Dubai and through Doha with Qatar Airways. From Rome to Naples, Trenitalia offer frequent departures on their high-speed Frecciarossa trains (one hour 15 minutes).
Where to stay Located near Naples' lungomare, Napoli Tree B & B has stylish and sunny rooms in a renovated apartment building.
