Naples has always had an underlying tone of roughness about it, and understandably at first sight this is what you might think too. However between the graffitied buildings and poorly maintained infrastructure runs a city full of warm individuals who are proud and passionate about the city they call home.
Accommodations
Visiting a city for the first time in particularly on my own, I normally stay as close to the centre as possible. I find the walkable distances gives me peace of mind and makes the journey safer. As with many Greco-Roman cities, Naples' old town area (Spaccanapoli) is made up of 3 main roads with narrow streets connecting them. There are not many hotels in this area but they do have a lot of great independent and affordable suites. On this occasion I stayed at Donna Maria Suite on Via San Biagio Dei Librai. The suite is located in one of these historic court yards and the site manager Enrico lives in the same block with his wife. They welcome you to Whats'App them whenever if you have any questions regarding the city.
This is a lovely neighbourhood to stay in and although it is very busy and noisy with tourists and vendors in the day time, everything calms down by around 9pm. With the close proximity to most major attractions I would definitely recommend this place for any first time Naples visitors. However if you want to stay near a more upscale neighbourhood you can opt for accommodations around the San Carlo Theatre area.
Sightseeing
Spaccanapoli - Naples Old Town Streets
Spaccanapoli is the straight and narrow main street that traverses the old, historic center of the city of Naples, Italy. Today, the street officially starts at Piazza Gesù Nuovo and is officially named Via Benedetto Croce. Moving east, the street changes name to Via S. Biagio dei Librai and then crosses Via Duomo (named for the Cathedral of Naples) and moves beyond the confines of the old center of town. This area is filled with historic attractions and cafes.
Napoli Sotterranea - Naples Underground Tour
There are so many underground aqueduct tours you can take. I originally wanted to do the privately maintained Galleria Borbonica but they have very specific times which you can visit so I didn't manage to meet their schedule. I ended up going to the Naples Underground with the entrance located on Via dei Tribunali right round my accommodation. You can prebook but on this occasion I just walked in at the scheduled English tour time. After the tunnels they bring you to the ground level area near by so show you where the old Arena used to stand. I thought this was a nice touch. Note on tipping I tried to tip the tour guide but they refused the take my money. As tunnel tour goes I think the Via dei Tribunali will do just fine.
San Carlo Theatre
San Carlo Theatre is their main theatre in Naples and they offer separate guided tours in English and Italian. Best to check the time for the English speaking ones before you go in as they happen sparsely. It was a shame they had no scheduled programs during my visit as the performances there are of world class standard.
Via S. Gregorio Armeno - Christmas Street
A whole street dedicated to Christmas ornaments and figurines. You will find the entire Spaccanapoli filled with souvenir shops selling their Chilli city charms (Note: It's a horn and not a chilli) but it is on this street you will find the highest concentration on their traditional doll crafts and Christmas decorations.
Napoli Vespa Tour - Multiple Location Guided Tour
What better way to see Naples and all its narrow streets than on an iconic Italian mobile. Napoli Vespa Tour is one of the fancier guided tour offered in the city and it is a unique experience. They offer various tours on their website visiting multiple locations so its probably best to see what's on their schedule before you plan the rest of your days in Naples. Note on tipping this guy DID take my money.
Restaurants
Gino e Toto Sorbillo
One of the most iconic pizzeria in town where pizza was invented. You know they are the real deal if they are good enough to open a branch in New York. They may look super busy as there is always a massive crowd outside waiting to be seated. Don't be taken back by this as they are often in a big groups. The waiting time for singles and couples are often only 10-15 mins. Note they only have Italian menus but the staff speak good enough English to recommend you on their most popular options.
Antica Spaghetteria Francesco e Maria Sofia
This is a rustic looking bistro specialises in home-cooked style pasta. The dishes are packed with flavours but the portions are big. This place has an upstairs ideal for big groups and they are open to negotiation in terms of making a set menu off the cuffs for large parties. I only know this because it happened right in front of me during my visit
Pulcinella Bistrò Ristorante
The portions in Napoli restaurants by my experience tends to be on the larger side. Therefore it was a delight to find a place where I could order a full 3 course meal and enjoy my time. With a delicate barn house interior this place is also great for romantic dinners. They offer a wide range of Italian classics here but in a healthier modern presentation. I met a lovely couple Dario and Rachele doing PHD here and we had a great time chatting. South Italians are very welcoming.
Cru...do rè
Being a port-side city I really wanted to find a raw bar in Naples. Surprisingly this is practically the only on that I found. The seafood is as fresh as it can be and they are quite flexible for you to alter their existing sets which I thought was nice.
Around Naples
Pompei and Mount Vesuvius
The city of Pompei is located approximately an hour from Naples. You can take the train there but you won't get much explanation on the site. I went with the Klook guided tour which combined Pompei and Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that buried this very ancient town. After Pompei you will be provided with a mediocre pizza for lunch and get driven towards the crater. Once you arrive you have the option to hike to the crater. This will take around 40-60min. It is a full day tour and I'm glad I did it. However I do feel I could have spent more time at Pompei rather than Mount Vesuvius. Klook is one of the cheaper tour guides offered in Naples and despite my comments I think the tour was sufficient enough for a non-classic fanatic like me.
Capri and Sorrento
In my personal opinion I think you can definitely do both Capri and Sorrento in one day. There are regular ferries that leave from Naples Port (Molo Immacolatella Vecchia) to both places. I do suggest you to visit Capri first then Sorrento as you will be less restricted by ferry times. Sorrento has a direct train that goes back to Naples till the late hours. The queue for the funicular train to Capri hilltop Town Center was massive so I decided to hike up which was not bad at all. Once you get to the top there is no queue for me to come back by funicular train so this may be a better option for you lot. I only walked around the main town area which was quaint but very touristy. I wasn't in the mood to explore more as I planned to go to Sorrento after. If you want to of course you can also do the Blue Grotto and visit Anacapri. There will be people selling you these package tour in the ferry. I had lunch in a little place called Al Grottino which services rusty wholesome seafood dishes. It was nice but nothing to rave about. Sorrento is another seaside town near Naples and I strongly recommend you to arrive on boat as you get to witness the dramatic cliff side architecture which Sorrento is famous for. This town is very walkable and definitely a lot fancier than Naples. You may wish to have dinner here or even stay a night.
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