The museums of Naples
Museums, art galleries, and historic palaces in Naples
www.inaples.it
TOURS OF NAPLES:
Tours of Naples itself:
• Naples City and Pompeii Half Day Sightseeing Tour
• Naples City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
• Small Group Naples City Sightseeing Tour
Tours to Pompeii & Vesuvius:
• Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii Day Trip from Naples
• Pompeii Half-day Trip from Naples
• Naples City and Pompeii Half Day Sightseeing Tour
• Mt Vesuvius Half-Day Trip from Naples
Tours to the Amalfi Coast or Capri:
• Private tour of Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello from Naples
• Capri Day Trip with Lunch from Naples
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TOURS FROM TRUSTED PARTNERS




Museo Archeologico - This is one of the most significant archaeological collections in Europe (certainly Southern Italy's best), the only absolutely required sight in Naples, and well worth 2–3 hours of your time. If you explore Pompeii without paying this museum a visit as well, you've missed out on half the riches. The best statues, mosaics, and wall paintings at Pompeii that could be carried off (and hadn't been already by looters) were long ago removed from the archaeological site to be preserved here, alongside finds from across Southern Italy as well as many from Rome itself (including the important and impressive statuary collected by the Farnese family)...


Museo Capodimonte - Set in an 18th-century royal palace in the midst of shady, grassy Capodimonte park high above the city, this is by far the best painting gallery in all of Southern Italy, particularly strong in works from Old Masters representing all phases of the Renaissance and baroque periods, including notable works by Caravaggio and Ribera... ![]()

Palazzo Reale - Naples' royal palace had to be restructured following Allied bomb damage in 1943, but retains some sumptuous royal apartments and, in niches along the 18th-century facade, statues of the greatest kings from the eight dynasties that have ruled Naples... ![]()

Certosa di San Martino - This 14th-century Carthusian monastery was baroqued in the 17th century, and is today famous for its fine church, peaceful cloisters, great views, small painting gallery, and remarkable presepio collection of Christmas crèches. What's more, the views across the city below from its perch atop Vomero hill are fantastic... ![]()
Castel Nuovo - Though the core Maschio Angioino, or Angevin Dungeon, was built in the 13th century, the grand entrance arch wedged between two massive 15th-century bastions is pure Renaissance. Inside are statues and frescoes from the 14th and 15th century, a middling collection of paintings from the 15th to 20th centuries, and the huge Sala dei Baroni hall where Naples' City Council still meets... ![]()
Museo Civico G. Filangeri - A small, private house museum with an eclectic collection—paintings by Ribera, Mattia Preti, and Luca Giordano; porcelains; Asian arms—in a late–18th century palazzo complete with grand salons, a library, and a preserved majolica floor up on the first floor... ![]()
Castel Sant'Elmo - Next door to the monastery of San Martino is the star-shaped Castel Sant'Elmo, built in a strategic position above the city in 1329–43 by the Angevins. It was enlarged in the 16th century and today offers a magnificent 360° panorama of Naples and its bay after a walk through the dark, echoey, medieval stone halls... ![]()
Tips
- Sights covered by Artecard
In Naples
Museo Archeologico
Museo Capodimonte
Certosa di San Martino
Castel Sant'Elmo
Castel Nuovo
Palazzo Reale
Duomo museums
...and more
Nearby in Campania
Pompeii
Herculaneum
Paestum (museum and site)
Reggia di Caserta
Capua amphitheater
Capua mithraeum
Campi Flegrei (pretty much everything)
...and more
Get the discount card: The Campania Artecard (www.campaniartecard.it) will get you into many top sights for free—not just in Naples, but across Campania, including Pompeii and other biggies (the list on the right compiles the highlights, but it covers 38 major sights flat-out, plus offers discounts on two dozen others and on theaters, shops, events, and tourist services). You can pick it up at participating sights, the airport, train stations, major ports, many hotels, car parks, travel agencies, newsstands...it's pretty easy to find.
There are nine versions, and it can get confusing. Avoid the cheapest, the "Napoli Centro Antico" one; it's not worth it. Here are the most useful variants:
- Napoli e Campi Flegrei (€16) - Valid for 3 days; only gets you into three sights of your choice, plus 50% off any other sights you visit—plus free rides on public transportation in Naples and out to the Campi Flegrei.
- Tutta La Regione 3 days (€27) - Valid for 3 days; only gets you into two sights (then 50% off the others), but it covers free rides on all public transport in Naples and across Campania.
- Archeologia del Golfo (€30) - Valid for 3 days; gets you into just about every site of archaeological interest in Naples and its Bay (the Museo Archeologico, Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Campi Flegrei, etc); also covers all public transportation. Good deal.
- Tutta La Regione 7 days (€30) - Valid for 7 days, covers you choice of 5 sights (then 50% off the others)—but, oddly, covers none of the transportation.
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Take a tour: Some people prefer to see Naples by guided tour. You can book one with our partners at Viator.com:
- Tours of Naples itself:
- Naples City and Pompeii Half Day Sightseeing Tour
- Naples City Hop-on Hop-off Tour
- Small Group Naples City Sightseeing Tour
- Tours to Pompeii & Vesuvius:
- Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii Day Trip from Naples
- Pompeii Half-day Trip from Naples
- Naples City and Pompeii Half Day Sightseeing Tour
- Mt Vesuvius Half-Day Trip from Naples
- Tours to the Amalfi Coast or Capri:
Related pages
- Other sights in Naples (the center, the waterfront, the hills)
- Hotels in Naples
- Restaurants in Naples
- Naples FAQ
- Naples homepage
This material was last updated August 2010. All information was accurate at the time.
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