Sort of a miniature Pompeii. Two large villas that had been covered with 10 feet of ash. Remarkably…read morewell preserved. FREE admission. A good 1/2 hour walk from town, and not well signed, but you knew that -- it's Italy! You can bring a picnic.

This place is really cool and we stumbled onto it thinking it was something completely different…read more You can also check it out for free which was a nice change of pace. They even had a tour guide if you liked and they charged nothing to tell you about this beautiful place.

If you have a short amount of time when visiting Napoli (Naples) and want to see ancient Romans,…read morethen Herculaneum is a great option. Highlights/Tips: + Can be reached by public transportation; however, there is a bit of a walk from the stop + Extremely well preserved + While smaller than Pompeii, there are less crowds and you can easily see all structures and key sites with a 2.5 hour visit depending upon how long you stand and look. + If you really want a more in depth understanding of the site, I'd go with a guide. While you can do a self guided tour, I feel that a guide can provide much more context and clue you in on additional things + Accessibility- some may find the experience a bit strenuous; however, the roads/ paths into the structures are much easier to navigate than Pompeii. They seem to be much flatter and not as steep. If you are a wheelchair user, I would highly recommend seeking recommendations from other individuals as I can't speak to this. +Shade- This is especially important during the summer months. There are more shady spots to be found in the Herculaneum. I would recommend going in the Gymnasium cave like area if you really need to cool down. ***Watch your step, especially if it has rained and/or just in general. Some of the areas for walking are uneven stones and I saw quite a few older individuals slip and cause themselves potentially ending vacation injuries on the day I went.

We wanted to tour some Vesuvius ruins, and like most people assumed Pompeii was the place to go…read more But luckily while researching I found Herculaneum...the much smaller and closer option for our brief stay in Naples. The train station was a short walk away. They provide (and require) free lockers for large backpacks. The grounds are fairly small and therefore quite manageable to wander in a couple hours. Everything was neat and clean, signed well, and easy to tour on your own...although there are guided tours of course.

The hubs and I took a tour of the Amalfi coast stopping first in Maiori, Italy…read more Maiori is open and beautiful, featuring one of the longest and flattest beaches on the Amalfi Coast. Its wide promenade, larger hotels, and easy beach access make it especially appealing for families and travelers looking for convenience. While it's less postcard-forward, Maiori offers a comfortable, unpretentious seaside experience. Notably, there was a person standing on the side rock, which was quite interesting,

Checks the box off for interesting tour to take in a foreign city. Tour itself was 5 stars, the…read morewait and the crowds dropped it a star. Underground tours in Naples are very popular with multiple sites and entry points, this one being the main location. Entrance is via an alley along Via dei Tribunali, one of the main stretches in the historic center, and on a Sunday noon it was packed with visitors waiting for their tour times. Like probably 70-80 people waiting in a 12 x 20 foot area...a fair number of staff on hand wrangling the lines, telling people/groups with pre-bookings to line up in front of those without. Each person basically has to talk to a staff member to figure out exactly who they should be standing behind. Then there are staff members calling out times for each tour at the front, Italian then English alternately. I'm not sure why they don't implement an easier, more straightforward system, for each language--one line for prebooked and one line without. Tickets can be booked in advance online by tour language and they ask you to be there 15 minutes prior to your time slot. This is most certainly not only recommended, but required if you want to avoid inadvertently missing your timeslot due to the confusing line as mentioned above. Also their website refers to the online tickets as "skip-the-line" though to be clear you are essentially just booking a spot in advance, you still need to wait in line at the entrance. And hands down book in advance. They "guarantee" entry at the door (as I heard a few different staff members mention to certain people in line), however what they don't initially mention is this is only after all pre-booked visitors enter, so this could mean an indefinite wait of 30 minutes, an hour, 1.5 hours...who knows. For safety reasons entry is only possible via guided tour, and there are limits to the size of each group. They definitely push it though, considering my group of about 35ish was one of several groups to go down in staggered times of about 15-20 minutes apart. Once the guide directs the group to enter the pathway leading underground, they make you line up along the stairs while another group exits, then your group can enter. It's several flights down (then back up) so I saw some elderly with walking handicaps and families with strollers struggling. Honestly I wouldn't recommend coming here if you fall into either group. I imagine it could be dangerous for the former (think slippery stone in some areas) and there was a toddler crying during two-thirds of my tour that made for a very distracting experience if you consider the cavernous reverberations. After waiting in line for about 15-20 minutes outside, then another 10-15 minutes on the stairs inside, the tour itself lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes after we finally got downstairs. It was very informative and our guide tried her best to crack jokes and maintain a light-hearted atmosphere while at the same time projecting her voice as loud as possible and telling other nearby groups to keep their voices down (yes, bc there were a few different groups in close proximity sometimes so she had to practically yell to be heard). She shared about the history, functions (aquifer, munitions storage, landfill, war bunker, etc) and unique conditions (cool temps and high humidity) that makes this subterranean complex such an integral part of Naples' story. The last 20 minutes was dedicated to visiting the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater only a few minutes walking from the Sotterranea entrance/exit. It's in a separate building altogether on a residential street and it was intriguing to see the intersection of antiquity and modern life. Tickets are €18 for adults, €15 for students 11-24 yrs old, €10 for children 5-10 yrs old. Time slots available on the hour from between 10am to 7pm daily, last entry at 6pm. For more info: https://www.napolisotterranea.org/en/

The underground tour itself is interesting and one of the kind of experience in Naples. It takes…read moreabout one hour and twenty minutes, approximately one hour under the ground, and two more exhibit rooms above the ground. The staff working here is terrible though, unfortunately you can only go through with their tours. The woman organize the lines and sells the tickets is absolutely the worst. She yells at people and gave misleading information, while said only 15 people in the tour group when selling the tickets, but it ended up filling near 35 people in the same group once you get into the line for your time stamped tickets, and you can imagine how crowded it could be. This tour is not recommended for claustrophobic people.

This place gets super crowded, but the blue waters is worth the trek and visit. Right by the bus…read morestop.

This landmark was a really cool visit. It was so beautiful!…read more The swimming/beach was super crowded but looked really nice. The "hiking" around the area looked clean and pristine. We tried some wine from the vineyards in the area and fell in absolute love. Great place to visit, even if it's super quick!

This was another highlight during our visit of Naples. It's not to be missed if you're a WWII buff,…read moreor have any personal connections to this era. We purchased the standard tour (there are 3) which starts at the entrance of Vico del Grottone. It's close to the Piazza del Plebiscito. There are timed entries. We just happened to get there just before the guided English tour at 11:00am. The timing was perfect. I would rethink this one if you have mobility or night vision issues. The very first thing you'll do is walk down a very high, narrow, and dimly lit stairway with pumice walls surrounding you. I'm pretty sure our tunnel guide said it was 90 steps down. The good news is that you won't have to climb up at the end. You'll exit out into a covered parking area along Via Monte de Dio. Our guide was so passionate & knowledgeable. I think his name was David. He also made sure that every question was answered. It's quite a long & rocky history of why the King had it built, and the obstacles they had building around the aqueducts and holding tanks. The vision was never fully realized after the fall of the Bourbon monarchy. It was abandoned until WWII when it was used as a shelter from bombs. It's an incredible story, and you can see how the residents of Naples lived under the brutal conditions of war. Some lived there longer because they had nowhere else to live after houses were destroyed. We were very impressed with how well the tunnels were restored, and hearing about how all these secrets (artifacts) were uncovered. It had been hiding under Naples all these years until being rediscovered some time in 2005. I don't think it even opened to the public until 2010. It was a very memorable & unique experience. Very much worth the small admission fee. Definitely seek it out if you are in Naples. It only takes an hour, and it's well worth the time.

An inspiring tour to take. Long history of use in Naples. Started hundreds of years ago and used…read morethrough WWII and after. Excellent tour guides. Multiple tour options ranging from easy to more involved requiring hard hats. Unique antiques shop included as part of tour. Well worth the price of 10€ to see this amazing underground area.

Okay--yeah, you have to do this one. If you are not seeing Capri from a boat, this is going to be…read morethe best view you will see. The gardens are lovely. There were photographers every where and they gave us advice on where to get the best photos. Go early in the day to avoid the crowds as all the tour groups seem to come here.

Another phenomenal view of Italy. We drove through the mountain side and stopped for espresso along…read morethe way. It's a pretty scary ride if you're not use to driving on mountain roads because these are not wide roads with smooth surfaces and slow bends. The breath-taking views, however, are second to none and makes the trip totally worth it! There are a lot of gorgeous perfectly "placed" flowers and plants growing along the mountain side. Wish I could spend more time here. Stunning place!

We stopped by Piazza del Plebiscito for a quick look while exploring Naples. The square is huge and…read moresurrounded by some of the city's most recognizable landmarks, making it a great place to pause and take in the architecture. Originally completed in the early 1800s, the piazza is named after the 1860 plebiscite that voted for Naples to join a unified Italy. On one side sits the Royal Palace of Naples, while the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola anchors the other with its impressive domed church and curved colonnades. We didn't spend a lot of time here, but it was an easy stop between other sights and gave us a chance to appreciate a different side of Naples. If you're already in the historic center or heading toward the waterfront, it's well worth adding to your itinerary.

Naple's most iconic square is framed by Prefettura di Napoli a government office on the north, on…read morethe south by Palazzo Salerno (Sede del Comando Territoriale Sud - currently military offices), by the royal palace on the east, and Basilica of San Francesco di Paola to the west. The last two are open for visitors and pretty quiet on an April evening. The port area and waterfront public park Giardini del Molosiglio are nearby within walking distance to the southeast. As magnificent and grand as these surrounding buildings and others nearby are, this piazza also very much a piece of the local cloth. Where school groups and tourists frequent during the day, is open space in the evening for kids riding bikes and playing soccer, for families taking walks with strollers and dogs. While I was there it was fun to see a group of students singing along to a couple musicians on a guitar and mic, a few kids flying kites, the sun setting to the west casting a warm glow onto the structures in the square. Fun facts: - named after a plebiscite (aka referendum or survey) which united Naples with the rest of Italy. - Joachim Murat, bro-in-law of Napoleon had planned to dedicate the square to the emperor though when the Bourbon rulers were restored to the throne plans changed. Hence today the two statues in from of the church are Bourbon kings Charles III and his son Ferdinand I. They also instructed the completion of the neoclassical basilica along this square. - there's a local game/tradition of attempting to cross the square blindfolded starting from the center of the main entrance of the royal palace with the goal of walking directly in the middle of the two statues. Legend is that it's an impossible feat, due to the irregular shape of the square, uneven cobblestones and slight slope. - the square became a parking lot in 1963 to deal with the overflow of cars in the city, then reconfigured back to pedestrian only in 1994.