Walking Naples and the Underground
- This unforgettable journey through Naples has you exploring its vibrant streets and fascinating underground city with a local guide.
- Experience the ancient world beneath Naples, walking through Greek streets and Roman excavations preserved in time.
- Marvel at the stunning mix of styles across Naples squares, reflecting the city's rich cultural heritage and diverse influences.
- Soak in the local culture, from the Baroque architecture of the Cathedral to delicious traditional food in bustling markets.
- End the tour with a visit to the imposing Castel Nuovo and the renowned San Carlo Theatre.
Walking Naples and the Underground
Be greeted by your local and knowledgeable representative at the pier who will personally guide you on foot through this amazing journey in Naples.
Start your walk and begin your journey toward the Neptune Fountain in Piazza Municipio. Naples is all at the same time gritty, chaotic and frenzied, but also one of the most utterly fascinating places in Italy and unlike anything else you may see on your trip.
Did you know there is an entire underground city underneath the daily life in Naples? Visit Ancient Greek streets and the Roman underground excavations where the old underground city remains frozen in time. The ancient Greeks built temples here thousands of years ago, and they were used as underground canals until the 19th century when they became bomb shelters during the World Wars. Many traces of each period are left everywhere, experience time travel as you view over 2,000 years of existence. View a recreated place where the ancient Greeks had extracted stones, see burial chambers and a theater, all footprints of human history.
Continue above ground and visit squares that are a mix of styles: through many invasions and cultural influences the center of the city has given way to a mixture of Pagan and Christian paths that are still characteristic of the present-day life. You will notice a contrast in styles in both the Piazza del Gesu and Piazza San Domenico Maggiore.
In San Gregorio Armeno Market you see the duality in all the artifacts of the typical shops but this double nature of the city is also expressed in the Baroque architecture of the Cathedral.
Neapolitan culture is expressed in the typical popular food and in the narrow streets full of locals that will color your walking tour with unbelievable effects. Stop for free time and some lunch (at your own expense).
After lunch, experience the view of the medieval Castel Nuovo, there are a total of three castles in Naples. Also called Maschio Angioino, it was built originally in 1279-82 in the French style by Charles I of Anjou. It was almost entirely reconstructed and embellished in 1443-53 by Alphonse I of Aragon who, to commemorate his entrance into the city, added the superb Arch of Triumph which constitutes the entrance to the castle. Next, you will see one of the world's best neoclassical theatres, Theatre of San Carlo. The theatre was built in 1737 for Charles III of Spain and Naples by Angelo Caresale by the Plans of Giovanni Antonio Medrano. The interior was decorated by Ferdinando Fuga and Domenico Chelli.
In front of San Carlo's Theatre, you will next walk inside the shopping center known as Galleria Umberto and then continue walking on to the historical location of Via Toledo and Piazza Plebiscito. The Piazza Plebiscito is a square named after the plebiscite that resulted in the 1860 unification of Italy. It is the largest square in Naples. The Piazza was laid under the orders of Joachim Murat the brother in law of Napoleon who was installed as the King of Naples after the defeat of the Bourbon rulers. He ordered the demolition of an ancient abbey and a church to make way for the square. When the Bourbons returned to power after the defeat of Napoleon, Ferdinand I, the reinstated Bourbon ruler completed the unfinished Piazza. Before the plebiscite, it was called the Largo di Palazzo or space in front of the palace. After World War II, it was neglected and became a large parking lot until 1997, when it was restored to its former glory for the G7 summit held in Naples.
Your tour will end at the Historical Center which is approximately a 20-minute walk back to your ship.
Please Note: The chronology of the stops may change due to the openings hours of some of the sites.