In this comprehensive guide to Naples for families, I’ll outline a bunch of exciting activities for you and your kids to enjoy while visiting the largest city in the Italian South. There’s a fair share of nature, food, art, and history in the package, so all kinds of travelers will feel tempted to visit.
With its irresistible mix of stunning scenery, sumptuous architecture, and fascinating culture — which includes a world-famous culinary tradition — Naples is one of my favorite cities on the planet. I’m positive you and your family will adore it too!
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Where to stay in Naples with family
Many hotels in Naples may serve as the ideal launchpad for an unforgettable trip to the city. Check out the ones with the best value for money:
- Grand Hotel Vesuvio allows for a perfectly comfortable and relaxing stay overlooking Castel dell’Ovo, one of Naples’ most suggestive landmarks. Rooms are huge, and common areas are luxuriously decorated. You’ll probably have a hard time leaving the rooftop lounge.
- Hotel Piazza Bellini & Apartments boasts several room arrangements for your family’s convenience. There’s also a swimming pool in case you feel like having a lazy morning before exploring the historic core, which is all around the hotel.
- Hotel Cristina, a modern 3-star hotel to the west of town, to be precise five miles away from the city center. That said, Hotel Cristina is a stone’s throw from the subway, the Naples Zoo, and Edenlandia amusement park. It’s pretty close to Diego Maradona Stadium and Bagnoli Beach too.
- Weekend a Napoli — This Art-Nouveau-villa-turned-b&b is located in Vomero, a quiet uphill district. Rooms are ample and cozy, and the breakfast is to die for. Plus, subway and cable car stations, as well as the imposing Castel Sant’Elmo, are within walking distance.
Fun things to do in Naples for Families
1. Savor Naples’ mouthwatering street food
As the birthplace of pizza and other classic dishes like spaghetti with clams and eggplant Parmesan, Naples is without a doubt one of the world’s food capitals.
The coolest thing about is you’ll pay a fraction of what you’d spend in cities like Milan or Rome to eat like royalty in Naples.
If you’re bringing the kids along, book a walking tour to make sure you guys won’t miss any specialties, among which yummy pastries like sfogliatella, zeppola, and babà.
2. Go on a walking tour of the city center
Downtown Naples is jam-packed with ancient ruins, Baroque churches and palaces, and neoclassical theaters, among other impressive landmarks.
Its architecture is one of the most lavish nationwide, second perhaps only to Rome. Yet to make sense of all that rich heritage, you should rely on a local guide to show you all the must-sees and tell you fun anecdotes about each of them.
Although you’ll find numerous walking tours of Naples on the web, few of them have adapted their storytelling to make it interesting to kids.
3. Relax at the beach
Nestled in a gulf in the Mediterranean, Naples is notorious for the calm waters of its shores, which are simply perfect for children to play as grown-ups bask in the glorious Neapolitan sun. Beaches in central neighborhoods like Chiaia, due to their proximity to the port, aren’t suitable for swimming.
But you can always head west to explore the jagged coast of the Posillipo district amid ancient Roman villas. Alternatively, if you have a free day to go on a delightful trip, take the ferry with the crew to visit the gorgeous island of Ischia (pictured above).
4. Wonder at the nativity scenes and miniatures along Via San Gregorio Armeno
Nothing screams Naples louder than its exuberant nativity scene tradition, which typically reenacts the birth of Jesus in 18th-century Naples.
Some of the more elaborate scenes feature hundreds of characters and are displayed in museums like the hilltop Certosa di San Martino.
The true spectacle, though, can be viewed along Via San Gregorio Armeno in the historic core of the city. Dozens of artisan shops line the street showcasing their creations, which kids are guaranteed to stare at open-mouthed.
Yet religious art isn’t the only thing you’ll find there. A lot of the miniatures caricature politicians and celebs or portray classical Neapolitan characters, often with a touch of humor like the Pulcinella holding a pizza seen above.
5. Have a picnic with a view
The massive Royal Palace of Capodimonte houses first-rate art galleries and history museums, but roughly what attracts crowds of families to the complex is its 300-acre park.
Capodimonte’s beautifully manicured front garden, specifically, towers over the entire city and is equipped with picnic areas where you can spend a relaxing afternoon with your kids.
When you’re done eating, be sure to stroll the tree-lined paths of the park and appreciate a minute of peace before heading back into Naples’ hustle and bustle.
6. Take a cooking class together
It’s never too early for kids to start falling in love with the intricate art of cooking. And which spot on the face of the Earth can be any better for that than Naples?
As with walking tours, not all cooking classes are kid-friendly. A few, however, will teach you and your little ones how to make pasta and tiramisù from scratch, among other specialties of Italian cuisine.
7. View the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum
Infamously destroyed by a fateful eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under several feet of lava — which ironically helped them stay almost intact.
While Pompeii is known for its monumentality (it had even an arena of its own), Herculaneum boasts flawlessly preserved interiors where frescoes have survived incredibly well.
A day trip to the region will be best enjoyed by kids aged 7 or older, especially if you book a guided tour of Pompeii and Herculaneum that caters to them.
8. Marvel at San Gennaro’s treasure
Januarius, locally San Gennaro, is Naples’ main patron saint. Given Neapolitans are overall deeply religious, San Gennaro has naturally an immense following in the city.
What’s astonishing here, though, is that devotees of all stripes (including popes and kings) have been donating money, jewels, and artworks in the saint’s honor for seven centuries.
The most opulent pieces of the priceless treasure — among which a diamond-, ruby, and emerald-studded miter (above), and a necklace that was 250 years in the making — are exhibited at the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro, where you’ll be as much in awe as your kids.
9. Support Napoli at the stadium
Neapolitans are some of the most intense soccer supporters on the planet, or maybe even fanatical.
They went on to build not one, but two shrines honoring Maradona, the biggest star to ever play for the city’s team.
Napoli, despite not being as successful as Juventus, AC Milan, or Internazionale, is one of the top popular soccer teams in Italy in terms of popularity.
So if you and your kids love the game, don’t miss the chance to catch a match at the Diego Maradona Stadium (because of course it was renamed after him) and share the pure joy of Napoli’s supporters.
10. Go for a hike in the park
Capodimonte may be Naples’ largest park, yet the city is peppered with smaller green spaces where you can take your little ones for a few hours of fun.
There’s the waterfront Villa Comunale, a favorite of Neapolitan families that is also home to the city’s aquarium, and quieter addresses like Parco Virgiliano to the west of town, where you’ll get to soak up views like the one above.
Located in Posillipo, the park sits atop a promontory that is crossed by an ancient tunnel, the Cave of Sejanus, which will lead you all the way into the Pausilypon archeological complex.
11. Tour the Amalfi Coast on a boat
This rugged, south-facing stretch of coastline between Positano and Vietri sul Mare within the province of Salerno has been a summer hub for European elites for centuries.
While staying in one of the hillside towns of the area is still on the pricey side, you can always go on an exciting boat of the Amalfi Coast from Naples with your little ones. That’s a particularly good idea if you’re spending more than a weekend in the city.
12. Discover Naples’ underground city
This was hands down one of my favorite tours in Naples. Underneath the visible city, there’s a dense network of tunnels that served multiple purposes throughout history, such as aqueducts, catacombs, air raid shelters, and military passages.
Many of these magical hideouts can be visited today and should amaze kids for both their spooky aspect and mysterious aura.
13. Visit the zoo
The Naples Zoo, while only a little more than 70 years old, has traditionally been one of the most prestigious on a European scale. It did suffer from poor management for decades, but it was entirely refurbished between 2014 and 2016.
Now, as a brand-new biological park where animals from all around the globe can thrive, it’s one of the nicest attractions to visit in the city with your kids.
14. Explore the City of Science
This interactive museum dedicated to science features a state-of-the-art planetarium, exhibits on the human body, the sea, and insects, in addition to several activities targeting kids.
A part of the complex is being renovated since a fire ravaged through a great deal of it in 2013. Yet the City of Science is certainly worth a visit, especially if you’re in the surroundings of Parco Virgiliano.
15. Watch a theater show for kids
Naples is home to several iconic theaters like Teatro di San Carlo, but the majority seem to lack shows aimed at children.
That might be an issue hadn’t the city devoted an entire theater to them. At the Teatro dei Piccoli, located right across from the Zoo, kids and parents can watch puppet and marionette shows, plus regular plays too.
It’s no big deal if the small spectators don’t speak Italian; the visuals will definitely keep them entertained anyway.
16. Have a blast at an amusement park
Though Naples is short on its Disneyland material, it does have a dozen of small amusement parks where you can spend an exhilarating afternoon with your family, especially in the outer boroughs.
A few of the highlights are Vesuviuslandia, Edenlandia (above), and Panda Park, as well as the Valle dell’Orso water park in the warmer months.
Final thoughts
While toddlers and little kids may fail to grasp Naples’ historical and cultural significance, they’ll certainly love the mouthwatering food the city is widely known for and the breathtaking views you’ll stumble upon all over the place.
Besides, as Italy’s third-biggest city, Naples is dotted with major attractions that children and grown-ups alike can enjoy together, such as its dozens of parks and a handful of interactive museums.
All in all, the city is one of the best in Italy to visit with kids, arguably behind Rome and Milan. Hopefully, our guide to Naples for families has helped you realize that and will come in handy when you’re ready to plan your trip!
