Naples Underground Tour - Everything you need to know - Campania, Italy
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Destinations > Europe > Italy > Naples Underground Tour
The Naples Underground Tour
Since we purchased a Eurail pass, we decided to make the most of our travel day from Rome to Pompeii by stopping in Naples – the capital of Campania – for a few hours. We actually don't recommend getting a Eurail pass in Italy–click here to read our tips on how to save money in Italy.
Naples, Italy is probably best known as the birthplace of pizza, but the area is also full of Greek and Roman history. Napoli Sotterranea – the underground tour of Naples – is a great way to learn more about the city roots by touring the underground tunnels and ancient Roman waterways. You may learn a bit more about these underground tunnels in this ancient manuscript, but you will learn everything you need to know about the Naples Underground tour – where to meet, what to expect, and what to bring - by reading below.
Getting Tickets & Getting Inside
The Naples Underground Tour is offered in English every two hours starting at 10AM. The last tour is at 6PM. We went for the 2PM tour and didn't purchase tickets in advance. We actually showed up about 20 minutes early and picked up tickets. After we got the tickets they told us to come back and get in line about 5 minutes before.
There are a few other signs and stands stating "Naples Underground" or "Sotterranea tour" so make sure you look for the blue and white “Napoli Sotterranea” flags and the stone face above the entrance.
The Naples Underground Tour costs 10€ each for tickets (as of May 2018), cash only unless you purchase the tickets in advance (here). Payments and/or tickets are accepted just as you are entering. Be aware that you will need to go up and down stairs and some passageways are very narrow. We enjoyed the history and information about Napoli given on the tour by our guide - but more information (including some we couldn’t hear from the guide) is also available in the Lonely Planet guide book.
Our guide also made sure everyone was comfortable going through the hallways and gave fair warning before we headed into areas that were so narrow we had to turn sideways. Those areas were optional, but if you're not claustrophobic they are worth going to as the rooms they led to were very beautiful.
In previous years they used to use hand out real candles to light the way through the narrow tunnels. For safety reasons they have switched to battery-powered candle-shaped lamps so you don’t need to worry about wax dripping or open flames.
After the tour of underground Naples, we went above to current day street level. Our guide led us to a family house where they discovered part of a Roman theatre in the wine cellar. Not much of the theatre is visible, but it was interesting to see how it has become part of the foundation of the modern-day buildings. Basically the newer buildings are now helping to hold up the ancient underground structures meaning that they have to co-exist and can't be separated. This is also what happened to the ancient city of Herculaneum near Pompeii.
It took about an hour and fifteen minutes for the whole tour. If you're going to be in Naples even if just for a few hours, this is a great tour to take. While the historical aspect - of how the underground was created (think of how long it would take with just chisels!), how it was used during the World Wars, and even how it was filled in with garbage at one point - are exceptionally fascinating and vivid - actually making you feel like you were there - it was also super amazing to walk through and see the water channels and rooms!
Things of note:
You can buy your tickets in advance here.
Tips for the guides are at your discretion. Not everyone gave a tip, but some did.
Toilets are available before the entrance (for free!).
It can feel a bit chilly underground and it is very humid. You may want to bring a jacket.
There is a popular pizza shop very close to the entrance of Napoli Sotterranea, but the line is long. Allow for extra time if you plan to go there or try a pizza square at a bakery shop for a cheaper price!
Explore Naples by way of Pizza!
The “Naples Pizza Adventure” is one of the better pizza experiences in Italy - with many different pizza adventures along your Italian trip through Pompeii, Herculaneum, Naples, Sorrento, and Capri or the Amalfi Coast with one of the best Adventure groups in the market, G-Adventures! You’ll have plenty of time to explore the Underground of Naples as well. It’s the perfect way to experience the Amalfi Coast!
Want to add in a day to visit Pompeii? Check out our other articles:
If you’re on a budget, check out:
How to Save Money while Traveling in Italy - it could save you over $1,000!
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