Naples owes its origins to a mermaid named Partenope, this is why the character of this town can be said to be a bizarre hybrid: good and evil, joy and sadness, beauty and decay. As soon as you set foot in the city you see the different souls that collide and coexist. The beauty of places like the historical Museum of Capodimonte and the Royal Palace clash with signs of modernity, traffic and chaos. The religious devotion to San Gennaro, is lived by the pagan soul of the city, preserved and handed down to new generations through "Napoli Sotterranea" (Underground Naples) and the Cappella San Severo, among the " capuzzelle " (small heads) of the dead and the alchemy of the Veiled Christ. Glimpses of a unique and breathtaking view, life rules that apply only here and nowhere else on earth. There is so much to see, and it is difficult to choose. Naples is a real life theater, open, free and accessible to all. A simple walk around can be the best way to discover the city is simply to walk around and slowly start feeling the vibe. Here are ten things the staff of Eat In Italy Food Tours suggests to its clients:

Going out at night in Naples 
Naples is a Mediterranean city, and typically people here like to live their life in the open air. You surely don't have to wait for the weekend to see the streets swarming with people looking to have a good time. Every night of the week is a good one to drink a beer in one of the bars or clubs of the Centro Storico, or in the Chiaia neighborhood where the aperitivo time is a must. If you are more of a pub person, catch a "funicolare" and head up to the Vomero, where you will find all kinds of pubs. Concerts and events do occur but mostly in spring and summer, but discos, bars and restaurants run all week long and most of the year. If you need tips on what is on when you are here, drop us a line and we will try to help you out! Naples is not a place to waste your time sleeping!

Shopping in Naples
A positive aspect of Naples is that it still is one of the cheapest towns of Italy, whatever you like you can be sure to find it cheaper here that in other towns, but having said that, it all depends on your budget. Choose between the high-end famous brands in Via Dei Mille, Via Chiaia, Via Poerio and Via Calabritto or head down to the cheaper shops in Via Roma and Corso Umberto where you may find a mini flea market amongst regular stores. Being a port town and capital of the art of arranging and adjusting you will be involved in colorful negotiations. Always be careful though! Always shop within existing structures and stands where other people are buying too. Tourists are often attracted by what seem to be very cheap prices from people selling articles at street corners (e.g. very cheap smart phones, cameras), these are scams!! They will show you an item get paid and send you off with a brick in a box instead of a phone.. In Naples this technique is called "fare il pacco" (literally to do a box), it is a long lasting "traditional" scam, these guys have grown to be perfect at it so stay away from dodgy people standing on corners offering cheap stuff. Articles advertized by these dishonest people are: cameras, phones, high tech gadgets etc.. 

Spaccanapoli (literally split Naples)
Spaccanapoli is a street that splits the city center in half, beginning in the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish neighborhoods) and ends in Forcella. The origins of this street are very ancient: it is infact one of the three "decumani" (streets that run from east to west of the roman cities) chosen by the Romans as a starting point to re organize the city based on the ancient Greek structures. While taking a walk down Spaccanapoli you feel that time fits your pace while it takes your hand and takes you through the millenarian history of the city. This is a street that doesn't only hold ancient buildings and churches, every corner has a legend tied to it and the unmistakable odors of the Neapolitan cuisine are always present to remind you that this is a place where food is taken very seriously. Don't be surprised by anything you will see, while walking through Spaccanapoli you will see wonderful churches, the "bassi" or "vasci" (small, ground floor homes usually hosting many members of one family), artists and craftsmen that sell just about everything. The recent openings of small hotels and B&Bs along the way has finally allowed tourists to start living the city the way Neapolitans do. Spaccanapoli is a narrow street where Neapolitans, tourists and mopeds coexist even if not too peacefully, but be sure there isn't another part of town that reveals to its full the soul of Naples, here at its maximum expression. This street is not a post card, its Naples.

The royal palace of Naples (Palazzo Reale) - www.palazzorealenapoli.it
By the end of the 15th century, the news that king Filippo III could be visiting Naples, created restlessness. This was because the capital of the vice royalty didn't have a place to host the most powerful man of the world. After endless thoughts the viceroy don Fernando ordered that a residence should be constructed for the distinguished guest. The royal palace was commissioned to Domenico Fontana in the year 1600 and after only two years it was handed over to don Fernando even if not completely finished. In the end, king Filippo III changed his mind without even warning and moved his visit in Naples to a date to be, than never arrived. The rush in building this palace does not make it less beautiful, don't miss out on the chance to visit the Royal apartments, the royal chapel, the gardens and the theater.
Visiting hours: every day from 9am to 8pm 
Closed: every Wednesday, December 25, January 1, April 25 and March 1. 
Prices: Adults 4€ children 2€ 
Always check hours and rates since they are subject to changes. 

Archeological Museum of Naples (Museo Archeologico di Napoli) - http//:cir.campania.beniculturali.it/museoarcheologiconazionale
Born to home a riding school first and the university venue later on, the archeological museum of Naples was founded in 1816 and is today one of the most important worldwide both for the quality and the quantity of work it preserves. King Ferdinando IV wanted to create in Naples a grand institute for the arts, and today, two centuries away, we may say his aspirations have been fulfilled. The Archeological museum not only holds finds of excavations in Pompeii, it hosts findings from the Greek-Roman age, Egyptian and Etruscan antiquities from the Borgia collection and the ancient coins from the Santangelo collection. Don't miss the "secret bathroom", a place where frescoes and ancient sculptures have an erotic theme. 
Visiting hours: every day from 9am to 8pm 
Closed: every Tuesday, December 25, January 1
Prices: Adults 6.50€ children 3,25€ 
Always check hours and rates since they are subject to changes. 

Underground Naples (Napoli Sotterranea) www.napolisotterranea.org
For many years the tuff used to construct the city was obtained by digging in the heart of the area, creating a vast number of ravines, caves and tunnels that today teach us a history that was parallel to the one above the ground. In the underground city people have conducted very different lives, exploiting its insides in thousands of ways, even as shelters during the bombings of World War Two. Underground Naples is where the ghosts of Naples are, good and bad, real and fake. If while visiting these narrow tunnels you hear some voices coming from nowhere, you are not going mad, this is where the legend of the "munaciello" was born. There is nothing as good as hearing about it, right there where it has originated. 
Where: Piazza Trieste e Trento
When: Tours run hourly, best to call and book a place. 
Always check hours and rates since they are subject to changes.

Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ of Naples (Cappella di San Severo e il Cristo Velato)- www.museosansevero.it 
The Veiled Christ is one of the most fascinating and mysterious pieces that can be admired in Naples. It is said that the veil of marble on the Christ's body, was initially a real veil that was transformed into rock thanks to a special liquid invented by the sinister Prince of Sansevero, known to be an illustrious alchemist. Many, on the other hand, claim that the realistic effect is due only to the grand talent of its sculpture, Giuseppe Sanmartino. The discovery of a secret room and some macabre works, visible in the chapel, have contributed to feed the myths about the prince and the Christ. The chapel deserves a visit not only because of the Christ but also for the other works present in this tiny jewel hidden amongst the lanes of Naples. A place rich in esoteric and religious symbols that will make the visit more interesting. 
Where: Museo cappella Sansevero Via Francesco De Sanctis, 19/21 Tel. 0815518470 
When: Mondays to Saturdays 10am to 5:40pm - Sundays 10am to 1:10am 
Closed: Tuesdays 
Prices: Adults €7, under 25yo 5€ under 10yo FREE 
Always check hours and rates since they are subject to changes. 


The San Gennaro Treasure (Il Tesoro di San Gennaro) - www.museosangennaro.it
The connection neapolitans have with San Gennaro goes way past the simple devotion for a patron saint. It is a shared gut feeling, that during the centuries it has overcome prohibitions and restrictions, becoming stronger every time. Even if the Roman Church considers san Gennaro a second league Saint, he isn't considered so in Naples. The treasure is the most important and immediate proof of the love Neapolitans have for "Faccia Gialla" (yellow face, due to the golden plated silver statue of the saint). San Gennaro's treasure is in the museum dedicated to the saint, inside the cathedral of Naples. It counts relics and precious objects that have become oracles of faith and statues, chandeliers and various silver items that have been heroically protected by the devotees during the numerous lootings that have taken place in the city. Neapolitans consider San Gennaro to be a comforting presence in their lives, as if he were a neighbor to whom one may ask a favor in the moment of need or simply have a chat on what is going on. 
When: Every day from 9am to 2pm. 
Prices: Adults € 6, Under 18yo € 4.50. Groups minimum 15 pax €4.50/person with booking 
Always check hours and rates since they are subject to changes.


The Museum and the Capodimonte Park (Il Museo e il Parco di Capodimonte) - http://cir.campania.beniculturali.it/museodicapodimonte/
The old Bourbon Royal Palace which houses the Museum of Capodimonte, is one of the most beautiful green spaces in the whole of Naples. The museum contains works of the greast masters of painting, such as Botticelli, Goya, Titian and Caravaggio. Walking through the spacious halls of the palace, decorated as if the Bourbon family had left the house just before your entrance, takes you back in time. Between the 110 rooms and three floors of the Museum of Capodimonte, a path starts from the floor with the Farnese Gallery and the Royal Apartment, continues on the second floor with the Neapolitan Gallery and ends with the ninteenth century collection and the Contemporary Art. Capodimonte is the only museum in the world where ancient art is exposed alongside the contemporary one. Among the collections of numismatics, ceramics and precious vestments, the Capodimonte Museum offers a wonderful snapshot of Naples, which has always been a lively and cultural city.
When: Mondays to Fridays from 8:30am to 7:30pm 
Closed: Wednesdays, December 25, January 1, Prices: Adults 7, 50 €, Children 3, 75 €. 
Always check hours and rates since they are subject to changes.