The Bay of Naples, Castel dell'Ovo and Vesuvius above the marina
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Luxury in Italy

Naples

The grand city of the bay: Vesuvius across the water, Pompeii and Herculaneum, palaces, churches and the San Carlo opera, and Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast by boat.

The Bay of Naples and VesuviusPhotograph: Luca Musella

Benvenuti

The city below the volcano

Naples was founded by the Greeks as Neapolis, the new city, and for centuries it was the capital of a kingdom and one of the largest cities in Europe. Its historic centre, a dense web of streets, churches and palaces, is World Heritage.

Across the bay rises Vesuvius, whose eruption in AD 79 buried Pompeii and Herculaneum, preserved under the ash with their houses, frescoes and streets. Seen with a private archaeologist, they are among the most moving places in Europe.

The Teatro di San Carlo, opened in 1737, is the oldest continuously active opera house in the world, the Capodimonte holds Caravaggio and Titian, and the city is the birthplace of pizza. On the seafront, the Grand Hotel Vesuvio has looked across the bay since 1882, and boats leave for Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.

A few words of Italian
EnglishItalianSay it
HelloBuongiornobwohn-JOR-noh
PleasePer favorepehr fah-VOH-reh
Thank youGrazieGRAHT-see-eh
Good eveningBuonaserabwoh-nah-SEH-rah
The bill, pleaseIl conto, per favoreeel KOHN-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh

Stay

Luxury hotels in Naples

The finest hotels in and around Naples: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Dine

The best restaurants in Naples

The finest tables of Naples and around.

Two MICHELIN stars

  • Piazzetta Milù✦✦Castellammare di Stabia

    On the Bay of Naples at the gateway to the Sorrento peninsula and the Amalfi Coast.

  • Daní Maison✦✦Ischia

    Nino Di Costanzo, Ischia's only two-star. Visit website ↗

Sail

Yachting in Naples

Yachting at our standard in and around Naples.

Yacht services

  • Luise GroupNaples

    A registered yacht agency based in Naples, with teams along the Italian coast and islands (among them Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Tuscany, Sardinia, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands) handling clearances, berths, provisioning and concierge arrangements for large yachts. Visit website ↗

Refit and maintenance

  • Palumbo Upfit (formerly Palumbo Superyachts Refit)Naples, Malta and Marseille

    A Naples-based group with seven yards (Naples, Messina, Ancona, Savona, Malta's Grand Harbour, Marseille, and the Viktor Lenac yard at Rijeka in Croatia, mainly for commercial ships) and dry docks for vessels up to 268 metres; its Malta yard has a 160-metre dry dock, a covered 140-metre dry dock and a 420-tonne travelift. Visit website ↗

Cruises

Naples by sea

How the ships arrive in Naples, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships berth at the Stazione Marittima, beside the Castel Nuovo, in the heart of the city.

MSC's Yacht Club and Costa's suites sail from Naples. Of the luxury lines, Sea Cloud and Atlas Ocean Voyages begin and end voyages here.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Travel

First-class travel in Naples

The great hotel trains, first-class rail and the chauffeurs at our standard.

First-class rail

The top class on the scheduled high-speed trains, from city to city.

  • Trenitalia Frecciarossa, Executive

    The top class on Italy's high-speed Frecciarossa, in one carriage at the end of the train with only eight to ten leather seats that recline and swivel, a dedicated steward and a meeting room. Visit website ↗

  • Italo, Club Executive

    The top class of Italo, Italy's private high-speed operator, with leather armchairs in interiors by Giugiaro and a choice of seat. Visit website ↗

The hotel trains

Overnight journeys in restored carriages.

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Villeggiatura journeys to the Italian coast

    Multi-night itineraries that pair a night on the train with stays at Belmond hotels: Paris to Portofino with Belmond Hotel Splendido, and Paris to the Amalfi Coast via the French and Italian Rivieras, with a Pompeii visit and two nights at Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello. Visit website ↗

  • La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Rome-based journeys across Italy

    Italy's own luxury train, in service since 2025, with 1960s-inspired cabins and suites by Dimorestudio and dining overseen by chef Heinz Beck. Visit website ↗

Chauffeurs and self-drive

  • Cerrato LimoAmalfi Coast, Naples and Italy-wide

    A family chauffeur firm started by Umberto Cerrato in 1963 and now run by his grandson Andrea, registered in Campania as Cerrato Group Luxury Service S.r.l. with a licensed private-hire (NCC) fleet of Mercedes S-Class, E-Class and V-Class cars and larger vans. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Naples

The ateliers and galleries of Naples.

Artisan ateliers

Art galleries

  • Galleria Lia RummaNaples and Milan

    Leading Italian contemporary gallery with spaces in Naples (Via Vannella Gaetani) and Milan (Via Stilicone), working with artists including Anselm Kiefer, William Kentridge, Marina Abramović and Joseph Kosuth. Visit website ↗

Experience

Events and things to do in Naples

The finest things to do in and around Naples.

The great museums

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Health spas

Live

Luxury real estate in Naples

A home in Naples: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Lionard Luxury Real EstateFlorence

    Italian luxury specialist with offices in Florence, Milan, Rome, Naples, Venice, Porto Cervo and Forte dei Marmi, handling villas, castles and estates in Tuscany, Liguria, Sardinia and Capri. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Italy ›

Looking for a home in Naples? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Naples and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Naples

Where is Naples?

On the Bay of Naples in Campania, southern Italy. Naples airport takes private jets and is about 20 minutes from the seafront; Rome is about 70 minutes by high-speed train.

What is Naples famous for?

Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum, its World Heritage historic centre, the San Carlo opera house, pizza, and its place as the gateway to Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.

Which are the best restaurants in Naples?

The finest tables on our list: Piazzetta Milù (Castellammare di Stabia); Daní Maison (Ischia).

Do you tip in Naples?

Not obligatory; a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated. Taxis: rounding up is enough. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a helpful concierge.

What should you wear in Naples?

Shoulders and knees covered in churches; carry a light scarf or layer. Some resort towns fine people for wearing swimwear or going bare-chested in town centres; check locally. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Elegant, well-cut dress for fine dining.

Beyond Naples

More in Italy

The rest of Italy, and the Mediterranean beyond.

ItalyLuxury Italy Holidays: Amalfi Coast & CapriExplore ItalyThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Naples, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Naples

How Italy does things.

Language
Italian. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and the main coastal resorts; less so in the countryside.
Greetings
A handshake on first meeting; cheek kisses among friends and family. Titles matter: dottore / dottoressa for anyone with a university degree, signore / signora otherwise.
Dress
Shoulders and knees covered in churches; carry a light scarf or layer. Some resort towns fine people for wearing swimwear or going bare-chested in town centres; check locally. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Elegant, well-cut dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch about 1–3 pm; dinner from about 8 pm, often 9.30 pm or later in the big cities and in summer. Book ahead for good restaurants. A per-person cover charge (coperto) for bread and table setting is normal and is not a tip. Ask for the bill; it will not arrive until you do.
Tipping
Not obligatory; a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated. Taxis: rounding up is enough. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a helpful concierge.
Good to know
Smaller shops often close for a midday break and on Sunday. Many towns fine people for sitting on monument steps or eating and drinking beside major churches and monuments; entering or bathing in public fountains is an offence in many cities, including Rome and Florence, and swimming in Venice's canals is banned. Taking sand, shells or pebbles from the coast is illegal, and Capri bans disposable plastics.
Tourist tax
Venice charges day visitors an access fee on set days from April to July, from €5 booked in advance; guests staying overnight in the city are exempt but must register online.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.