Two Weeks in Naples

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Day 1
Arrive and get settled. Check out nearby grocery stores, cab stand, trattoria, post office, bank, bus/subway stops.

Day 2
A tour of the historic center of Old Naples, Spaccanapoli, best of all accompanied by an expert guide like the owner of our Naples flat. The most important thing about this neighborhood is the incredible liveliness and the sheer flavor of the narrow streets. Not-to-be-missed sights: Santa Chiara, church and cloister; San Severo, in particular the incredible statue of the Veiled Christ; San Domenico; San Lorenzo Maggiore; San Gregorio Armeno. Also: pizza.

Day 3
The seafront of Naples, including the Castel Nuovo; the San Carlo theater (where you should definitely see a performance if you can, or at least get the doorman to give you a tour of the interior); the Piazza del Plebiscito, one of the great open spaces of Europe; the Royal Palace. Take a long walk from here all the way to Mergellina, past the Castel dell'Ovo (wonderful outdoor caffes nearby), the elegant hotel strip along the waterfront, the communal gardens.

Day 4
Daytrip to Capri - in a 1-day trip, you should definitely not waste your time going to the Blue Grotto. Instead, walk. Alternatives: Take a long walk out to Villa Jovis, for example, with lunch at Savardina (Da Edoardo). Or the circular walk out to the Arco Naturale (lunch at Le Grottelle), down to the Belvedere Tragara, and back to the center of Capri village (making absolutely certain to do it in a clockwise direction rather than otherwise, due to lots of steep steps if done counterclockwise). Or go over to Anacapri and take a walk out to the Belvedere Migliara (lunch at Gelsomina), then take the chairlift up Monte Solaro and walk down. Walking is everything to enjoy Capri.

Day 5
Train to Herculaneum to see the ruins.

Day 6
Recover on your terrace and stay in your neighborhood today.

Day 7
Upper Naples: The Certosa di San Martino; the Villa Floridiana; and the Capodimonte Museum and park, ideal for a picnic. We love this gallery.

Day 8
The area of the University of Naples, around Piazza Dante, which overlaps somewhat with "Spaccanapoli". Browse the bookstores, eat in a good pizzeria (we like Bellini).

Day 9
Full day by train to Pompeii.

Day 10
While you still have Pompeii on your mind, spend the entire morning at the National Archeological Museum in town, one of the world's great institutions for this sort of thing. It contains all the stuff like wall paintings, mosaics, bronzes, etc., etc. Fantastic.

Day 11
Another day to recover.

Day 12
Full day by train to Paestum, one of the most evocative Greek sites in the world: three standing temples.

Day 13
Full day's excursion by train to Sorrento, then by hired car (easy to arrange in Sorrento) down the Amalfi Drive, via Positano, Amalfi, Ravello.

Day 14
Recover in your favorite neighborhood in Naples itself.

Ciao! -- and our trip didn't even include some of the most evocative sights of all: the islands of Ischia and Procida; the area known as the Campi Flegrei, with unusual volcanic activity and Cumae, home of one of the most famous Sibyls; an excursion to Mount Vesuvius, well worth it; Naples' wild municipal cemetery and a tour of Naples' sewers (of all things). You'll never run out of things to see here.