Italy at its most Italian: A guide to Naples from Ancient Greece to the present

(77 reviews)

Naples audio tour: Italy at its most Italian: A guide to Naples from Ancient Greece to the present

This is a 1.3mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Naples

Italy

$8.99

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About the Tour

”You see Naples,” said the German poet Wolfgang Goethe, “then you die.” But this isn’t supposed to sound ominous. Goethe was paraphrasing a local saying that suggests you can learn everything you need to live well by visiting this most Italian of cities, with its proud traditions, delicious food and seaside beauty under the timeless watch of Mount Vesuvius.

And what about history? There’s been a lot of it here, from Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Byzantium to Goths, Saracen Pirates, Angevines, Aragonese, Bourbons and Napoleonic generals. I’ve spent time studying these episodes for my podcast, A History of Italy, and I’ll guide you through them today, while we walk.

The tour starts in one of Italy's largest squares near the impressive Castel Nuovo. From there, we’ll make our way through the theatre district and the main shopping street where you can taste some Neapolitan delicacies. That’ll take us to the grand Piazza del Plebiscito where you’ll find the imposing Royal Palace of Naples and Naples Cathedral. We’ll end the tour with a stroll along the seaside, where there are views of the city stretching out towards Vesuvius. The tour ends at the ancient and oddly named “egg castle”, Castel dell'Ovo.

Join me on this walk to some of the most important historical landmarks of old Naples. Along the way, you’ll discover why “That's Amore” as you fall in love with the city like so many others have before you.

Tour Producer

A History of Italy Podcast

28 tours

A History of Italy is a weekly podcast in 15/20 minute episodes on the history of the Italian peninsula from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the present day.

There are plenty of dates, battles and rulers of course, but also a fair share of rabbits winning sieges, swords stuck in uncomfortable places, murder mysteries, naughty popes, monks getting undressed and all other sorts of mischief in the history of the colourful Italians.

It is the author's passion for that history and the fact he lives in Italy that has lead him to explore a country that has more UNESCO world heritage sites than any other in the world and has recently added the national cuisine as well.

The author, Mike Corradi is an Anglo-Italian English teacher living in northern Italy with a passion for travel and history. He has been workinh with VoiceMap since 2019 on more than 20 tours from the most iconic sites of Venice and Rome to the lesser known corners of the two as well as many other hidden gems of the Italian provinces for those who want a more unique and off the beaten track Italian experience.

Preview Location

Location 15

Mount Vesuvius

Keep going.

To your left, you should start to get a view of Naples.

You can see the Port heading down and all of seaside Naples stretching out towards Mount Vesuvius. That's it, the double peaks off in the distance there. That is the Volcano that erupted in the other dir... Read More

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How VoiceMap Works

Focus on your surroundings, not the screen

The VoiceMap app uses GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place, so you can focus on your surroundings, not the screen.

Follow a route with turn-by-turn-directions

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a fixed starting point. That lets us give turn-by-turn directions and use context to tell a better story.

Resume playback to go at your own pace

If you'd like to stop for a drink or go into a museum, end your tour then use the Resume feature to pick up exactly where you left off.

Listen as many times as you like

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Major Landmarks

Piazza Municipio
Castel Nuovo
San Carlo Theatre
Galleria Umberto I
Via Toledo
Piazza Trieste e Trento
Piazza Plebiscito
Basilica Reale Pontificia San Francesco da Paola
Royal Palace of Naples
Molosiglio Gardens
Rotonda di Via Nazario Sauro
Fontana del Gigante
Ovo Castle

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
P.za Municipio, 80133 Napoli NA, Italy
Total distance

2km
Final location
Passaggio Castel dell'Ovo, 80132 Napoli NA, Italy
Distance back to start location

1km

Directions to Starting Point

Piazza del Municipio is right in front of the Municipio underground station which is on line 1 (yellow) just two stops from the central station. You can also walk from the central station in around 45 minutes and see the shops along Viale Umberto I.
There is also parking down at the port area and along Via De Gasperi nearby, but only the bravest of the brave should attempt driving in Naples.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Pastry shops and cafes in and around Galleria Umberto I.
Shops in Via Toledo.
Gavinus Bar
Stands and cafes along the seafront

Best time of day

Perhaps the best tiem is in the early morning, especially if you visit in the hot season, from June to September.
Take some water with you as there is quite a bit of walking and comfortable walking shoes.

Precautions

Avoid this tour in the late morning/early afternoon in the hot summer months, July and August.
Beware of traffic, even and perhaps especially at pedestrian crossings.
Be aware and careful of your personal belongings at all times and escpecially if approached by street vendors.

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“This app has become my go-to app for audio tours. I pretty much use it for every trip and it works wonderfully. I highly recommend VoiceMap for travelers to truly experience cities.”

App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”