Travel bucket list idea:

National Archaeological Museum of Naples

Naples, Campania, Italy

Last updated: 19 May, 2024

Home to one of the greatest hoards of Greek and Roman treasures anywhere in the world, this 17th-century palazzo houses King Ferdinando’s enormous collection, along with artifacts from Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae.

The collections include room after room of brilliant sculptures, mosaics and wall paintings, including the famous Farnese marbles. Another highlight is the Gabinetto Segreto, a collection of pornographic artifacts and mosaics from the houses of Pompeii and other sites.

Logistics

Price from: £8

Minimum age: 0

Age suitable: 18+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

It would be easy to spend a whole day here; arrive early to appreciate the works in some degree of peace. Audio tours in English are available at the entrance, where you can also book a tour of the Gabinetto Segreto.

For logistical reasons (often staff shortages), various rooms in the museums tend to close temporarily and without much notice. It’s worth checking on the website ahead of your visit in order to avoid disappointment.

When to do it

The museum is open all year round, Tuesday-Sunday.

The museum is popular for noisy school trips which tend to happen in the mornings; visit in the afternoon to avoid gangs of bored, chattering students.

Who to go with: organised tours

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National Archaeological Museum of Naples

Naples

Viator

The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is a precious treasure chest ranging from the collection of finds from Magna Grecia, to the first Egyptian collection opened in a modern museum, to the monumental collection of statues of the Farnese family, with the Hercules and the imposing group del Toro, ending with the spectacular display of the thousands of finds excavated from 1738 in the cities of Ercolano, Pompei, Stabia, Oplonti: mosaics, objects of everyday life, the erotic objects of the surprising secret Cabinet, the frescoes, which will bring us back back in time to 79 AD, the year in which Vesuvius destroyed the cities around its perimeter. And all of this is inserted in the majestic seventeenth-century palace, which today faces the end of one of the most important arteries of the historic center of Naples.

Price €50

Min age 1

Rating 4.61 / 5 [39 ratings]

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