Hidden Underground Naples Tour: Discover Layers of History

Nearly three thousand years ago, settlers from the Greek island of Rhodes landed in the bay below Mount Vesuvius and founded a colony called Parthenope, named after the mythical siren who threw herself into the sea after her love was rejected by Ulysses. Her myth lives on in the curving outline of the Neapolitan bay, where history and legend still mingle.

In the 5th century BC, during a period of conflict between Greeks and Etruscans, a more structured and fortified city was founded nearby: Neapolis, the "new city." A fitting name for a city that, despite its ancient roots, has constantly reinvented itself. It was Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Angevin, Spanish, French, and eventually Italian, but it remains uniquely Neapolitan, shaped by centuries of multicultural influence.

With your private guide, you’ll discover how Naples’ chaotic beauty conceals one of the best-preserved ancient city layouts in the world, a grid of streets and alleyways that follow the exact structure laid out by its Greek founders. Beneath this structure lies a world carved from volcanic stone: aqueducts, catacombs, cisterns, and tunnels that served as both lifelines and refuges in times of need. This underground landscape offers an extraordinary key to understanding Naples.

Walk along Via dei Tribunali, one of the most important streets in the historic center of Naples. Originally laid out as a main road of the ancient Greco-Roman city, this street traces the backbone of the historic core and mirrors the continuity between ancient and modern Naples. Beneath its bustling surface, your tour will descend into the Naples Underground thorugh the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore, where a portion of the ancient Roman Forum still survives. Guided by your knowledgeable local historian, you'll walk among these underground ruins and experience the civic heart of Roman Naples, where law, trade, and public life flourished.

Delve into the more intimate and spiritual side of Naples with a visit to the Church of Santa Maria delle Anime del Purgatorio ad Arco. Beneath the main altar lies an underground cemetery, home to the evocative cult of the "anime pezzentelle", the souls in Purgatory. In this eerie and fascinating crypt filled with skulls and offerings, your private guide will explain the deeply rooted folk traditions that mix Catholic devotion with local superstitions, painting a vivid picture of Neapolitan beliefs surrounding life, death, and the afterlife.

Emerge at Piazza Bellini, where ancient and modern Naples coexist in plain view. Amid bars and cafes frequented by students and artists, the original Greek city walls stand exposed, a powerful reminder of Naples’ earliest days. With insightful commentary from your local expert, you'll learn how this seemingly relaxed square guards the remains of a city nearly three millennia old.

Stroll down Via San Sebastiano, alive with the rhythm of Naples' musical soul, we reach the Monastery of Santa Chiara. This 14th-century Franciscan complex, built over the ruins of Roman baths, embodies layers of sacred and secular history. Your private guide will reveal the stories hidden in the monastery’s cloisters and archaeological remains — from medieval queens to ancient Roman leisure culture.

As the tour winds through the narrow streets of Via San Gregorio Armeno, your guide will introduce you to Naples’ most iconic artisan tradition: the creation of Nativity scenes, or presepi. This famous street is lined with workshops that craft detailed figurines of the Holy Family, shepherds, animals, and even contemporary figures like politicians, celebrities, and football players. It’s a living, breathing expression of Naples’ humor, creativity, and identity.

Wander along Spaccanapoli, the legendary street that cuts straight through the historic center like a knife. Following the path of another ancient decumanus, Spaccanapoli is the perfect place to understand the city’s contradictions and layers. With every step, your private guide will reveal how sacred and profane, ancient and modern, coexist within the narrow boundaries of a street that tells a thousand stories.