Tour Details
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
-
- San Lorenzo Maggiore
- Il Gesù Nuovo
Photos & Highlights
- Explore the complex history of Underground Naples complete with a visit to an archaeological site beneath San Lorenzo
- Led by a local archaeologist
Select a date
Tour Description
Naples is a city whose roots run deep. Its complex history is so profound that only a visit beneath the present-day city surface will uncover the complete picture. During this two-hour Naples Underground Tour we will explore a series of spaces scattered throughout the historical center and learn from an archaeologist how to peel back the layers of urban history to uncover the enigmatic past of this city.
We begin with a walk through the lively streets of the city center that still follow the decumani, or ancient Roman roads, originally laid out 2000 years ago. We'll then descend underground and explore the archaeological complex underneath the Gothic church of San Lorenzo Maggiore where Naples' ancient forum once lay.
There is much to explore beneath Naples' modern, chaotic streetscape, including ancient city streets and a wide range of ruined buildings, including the aerarium, where the city's riches were held, an ancient bakery and laundry, and the suggestive cryptoporticus, or covered passageway.
Our guide will use these archaeological bits and pieces to weave together a portrait of ancient Naples and its role in the Roman Empire.
- You want to experience the City Center of Naples from a different perspective.
- You are passionate about Archeology and the Underground mysteries, you have taken other underground tours in the past or this is your first experience.
- You wonder what daily life looked like in the past. What would my daily routine be, and how was the larger social structure set up?
- San Lorenzo Maggiore church
- Gesù Nuovo church
- Naples City Center
Tickets
You are prepaid for the walk and the San Lorenzo Maggiore tickets.
Additional Trip-Planning Resources
- For more information on planning your travels to Naples, take a read through our Context Stories.
- If you are looking to learn more about Naples prior to a visit, check out our online lectures at Context Learning.
We have kids with us, can we bring a stroller?
This tour is not part of our family portfolio, however, we do have some family-friendly guides who lead the tour and could adjust the content and delivery for younger travelers. However, there are steps to get down to the archaeological site and it is not accessible to wheelchairs or strollers due to narrow and tight passages. We do not recommend bringing a stroller on this tour.
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.
Is this tour wheelchair-friendly?
Unfortunately, this tour is not ideal for clients with mobility issues. There are steps to get down to the archaeological site and it is not accessible to visitors in wheelchairs or with difficulty climbing stairs. We recommend looking into another tour instead like Introduction to Naples and Naples Art Tour.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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28 Reviews
Reviews can only be left by Context customers after they have completed a tour. For more information about our reviews, please see our FAQ.
Roberta was fantastic. her knowledge was astounding, and her friendly encompassing approach made the tour a wonderful experience.
Raymond
Jun. 2, 2022
Really enjoyed the tour. However, it would have been easier to find the starting point it the instructions said "Church of Gesu Nuovo" rather than a street address.
Lora
Nov. 24, 2019
We had a day to spend in Naples and chose the food tour for the morning and this Underground tour for the afternoon. We asked for personable and engaging guides for our family of six (including 3 adult children and 1 teen), and Context perfectly matched us with our food guide. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about our other guide. Although he seemed polite, he was distant and seemed to have no interest in engaging with our children. He didn't even ask their names! In an attempt to connect with him, we asked him about his musical interests and his Ph D work and got minimal response. To be fair, he did provide interesting information about the remains under San Lorenzo, and we were grateful for the context (no pun intended). He pointed out and explained about a prison, the shops, and living quarters. He answered our follow-up questions, but in a methodical way. After we visited San Lorenzo (both the church and the excavation site), we felt that the tour was quite haphazard, as if we were just being shown random sites to fill our time. He kindly ended the tour in a spot that made it easy for us to find our way back to our cruise ship; however, he left us feeling confused (because we received no wrap-up commentary about ancient Naples) and disappointed (because we never connected with him). We wonder why Context didn't schedule a full day with food guide, as she is also listed as a guide on the Underground itinerary. Our guide had mentioned that he'd had a Pompeii tour in the morning. Maybe he was tired and distracted as a result? Following our tour, we discussed with our children possible reasons for such a dull tour as a way to quell our disappointment. Fortunately, they chose to focus on how wonderful their time with our first guide had been earlier that morning. We were grateful for our second guide's commentary of San Lorenzo, but to be honest, we probably would have been more satisfied with an audio tour.
Shannon
Jun. 11, 2019