Napoli Sotterranea (Underground Naples)
Beneath the chaotic street life of the Decumano Maggiore lies a parallel Naples carved from yellow tufa — 40 metres of tunnels, cisterns and caverns stretching back to Greek colonists in the 5th century BC, later expanded by Romans, used as an aqueduct until 1885, and repurposed as air-raid shelters in World War II. It is one of the most layered underground cities in Europe and almost entirely ove
What You'll See Underground
The 80-minute guided tour descends through a narrow passage (at one point just 50 cm wide — claustrophobes are warned at the entrance) into a vast Greek-Roman cistern system. The scale is startling: vaulted chambers the size of cathedral naves, carved entirely by hand over centuries.
A reconstructed WWII air-raid shelter section preserves original graffiti, a tiny street theatre stage built to keep morale up during bombardments, and a poignant collection of objects left behind by families who sheltered here during the 1943 Allied bombing campaign.
The tour ends in a subterranean garden — a courtyard where roots from the street-level trees above have grown 15 metres down through the tufa ceiling, creating an otherworldly natural installation nobody planned.
Booking and Practicalities
Tours depart from Piazza San Gaetano 68, in the heart of Spaccanapoli, every two hours from 10:00. English-language tours run at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00 daily; no advance booking is required but it's worth calling ahead in summer.
The temperature underground is a constant 15°C regardless of the season — bring a light layer even in August. The narrow sections require turning sideways; guides provide handheld candles for atmospheric effect in the deepest chambers.
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