Spaccanapoli with children

In short: it works if you choose the right time and shorten the itinerary. The stroller on the basalt paving is tiring, and in crowds it becomes a problem: with younger children, a baby carrier or child backpack is more comfortable. The decumanus is flat and short, just over a kilometre in the monumental section, so distance is never the issue: the problems are the crowds, scooters and the number of indoor stops you try to fit into a morning.

RouteFlat, just over a kilometre

StrollerUncomfortable on basalt paving

Best timeEarly morning

Stop that worksThe nativity workshops

To limitMuseum visits

Watch outScooters in narrow sections

Stroller or not

On the basalt paving, small wheels bounce and brakes are of little use on downhill side streets. If the child is under two, a baby carrier or backpack is more comfortable for everyone. If you need the stroller, keep it for the stretch between piazza del Gesù Nuovo and piazza San Domenico Maggiore, which is the widest and most even part, and avoid peak hours and the nativity season, when San Gregorio Armeno is impassable.

What holds their attention and what doesn’t

The nativity workshops almost always work: they’re full of small, colourful figures and artisans at work. You ask before taking photos, and children touch little with their hands and a lot with their eyes. The tiled cloister of Santa Chiara is an open space where you can walk without staying quiet, so it holds up well. The Cappella Sansevero is the opposite: small rooms, timed entry, no photographs and lots of people close together. With very young children, I’d skip it, or have one parent at a time take turns.

How to organise the morning

Early, short, with a sweet break. Leave at nine, walk for an hour, one visit only, a sfogliatella or an ice cream in piazzetta Nilo and finish. It’s better to come back twice than to push until two. With more children and little time, the private option lets you choose the stops, timing and even hotel pick-up: I talk about it in private tours. Realistic timings for everyone are in how much time you need.

Food solves half the problems

On this street, you eat standing up and quickly, which with children is an advantage: folded pizza, a graffa, a cone of fried food to share. These are short breaks that split up the walk without sitting down at a restaurant or waiting. The full list of what to try, and where you’ll find it along the route, is in street food: what to try.

Local tip

Keep children on the inner side of the road, the one towards the walls. Scooters pass even where the street is pedestrian, and in narrow sections there’s no pavement to step onto.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you explore the historic centre of Naples with a stroller?

You can, but the basalt paving makes it tiring, and in crowds it’s cumbersome. With small children, a baby carrier or backpack is more practical, especially from November to 6 January.

Which stops do children like the most?

The nativity workshops of San Gregorio Armeno and the tiled cloister of Santa Chiara, which is open and doesn’t require silence. The Cappella Sansevero is more difficult: small rooms and timed entry.

Is a group tour or private tour better with children?

Private, almost always: you decide the timing and stops, and don’t have to keep up with a group. The comparison between formats is in all tours.