I will be in Naples for the first time in mid-May, just for a couple of days. I am looking forward to visiting the famous and often praised Archeology Museum, on a Wednesday, before going to Pompeii and Herculaneum, later in the week. Could any of you help with these questions:
1. Given my limited time to explore Naples, basically one full day plus a couple of part days, how much time should I plan to devote to visiting the Museum, for an ample but not exhaustive item-by-item treatment? Would 2 to 3 hours be adequate, do you think?
2. Is there a best time of day to visit? I was thinking maybe mid-day when shops and other things might be closed, but then I worried that unless the Museum is air conditioned, it might get very hot mid-day. Is there air conditioning, or maybe it is generally cool, and do you think there us a "best time" of day.
Grazie a tutti.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
I would visit in the morning, last time I was there it was hot, no air conditioning, some open windows but you can't count on a breeze. Depends on time of year, however. I can never get out in less than three hours but I'm a museum nerd.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Same here. We went in September and there was no AC. The windows were open, for all the good it did. So I would suggest first thing in the morning, on a weekday, if you can. I would think 2-3 hours might be enough. Depends on how into ancient Roman culture you are.
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
We also visited the Archaeological Museum for 2 hours in September 2013. We reserved a private tour of the museum with Pina Esposito and since we were en route from Sorrento to Rome and only had a few hours to devote to the museum, I felt it was a good use of our time and money to hire a private guide to help us focus on the most important artifacts since we didn't have the luxury to wander around for hours on end. We got there mid-morning and it was pretty warm inside the museum but not uncomfortably so. Since you also only have a few hours to see the museum, I would suggest you look into a private guide. Pina was super knowledgeable and if I remember correctly, she has several advanced degrees in art history, archaeology, etc., and really knew her stuff! If you're interested, you can also hire her to guide you around Naples as well; she provides tours of the Amalfi Coast, Naples, etc. Have a great trip.