The red double-decker is the most visible tourist product in Naples and the one most often bought wrong. The 24-hour ticket costs €27, is valid on two lines, and only pays off if you know which of the two to take. Here are the stops, the times and the comparison with an urban ticket.
Who runs it
The service is operated by City Sightseeing Napoli, a franchise within the City Sightseeing Italy network: its Carta della Mobilità, the published service charter, lists City Sightseeing Campania, ANM, CTP and Busitalia among its shareholders. The website and the online sales belong to Sightseeing Experience s.r.l., based at Cavriglia in the province of Arezzo. Despite ANM being a shareholder, the red bus is not local public transport: your ANM ticket is not valid on board, and the reverse holds too.
The single terminus is Largo Castello, in piazza Municipio, next to the Maschio Angioino, and it is stop 1 on both lines. A dedicated shuttle to Pompeii also leaves from the same forecourt, and that is a separate product.
On board there is recorded commentary in eight languages, wifi and an assistance service; the official app shows the buses in real time and the wait at each stop. Seats cannot be reserved: for groups the operator warns that vouchers may not be accepted and asks to be contacted first.
The two lines, stop by stop
There is one ticket and it covers both. The difference in what they deliver is enormous.
| Line A, I luoghi dell’Arte, 40 minutes | Line B, Le vedute del Golfo, 70 minutes |
|---|---|
| 1 Largo Castello | 1 Largo Castello |
| 2 Piazza del Gesù | 2 Piazza Vittoria |
| 3 Piazza Dante | 3 Viale Dohrn, the Aquarium |
| 4 Museo Archeologico, via Costantinopoli | 4 Mergellina, piazza del Leone |
| 5 Porta San Gennaro, via Foria | 5 Capo Posillipo |
| 6 Palazzo Caracciolo, via Carbonara | 6 Posillipo, Coroglio (descent to Marechiaro) |
| 7 Garibaldi station, corso Umberto I | 7 Parco Virgiliano |
| 8 Corso Umberto I 184 | 8 Via Petrarca, panoramic viewpoint |
| 9 Piazza Bovio, the University | 9 Piazza Vittoria, via Arcoleo |
| 10 Chiatamone, Castel dell’Ovo | |
| 11 Via Acton, port and cruise terminal |
Line A leaves every 20 minutes from 9:30 to 17:10. Line B every 30 minutes from 9:45 to 17:15. Those times are indicative and the operator says so: in the traffic on via Marina and corso Umberto the loop stretches.
When it earns its keep and when it is a waste
Line A takes in piazza del Gesù, piazza Dante and the Museo Archeologico. Every one of those is a Line 1 metro stop or a few minutes from a station, and in between lie the decumani, which you walk because from a bus you see nothing of them. Paying €27 for that line makes little sense.
Line B is another matter. From piazza Vittoria it climbs the coast to Capo Posillipo, the Parco Virgiliano and via Petrarca, where the view over the gulf, Nisida and the Campi Flegrei is the product. On public transport the same coast is covered by bus 140, which runs every 19 or 20 minutes and has no open top deck.
Watch one line printed on the official map: on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays stop 10, at the Chiatamone for Castel dell’Ovo and Borgo Marinari, is not guaranteed. On those days, if you get off there, you may have to walk back up towards piazza Vittoria. Remember too that Castel dell’Ovo is currently closed for works until further notice: Borgo Marinari and the seafront are still open.
What the day costs
By public transport
- City Sightseeing 24 hours, adultcity-sightseeing.it
- €27 · two lines, one ticket
- City Sightseeing 24 hours, child 5–15city-sightseeing.it
- €13 · free under 5
- Alternative: integrated ANM day ticketunicocampania.it
- €5.40 · metro, buses and funiculars
- Difference per person
- €21.60 more for the sightseeing bus
The bus is not urban transport: it does not take you where you need to go, it takes you where it goes. It makes sense if you pick Line B, which covers a stretch of coast the public network serves badly.
The sums, undiscounted
An integrated ANM day ticket costs €5.40 and takes you on the metro, the buses and the funiculars, which is to say where you actually want to go. The red bus costs €27 and takes you where it goes, between 9:30 and 17:15, for a total of forty departures a day across the two lines.
The difference, €21.60 per person, is justified in three cases: it is your first time in Naples and you want a quick sense of the place, you have arrived by ship with half a day and the terminus is ten minutes from the terminal, or the hills of Vomero and Posillipo are not an option. For a family the sums get worse, because there is no family fare.
Bear in mind that the red bus is a private service outside the Unico Campania network: no integrated ticket covers it. The comparison between cards, single tickets and skip-the-line entries is on the tickets and passes page.
Against the other bus
Naples has more than one sightseeing bus. Partner prices are checked regularly.
Same product, platforms compared
Prices refreshed from the GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Headout feeds.
| Platform | Price | Rating | Duration | Cancellation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuideCity Sightseeing Napoli Hop-On Hop-Off Tour: 24-Hour Ticket | €27 Lowest price | ★ 4.3 (6,165) | — | Free | Book on GetYourGuide |
| TiqetsCity Sightseeing Naples: Hop on Hop Off Tour | €27 | ★ 4.3 (415) | 01:30 | — | Book on Tiqets |
The City Sightseeing 24-hour ticket costs €27 on both partner platforms, rated 4.3 across more than six thousand reviews. The Open Bus alternative costs €25 but drops to 3.4 on little more than two hundred ratings: two euros saved does not make up for that gap. The full reasoning, stop by stop, is on the hop-on hop-off in Naples page.
The verdict
A serious operator, with complete and verifiable official information, selling a product that is worth half of what it charges: Line B yes, Line A almost never. Buy it if you want the Posillipo coast with nothing to organise; skip the bus and take the ANM day ticket if your plan sits entirely in the old centre.
For getting about by metro, funicular and Artecard read getting around Naples; to work out which of the places Line A passes deserve a stop, the things to do in Naples page. Every operator listing is in the operators and platforms index.
Questions people ask
How much does City Sightseeing cost in Naples?
The official list shows €27 for an adult over 16 and €13 for a child aged 5 to 15, free under 5. The ticket is valid 24 hours on both lines and there is no family fare.
Where does the bus leave from?
From the terminus at Largo Castello, in piazza Municipio, next to the Maschio Angioino: it is stop number 1 on both lines.
How many lines are there and how long do they take?
Two. Line A, I luoghi dell’Arte, closes its loop in 40 minutes with nine stops in the old centre. Line B, Le vedute del Golfo, takes 70 minutes and runs out to Posillipo and the Parco Virgiliano.
How often does it run?
Line A leaves every 20 minutes from 9:30 to 17:10, Line B every 30 minutes from 9:45 to 17:15. The times are stated as indicative and subject to city traffic.
Which stops might be skipped?
Stop 10 on Line B, at the Chiatamone for Castel dell’Ovo and Borgo Marinari, is not guaranteed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Only on buses fitted with a ramp and a dedicated space, with the chair braked and belted: the official policy allows one wheelchair per vehicle. With a disability of 75% or more the ticket is free when accompanied by a paying passenger, on production of the certificate.
Is it better value than the metro?
For the old centre, no: Line 1 and the funiculars cost €5.40 a day and move faster. For the Posillipo coast, yes, because public transport is slow there and the view is the product.
Official sources
Read next
- Hop-on hop-offTwo operators, three routes: City Sightseeing €27 for 24h from Largo Castello, open bus €25 from Molo Beverello. Stops, times, when it beats the metro.
- Getting aroundMetro, Circumvesuviana, ferries, Alibus and high-speed rail: lines, stations, minutes, fares and last useful services. Check tickets and transfers.
- Things to doTwenty-five things to do in Naples grouped by area, with minutes from Toledo metro, the official price and the closing day. Plus one and two-day plans.
- Castles and palacesWhich castles in Naples charge and which are free, official prices and hours, plus the 3 km seafront walk hour by hour. Check the tickets.
- Operators and platforms44 reviews of booking platforms and local operators in Naples: what each one sells, where it takes bookings and how to check it before you pay.