Operator review · Bourbon Tunnel
Bourbon Tunnel (Galleria Borbonica): operator and route review
The Bourbon Tunnel, or Galleria Borbonica, was dug under Monte Echia on the orders of Ferdinand II in the mid-19th century, and later served as an air-raid shelter and then a police impound full of vintage cars and motorbikes. A cultural association runs it and offers four guided routes that differ a lot in effort and price. Here is who runs it, when you can go (not every day), which route to pick, and how official tickets compare with Tiqets and GetYourGuide.
- OpenFri, Sat, Sun and holidays
- Standard€15 adult, €10 reduced
- Adventure€20, age 10+
- Length1 h to 1 h 30
- BookingRequired
- MetroMunicipio (Line 1), about 12 min
Which ticket to choose
| Option | Best for | from | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard route (official shop) | First visit, including with children | €15 | Reduced €10 (ages 6–18 and over 70), free up to age 5. Tours Fri–Sun and holidays at 10am, noon, 3pm and 5pm. 20% off with the Campania Artecard. |
| Tiqets: Standard route | Booking ahead with free cancellation | €15 | Same as the official price; entrance at Vico del Grottone (about 90 steps). Free cancellation until 23:59 the day before. Rated 4.6 from 456 reviews. |
| Tiqets: Via delle Memorie | Entering through Palazzo Serra di Cassano | €15 | Titled “guided course”, but it is the Via delle Memorie route: 1 h 15, with stairs, not wheelchair accessible. Free cancellation up to an hour before. Rated 4.7 from 122 reviews. |
| GetYourGuide: guided tour with ticket | Travellers who keep all bookings on GetYourGuide | €18 | About €3 more than the official Standard adult price. Check which route is included before you pay. |
Compare prices
| Offer | from | |
|---|---|---|
| Bourbon Tunnel: Standard route Tiqets · 4.6/5 (456) | €15 | Book on Tiqets |
| Bourbon Tunnel: Via delle Memorie route Tiqets · 4.7/5 (122) | €15 | Book on Tiqets |
| Bourbon Tunnel guided tour with ticket GetYourGuide | €18 | Book on GetYourGuide |
“From” prices are indicative; the final price is the one shown at checkout.
Who runs the Bourbon Tunnel
The tunnel is run by the Associazione Culturale Borbonica Sotterranea, a private association that sells tickets through its own online shop. Reviews describe the guides as passionate volunteers; visitors remember them as much as the cars recovered from underground. It also goes by “Tunnel Borbonico”: same organisation.
A story in three layers
In 1853 Ferdinand II commissioned the architect Errico Alvino to dig an underground viaduct: a fast route for troops and an escape route for the royal family after the uprisings of 1848. Dug by hand with picks and wedges, it opened in 1855. The gallery cuts through 16th- and 17th-century cisterns of the Bolla aqueduct, crossed on bridges up to 10 metres high.
In the Second World War it became a shelter for thousands of Neapolitans, who came down from Piazza Carolina and carved names and thoughts into the walls. From the post-war years until 1970 it was the city’s impound depot, which is where the vintage cars and motorbikes, the statue fragments and the funerary monument of Aurelio Padovani come from, now the most photographed part of the visit.
The four Bourbon Tunnel routes
All are guided and all run on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Booking is required.
Standard: €15, about 1 hour
Tours at 10am, noon, 3pm and 5pm. Cisterns, Bourbon bridges, shelters and the impound cars. Fine for children and claustrophobic visitors, photos allowed. Reduced €10 for ages 6–18, over-70s and police; €7 for disabled visitors.
Via delle Memorie: €15, 1 h 15
At 11am and 4pm. You enter through the octagonal courtyard of Palazzo Serra di Cassano, pass a small war museum and the tuff quarries used to build the palace, then go down into the gallery. There are stairs, so it is not accessible.
Adventure: €20, 1 h 25
At 10am, noon, 3pm and 5pm from Via Morelli. Helmet and torch, the car hall, the pilot tunnel of a tramway that was never finished, and a stretch on a raft. Ages 10 and up with an adult; not recommended if you are claustrophobic.
Speleo Light: €15, 1 h 30
At 11am and 4pm. Narrow aqueduct tunnels with a helmet and headlamp. Adults only, maximum weight 100 kg; the shop sells it for a minimum of 5 people.
How to book and where to buy
The official shop takes cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and bank transfer, and also sells gift vouchers valid for 12 months. Official discounts apply only to the Standard route: 20% off with the Campania Artecard, a San Lorenzo Maggiore ticket or a City Sightseeing bus ticket.
On Tiqets the Standard and Via delle Memorie routes cost €15, exactly as at the ticket office, and add free cancellation. Be aware that the Tiqets pages show hours across the whole week and describe the tunnel as linking to the Royal Palace; neither matches the official site. The GetYourGuide product starts at €18, so you pay a little more and should check which route it covers.
Getting to the three entrances
- Vico del Grottone 4, about 100 metres from Piazza del Plebiscito: Municipio (Line 1) is a 12-minute walk, Toledo (Line 1) 13 minutes.
- Via Domenico Morelli 61, the pedestrian entrance of the Morelli car park on the Chiaia side: Piazza Amedeo (Line 2) is 14 minutes away.
- Via Monte di Dio 14, Palazzo Serra di Cassano: Via delle Memorie only.
Nearby: the Royal Palace, Via Toledo and Galleria Umberto and the seafront at Castel dell’Ovo.
Pros and cons
- Pros: the same prices on the official shop and Tiqets; a route for every level, from children to caving fans; billed by the association as the only underground site in Naples partly open to wheelchair users; recent history told through real objects.
- Cons: open only three days a week plus holidays; three different entrances that confuse people; no Greek or Roman remains; some routes need a minimum number of visitors.
Our verdict on the Bourbon Tunnel
The Bourbon Tunnel is the natural companion to Naples Underground: there you get the Greek and Roman city, here the 19th and 20th centuries. If you are in Naples for a weekend, the Standard route is a safe choice for everyone; the Adventure route is worth the extra if you are travelling with children over 10. Book a few days ahead, as departures are limited. For other options beneath the city, read our underground guide or the Bourbon Tunnel tickets page.
We are an independent guide: if you book through the Tiqets or GetYourGuide links on this page we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Official sources
Photos
FAQ
Is the Bourbon Tunnel open every day?
No. Public tours run only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. On other days the association only runs private tours, on request and at a price agreed in advance.
Which route should I choose?
For most people, the Standard: one hour, fine for children and even for claustrophobic visitors. The Adventure route adds a helmet, a torch and a raft crossing, and is meant for ages 10 and up. Speleo Light is for adults with no mobility problems: you squeeze through narrow tunnels and come out dirty.
Did the tunnel link the Royal Palace to the sea?
No, although you will often read that it did. The plan was to connect the Royal Palace with Piazza Vittoria and the barracks, but the dig never reached the palace: the 431-metre gallery ends under Piazza Carolina, behind the Plebiscito colonnade.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Partly. About 60% of the Standard route can be visited from Via Domenico Morelli 61, the step-free entrance. From Vico del Grottone you go down an 18th-century staircase, and the Via delle Memorie, Adventure and Speleo routes are not accessible.
What language are the tours in?
The Tiqets product pages say Italian and English. For other languages, write to the association before booking.
Where do I go?
It depends on the route. Standard starts from Vico del Grottone 4 or Via Domenico Morelli 61; Adventure and Speleo only from Via Morelli; Via delle Memorie from Via Monte di Dio 14. Check the entrance on your ticket.