Piazza Trieste e Trento · opera since 1737
Teatro di San Carlo: guided tours and performance tickets
The Teatro di San Carlo was built at the command of Charles of Bourbon and opened on 4 November 1737; the theatre describes itself as the oldest opera house in Europe. There are two ways to see it: a 30-minute guided tour for €9, sold only by the theatre, or a night at the opera, ballet or a concert. Below you will find tour times and languages, how to book, how to buy performance tickets without going through unauthorised resellers, and what to know before you take your seat.
- Guided tour€9 (under 30s €7)
- Length30 minutes
- In EnglishAt 11:30 and 15:30
- Bookingvisiteguidate@teatrosancarlo.it
See tickets
Which ticket to choose
| Option | Best for | from | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided tour of the theatre (official) | Anyone who wants to see the historic auditorium by day | €9 | 30 minutes. €7 for under-30s and schools, €8 for groups of 20–35, family ticket (2 adults + 2 under-18s) €26. Sold at the box office up to 20 minutes before, if places remain; booking by email or phone is recommended. Not sold online. |
| Opera, ballet and concert tickets (official) | Anyone who wants to experience the theatre during a performance | Varies by show and seat | Online via Vivaticket from the theatre’s website (full price only, credit card), by phone or at the box office. Concessions are only available at the box office, with ID. |
| Walking tour with Royal Palace entry (Tiqets) | Visitors who want a guide for the monumental area | €31.50 | Does not go inside the San Carlo: it passes the facade on a small-group walk from Piazza Municipio to Castel dell’Ovo, with entry to the Royal Palace next door. Rated 4.8/5 from 44 reviews. |
Compare prices
| Offer | from | |
|---|---|---|
| All Naples attraction tickets Tiqets | €10 | Book on Tiqets |
| Monumental Naples walking tour with Royal Palace entry Tiqets · 4.8/5 (44) | €31.5 | Book on Tiqets |
“From” prices are indicative; the final price is the one shown at checkout.
Why visit the Teatro di San Carlo
Charles of Bourbon ordered the theatre built in 1737 and opened it on 4 November that same year, his name day. The theatre, which calls itself the oldest opera house in Europe, adjoins the Royal Palace and stands between Via San Carlo and Piazza Trieste e Trento, a few steps from Piazza del Plebiscito and Galleria Umberto I.
Even if you are not an opera lover, the historic auditorium is worth the half-hour tour: it is one of the landmarks of Bourbon Naples. And if you can, see a performance: it is the best way to hear how the hall sounds.
Guided tours: times, languages and prices
The tour lasts 30 minutes and focuses on the historic auditorium. The published times are:
- 10:30 Italian
- 11:30 Italian and English
- 12:30 Italian
- 14:30 Italian
- 15:30 Italian and English
- 16:30 Italian
The tours page says Monday to Sunday, while another page on the site says Sunday tours run in the morning only: if you want a Sunday afternoon tour, check first. Tours depend on what is happening on stage and can change or be cancelled at the last minute.
- Full price €9
- €7 under-30s and schools (groups of 20–35)
- €8 groups of 20–35 people
- Family €26 (2 adults + 2 under-18s), €4 for each extra child
Groups of more than 35 should email the theatre.
How to book the guided tour
Tours are sold only by the theatre. You have two options:
- Book by email at visiteguidate@teatrosancarlo.it or on +39 081 7972412 (office hours, Monday to Saturday). This is the recommended route, especially for the English tours.
- Buy at the box office, Via San Carlo 98/F, up to 20 minutes before the start, if places remain.
The theatre’s website does not sell tours online, and we know of no platform authorised to resell them. The auditorium is open only to holders of a valid ticket or to guides authorised by the theatre. The San Carlo is not among the Campania Artecard sites.
Opera, ballet and concert tickets
The San Carlo runs a season of opera, ballet and concerts: the calendar is on the official website, with prices for each performance.
- Online: the theatre’s website hands you over to Vivaticket. Full-price tickets only, paid by credit card with a surcharge, e-ticket sent by email for you to print.
- Phone: Vivaticket 892.234 (premium-rate, Monday–Friday 8:30–19:00, Saturday 8:30–14:00); from abroad +39 041 2719035.
- Box office: Via San Carlo 98/F, daily 10:00–18:00, closed 25 December, 1 and 6 January, Easter Sunday and 15 August. Tel. +39 081 7972331.
- Concessions (under-30s, over-65s meeting income criteria, affiliated schemes) only at the box office, with ID.
- Groups of 10 or more: 10% off, 15% for more than 20.
Authorised resellers in Naples are Box Office, Concerteria and Il Botteghino, plus the Vivaticket network. The theatre warns against secondary ticketing sites. Tickets are normally non-refundable, but full-price tickets can be passed on to someone else.
In the auditorium: seats, rules and accessibility
- Seating: stalls, boxes and balcony, with no standing places. Boxes hold 4 to 8 people over several rows, and the rear places are on high stools: for a proper view of the stage, choose the front row of a box.
- Surtitles in Italian and English.
- Children from age 6, with their own ticket.
- Timing: doors open an hour before; latecomers wait for the first interval.
- No photos or recording during performances.
- Accessibility: 4 wheelchair spaces in the stalls (rows 21–22), with access from Piazza Trieste e Trento. Fully non-ambulant disabled visitors get a free ticket; their companion pays full price.
Getting there
The box office is at Via San Carlo 98/F. Official directions: Metro Line 1 Municipio, the Funicolare Centrale to Augusteo, bus R2 from Centrale station (San Carlo stop), R3 from Mergellina, C82 from the Brin car park, R4 from Colli Aminei; from the airport the Alibus stops at the port. More in our guide to getting around Naples.
The Teatro di San Carlo in a Naples morning
The half-hour tour fits easily into a morning in the monumental centre: the Royal Palace at opening time (closed Wednesdays), then the 11:30 English tour of the Teatro di San Carlo and a coffee in Galleria Umberto I. If you want a guided walk of the area, the Tiqets tour at €31.50 passes the theatre and includes Royal Palace entry, but does not go inside the San Carlo. For everything else in the city, see our page with all Naples tickets.
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
How much is the Teatro di San Carlo guided tour?
Full price is €9. Under-30s and school groups pay €7, and groups of 20 to 35 people €8 each. A family of two adults and two under-18s pays €26, plus €4 for each additional child.
Are there tours in English?
Yes: the 11:30 and 15:30 tours are in Italian and English. The other tours (10:30, 12:30, 14:30 and 16:30) are in Italian. Book if you want to be sure of a place, because the schedule depends on rehearsals.
Can I buy the tour on Tiqets or GetYourGuide?
No. San Carlo guided tours are sold only by the theatre: at the box office up to 20 minutes before the start, or by booking via visiteguidate@teatrosancarlo.it or +39 081 7972412. They cannot be bought online on the theatre’s website.
Does the tour go backstage?
The official pages describe a visit to the historic auditorium and do not promise the stage or backstage areas. Think of it as a half-hour guided visit to the auditorium and do not count on anything more.
How do I buy opera tickets?
Through the theatre’s website, which links to Vivaticket (full price only, credit card, e-ticket by email), by phone on 892.234 (from abroad +39 041 2719035), or at the box office at Via San Carlo 98/F, open daily 10:00–18:00. The theatre warns against secondary ticketing sites.
Can children attend performances?
Yes, from age 6 and with their own ticket; babies are not admitted. Doors open an hour before the start, and latecomers are admitted at the first interval.
Is there a dress code?
We found no official dress code on the theatre’s website. With no official rules, it is up to you; for the daytime tour, ordinary clothes are perfectly fine.