Things to Do in Naples
Sugar-white beaches and a sunset over the Gulf are just the opening act. Naples also packs in a 170-acre tropical garden, a giraffe-feeding zoo, a serious art museum, a tin-roofed waterfront market and the wild Everglades on its back doorstep.
Updated June 2026
There is more to Naples than the beach, even if the beach is the reason most people come. This is a town that faces due west into the Gulf of Mexico, so the sunset is a nightly event, but it is also a town with a world-class botanical garden, a historic zoo, a real art museum and a working waterfront full of boats. Add the Everglades just to the east and you have a holiday that can be as slow or as full as you want it.
This is our home base for the whole category. Whether you are here for a long weekend or a full snowbird season, with kids in tow or out on a date, we have pulled the marquee sights together below and pointed you to the deeper guides. Start with the four collections, then scroll the top attractions and plan your days from there.
Pick your kind of day
Four hand-picked collections, sorted by what you are in the mood for. Each one is a full guide.
Free Things to Do
Beaches, the Pier sunset, parks and boardwalks that cost nothing but a parking spot.
Things to Do With Kids
The zoo, easy beaches, the children's garden and hands-on stops that keep little ones happy.
Rainy Day in Naples
Museums, galleries, shopping and a plan for when a summer storm rolls in off the Gulf.
Date Night in Naples
Sunset cruises, candlelit Fifth Avenue tables and slow evenings for two.
Naples' top attractions
The handful of places we send everyone to first, from a 170-acre garden to the icon at the foot of 12th Avenue.
A perfect Naples day
One easy loop that hits the garden, the water and the famous sunset.
- Beat the heat with an early morning at the Naples Botanical Garden, while it is cool and quiet.
- Head downtown for lunch and a wander through the boutiques at Tin City on the river.
- Cool off indoors with the afternoon shows at The Baker Museum, or hit the beach if the sky is clear.
- Board a dolphin and sunset cruise from Tin City as the light starts to turn.
- Finish on the sand by the Naples Pier for the main event, the sun dropping straight into the Gulf.
Where to go next
From the sand to the mangroves, here is where to head once you have the marquee sights covered.
Free Things to Do
The best of Naples that costs nothing, from the Pier sunset to shady boardwalks.
Naples Pier Beach
The sand and sunset view at the town's most famous stretch of shore.
Dolphin & Sunset Cruises
Every way to get out on the Gulf, with dolphins, manatees and golden light.
Things to Do With Kids
The zoo, easy beaches and hands-on stops that keep little ones happy.
Book a Naples tour
Naples attractions
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens
A working zoo set inside a century-old tropical botanical garden, where you can hand-feed a giraffe, boat past islands...
Naples Botanical Garden
170 acres of cultivated tropical gardens and wild Florida preserve at the south end of town — the one indoor-outdoor a...
Tin City Naples
A weathered 1920s tin-roof marketplace on the Gordon River: 30-plus quirky independent shops, two open-air seafood res...
Tours, golf & a night out
Public Golf in Naples
Naples has more golf holes per capita than almost anywhere on earth, but most sit behind private gates.
Naples Food & Walking Tours
Stroll a few palm-lined blocks, sample small plates at four or five spots, and learn the town as you taste it.
Naples Trolley Tours
A narrated ride on a vintage open-air trolley past 100-plus Naples landmarks, with the freedom to hop off wherever cat...
Best Breweries & Craft Beer in Naples
Naples' craft-beer scene is small but genuinely good: a handful of independent taprooms pouring their own beer, most w...
Best Spa Days in Naples
From the Ritz-Carlton's 32-room sanctuary to the brand-new Four Seasons Sanctuary and the easy day spas a few blocks o...
Naples Nightlife & Live Music
Naples runs early and elegant, but the night is here if you know where to look: Mercato's late bars, a grocery store w...
Best Shopping in Naples
From the boutiques and galleries of Fifth Avenue South to the luxury wing at Waterside Shops, Mercato's open-air mix a...
Dog-Friendly Naples
Dogs are banned on every Collier County beach, so here is the honest local guide: the real dog beach a short drive nor...
Naples Weddings, Honeymoons & Proposals
West-facing white-sand beaches, sunsets straight into the Gulf, and resorts that planners rank among the best in the w...
Seasonal & holidays
Christmas in Naples
Palm trees in fairy lights, a snowfall that melts before it lands, and a parade of lit-up boats gliding down Naples Bay.
Fourth of July in Naples
A barge of fireworks lit off the Gulf at 9pm, a hometown parade down Fifth Avenue in the morning, and a whole coastlin...
Valentine's Weekend in Naples
Warm February days, a Gulf that faces due west, and sunset tables that book out fast.
Spring Break in Naples
If your idea of spring break is gentle Gulf water, a sandcastle and an early sunset rather than a beach blasting music...
Common questions
What are the top things to do in Naples, Florida?
The marquee sights are the Naples Botanical Garden, the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, The Baker Museum at Artis—Naples, the waterfront shops at Tin City, and a dolphin and sunset cruise out into the Gulf. Cap it all off with sunset at the Naples Pier, which faces due west over the water.
Is the Naples Pier open?
The historic Naples Pier was badly damaged by Hurricanes Ian and Milton and has been undergoing a full reconstruction, so check the City of Naples for the current access status before you visit. The beach beneath the pier and the famous west-facing sunset view remain open regardless of the construction.
What is there to do in Naples on a rainy day?
Naples has plenty of indoor options when a summer storm rolls in: spend an afternoon at The Baker Museum, browse the galleries and shops on Fifth Avenue South and at Tin City, or catch a performance at Artis—Naples. See our full rainy-day guide for the best dry-day plan.
What can you do for free in Naples?
The beaches and sunsets are the headline free activity, along with the parks, boardwalks and the sand by the Naples Pier. Wandering the waterfront at Tin City and strolling Fifth Avenue South cost nothing either. Our free things to do guide rounds up the best of them, parking being your main expense.
What are the best things to do in Naples with kids?
The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is the family favorite, with giraffe feedings and a boat cruise past islands of monkeys and apes. The children's garden at the Naples Botanical Garden and the calm, shallow beaches are also great for little ones. Our with-kids guide has the full list.
When is stone crab season in Naples?
Florida stone crab season runs roughly from mid-October to early May, so the cooler winter months are the time to splurge on the local delicacy at a Naples waterfront restaurant. Outside that window the claws are out of season, so plan a stone crab dinner accordingly.