My husband and I are traveling through Italy May/June for 17 days with another couple. We will be staying in Praiano for a week and want to see Naples, is a tour guide recommended for this city? (we are in our 50's-70's but very fit) I know we will want to see the Archaeological Museum and do an underground tour. I was also wondering if Christmas Alley and Spaccanapoli street are the same thing? if they are not, would you recommend seeing both? I think we would also like to see the Naples Cathedral, Cappella Di Sansevero and the Palace. Are all these places easy to get to on our own and do we need to purchase any tickets in advance? If you think a tour guide would be best can you recommend one? I have been unable to find a tour that combines every place that we want to visit. If we can do it on our own that would be fine but I have read there is a lot of crime in this city so I was concerned. Also, can we do all of this in 1 day or will we need to do it all in 2 days? We already have a tour set up for Pompeii and Capri through our host in Praiano. Any and all input is welcome as well as any recommendations. Thank you!

We had no problems staying in Naples. Most of what you mention can probably be seen without a guide. But that assumes that you are staying in Naples for a couple of days. We stayed in the B&B Medea:
This was a few years ago and the personnel and conditions may have changed. I also wrote a trip report that you could find by clicking on my name and searching under my trip reports.

>>> I was also wondering if Christmas Alley and Spaccanapoli street are the same thing?
There are not the same thing. They do iintersect, however.
I presume the Christmas Alley is Via S. Gregorio Armeno. Plug in this coordinate "40.850058, 14.257814" into google map.
Spaccanapoli is just a nickname. That is not what you find on a map or as a street sign. If you start from the west side from Piazza del Gesł Nuovo (google map coordinate 40.847427, 14.252343), the east going "Spaccanapoli" starts as Via Benedetto Croce. Then turns into Via San Biagio dei Librai where it intersects the 'Christmas Alley". Then it turns into Via Vicaria Vecchia.

I loved Naples and had no trouble there whatsoever. (If it matters, I’m a woman who visited it solo.) No need for a tour guide, except perhaps for the underground city (which I didn't have time to include). I can understand your desire to see all of the places you listed, and found them easy to visit on my own, but like Michael, I would doubt that you could see all of them with just a day trip -- I think you would need closer to 2 days, if not 3.

I’m afraid that I don’t know the place called Christmas Alley, but did a quick google search and believe that it is part of or near to Spaccanapoli. Just plan on roaming the area.

BTW, I trust you know that you don’t need a guide for either Pompeii or Capri? I can see the benefits of having a guide for Pompeii (though I prefer to work with written material), but none is acually necessary.

I don't think Naples is a good day trip from Praiano because of the travel time involved. It could take 2+ hours in each direction, even if you hire a private driver or taxi for part or all of the journey. If you use only public trans, figure on closer to 3 hours each way.

Hiring a guide could make the sightseeing in Naples more time-efficient, but the guide can't make the journey from Praiano take less time.