Trevi Fountain
#5of 8 places to visit in RomeRome, Lazio, Italy
Also known as Fontana di Trevi
Quick answer
Opening hours: 09:00–22:00. Entry: €2. Allow 30 min. Best time: Before 08:00 or after 22:00.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- 09:00–22:00
- Piazza accessible 24 hours. Ticketed basin-edge access runs 09:00-22:00 daily (from 11:00 on Mondays and Fridays per the current rotation); free access to the same area resumes after 22:00.
- Entry fee
- €2
- Ticket from
- Time needed
- 30 min
- Best time of day
- Before 08:00 or after 22:00
- Best months
- Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
- Address
- Piazza di Trevi, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
About Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is free to view from the piazza at any hour and has required a €2 ticket for entry to the lowered basin-edge viewing area since 2 February 2026, a measure introduced to manage overcrowding at Rome's most visited fountain. At 26 metres tall and nearly 50 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city, built against the rear wall of the Palazzo Poli using travertine limestone quarried, like the Colosseum, at Tivoli. The central figure of Oceanus rides a shell chariot pulled by two sea horses — one calm, one rearing — conventionally read as symbolising the sea's alternating moods, flanked by allegorical statues of Abundance and Salubrity. An estimated €3,000 in coins is thrown into the basin daily, collected each morning and, by long-standing arrangement, donated to Caritas, the Catholic charity, to fund a Rome supermarket for people in need.
Best time of day: Before 08:00 or after 22:00. For photographs without crowds crossing the frame; the fountain is illuminated at night, which many visitors find more dramatic than the daytime view.
Trevi Fountain timings
Trevi Fountain opens at 09:00 and closes at 22:00. It keeps the same hours on Saturday and Sunday.
- Opening hours
- 09:00–22:00
Mon–Sun 09:00–22:00 - Piazza accessible 24 hours. Ticketed basin-edge access runs 09:00-22:00 daily (from 11:00 on Mondays and Fridays per the current rotation); free access to the same area resumes after 22:00.
- Closed on
- Open every day
Opening hours compiled from turismoroma.it and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Trevi Fountain ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard ticket | €2 |
| Concession (student / senior) | Free |
| Children | Free |
The piazza and fountain view are free and open 24 hours, as always. Since 2 February 2026, entering the lowered basin viewing area directly at the water's edge requires a €2 ticket for non-residents, valid 09:00–22:00 daily (free after 22:00 and before opening). Rome residents, children under 5, and people with disabilities plus one carer enter the basin area free. As of 2026, verify current rules and any seasonal changes at turismoroma.it before travel.
Prices compiled from turismoroma.it and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Trevi Fountain
- Quiet
- Busy
- Very busy
06:00–08:00
Dawn QuietBest time to go
Near-empty piazza before basin-ticket hours begin at 09:00; best window for unobstructed photographs.
Quiet10:00–17:00
Daytime Peak
Consistently the most crowded hours; tour groups and day-trippers converge from every direction of the surrounding alleys.
Very busy17:00–21:00
Evening
Crowds remain heavy but the fountain's evening lighting draws a different, often more relaxed visitor mix.
Busy22:00–06:00
Night, Free Access
Basin-edge ticket requirement lifts after 22:00; illuminated fountain with a fraction of daytime foot traffic.
Quiet
History of Trevi Fountain
The fountain marks the terminus of the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct built by Marcus Agrippa in 19 BCE that, unusually among Rome's ancient water channels, has supplied the city with water continuously for over two thousand years, with only partial interruptions. Legend holds that a young girl (virgo) led thirsty Roman soldiers to the spring source that gave the aqueduct its name — a story recorded by ancient sources but not independently verifiable as historical fact.
Pope Clement XII held a design competition in 1730 for a grander fountain to mark the aqueduct's terminus, awarding it to the relatively unknown Roman architect Nicola Salvi over more established competitors, reportedly after the initially favoured Alessandro Galilei's design proved unpopular. Salvi died in 1751 before completion, and Giuseppe Pannini finished the fountain in 1762 under Pope Clement XIII, adjusting some of Salvi's original sculptural programme.
The fountain's global fame owes much to 20th-century cinema, particularly Anita Ekberg's wade through the basin in Federico Fellini's 1960 film La Dolce Vita — an act now explicitly prohibited, with fines for anyone entering the water itself.
Rules & etiquette at Trevi Fountain
Entering the water is illegal and enforced with fines that have been reported in the thousands of euros for high-profile incidents; this applies strictly regardless of the new basin-edge ticket, which grants proximity to the water, not entry into it.
The coin-throwing ritual has an established form: over the right shoulder, using the right hand, facing away from the fountain. One coin is said to ensure a return to Rome; two, a new romance; three, a wedding — folklore rather than fact, but consistently repeated by guides.
Pickpockets and aggressive street vendors selling roses or selfie sticks are a known issue in the dense piazza crowds, particularly at dusk; keep bags zipped and to the front. Sitting on the fountain's ledge itself, as distinct from the surrounding steps, is discouraged and periodically enforced by municipal police.
Tips for visiting Trevi Fountain
- 1
The 2026 basin-access ticket has, counterintuitively, made the fountain more pleasant to photograph — capped numbers in the lowered viewing area reduce the crush that once made a clean shot nearly impossible during midday hours.
- 2
Gelaterias immediately on Piazza di Trevi charge tourist premiums; better-regarded gelato in the area is a short walk toward Via della Panetteria or Via del Corso. The narrow surrounding streets funnel large crowds, so approaching from a side alley rather than the main Via delle Muratte often avoids the worst congestion.
- 3
The fountain sits within a compact walking triangle with the Pantheon (750 metres) and Spanish Steps (600 metres), making it easy to combine into a single evening loop when the crowds and heat of the day have eased.
How to reach Trevi Fountain
Piazza di Trevi, 00187 Roma RM, ItalyDirections in Google Maps
From Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
30 km · 55-75 min
€14 train + €1.50 metro
From Barberini Metro Station (Line A)
0.5 km · 7 min
Free
From Spanish Steps
0.6 km · 8-10 min
Free
Nearest airport
From Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
30 km, approximately 45–65 minutes by road or train-plus-transfer.
Nearest station
From Barberini (Metro Line A)
7-minute walk via Via del Tritone.
Trevi Fountain FAQs
Do I have to pay to see the Trevi Fountain?
No, the fountain and piazza are free to view at any hour. Only stepping down into the lowered basin-edge viewing area requires a €2 ticket for non-residents, a rule introduced in February 2026, valid roughly 09:00 to 22:00 daily.
Can you swim or wade in the Trevi Fountain?
No. Entering the water is illegal and actively fined by Rome's municipal police, a rule strictly enforced despite the fountain's association with Anita Ekberg's famous wade in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita.
What happens to the coins thrown into the Trevi Fountain?
The coins, an estimated €3,000 worth collected daily, are gathered each morning by municipal workers and donated to Caritas, a Catholic charity that uses the funds to help operate a Rome supermarket for people in financial need.
What is the correct way to throw a coin for good luck at the Trevi Fountain?
Tradition holds that the coin should be thrown with the right hand, over the right shoulder, while facing away from the fountain. One coin is said to guarantee a return to Rome, though this is folklore rather than a documented rule.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
