The Trevi Fountain in the heart of Rome is one of it’s most popular sights to visit, and it never gets old no matter how many times you’ve seen it. For the size of the square where you’ll find it, Pizza di Trevi, the huge Baroque fountain dominates, attracting crowds all day long. With its giant statue of Neptune, bright white marble and the most turquoise water, the Trevi Fountain might be a tourist magnet but it’s so impressive, as is Vicus Caprarius, the underground preserved apartment complex and ancient aqueduct. Here’s some ideas for things to do around the Trevi Fountain, in addition to just going to see the fountain itself. 

Being so central, you’ll probably find that you revisit the Trevi Fountain multiple times during a city break. If you’re hoping to catch it without the crowds then you’ll need to get up very early to do so, something that really is worth it if you want photos without other people in.

Disclaimer: I visit Rome as part of a collaboration with Jet 2 City Breaks, but everything I did while I was there I paid for myself, including Vicus Caprarius.

Throw a coin, make a wish and take some photos

What you’ll see most people doing at the Trevi Fountain is throwing a coin in. You sit with your back facing the fountain on the edge, and throw your coin over your shoulder. A lot of people film or take photos of this. If you’re there when it’s busy, so basically anytime other than 6am – then you’ll have to wait your turn. 

There are steps down to the main fountain and although it gets packed, people tend to make it to the front, get their photos and then move further back. You have to be patient but it’s worth waiting your turn. Just make sure you don’t touch the fountain, dip any arms in to cool off, or anything at all that would cause the Italian police to blow their whistle at you and tell you off. They’re naturally very protective of their fabulous ancient fountain, so be respectful. 

It’s one of the most photographed spots of Rome, and makes for some beautiful photos, so if you can get there early morning it really would be worth it. Sadly I didn’t make it on the mornings I was there as I went to different spots instead, but hopefully one day. I did see a lot of brides having their photoshoot here, and even a proposal. 

Drink from the Fontanella degli Innamorati

Water drinking fountains in all shapes and sizes are dotted across Rome, they’re safe to drink from and in the summer months they’re a life saver for frequently filling up your water bottle. The water is freezing cold and very refreshing in the heat. While you can’t do any of this from the Trevi Fountain itself, it does have a drinking fountain of it’s own right by the far right side. 

Called the Fontanella devil Innamorati, this particular fountain has two water spouts that cross over before landing in the marble trough below, and this comes with an ancient tradition of it’s own. The story goes that if couples drink from it at the same time, they’ll get everlasting love. As you can imagine this makes it very popular so there might be a short queue even just to fill your water bottle. 

Vicus Caprarius, aka Water City⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Underneath the Trevi Fountain is a hidden gem that you can pay €5 to visit – Vicus Caprarius, which is an ancient Roman apartment complex that has been preserved, and an old aqueduct known as the Acqua Vergine. It has been supplying water to Rome and the Trevi Fountain for centuries. 

The Vicus Caprarius ruins have been preserved for visitors to walk through which takes about half an hour, but you do need to reserve a time slot to go. The office and entrance for Vicus Caprarius can be found on a tiny alley just 2 minutes walk from the main area of Piazza di Trevi, and the street itself is called Vicolo del Puttarello. 

To reserve your time in advance you have to WhatsApp them on one of the numbers shown on their official website here, they will reply instantly and give you availability for the day. Even if you turn up to the office as a walk in, they will still ask you to WhatsApp. When it’s your time slot you arrive at the office and they cross you off the list, take your payment of €5, and show you down the stairs to start the tour.

The €5 is for a self guided tour, which is absolutely fine to do as there are short videos and signs that describe what you’re walking past and seeing in front of you. I think the audio guide was €8 if you prefer that. 

Down the stairs you’re heading underneath the city and the fountain, where you’ll see the ancient ruins of the apartments that used to stand here, and the water that still runs through. It’s a short thing to do, but still really interesting and if it’s warm then it’s also a welcome relief from the heat.

I turned up at about 11am, and had a reservation for an hour later at midday, but when I arrived for my time slot they were telling people there were no others for the rest of the day.

Where to eat and drink near the Trevi Fountain

As it’s such a tourist spot of Rome, there are plenty of places to eat and drink near the Trevi Fountain. The streets leading up the the main Piazza di Trevi are lined with restaurants, cafes and bars – be aware in Rome a ‘bar’ is a coffee shop, but they all tend to serve everything whether you’re looking for food or just a drink at any time of day. 

Via del Lavatore was particularly busy with restaurants, but if I’m honest I’d probably avoid most of them – places with picture menus tend to not be that great but cost a fortune. There’s also loads of gelato parlours, and if there’s one thing that you could guarantee in Rome it’s that you’ll always get a good ice cream regardless of where you get it. That said, my personal favourite round here is Don Nino or Gelato in Trevi which is just up Via di San Vincenzo Ussani. 

L’Antico Forno

When researching cafes or as the Romans say, ‘bars’ for a coffee and breakfast pastry, I kept seeing ‘Caffe’ mentioned, which is actually L’Antico Forno on Via delle Muratte. Despite being in such close proximity to the Trevi Fountain, and the odd sceptic commenting that it was bound to be just another tourist trap, it was mentioned so often including by Italians that I made a point of visiting to find out for myself.

The queue was down the street for it even early on, and despite there being many other options available nearby. Not only that but many of the people in line were locals, grabbing a coffee and pastry to go on their way to work. That for me is what shows if somewhere is good or not – if locals are prepared to wait with the swarms of tourists who I’m not denying were there – it must be good. 

Some of them must have been regulars as the staff would spot them and 2 minutes later come out with their usual orders so they didn’t have to queue. It was the tourists who wanted to sit in, or out as there were a handful of tables outside on the street too. I’ve also seen some people say you have to pay for a table but that just wasn’t the case.

I joined them with a table by the outside open doors, and ordered a cappuccino as it was still before 11am (Roman people really don’t like it if you get your coffee order wrong!), and a chocolate croissant. 

It was honestly one of the best coffee and pastry combos I had all week, the croissant was incredible with chocolate on top and oozing through the middle. They also had pistachio ones which looked amazing too, I wish I’d gone earlier in the week so I could have tried both. So yeah, don’t always judge a tourist spot by the cover, as this place was worth the hype and the queue.

Garden Rooftop Trevi 

This place was my favourite find, a real hidden gem that you’d never spot from the streets below. Garden Rooftop Trevi is the rooftop bar of a tiny hotel on Via del Lavatore, and you probably wouldn’t spot the entrance amongst the busy restaurants I mentioned before along this street.

The entrance is about three doors up on the right hand side, and you go up in the lift to the top. This tiny rooftop bar has a spectacular view of the Trevi Fountain, and although it has about ten to twelve tables, only three of them by the railing have direct views over the fountain below. They obviously get taken quickly!

It opens at midday until late, up high away from the crowds and it’s not somewhere you can book, walk in only. It gets busy quick however if you don’t get a prime spot the staff will offer you to move when one becomes free before they sit anyone new there. 

It’s a fairly typical bar menu serving a wide range of drinks, including a cocktails specials page with aperol and limoncello spritz, as well as a good wine, prosecco and champagne list. The food is basically pizza in various flavours, so it’s an ideal place for lunch. Get the classic margarita it was unbelievable.

Of course it’s not cheap right in the heart of Rome by the most popular tourist spot, so you’re looking at nothing less than €20 per cocktail or glass. Pizzas were the same too, from €18. During my visit I went twice as it was just the best place to sit and take it all in with a cold drink. 

If you already follow me on Instagram then you’ll have seen my photos, reels and videos of my visits to Garden Rooftop Trevi, but if not then take a look so you can get a better idea of exactly where it is and the view of the Trevi Fountain that it provides.

Based on all of this you could easily spend a good half day if not longer around Piazza di Trevi, with so many things to do around the Trevi Fountain itself in addition to just seeing it up close and taking some photos. I’d definitely recommend going in a morning before it gets ridiculously busy later in the day. That way you could enjoy breakfast at the cafe, the fountain, Vicus Caprarius and the rooftop bar in one go which is a good mix of sightseeing and keeping yourself refreshed. 

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