Trastevere: a guide to the neighbourhood, by day and by night

Getting to know Trastevere

The name comes from the Latin trans Tiberim, "beyond the Tiber". Long a district of boatmen, craftsmen and labourers, Trastevere has kept a medieval plan of narrow lanes converging on a few squares: Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere in the centre, Piazza Trilussa by the river, Piazza di Santa Cecilia to the south-east. Viale di Trastevere, a wide avenue cut through in the 19th century and served by tram 8, splits the district in two: to the west lie the liveliest streets, to the east a more residential and quieter area around Santa Cecilia.

Residents like to call themselves "Noantri" ("we others") to set themselves apart from the rest of Rome, and the neighbourhood festival of that name takes place every year in July. The whole district can be explored on foot: from Ponte Sisto to Santa Cecilia is about a fifteen-minute walk.

Churches not to miss

Santa Maria in Trastevere

In the middle of the square of the same name, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the oldest churches in Rome dedicated to the Virgin. The present building dates from the 12th century. Its façade bears a frieze of gold mosaics showing the Virgin and female saints carrying lamps, clearly visible in the evening when it is lit. Inside, the ancient columns of the nave lead to the apse, covered with 12th-century mosaics; below them, six panels by Pietro Cavallini, made in the late 13th century, tell the life of the Virgin. Entry is free; visits are suspended during Mass.

Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

Further south-east, at the back of a courtyard with flowers, the Basilica of Santa Cecilia is built, according to tradition, over the house of the saint, patron of musicians. Beneath the altar lies the statue of Saint Cecilia carved by Stefano Maderno in 1600, showing the martyr's body lying down, her face turned away. The treasure of the place is in the nuns' choir: Pietro Cavallini's Last Judgement, painted around 1293 and rediscovered in 1900. According to Rome's tourist office, the fresco can be visited on weekdays from 10:30am to 12:30pm, with a separate paid entry, while the basilica itself is free.

Villa Farnesina and the Orto Botanico

Villa Farnesina

At Via della Lungara 230, Villa Farnesina was built in the early 16th century by Baldassarre Peruzzi for the banker Agostino Chigi. It houses Raphael's Triumph of Galatea, the Loggia of Psyche painted by Raphael and his workshop, and Peruzzi's Hall of Perspectives, whose trompe-l'œil columns open onto views of Rome. It now belongs to the Accademia dei Lincei.

The villa is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 2pm (last entry 1:15pm), with a special opening on the second Sunday of the month from 9am to 5pm. Tickets cost €12 full price and €10 reduced (students, over-65s); entry is free for children up to 10. Come in the morning: it closes in the early afternoon.

The Orto Botanico

A little further on, at Largo Cristina di Svezia, the botanical garden of La Sapienza University climbs the slopes of the Janiculum: greenhouses, a palm grove, a Japanese garden, a bamboo grove and a collection of medicinal plants. It is open every day from 9:30am to 6:30pm (last entry 5:30pm), for €5 full price and €4 reduced (ages 6-18, over-65s, students). It is a quiet stop, away from the crowds in the lanes.

Climbing the Gianicolo

The Janiculum (Gianicolo) overlooks Trastevere to the west. From Via Garibaldi, a climb of about twenty minutes passes the church of San Pietro in Montorio, whose courtyard holds Bramante's Tempietto, then the Acqua Paola fountain, built in 1612 for Pope Paul V, which Romans call "il Fontanone". From the viewpoint, the view takes in the domes and roofs of the historic centre as far as the hills.

Continuing along the Janiculum promenade, you reach Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi and its equestrian statue. Every day at noon, a cannon is fired below the terrace, a tradition Romans use to set their watches. The promenade is open to all, day and night.

Piazza Trilussa and the nightlife

Piazza Trilussa opens at the end of Ponte Sisto, a 15th-century pedestrian bridge linking Trastevere to Campo de' Fiori. It is named after Trilussa, a poet who wrote in Roman dialect, whose statue stands on the square. Its large fountain, fed by the Acqua Paola, originally stood on the other bank; it was rebuilt here at the end of the 19th century.

In the evening, the steps of the fountain become the meeting point for young Romans and visitors. Bars are concentrated in the neighbouring streets, Via della Scala, Via del Moro, Vicolo del Cinque and around Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere. The atmosphere builds after 10pm and goes on late at weekends. If you prefer quieter evenings, stay on the Santa Cecilia side and along Via dei Genovesi.

Where to eat in Trastevere

The district is packed with family trattorias, pizzerias and wine bars. Rather than following the touts, look at the menus: a short menu, written in Italian and changing with the seasons, is a better sign than a laminated menu translated into ten languages.

• Roman classics: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana and gricia, as well as Roman-style or Jewish-style artichokes in season.
• Supplì: a fried rice ball filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella, eaten on the go.
• Roman pizza: a thin, crisp base, served mainly in the evening in the district's pizzerias.
• Quinto quarto: offal dishes from Rome's working-class cooking, such as trippa alla romana or coda alla vaccinara.
• Gelato: choose ice-cream shops that show natural colours and keep their gelato in covered tubs.

In restaurants, the coperto (cover charge) is often charged per person and must appear on the menu; our guide paying in Rome: cards, cash and tipping explains these customs.

Summary of visits

Prices checked in October 2026 on the official websites of each place.

Getting there and around: tram 8 and walking

Trastevere has no metro station. The easiest way to get there is tram 8, which leaves from Piazza Venezia, passes Largo di Torre Argentina, crosses the Tiber and runs along Viale di Trastevere, with stops at Belli (at the foot of Ponte Garibaldi) and Trastevere/Mastai. In the evening, replacement buses may run during engineering works, and at night the n8 bus takes over from the tram; check the transport company's app before setting off. Tickets and passes are explained in our guide to public transport in Rome.

On foot, Ponte Sisto links the district to Campo de' Fiori, and Ponte Garibaldi to the Jewish Ghetto. From St Peter's Basilica, allow a 20 to 25-minute walk along Via della Lungara.

Sundays and the nearby Aventine

On Sunday mornings, the Porta Portese flea market sets up on the southern edge of the district, along Via Portuense. Across the Tiber, over Ponte Sublicio, the Aventine Hill and its Orange Garden are about twenty minutes away on foot: a good end to a walk at sunset.

Safety in the evening

Trastevere is a busy, well-lit neighbourhood where you can walk around without difficulty in the evening. The precautions are those of any very lively area:

• keep your bag and phone in front of you on tram 8 and in the crowd on Piazza Trilussa, where pickpockets are active;
• do not leave your phone on a terrace table;
• refuse items "offered" by street sellers, who then ask for money;
• to get back late, take an official white taxi from a rank or through an app, never a driver who approaches you.

Other common traps are covered in our guide to scams to avoid in Rome. If you are staying in the district, be aware that the streets near Piazza Trilussa stay noisy until late.

Further reading

To choose between Trastevere and other districts for your accommodation, see our guide where to stay in Rome. To fit the neighbourhood into a longer stay, our Rome in 3 days itinerary combines it with the neighbouring Vatican on the same day.