Cobbled lanes, picture-book piazzas and the city's most famous nightlife, with the Gianicolo hill rising above it all for the best views over Rome.
Last updated August 23, 2026
In a nutshell: Trastevere now lives in four dedicated chapters. Santa Maria in Trastevere covers the golden mosaics of the basilica, the fountain steps of its picture-book piazza and the parish festivals around them; the Gianicolo climbs the hill for Rome's best viewpoint, with the villas, gardens and catacombs on its slopes; Porta Portese hunts for treasures in the Sunday market and wanders the quieter streets to the south, from Villa Farnesina to Monteverde; and food and nightlife goes from trattoria classics and Roman pizza to cocktails, bars and the packed evening piazzas. Read the overview below to get your bearings, then follow the links - every detail of the original guide is preserved in full on its own page.
In a nutshell: Trastevere, whose name comes from the Latin trans Tevere (across the Tiber), is the most atmospheric corner of the historic city: a tangle of cobbled lanes, ivy-covered houses and postcard piazzas that fills with diners and drinkers as the sun goes down. Across the river from the historic centre, it is the neighbourhood Romans themselves pick for an evening out, while the Gianicolo hill above it offers the city's grandest panorama, with the Vatican and St Peter's dome on one side and the rooftops of ancient Rome on the other. Expect slow piazzas by day and a proper party by night.
Walking is the best way to explore the neighbourhood: it is how you notice the alleys and courtyards that give Trastevere its character. From the city centre you can walk here in around 40 minutes.
Trastevere toes the line between popular tourist destination and actual lived-in neighbourhood, and that balance is a big part of its appeal. There is delicious food at every corner that makes you want three consecutive lunches, and amazing finds to walk out of shops with, mostly prints and posters. And sure, the neighbourhood also embodies that oh-so-typical stereotype of picturesque Roman life that is popular in the rest of Italy and abroad. But as with everywhere, the joy of diving into a place beyond its stereotypes is what makes people return to it again and again.
No underground line crosses the river, so the metro does not reach the neighbourhood. Buses H and 75 connect Trastevere to Termini station, and a taxi is the fastest but most expensive way across.
Every day at noon a cannon a few metres below Garibaldi's monument fires a single blank shot, a tradition introduced by Pope Pius IX in 1847 to synchronise the city's clocks and bells. On quiet days it can be heard as far as the Esquilino.
Every Sunday, since 1945, around the 16th-century gate of the same name. Arrive early, do most of your shopping before 9am, expect to bargain and bring cash: it is open air, so check the weather first.
The festival runs in the second half of July. The procession of the Madonna de Noantri leaves the Chiesa di Sant'Agata on 16 July for San Crisogono, and a week later the statue sails the Tiber up to Ponte Garibaldi before a final night in Santa Maria in Trastevere. Check festadenoantri.it for the programme.
Keep your ticket to the Vatican Museums or the Museo Nazionale Romano: it grants reduced admission to the villa. Note the opening times: until 2pm, extended to 5pm on the second Sunday of each month.