Tourists will have to pay to visit Rome’s Trevi Fountain from 2026 - International Travel

Dec 29, 2025

From crowded chaos to ticketed tranquility: will the new Trevi fee save the experience?

All roads might no longer lead to Rome, but when in Rome, most people make a beeline for the famous Trevi Fountain. This stunning late Baroque masterpiece draws crowds from all over the world, with most visitors tossing coins into the fountain’s waters – the legend is that those who toss one coin will return to Rome; toss two coins and you’ll find love; toss three and you’ll marry in Rome.

But things have gotten a little out of hand, with crowds averaging at around 30,000 people daily, and up to 70,000 or more during peak periods. A queue system had to be introduced, which has capped visitors at the site to 400 at a time between the hours of 9am and 9pm.

Now the city of Rome has announced that it will be introducing a €2 fee (about AUD$3.50) for tourists to access the stone steps surrounding the famous fountain, with the aim of “managing visitor flows, protecting the monument and improving the quality of use”.

Trevi Fountain — The fountain was temporarily fenced off last year, during maintenance works.

The fee is part of a new tariff system that’s been introduced by the city, which will also provide Rome’s residents with free access to some of the city’s famous museums and sites, including Largo di Torre Argentina. At the same time, some museums that were previously free to non-residents, including the Napoleonic Museum, will now be charging a tourist entry fee.

While the money tossed into the fountain is donated to charity, proceeds from the new fee will go towards upkeep of the monument and visitor control. It’s expected to raise around €6.5 million a year. Rome’s mayor, Roberto ‌Gualtieri, told Reuters that, “two euros isn’t very much… and it will lead to less chaotic tourist flows”.

The new fee comes into effect on February 1, 2026. Ticketed hours will be in place from 9am to 10pm every day, including the first Sunday of the month, when many of Rome’s famous sites offer free admission to everyone. Residents of Rome, kids aged five or under, and those with a disability and their companion will not be charged to see the Trevi Fountain. And if you don’t want to pay, you can still view the fountain from afar, with the surrounding square open to everyone.