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Ticked off all of the must-see spots in your Rome itinerary and are ready for something different? Here are the best things to do in Trastevere, one of the coolest neighborhoods in Rome!
Trastevere is one of the best neighborhoods to visit in Rome to get a better taste of the city from a local, more laid-back perspective.
The vibe here is calmer and quieter than the historic city center—during the day, livelier at night—and blissfully away from the overwhelming crowds.
This unique Roman neighborhood is also where you will find the real local food you traveled all the way to Italy for. Packed with some of the best cheap eats in Rome, locally loved restaurants, and great bars, this is the neighborhood for foodies!
Its winding streets, covered in greenery and walls in faded shades of burnt orange, are also lined with unique independent shops, vintage stores, and tiny bookshops, making it easy to spend hours wandering the area.
After visiting Rome about five times now, and spending over two months here, aimlessly wandering the cute streets of Trastevere has become one of my all-time favorite things to do in the city.
So, without further ado, here are the best things to do in Trastevere, Rome’s coolest neighborhood!
Best Things To Do In Trastevere: Rome’s Coolest Neighborhood
Wander the picturesque streets of Trastevere
One of the best things to do in Trastevere is to simply wander around the neighborhood’s adorable streets.
Get lost in its picturesque alleys, follow the winding streets up and down, and explore this unique Roman neighborhood the way it’s meant to be—slowly.
Away from the buzz of the historic center, walking around Trastevere is bliss, with almost no cars and only the occasional motorcycle passing through.
During the day, the vibe is calm and charming; at night, the neighborhood comes alive with locals piling in for aperitivo at outdoor tables, and dinner at the beloved local spots.
If visiting during spring and summer, many of the streets will be lush and covered in ivy, and during spring, you might even find beautiful wisteria arches decorating some streets—it all looks straight out of a postcard!
Get a panoramic view of Rome from Janiculum Hill
Janiculum Hill is a viewpoint in Trastevere, located behind the Botanical Garden, from where you get an incredible view over Rome, and some of the city’s main monuments.
On a good weather day, the view is just breathtaking!
I brought a little tramezzino up there and improvised a little picnic with a view—highly recommend.
If you didn’t prepare anything, don’t worry, there is a little kiosk up there for you to buy whatever your heart desires—a pickup-me-up espresso, a spritz, or even a small bite to eat.
The viewpoint is pretty good, and would look even better with a good zoom to really capture the buildings at a distance, but even without it, it’s very impressive to the naked human eye.
Eat like Romans do at Tonarello
One of the best things to do in Trastevere is to do as Romans do, and line up for dinner at the popular Tonarello.
A local friend recommended Tonarello to me as the go-to spot her family visits regularly.
This locally loved restaurant serves a unique and regional kind of pasta, Tonarello, a noodle a little bit thicker than spaghetti.
The prices are affordable, the portions are big, and the food is just incredible!
I always go for the carbonara, but their rigatoni al pesto is also really good. Don’t skip on the artichokes and their tasty focaccia!
PS: They don’t take reservations, so make sure to show up before you are starving, since you might have to wait a little bit—trust me, it’s worth it!
Say hi to the cats at Trastevere’s protected colony
Something I recently discovered during my usual aimless wandering around the neighborhood is this protected cat colony in Trastevere(!)
Basically, there are some places in Rome where there are protected cat colonies as a way to help control the rat population and other pests, like in the Esquilino park, and it just so happens that Trastever has its own.
Tucked away in the quiet Vicolo Del Leopardo, you will find an alley lined with little cat beds, food and water bowls, and even this little cat playground, complete with a warning sign. It’s so cute!
The cats are not really friendly or interested in people at all—after all, they are busy at work—but it’s still super cute to see the street tailored to them.
And if you are looking for unique things to do in Rome, visiting some of its cat colonies is definitely a fun activity to add to your itinerary—another popular colony is the one at Torre Argentina.
Sip on a cocktail al fresco at Freni e Frizioni
For the cocktail lovers, one of the best things to do in Trastevere is to stop by Freni e Frizioni.
Freni e Frizioni is a popular cocktail bar in Trastevere that stands out from your typical cocktail spot—first of all, the place is huge, and second, it has outdoor seating, which I love!
If you are in Rome, you want to have a drink and see Rome; instead of being indoors in a dark cocktail bar, it’s the best of both worlds!
Besides the unique setting for a cocktail bar, the drinks are delicious, with creative concoctions inspired by unique neighborhoods from around the world.
I tried and loved the Shoreditch, a sweet and fruity Gin-based cocktail with a foam top.
A great spot to have an aperitivo in Rome, or to stop for a drink after dinner, to finish off the evening, since they are open until 2:00 am.
Try a local street food staple at Supplì Roma
As mentioned, Trastevere is a lively Roman neighborhood filled with some of the best cheap eats and beloved local spots, such as the popular Supplì Roma.
You might have heard of arancini, a small fried ball of rice. Well, Supplì is the Roman-style arancini, filled with mozzarella and tomato sauce, and is delicious—peak comfort food!
This hand-held street food is unique to Rome, and at only €2, there’s really no excuse not to try it.
Suppli is one of the best things to eat in Trastevere to get a sense of local cuisine, and the little shop, Supplì Roma, is an icon in the neighborhood that you cannot miss.
Check out the local vintage shops
Since Trastevere is a local youth meeting spot, you will find no shortage of vintage and thrift shops in the area.
If you enjoy hunting for a good vintage find, this is the spot to do so, with many little shops sprinkled throughout the neighborhood.
Some of my favorites to check out include the colorful Twice Vintage Shop, Humana Vintage, and a new one located right across from Tonarello Paglia.
I scored a nice puffer jacket from Max Mara from this last shop—you never know, sometimes you find some gems!
Admire the stunning Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere
Not everything is about food and drinks in Trastevere; this is still Rome, so you are guaranteed a beautiful church around every corner, and this neighborhood is no different.
While exploring Trastevere, make sure to stop by the beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere.
The inside of this church, like many in the city, is just insanely decorated and almost overwhelming to the eye, in the best way!
Cool down with a scoop—or two—of gelato
If, like me, you have a sweet tooth, one of the best things to do in Trastevere is to stop by one of the various incredible gelato spots.
Two of my favorite ones in the area are Otaleg, which was a local recommendation, and Gelateria del Viale, a highly reviewed gelateria.
Both offer delicious home made gelato—and I mean the real stuff, not that neon-colored crap you find by the Trevi fountain.
My go-to flavor is always and forever pistachio and dark chocolate! … Or if it’s really warm outside, you cannot beat a good lemon gelato.
Grab one of Rome’s best cheap eats at Trapizzino
One of the best cheap eats in Rome, and my go-to when walking around Trastevere, is the popular Trapizzino.
Trapizzino is a modern Roman street food staple, consisting of a little dough pocket filled with the “stew”, or warm filling of your choice.
My two favorite ones are pollo a la Cacciatora, a lemony chicken filling, and the polpetta al sugo, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs.
These are so simple, quick, delicious, and affordable, at just €5 each—it just ticks all the boxes!
This is especially a great meal for those travel days when all you want is a quick something to eat to keep going with your itinerary.
They also make a great Negroni, if you want to accompany your trapizzino with a sip of something something… just saying.
Take a stroll through the Botanical Garden
If you are in need of a little break from the city center chaos, then one of the best things to do in Trastevere is to take a peaceful stroll through the Botanical Garden.
Trastevere’s Botanical Garden is relatively small, and the entrance fee is only €5, making it an easy activity to add to your Trastevere itinerary without breaking the bank.
On a sunny day in Rome, the Botanical Garden makes a great picnic spot—ideal for a little outdoor break while exploring the neighborhood.
If you’re visiting in spring, make sure to visit the cherry blossoms in the Japanese Garden.
People watch from an outdoor table at Big Hilda’s public bar
After spending many days aimlessly wandering around the cute streets of Trastevere, one of my absolute favorite things to do is to finish the day at Big Hilda Public Bar, grab a drink on one of their outdoor tables, and watch the world go by.
While there are many bars with outdoor space sprinkled throughout Trastevere, Big Hilda is my go-to due to its cozy atmosphere, their well-prepared drinks, and reasonably-priced menu.
I have tried other bars in the area and found Spritz’s and Negronis to taste watered-down and overpriced—there’s none of that here!
The drinks are always good—their negroni is perfect—they have a really good deal for aperitivo, with a small board and a drink for only €10, and their boards are also delicious!
Overall, a 10/10 in my book, and one of the best things to do in Trastevere to slow down and see the neighborhood come alive in the evening.
Stop by the grand Fontana dell’Acqua Paola
A hidden gem in Trastevere that not many people get to see is the stunning Fontana dell’Acqua Paola.
Fontana dell’Acqua Paola is a grand fountain located on Janiculum Hill, away from casual Trastevere visitors, which is why many people miss it, which is a shame.
The fountain, while simpler than the hyper popular Trevi, is still an impressive and beautiful structure to admire, and its on the way to Janiculum Hill, so you can kill two birds with one stone!
Explore Trastevere’s small independent shops
One of the best things to do in Trastevere is to explore and support the local businesses in the area—from handmade jewelry shops to cozy book shops and funky local brands.
A fun one to visit is the oddly named Elvis Lives Here, a fun little shop selling Roman-themed tote bags—my favorite kind of souvenir—locally made t-shirts, and other curated goods.
Other shops in the area worth visiting are:
- Handmade: Cute, small jewelry shop
- The Butcher Clothing: A curated clothing shop
- Open Door Bookshop: Cozy little book shop
- Sounds Familiar: Fun record store
- Almost Corner Bookshop: Picturesque little book shop
See some stunning Renaissance works at Villa Farnesina
With so many incredible museums to visit in Rome, it’s basically impossible to run out of artsy things to see, but if you want to add one more to your itinerary, the one to add in Trastevere is Villa Farnesina.
Villa Farnesina is a stunning Renaissance-style villa that houses some incredible art pieces, such as beautiful frescoes by Raphael.
I sadly didn’t get to visit this one, as our itinerary was already packed, but if you are an art lover, this is definitely one of the best things for you to do in Trastevere!
Final thoughts on the best things to do in Trastevere
Trastevere is without a doubt one of the best neighborhoods to visit in Rome—offering a more local, laid-back perspective of the city beyond the tourist-packed city center.
Even if it’s just for an afternoon, I truly believe that every Rome itinerary (yes, even for first-time visitors!) should include a stop in the lively Trastevere—even if it’s just for a stroll, an aperitivo, or a cozy dinner.
And if you’re lucky to have more time in Rome’s coolest neighborhood, this guide is here to help you make the most of it, whether you’re spending a full day or a few soaking in all the charm Trastevere has to offer.
Have you explored the lively Trastevere neighborhood yet? Let us know in the comments.