London Toolkit 
Paris Toolkit Walk 2 - Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain
Self-guided walk for independently minded visitors
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Busy: the Spanish Steps in April/ May each year with pink azaleas
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Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain walk route
This walk can be extended from the Trevi Fountain continuing west to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona on our Trevi Fountain to Piazza Navona via the Pantheon walk.
From the Pantheon we have a further three connecting walks that fan out in all directions to the Vatican, Colosseum and Trastevere among others.
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The length of this walk is about 1 km or well under a mile. If you walked it without stopping at a brisk pace it would be only around 15 minutes.
However, this is the ancient centre of Rome, where every turn, nearly every building is of interest. The beauty of doing this walk independently is you take it at your own pace, some will take 30 minutes, some will take a day.
The aim of this page is to focus on the logistical aspects and give sufficient information in the form of text and images so that you can walk between the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. There are a few signs along the way, but all too often at key junctions, nothing.
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For further visitor information on the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain see our pages Visiting the Spanish Steps and Visiting the Trevi Fountain.
This walk is especially good in the evening, nearly the whole walk is lined with bars and small restaurants. Do get a good guide book and do pick up a detailed street map, many of the free street maps given out by hotels are adequate.
Probability is that you will be attracted by something just off the route described here and go off at a tangent, all part of the fun of exploring the ancient centre and making your own discoveries.
Starting out from Spanish Steps
We've written this walk up from the Spanish Steps towards Trevi Fountain. Spagna Metro Station exits out next to the Spanish Steps. The classic Rome walk is to extend this walk onto the Pantheon and finish up at Piazza Navona.
We have a dedicated page describing the Spanish Steps and what you should expect.
At the foot of the Spanish Steps the area is of upmarket chic, with an endless supply of small boutique designer shops and luxury labels.
The Via dei Condotti directly opposite the Spanish Steps is where you want to go if you want to shop for Armani, Prada, Versace, Dolce and Gabbana or Gucci. This is not only one of the richest streets in Italy but also one of the best for shopping in Rome.
Walk 1 - A circuit of Villa Borghese
Walk 2 - Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain
Walk 3 - Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon
Walk 4 - The Pantheon to Trastevere via Piazza Navona
Walk 5 - The Pantheon to Vatican City via Piazza Navona
Walk 6 - A walk above and around Trastevere
Walk 7 - Trastevere to Capitoline Hill & Museum
Walk 8 - The Pantheon to Colosseum via Roman Forum & Capitoline Hill
Walk 9 - The Appian Way (outside Rome City Centre)
Spanish Steps to Trevi Fountain direction
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From the bottom step of the Spanish Steps your turn left in a southerly direction past the Keats-Shelley house/museum on your left next to the Spanish Steps and immediately come to the Piazza Mignanelli dominated by the Column of the Immaculate, (see image bottom).
Looking at the view of Piazza Mignanelli right the road forks here, we take the fork to the right the Via Propaganda.
Although the streets are not completely pedestrianised, it is not far off; traffic is very, very light, largely constrained to the small local electric buses, tourist horse and carriages and such like.
As you walk up the Via Propaganda the Museo Missionario di Propaganda Fide is located on your left on the first floor of the stately palazzo which, since 1627, has been the headquarters of Catholicism's global missionary operations.
On the right hand side are restaurants and bars if McDonald's is not your scene on your left.
You soon come to a small square at a junction with the Via della Mercede. On the left hand side is the Sant'Andrea delle Fratte; a 17th-century basilica church dedicated to St. Andrew. If this was anywhere but Rome with rich basilicas around virtually every corner it would probably be a major attraction, but in Rome it is just another basilica with Bernini Angels perhaps the highlight.
The road ahead narrows and changes its name to Via di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte.
There are a few more restaurants and small hotels along here. You soon come to a small T junction, where the road that vehicles take goes right.
On the junction is the Collegio Nazareno, today a prestigious and expensive private school/college, but formerly a palace with many works of art inside.
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Piazza Mignanelli: |
At this T junction we turn left and the road becomes a narrow passage called the Via del Nazarelio bending right until it emerges in the nosy hurly burly of one of the main roads through the ancient city, the Via del Tritone.
Here, there is a pedestrian crossing going across the busy road. There is also a sign to the Trevi Fountain just 100m away.
The sign for the Trevi Fountain points down the Via della Stamperia at 1 O'clock as you cross the pedestrian crossing.
The Via della Stamperia is a traffic free cobbled lane that leads directly to the Trevi Fountain. It is quite a sea change, one second you are taking in the buildings and the small Piazza Accademia di San Luca, the next the Trevi Fountain is right next to you.
The Trevi fountain is at the end of an aqueduct constructed in 19 BC to bring water to Rome from around 20kms away that supplies the fountains in the historic centre of Rome with water.
We have dedicated page covering The Trevi Fountain.
The current Trevi Fountain was designed as a large basin in a semicircular shape sunk slightly below pavement level. This creates a natural amphitheatre for visitors. Although there is always a crowd hanging around, it is normally good natured and you should get a good vantage point.
Trevi Fountain to Spanish Steps direction
Facing the Trevi Fountain full on, our exit from the Trevi Fountain is the passageway that goes down the right hand side of the Trevi Fountain, the Via della Stamperia.
Just follow the Via della Stamperia for about 200m and it leads you to a major road, the Via del Tritone.
Cross over the pedestrian crossing to the other side of the Via del Tritone, turn right, then immediately left into the Via del Nazarelio.
The Via del Nazarelio bends left and narrows to an alley but soon leads you to another road junction where you turn right along the Via di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte. You soon come to another junction with Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, a 17th-century basilica church dedicated to St. Andrew on your right.
Carry on straight ahead, the Via di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte has become the Via Propaganda. About 200m along the Via di Propaganda you come to Piazza Mignanelli, pictured above. There is a McDonald's on far right of the small piazza.
Just 75m further along the road is the end of the walk at the foot of the Spanish Steps on your right.
Companion Walk - Trevi Fountain to Piazza Navona
From the Trevi Fountain you can continue on what is perhaps the classic ancient city centre walk linking four of the major attractions. From the Trevi Fountain the Pantheon and Piazza Navona are in easy reach and discovered on a companion walk.
Trevi Fountain to Piazza Navona via the Pantheon self guided walk.
Professional walking tours that take in Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome is a maze of narrow lanes waiting to be explored. You seem to make another discovery around every corner.
Some people like to strike out independently clutching a good guide book, others just want to take in the atmosphere.
If you are really interested in understanding what you are witnessing then a local guide can show you the best of what there is to see and also offer someone to bounce of ideas for further exploration. There are many walking tours available. Below are two that take in the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain.
