★★★★★
Trastevere Rome walking tour · private, into the Jewish Ghetto
Sara has lived in the area all her life. She spoke about Jewish life in Rome with a passion that gave the walk its depth.
ginger346 · Traveller · April 2022
Trastevere Rome and Jewish Ghetto Private Walking Tour
Trastevere and across the riverYour group only
Two hours on foot, your group only, across two neighborhoods Rome keeps side by side. You start in Piazza Trilussa, stand in the square of Santa Maria in Trastevere, then cross the river by Tiber Island into the old Jewish Ghetto. Your guide speaks English, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian, and picks the start time that suits you.
What two private hours on both banks buy you
Your group only
No strangers and no big group to follow; the pace and the questions are yours.
Two neighborhoods in one walk
Trastevere's squares first, then the Ghetto across Tiber Island.
Five languages
English, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian, named when you book.
Start times through the day
The listing offers start times throughout the day, fitted around your plans.
Pushchairs welcome
The route is pushchair accessible, though not suitable for wheelchairs.
Across Tiber Island to the Portico of Octavia
Trastevere and the Ghetto face each other over the Tiber, and Tiber Island is the bridge between them. This walk uses it. You leave Trastevere by Ponte Cestio, cross the island, and reach the left bank by Ponte Fabricio, built in 62 BC and still standing in its original form.
On the far side is the Portico of Octavia, the Roman colonnade that framed the entrance to the Ghetto. From 1555 Rome's Jews were confined to these few streets behind walls locked at night, until the Ghetto was abolished in 1870. Your guide tells that story where it happened, which is the thing a map cannot do for you.
The Great Synagogue and the Turtle Fountain from outside
The walk stays outside. You see the Great Synagogue, completed in 1904, from the street, and the Theatre of Marcellus beside it. The Turtle Fountain in Piazza Mattei is on the route too; its bronze turtles were added in 1658. If you want to go inside the synagogue, book the Jewish Museum separately. For more ways to see the quarter on foot, the Trastevere Rome walking tour page sets the history walks side by side.
Piazza Trilussa to the Theatre of Marcellus, stop by stop
- Piazza Trilussa, about 10 minutes. You meet at the Trastevere end of Ponte Sisto.
- Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, about 20 minutes. The quarter's main square, its fountain and its basilica.
- Over Tiber Island. Across Ponte Cestio and Ponte Fabricio to the left bank.
- The Portico of Octavia, about 10 minutes. The Roman colonnade at the entrance to the Ghetto.
- The Great Synagogue, about 10 minutes. Seen from outside, with the story of the community around it.
- The Theatre of Marcellus, about 10 minutes. The ancient theatre at the Ghetto's edge.
- Back past Via Giulia. The walk ends where it began, in Piazza Trilussa.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book this if
The history is the point, and you want two of Rome's oldest neighborhoods explained on the spot. It suits families, since it is pushchair accessible, and parties who want a guide in French, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. It also suits anyone who wants their own start time.
Book something else if
You want to go inside a museum: the private walk from Villa Farnesina includes entry to the villa and Santa Cecilia, and the Trastevere Rome walking tours compare it with this one. If you want food as well as history, the Trastevere twilight food tour fills the evening. If you use a wheelchair, this route is not suitable.
What the fare covers
In the fare
- A private local guide for your group only
- Ponte Sisto, Trastevere and the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
- Tiber Island
- The Jewish Ghetto, the Portico of Octavia and the Theatre of Marcellus
- The Turtle Fountain
Not in the fare
- Gratuities
- Admission tickets, as the tour stays outside
Piazza Trilussa and Ponte Sisto: where you meet
You meet in Piazza Trilussa, at the Trastevere end of Ponte Sisto, the footbridge from Campo de' Fiori. Your guide holds a LivTours sign. The square opens straight onto the bridge, and the monument to the Roman poet Trilussa stands in it.
From the centre, walk through Campo de' Fiori and cross Ponte Sisto; it is a few minutes from the Campo. Tram 8 also runs from Piazza Venezia into Trastevere. Every meeting point in the quarter is on the Trastevere map of meeting points.
Know before you go
- Cover shoulders and knees. Places of worship ask for it, so pack a light scarf in summer.
- Admission tickets are not in the fare. The walk stays outside; book the Jewish Museum separately.
- Your guide may not be of Jewish heritage. It is said up front at booking, and the guide still tells the community's story.
- Name your language at booking. Write it in the additional notes if it is not English.
- Not wheelchair accessible. Pushchairs are fine; the lanes are cobbled.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Move the date if your plans in Rome change.
What travellers said about the walk
★★★★★
Trastevere Rome walking tour · private, into the Jewish Ghetto
Francesca shaped the walk around what they wanted to see. She introduced them to a neighborhood with a long history.
Tamara B. · Traveller · October 2023
★★★★★
Trastevere Rome walking tour · private, into the Jewish Ghetto
An unhurried walk through the history of Rome's Jewish community, with a guide who knew the subject well and spoke excellent English.
shomer d. · Traveller · May 2025
Frequently asked questions
Is the Jewish Ghetto in Trastevere?
No. The Jewish Ghetto is across the river on the left bank, reached from Trastevere over Tiber Island by Ponte Cestio and Ponte Fabricio. Several of the walks here cross into it, but they stay outside the Great Synagogue.
Can I go inside the Great Synagogue?
Yes, with a ticket to the Jewish Museum of Rome, which includes a guided visit to the synagogue: €12 full, €10 reduced. It is closed on Saturdays and Jewish holidays. The Ghetto walks do not include it, so book it separately.
Is there a dress code?
Only for churches. Rome's basilicas ask for covered shoulders and knees, and the Trastevere and Jewish Ghetto walk states it on its booking page. Carry a light scarf in summer and you are covered.
Is there a cheaper, shared version of this walk?
Yes. The same operator runs a semi-private Trastevere and Jewish Ghetto walk from Piazza Trilussa at a lower fare. It covers the same two neighborhoods in two hours, and a coffee or gelato is included.
Can I add food to a history walk?
Yes, on a different tour. The Trastevere twilight food tour gives you dinner in Trastevere with wine. The food and wine walk with fifteen tastings also crosses the Ghetto on its way in.
Can we pick our own start time?
Yes. Start times run through the day, and because the walk is private you choose the one that fits. Pick it on the booking calendar.
Other ways into Trastevere
Ready to walk both banks?
Check dates and live availability for the private Trastevere and Jewish Ghetto walk, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability