The charge applies to visitors who walk down the fountain’s steps to reach the basin itself and came into effect this week. It is enforced between 11.30am and 10pm on weekdays and from 9am to 10pm at weekends.
Visitors who remain on the upper level to admire the fountain from above can continue to do so free of charge.
Officials say the move is designed to ease congestion at the monument, which attracted more than 10 million visitors in 2025 alone, while also raising money for conservation.
Those who pay the fee can stay at the basin for as long as they like, tossing coins over their shoulders in the tradition believed to ensure a return to Rome and taking photographs.
Residents of Rome are exempt from the charge, along with people with disabilities and children under the age of six. The fee is expected to generate around €6.5m a year, with funds earmarked for the upkeep of the Trevi Fountain and other historic sites across the Italian capital.
Alessandro Onorato, Rome’s tourism chief, described the new system as "a healthy revolution"
He said: "Until a year ago, visiting the Trevi fountain was an absurd experience."
Tourist reaction has been mixed. Teresa Romero, visiting from Portugal, said: "I think it’s normal and €2 is nothing – the price of a coffee. The most important thing is to preserve history."
Others were less enthusiastic, however.
Irma Pavitashvili, a tourist from Georgia, said: "This fountain should be for everyone."
Alma Peterson, visiting from the US, agreed, adding: "It’s not right to charge people – this is history, it should be free."
Onorato has dismissed the criticism.
He said: "I think tourists were shocked by the fact that the city of Rome is only asking for €2 for a site of this level.
"If the Trevi fountain had been in New York, they would have asked for €100, not €2."
As visitor numbers surge across Italy, similar charges are becoming increasingly common.
A €5 entry fee has been in place at the Pantheon since 2023, while day trippers to Venice must pay during peak periods. In Verona, tourists are now charged to enter the courtyard linked to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
