Film and TV location tours since 2019

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Domes and rooftops of central Rome in evening light, with the white Vittoriano monument

Destination guide

Rome film location tours: Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita

Five days in the city of Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita, with a Vespa ride, a day at Cinecittà and a tour leader who was born in Rome.

  • 1 tour
  • from $2,690 per person
  • Best months Mar to May, Sep to Oct
  • 5 filming locations
See the tour

The Mediterranean

Rome on screen

Rome has been a film city since the 1930s, when Cinecittà opened on the edge of town, and in the 1950s Hollywood moved in so fully that the press called it Hollywood on the Tiber. Ben-Hur and Cleopatra were made on its stages. On the streets, William Wyler shot Roman Holiday (1953) almost entirely on location, and Federico Fellini sent Anita Ekberg wading into the Trevi Fountain for La Dolce Vita (1960). Most of those places look as they did then. The crowds are bigger, but the fountain, the steps and the Mouth of Truth are where they always were.

Our Rome tour follows the films through the city. You ride the Roman Holiday route by Vespa, with a driver or on your own if you hold a motorcycle license, walk the Spanish Steps and Via Margutta, see the Trevi Fountain at night, and spend a day at Cinecittà on the studio's public visit, including the guided tour of the Ancient Rome set. Chiara Rinaldi, who was born in Rome and lives in Monti, leads every departure and carries the scenes on a tablet so you can match each frame.

The filming locations below, on the map.Map: Esri, OpenStreetMap contributors

Filming locations

The Rome of Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita

The Trevi Fountain at dawn, its turquoise pool full of coins below the statue of Oceanus

01

The Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain, finished in 1762, fills the end of a small square so completely that you come on it suddenly from the side streets. In La Dolce Vita (1960) Anita Ekberg wades into it at night in a black evening dress and calls to Marcello Mastroianni, the most copied scene in Italian film. It is also the fountain of Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), and in Roman Holiday (1953) Princess Ann has her hair cut in a barbershop a few steps away. Wading is forbidden now and fined. Since February 2026 visitors pay 2 euros to stand on the steps by the basin during the day; the view from the square is free. We come once at night and once by day.

  • The scene from La Dolce Vita, after dark
  • A coin over your shoulder, as in Three Coins in the Fountain
  • The Roman Holiday barbershop street nearby
Best time
Late evening, or before 9 a.m.

Tours that visit The Trevi Fountain

The Spanish Steps climbing to the twin towers of Trinità dei Monti in Rome

02

The Spanish Steps

The Spanish Steps climb from Piazza di Spagna to the church of Trinità dei Monti, built in the 1720s. In Roman Holiday, Princess Ann eats a gelato on the steps in her new short haircut, and Joe Bradley 'happens' to meet her there. You can no longer copy the scene: since 2019 sitting, eating and drinking on the steps are banned and fined by the city police, who patrol them. Walking up and down is fine, and the view from the top over the rooftops to St. Peter's dome is worth the climb. At the foot of the steps is Bernini's Barcaccia fountain, and Via Condotti runs straight ahead toward the Corso.

  • Princess Ann's gelato stop, minus the gelato
  • The view from Trinità dei Monti
  • The Barcaccia fountain at the foot
Best time
Early morning, before the crowds, all year

Tours that visit The Spanish Steps

Visitors waiting in the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, at the Mouth of Truth

03

The Mouth of Truth, Santa Maria in Cosmedin

The Bocca della Verità is a great marble disc with a bearded face, probably an ancient Roman drain cover, set against the wall of the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Legend says it bites off the hand of a liar. In Roman Holiday Gregory Peck pushes his hand in and pulls it back hidden in his sleeve, and Audrey Hepburn's scream was real: Peck had not told her he would do it. Today there is a line for the photo, which moves quickly because each visitor gets a few seconds. Step inside the church afterward: its bell tower is from the 12th century and it is one of the quieter old churches in the city.

  • The marble face from Roman Holiday's most famous gag
  • The medieval church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin
  • Two Roman temples across the square
Best time
Opening time or the last hour of the day

Tours that visit The Mouth of Truth, Santa Maria in Cosmedin

Via Margutta in Rome, a cobbled lane of ochre houses with green shutters and ivy

04

Via Margutta

Via Margutta is a quiet street of artists' studios and galleries a few minutes from Piazza del Popolo. Number 51 is where Joe Bradley lives in Roman Holiday: the camera shows its ivy-covered courtyard and outside stairs, while his apartment itself was a set. The building is private and people live and work there, so we stand in the street, look through the gate and keep our voices low; we do not go into the courtyard. Federico Fellini lived at number 110 with Giulietta Masina, and a plaque marks the door. In spring the street fills with flowers, and there are small shops selling prints, frames and antiques.

  • Number 51, Joe Bradley's address, seen from the street
  • The plaque at Fellini's home, number 110
  • Artists' studios and galleries
Best time
Weekday mornings, April to June

Tours that visit Via Margutta

Temples and columns of the permanent Ancient Rome set at Cinecittà studios

05

Cinecittà studios

Cinecittà opened in 1937 on Via Tuscolana and is still a working studio. Ben-Hur (1959) built its chariot arena here, Fellini made most of his films on Teatro 5, and Gangs of New York (2002) rebuilt old Manhattan on the lot. The public visit, Cinecittà si Mostra, runs every day except Tuesday: exhibition routes on the history of the studio and on film trades, with costumes, props and the giant head of Venusia from Fellini's Casanova in the garden. On weekends the studio's own guides lead visits to the permanent set of Ancient Rome, built in 2004 for the series Rome, with the Forum, the Senate house and temples in full size. That set is only open with a studio guide.

  • The Ancient Rome set from the series Rome
  • Costumes and props from Fellini to Ben-Hur
  • The Italian Museum of Moving Images next door
Best time
Saturday mornings, for the English set tour

Tours that visit Cinecittà studios

Rome film location tours for 2026 and 2027

Price per person sharing a double room; day tours per person. Flights to the start city are not included.

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1 tour

Getting around

How our tours get around Rome

01

A Vespa, the Roman Holiday way

One morning you ride the film's route by Vespa: as a passenger behind a licensed local driver, or on your own scooter if you hold a motorcycle license from home and an International Driving Permit. Helmets are the law in Italy and are provided. We ride on a Friday at 8 a.m., before the traffic builds.

02

On foot in the center

Most Roman Holiday places are within a mile of each other, so the center is a walking city. Expect 4 to 5 miles a day on cobbles and some stairs, with breaks for coffee.

03

The Metro to Cinecittà

Line A of the Metro runs from the Spagna station to Cinecittà in about 25 minutes, and the studio gate is a short walk from the exit. Chiara rides with you and carries the tickets.

04

A van for the airport

A private van meets you at Fiumicino airport and brings you back on the last day, 45 to 60 minutes each way.

What is included

What our Rome tours include

In Rome

  • A Vespa ride on the Roman Holiday route, with a driver or self-drive for licensed riders
  • Cinecittà si Mostra, the Italian Museum of Moving Images and the guided Ancient Rome set tour
  • Chiara Rinaldi, our Rome tour leader, on every day
  • A central 4-star hotel near the Spanish Steps
  • The Trevi Fountain at night and by day, basin ticket included
  • Airport transfers from and to Fiumicino
  • Metro tickets for the Cinecittà day

On every tour

  • Central hotels with daily breakfast on trips of two days or more
  • A named Scenes Found tour leader with the group from the first day to the last
  • Airport transfers on the first and last day of the tour
  • Hotel taxes, parking, park entry and local guide fees
  • Our 24/7 line while you travel, in every time zone

Not included: flights to the start city and home, meals not listed, drinks, tips and travel insurance. Each tour page lists exactly what is in the price.

Best time to go

Best time to visit Rome

Rome is best in spring and fall. From March to May days run 60 to 78 F, and the azaleas go up on the Spanish Steps in April. September and October are warm and settled, 70 to 80 F, with long golden evenings, the light of the night scenes in La Dolce Vita. June is already hot and very busy. July and August reach 90 F, the stone holds the heat into the night, and many Romans leave town, so we skip those months. November to February is cool, 50 to 60 F by day, with some rain, but the city is calmer, the lines are shorter and Christmas in the piazzas is a pleasure.

  1. Jan: good months
  2. Feb: good months
  3. Mar: best months
  4. Apr: best months
  5. May: best months
  6. Jun: good months
  7. Jul: no departures
  8. Aug: no departures
  9. Sep: best months
  10. Oct: best months
  11. Nov: good months
  12. Dec: good months

Best monthsGood monthsNo departures

Practical

Rome at a glance

Best months
Mar to May, Sep to Oct
Airport
Rome Fiumicino (FCO), with nonstop flights from several US cities, about 20 miles from the center, 45 to 60 minutes by road; Ciampino (CIA) handles some European flights.
Getting around
Walking in the historic center, the Metro for longer hops, a Vespa ride on one morning and our van for the airport.
Time zone
Central European Time, 6 hours ahead of New York.
Weather
Spring and fall 60 to 80 F, summer near 90 F, winter 50 to 60 F by day.
Filming today
Productions shoot in Rome all year, and Cinecittà is busy with film and TV. Streets are sometimes closed for a shoot; we work around them.
Location etiquette
No sitting on the Spanish Steps, no wading in fountains, shoulders and knees covered in churches. Drink from the free nasoni street fountains; it is normal.
Book ahead
The Ancient Rome set at Cinecittà is only visited with a studio guide on weekends, and places are limited; we book them when you confirm your seat.
Tipping
A cover charge (coperto) is often on the bill. Rounding up or 5 to 10 percent for good service is plenty; tips for your tour leader and drivers are at your discretion.
Entry rules
A US passport valid at least 3 months beyond the day you leave the Schengen area. The EU Entry/Exit System records your fingerprints and photo at the first border. ETIAS is planned but has no confirmed start date and is not yet required; we will tell you if that changes. Rome adds a nightly city tax, already in our price.

FAQ

Rome tour FAQs

More on the FAQ page, or call +1 (323) 641-2870.

Is the Vespa ride safe?

We ride early on a weekday morning, when the streets are quietest, with local drivers who do this every day. Most guests ride as passengers. Self-drive is only for travelers who hold a motorcycle license and an International Driving Permit, and the riding company checks both. Helmets are provided and required by law.

Can we visit Joe Bradley's apartment from Roman Holiday?

No. Via Margutta 51 is a private building where people live and work, and the apartment interior was a studio set anyway. We look at the courtyard from the street and move on quietly.

Can we see a film being made at Cinecittà?

The working stages are closed to visitors. The public visit covers the exhibitions, the outdoor sets and the Ancient Rome set with a studio guide. We have no special access; we buy the same tickets as anyone.

Is the Ancient Rome set tour in English?

The studio runs its guided set tours on weekends, with English on some Saturday mornings. We book the English tour when the date allows; on other dates Chiara joins the Italian tour with you and translates as you go.

Can I throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain?

Yes, right hand over left shoulder, as the custom says. The coins are collected and given to charity. Wading in, as in La Dolce Vita, brings a fine.

Is Rome good for a first trip to Europe?

Very. The center is compact, the food is easy to love and the main sights are close together. We take care of tickets and transfers, and the group is never more than 14.

Can I add the Vatican or the Colosseum inside?

Yes, on the free afternoons or an extra day. We can book timed tickets for the Vatican Museums or the Colosseum and Forum before you arrive.

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