Lonely Planet’s guide to overtourism in Rome

It is inevitable, usually after griping about traffic or bureaucracy or the general loss of some intangible peace amid perpetual chaos, that you’ll hear someone utter these words. "Ma Roma è Roma," they’ll say. "But Rome is Rome". Because the truth is, Rome is more than a city. Rome is the greatest expression of our common humanity, poured into solid form. 

However, the effects of overtourism are insidious here and no matter how responsibly, consciously, or sustainably you travel, you will be ensnared in its intricate web. However, it’s an absence of policy, programs, or protections that has allowed overtourism to flourish, not our travel foibles and tourist faux pas. While the latter can lead to embarrassing situations, miscommunications, and occasional tears, the former has created housing shortages, water scarcity, and labor violations of vulnerable populations. These are heavy burdens on beautiful places. 

But life sprouts out of every corner of Rome, beckoning you to take part. And yes, Romans are famously quick witted (and tempered); self (and outwardly) deprecating; and impatient. They’re also renowned for being kind, welcoming and incredibly friendly.. 

Rome is still one of those places that you can travel to and lose yourself in, despite what anyone tells you to the contrary. Make it yours, and you’ll discover that irreplaceable feeling of finding your place in the world. 

There’s no such thing as a dead place

For centuries, quite possibly even millennia, Rome has been declared dead. Pilgrims in the 3rd and 4th century AD lamented that the streets were too crowded and no longer viable, just as Victorian tourists would complain that the city had been ruined by too many of, well, them. 

Earlier this year, the formidable French newspaper Le Monde wrote that it had been lost to “disneyfication”. Once again, Rome is declared extinct. Funny thing, this is also the Eternal City. 

While overtourism may threaten both the cultural heritage and contemporary development of destinations, it is inflammatory and damaging to declare any place “dead”. It’s also lazy, no matter how many clicks or likes these headlines might get. Writers and creators who work in travel may find balancing the desire to promote a place they love with the fear that they’re contributing to its becoming inundated and losing its charm, no one has the right to put a city’s livelihood in jeopardy. 

And, it’s just not true. Rome is so full of incredible sights and so many of them are barely visited. It’s also teeming with exciting food and drink, unique experiences all year round, and magical little corners that feel like a secret the city is sharing just with you. Rome, like so many cities in Italy and around the world, gets more interesting the more you invest in it. Fall in love with your trip and let the gatekeepers argue over how much better everything used to be. You’ve got Rome waiting for you. 

See the whole city

Rome is truly epic, and the enormity of it can feel overwhelming. Centuries of history create a layered backdrop for a buzzing city with millions of people walking, driving, yelling, eating, and living on top of one another. It’s ok to feel a little bit intimidated and it’s understandable that you’d want to stay close to what feels familiar. Everybody needs their North Star, after all. 

It’s also understandable that you’d think that you “can’t go to Rome without seeing the Trevi Fountain”. But the thing is, you can. While the historic center is undeniably beautiful and picturesque, you’ll miss out on a lot of what Rome really is if you never go beyond that small circle. 

Why not take a walk through the multiethnic Esquilino neighborhood toward Fassi, the first ever gelateria in Europe? How about wandering around San Lorenzo and trying to find all of Alice Pasquini’s award-winning street art? Or go even further afield and check out Villa Ada, a former royal residence now transformed into one of Rome’s largest parks? You could spend a day immersed in the unique architecture and historic activism in Garbatella and come out of it with an entirely new understanding of what this city really is. Visiting these neighborhoods will get you closer to grasping that thread of lived experience that we all want to take back home.  This is also Rome, and it’s well worth your time. 

Buy small and secondhand

One of the most potent symbols of overtourism is the proliferation of mass-produced souvenirs spilling out of shopfronts that once housed artisans and everyday items for local residents. In Rome, large parts of the center have been taken over by shops selling mass-produced goods. Apart from selling poor-quality products – often not even produced in Italy – these shops have been linked to money laundering for organized crime groups. If there is any point in the tourism chain where your purchasing power can be put to use, this is it. 

Instead, Rome is bursting with independent shops and markets where you can buy original keepsakes on any budget that support the city. Travelling fairs like Mercatini Roma and Vintage Market operate around the city and draw hundreds of vendors selling art, vintage clothing, design, and collectables. They’re also an incredible place to meet the makers (many of whom speak multiple languages and are there to make friends). 

Get a handmade bikini from Almond Italia, Vintage Valentino from Hangover Vintage (Gianmarco is also a dog whisperer!), or Cosmati coloring books from Schizzibizzi. Before you know it, you’ve had one of your best days out in a long time. 

Rome is also a paradise for secondhand shopping, and a little effort goes a long way in finding some incredible items. The Mercatino dell’Usato franchise has twenty-six stores all over Rome, most of which are outside of the city center and are excellent reasons to explore farther afield. Don’t miss your flight because you’re still browsing through the collection at Affare Fatto, you’re almost guaranteed to come out of it with the find of a lifetime. If you’re always on the lookout for designer deals, the Borghetto Flaminio sets up a staggering collection of couture every Sunday, just up the road from Piazza del Popolo. 

And if treasure hunting is your vibe, look no further than the Porta Portese market, which takes over half of Trastevere every Sunday. There’s even an incredible treasure map that Desiree at The Pewter Thimble poured all her love into building. 

Learn the art of Roman dining 

If Italian food is a family affair, in Rome, it’s often a family business. And that means that the family takes breaks. Don’t just avoid places with a “tourist menu” out front, steer clear of places that don’t close between lunch and dinner, or places that are open seven days a week. With few exceptions, these places cater almost exclusively to tourists who don’t know that “family-run” really means “family [or people] first”. 

Roman dining culture is clear: lunch runs from 12 pm to 3 pm, and dinner from 7:30pm to 11pm. If you’re looking for something outside of these hours, head to the reliable Mercato Centrale in Termini station for a great selection of excellent food.  

When you’re ready to dine, book a table at Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, where siblings Claudia and Aldo have taken over the tradition of excellent food and even better hospitality from their father. Next head to ProLoco, where Elisabetta Guaglianone makes no compromises on a menu sourced entirely from local producers. Reserve early to get a spot at Santo Palato, where chef Sarah Nicolini has cemented her place as the queen of contemporary Roman food. Or get in on the ground floor at the newly opened Futura, where wunderkind chef Anastasia Paris serves up dishes that you won’t find anywhere else. 

The Roman dining scene is so much more vibrant than the timeworn trattorias of yesteryear, and while they can be great, they’re often the first places you’ll find yourself wondering how “authentic” it really is. Case in point, Jun and his mom have been serving some of Rome’s finest Japanese food at Hasekura Roma for more than thirty years, and I defy you to say it’s not authentic. 

Booking restaurants well in advance is always recommended in Rome (except for places that don’t take them, like Da Enzo al 29) and it makes your experience so much easier if you do so. Most restaurants have some way to book on their websites or social media pages. 

Do a lot of research for accommodation

Finding accommodation in Rome is one of the biggest challenges if you’re trying to find a way around contributing overtourism. The average daily hotel rate has exploded, and though the five-star hotel boom has brought many historic buildings back to life, the prohibitive cost of these structures (many exceeding €850 per night in the low season) means that many of us won’t have the privilege of sleeping inside. 

If you’re travelling with a family, the price of multiple hotel rooms will be exorbitant, particularly in a market devoting so much capital to luxury tourism. And to be clear, raising the prices of tourist-related services does not help to curb overtourism; instead, it simply creates hierarchies and barriers to entry for all those except the wealthiest. Hotel chains like Mama Shelter,  The Hoxton, and Citizen M are all solidly mid-range and located outside of the Centro Storico, though still within the city. 

With this in mind, you might opt for an apartment around the city. However, according to Inside Airbnb, short term rentals remain one of the most harmful factors in the quality of life for Roman residents. And while Booking.com published its findings that travelers are growing more aware of the impact of tourism on communities, the solutions it offers all require investment. 

If you opt for an Airbnb or a short-term rental, you can try to search for Individual Hosts, who Airbnb insists are people who list only one property as a side gig (making them less predatory on the housing market). However, this system isn’t foolproof. If it matters to you that the property isn’t long-term housing converted into short-term stays, ask them directly. Ask whether the neighbors are residents or whether there are shops like dry cleaners and hardware stores around. Ask as much as you want because, after all, you’re the one with the power to decide where and how to spend your money. 

Invest your time in planning (and get a guide) 

As with any destination that suffers from overtourism, what you get out of Rome depends in large part on how much you put into it. If you’re planning a trip, invest time beforehand in learning about the city beyond its most iconic sites: if you’ve got a long weekend, you’ll be surprised at how much you can see and do if you set aside the places you don’t really want to see. The Lonely Planet Rome guidebook is a good place to start! 

Places like the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the Pantheon all have websites where you can buy tickets and reserve a time to visit. But a word to the wise: plan to see one of these a day, and make arrangements for either a morning or afternoon visit, especially during the summer months. Otherwise you’ll remember waiting in line under a sweltering sun far more than the ancient columns or papal robes. 

Getting a good tour guide is one of the best things you can do for your trip, and Rome has got quite a few that can and will change your trip for the better. Make sure to find a licensed guide: many don’t undergo the five-year training and exam process that it takes to become an official guide, and not only does that tarnish your experience, it diminishes the hard work that others have done to get those certifications. 

Start following Agnes Crawford’s Understanding Rome on Instagram or Substack for recommendations on just about everything, and then ask for one of her very much off-the-beaten-track tours. Pack your trainers and go for an early morning running tour with Isabella on her Archeorunning tours that combine unique routes around the city and a jog you won’t forget (she also does a walking tour, don’t worry). And instead of queuing for a hop-on-hop-off bus, get in touch with Cristian at Happy Rent and get a customized VW bus to take you around Rome or, even better, to the hillsides of the Castelli Romani for a porchetta picnic.  

Beat 'em at their own game

Unmanaged tourism creates places where visitors and residents compete for resources, and whatever side of the coin you land on, your experience is diminished. Unfortunately, much of Rome’s tourism and hospitality infrastructure has evolved to depend on undercutting small businesses, low wages for workers, and very little protection for both residents and tourists. 

However, there are plenty of small business owners, family-run establishments, creative and ambitious guides, and large networks of people who want tourism to be meaningful. The more informed those choices are, the more wisely we can spend our money. Knowing where you’re spending your money, who it’s going to, and what impact your choices have makes a huge difference in the way you experience a place, and the way it sees you. 

And so, despite reports to the contrary, Rome remains one of the greatest perches from which to view the entire spectrum of human interaction. I know, because I live here. I’ve lived in a lot of places, in a lot of corners of the world, but I love few of them as I love Rome. I live above the Domus Aurea, and there isn’t a moment when I am not acutely aware of how wondrous that is. My cat likes to sit on an ancient granite column in my garden, one that made its way from Egypt millennia ago and somehow found its way to me. 

On warm days, my neighbor opens her windows and I can follow along with her favorite programs because her television is louder than a cannon strike. I love it, and I love her for it. My neighborhood bar is a hub for political discussion, and the bookstore just next to it orders copies of books I thought I’d never find again. Rome, this Rome, is worth discovering, it is worth fighting for, and it is worth believing in. Because after all, Rome is Rome.