Tours and Tickets to Experience Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe)

There are plenty of ways to experience Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe). Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Rome Food Experience Max 6 People Group Tour w/Private Option
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There’s no cost to visit Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe), as the public square is free and open to all. However, a guided tour that includes a stop here will cost you anywhere from US$50 for a standard walking tour to US$150 for a neighborhood food tour that includes tastings.

Located in the heart of Rome’s historical city center (centro storico), Turtle Fountain is known for its whimsical design and atmospheric location. Designed in the late 16th century, the fountain originally only featured children riding dolphins. The famous turtles were added almost a century later by baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Yes, you can visit Turtle Fountain independently, provided you have a map or access to GPS-based navigation on your smartphone. This part of Rome is a tangle of cobbled lanes and little piazzas, so it’s easy to get turned around. Turtle Fountain is located just a block from the Jewish Ghetto.

The shoulder seasons of spring and fall are typically the best windows for visiting Rome. That’s when you’ll enjoy the mildest (though still sunny) weather. Or come after Christmas holidays, but before the start of carnivale, for the fewest crowds. Avoid July and August, as they are swelteringly hot and packed with tourists.

Come in the late afternoon, during the predusk Golden Hour, especially if you plan on taking photographs. Piazza Mattei, where the fountain is located, is small, but you can easily linger here for an hour. Grab an aperitivo, or pre-dinner cocktail, from one of the cafés facing the famous Turtle Fountain.