Are The Villa Borghese Gardens Worth Visiting? Yes!

The Villa Borghese Gardens are a vast park in the heart of Rome. It is the most popular park in Rome and worth visiting in you love greenery, art and calm!

Villa Borghese Gardens History

The villa itself contains buildings, sculptures, monuments and fountains. It includes work of Baroque, Neoclassical and Eclectic artists and the grounds are surrounded by trees, ponds, gardens and large open spaces.

Camillo and Francesco Borghese expanded the park in the 19th century and in 1903 the Villa was purchased by the Italian state and has been used as a public park ever since. The most beautiful spot of Villa Borghese Gardens, for us, is the Garden of the lake where it is possible to rent boats and paddle around surrounded by the most tranquil setting in Rome.

Within the grounds of the park is also Borghese Gallery and Museum, which is in the villa and there is an art gallery originally integrated into the gardens, but today is considered a separate attraction with, of course, additional costs. For me, the Caravaggio collection is worth the price of admission but there are also works by Rubens, Titian, Raphael and the sculpture Apollo and Daphne by Bernini.

What Can I Do In The Villa Borghese Gardens?

In addition to taking a casual stroll through the Villa Borghese Gardens and seeing the museum, which you should definitely check out, it is easy to spend an afternoon in the park. I mentioned above how you can rent a boat (read: tiny 2-person rowboat) which is inexpensive and has the fantastic view of the Temple of Aesculapius. You can also see a replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, a Zoo, which was recently redesigned and a hydro-chronometer (water clock) built in 1873. If you get tired of walking, there are places to get a snack, a coffee or you can rent a bike or a cart.

What Are The Hours For The Villa Borghese Gardens?

The park is open from dawn to dusk and like in any big city be sure to stay aware of your surroundings and don’t go to the more desolate parts when it is getting dark. As has been said before, Rome is generally a safe city with violent crime being very rare, but petty crime like pickpockets and purse snatching is not that uncommon, especially with tourists.

Now that COVID restrictions have loosened a bit, the Borghese Gallery and Museum is open until 10:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Tuesday through Sunday the museum opens at 9:00am and Tuesday through Thursday is closes at 7:00pm. I know this is a jumble, which is made worse by the inconsistent information on their website, so it wouldn’t hurt to call: +39 06 32810 (Monday through Friday 9:30am – 6:00pm).

The tours last 2 hours and there is a limit to 180 people at a time, so plan your day accordingly and make sure you make reservations.

Where Can I Get Tickets?

Reservations for the Borghese Gallery and Museum are required and you can make them at their reservation site, or you can call them: +39 06 32810 (Monday through Friday 9:30am – 6:00pm).

How To Reach The Villa Borghese Gardens?

The Villa Borghese Gardens are located on Pincian Hill which is close to Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. There are a number of ways to get to the park, depending on where you are and what you want to see. The easiest way to reach the Gallery is walking through Villa Borghese Gardens, which is a great way to spend a morning. 

You can take the subway, Metro A, and get off at the Spagna or Flaminio stops, and climb the hill to reach Borghese Gallery. If you are at Piazza del Popolo, then climb the short flight of steps to the Pincio Hill garden. You might not know the name, but it is a popular spot that overlooks Piazza del Popolo. From there you can reach the museum with a 10 minutes walk.

You can also reach the park by the #2, #3 or #19 trams that stop at a number of stops around the park. Villa Borghese has 9 different entrances, so it’s better to check Google Maps to know where to go and how to get there.

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