Explore a collection of priceless works spanning centuries inside the former Villa Borghese.
Borghese Gallery Tickets
With only 360 visitors allowed per two-hour window, advance booking is essential. Four ticket options accommodate different visit preferences.
Hosted entry at your scheduled time. Explore the villa’s rooms independently, moving between Bernini’s sculptures on the ground floor and the paintings upstairs at your own pace.
English-speaking guide walks you through the collection. You’ll hear the stories and historical context behind the works as you move through the twenty rooms, from Caravaggio’s dramatic paintings to Bernini’s marble masterpieces.
Same format with a smaller group size. Guides available in English, French, Italian, or Spanish. Covers the gallery’s highlights including key works by Bernini, Caravaggio, and Raphael.
Unlock Rome beyond the Borghese with this official city card. Skip the line at the gallery (reservation required), then choose one more major site from over 45 attractions: the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo, Caracalla Baths, or any museum that catches your interest. Covers unlimited public transportation and offers reduced admission to other museums.
All tickets include your timed entry slot. Book ahead to secure your preferred visiting time.
Highlights
Tickets and Prices
Paid tickets are required to tour the Borghese Gallery. Self-guided and guided tour options are available. Entry is free for visitors under age 18.
| Features | Reserved Entrance | Guided Tour | Small Group Guided Tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Likely to Sell Out | |||
| Reserved entrance to Borghese Gallery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hosted entry ticket | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-guided visit | ✓ | ||
| Live guide | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Headset | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Languages | English | English, French, Italian, Spanish | |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Maximum group size | No limit | 15 people | 15 people |
| Starting price | €36.00 | €60.00 | €70.00 |
| Free Cancellation | Free Cancellation |
Official City Card
Roma Pass
See the Borghese Gallery plus Rome’s top attractions with one convenient card.
Perfect for visitors planning multiple attractions beyond the gallery.
Reviews
Visitors find the Borghese Gallery’s art collection world-class and breathtaking, with Bernini’s sculptures like “Apollo and Daphne” and “The Rape of Proserpina” earning praise for their lifelike detail. They appreciate Caravaggio’s dramatic paintings, ornate ceiling frescoes, and the intimate atmosphere created by limiting entry. Many consider it a top Rome museum and note that guided tours significantly enhance the experience by providing historical context.
However, operational aspects receive mixed reviews. The strict two-hour time limit and mandatory bag storage frustrate some visitors, with time lost to entry procedures. Advance booking is essential, often a month ahead during peak season, and late arrivals may forfeit tickets. Additionally, customer service experiences vary, with some praising helpful staff while others report dismissive interactions at ticket counters and cloakrooms.
Plan Your Visit
| Day | Opening Hours | Last Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday – Sunday | 09:00 – 19:00 | 17:45 |
- Closed on 25th December and 1st January.
- Weekends and summers are considered peak times at the gallery. Mornings tend to be less crowded.
Public transportation is the best option when visiting the Borghese Gallery.
- Bus travelers on the A Line can use Stazione Termini to arrive at the Pinciana/Museo Borghese stop, the Flamingo station to arrive at the San Paolo del Brasile stop, or the Barberinin station to arrive at either Pinciana/Museo Borghese or San Paolo del Brasile.
- Bus travelers on the B Line can use the Tiburtina station to arrive at San Paolo del Brasile.
Entrance Notes
- Only two of the Borghese Gallery’s nine entrances offer entry to the public.
- When being dropped off by taxi, ask to be let off near the Porta Pinciana entrance or Piazza del Popolo entrance. Porta Pinciana offers the shortest walk to the main entrance.
Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese)
Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5, 00197 Roma RM, Italy · Google Maps
Visitors who are unable to use the stairs to enter the Borghese Gallery may utilize the back entrance located on Piazzale Scipione Borghese. The attraction’s most popular works are largely located on the first floor.
When visiting the second floor, guests in wheelchairs can utilize an elevator.
Visitors in larger chairs that cannot fit within the elevator can utilize one of the gallery’s temporary small wheelchairs. Larger, more comfortable wheelchairs are available on the second floor.
Insider Tips
- Arrive 15-20 minutes before your time slot to allow for bag check and entry procedures without losing precious viewing time.
- With each visitor being assigned a two-hour timeslot, it’s essential to plan out your route within the Borghese Gallery ahead of time to ensure there’s time to see the most important pieces.
- Start on the first floor to cross all of the sculptures off your list before spending time with the paintings on the second floor.
- Request the 9:00 AM time slot for the least crowded experience and a more relaxed pace through the galleries.
- Travel light – large bags, backpacks, and umbrellas must be stored in the cloakroom. Bring only essentials you can carry comfortably.
- Consider renting an audio guide if you’re not booking a guided tour. They provide valuable context for the major works.
- Punctuality is mandatory – late arrivals may forfeit tickets with no refund. Traffic and finding the entrance can take longer than expected.
- If you’re feeling peckish during your visit, there’s a café inside the gallery campus.
What to See & Do
To help you make the most of your time inside the Borghese Gallery, we’ve highlighted some of its most iconic pieces.
Sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
wjarek/Depositphotos
wjarek/DepositphotosBernini’s works are represented in various halls throughout the Borghese Gallery. Interestingly, the Bernini pieces here represent a significant portion of the artist’s secular works. Ones to have your eye out for include The Rape of Proserpina (1622), Apollo and Daphne (1625), Goat Amalthea with Infant Jupiter and Faun (1615) and Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius (1618–19). All are considered exemplary pieces of baroque artistry.
The Paintings
giuseppemasci.me.com/Depositphotos
0 1.0 Universalrawpixel
0 1.0 UniversalrawpixelThe Borghese Gallery houses more than 800 paintings by renowned artists. Many visitors come specifically to see a handful of iconic works by Baroque and Renaissance masters. This is especially true when it comes to Caravaggio’s works. In person, his use of tenebrism to present his subjects in shafts of realistic-looking light nearly jumps from the walls. This is most evident when viewing Boy with a Basket of Fruit and David With the Head of Goliath. Caravaggio’s portrait of Pope Paul V also gets lots of foot traffic in the gallery.
While Raphael has four paintings in the Borghese Gallery, an oil painting on wood panel called the Deposition (Deposizione di Cristo) is the standout. One of the commissioned pieces Raphael worked on during his time in Perugia, the Deposition was requested by Atalanta Baglioni after a massacre of the Baglioni family by rivaling relatives left her son dead.
When standing before Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love (1514) oil painting depicting Cupid, Venus, and a child bride, gallery visitors can decide for themselves if they agree with the hotly contested theory that it’s meant to depict an allegory divine love versus earthly love. While Titian’s intentions when creating the work are unclear, we do know from an X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy done on the painting in the year 2000 that he used lead white, azurite, lead-tin yellow, vermilion, and yellow ochre to create it.
Insider tip: Show up for the first slot of the day to be able to view these paintings without anyone in front of you!
The Garden
kmiragaya/DepositphotosNestled on Rome’s Pincian Hill, the 18-hectare Villa Borghese Gardens were created by Flaminio Ponzio to accompany the Villa Borghese Pinciana. The gardens underwent a major overhaul during the 19th century. Walk in a lush landscape shaded by bald cypress trees, white pines, and silver firs as you enjoy a collection of six different gardens with notable temples and floral themes. Geese, ducks, owls, and many other species live in the gardens.
Did You Know? (3 Interesting Facts)
- Booking a ticket in advance can make or break your visit. In order to preserve the experience, the gallery limits crowds to a certain number. Only 360 people are allowed in during each two-hour visit window.
- As the former villa of the noble Borghese family, the Borghese Gallery was once a famed party house at the center of Rome’s social scene.
- The Borghese family sold the estate and surrounding gardens to the Italian government in 1902.
History
AD 1541
The noble Borghese family relocates from Siena to Rome.
AD 1613
Cardinal Scipione Borghese commissions the Borghese Gallery to house his personal art collection.
AD 1775
The area surrounding the estate is transformed into an elaborate garden.
AD 1902
The Italian Government purchases the Borghese Villa to make it accessible to the public. In addition to taking ownership of the property, the government also acquires more than 500 paintings and 300 sculptures.
AD 1997
A major renovation project helps to restore the Borghese Gallery and accompanying gardens to be enjoyed by visitors for many more centuries to come!
FAQs
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
Yes. The gallery limits entry to 360 visitors per two-hour slot and regularly sells out. Walk-ins are not accepted.
What ticket options are available?
Reserved Entrance (self-guided), Guided Tour (English), or Small Group Guided Tour (English, French, Italian, Spanish).
How long is the visit?
Two hours for the gallery. The surrounding Villa Borghese Gardens are free and have no time limit.
Can I take photos inside?
Yes, without flash. Selfie sticks are not allowed.
What’s the difference between Villa Borghese and the Borghese Gallery?
Villa Borghese is the free public park. The Borghese Gallery is the museum inside the park that requires tickets.
What are the must-see pieces?
Ground floor: Bernini’s “Apollo and Daphne,” “The Rape of Proserpina,” and “David.” Second floor: Caravaggio’s “Boy with a Basket of Fruit” and “David With the Head of Goliath,” Raphael’s “Deposition,” and Titian’s “Sacred and Profane Love.”