The Borghese Gallery is an art museum inside the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome, Italy, holding Cardinal Scipione Borghese’s collection of sculpture and painting. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport, accessibility, and practical tips for planning a visit — part of my wider Rome travel guides.
This guide was last checked in August 2026. Note: entry is by mandatory timed reservation only — turning up without a booked slot means you cannot get in, even to buy a ticket on the spot, since visits run in fixed two-hour shifts. The official site also warns visitors to buy tickets only through official channels, flagging a problem with unauthorised resellers.
Quick facts
| Opening hours | Tue–Sun, 9am–7pm. Last entrance 5.45pm. Closed Mondays, 25 December and 1 January. |
| Ticket prices | €16 full price + €2 mandatory reservation fee; last slot (5.45pm) €11 + €2. Reduced €2 (18–25s); free under 18 (reservation still required). |
| Address | Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, 00197 Rome |
| Nearest transport | Metro Line A to Spagna, then around a 15–20 minute walk through the gardens. |
| Typical time needed | A fixed 2 hours (except the last slot, which runs to closing at 7pm). |
Borghese Gallery opening hours: when to visit
Like many Rome attractions, such as the Palazzo Altemps and Castel Sant’Angelo, the Borghese Gallery is closed on Mondays.
The Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm, with last entrance at 5.45pm. The ticket office opens at 8.30am, one hour before the Gallery itself. It’s closed on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January.
Visits run in fixed shifts, once an hour, each lasting two hours — except the final 5.45pm shift, which runs only until closing at 7pm. Up to 180 people are admitted per shift.
5 great Rome experiences to book
- 🏛️ Skip the queues on a small group tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s.
- 🍝 Discover the tastes of Trastevere on an expert-led food tour.
- 💀 See Rome’s darker side on a combo tour of the catacombs and Capuchin Crypt.
- 👩🍳 Learn how to make fettuccine, ravioli and tiramisu at a hands-on Roman cooking class.
- 🖼️ Explore a quieter side of the city on a small group tour of the Villa Borghese Gallery and Gardens.
Borghese Gallery ticket prices: how much does entry cost?
Full-price admission is €16, plus a mandatory €2 reservation fee that applies to every ticket type, including free ones. The last entry slot (5.45pm) is discounted to €11 (plus the €2 fee). Visitors aged 18 to 24 pay a reduced €2, and under-18s go free, though reservation remains compulsory either way. Ticket prices may rise when a temporary exhibition is on.
Free admission days apply on the first Sunday of the month, plus 25 April, 2 June and 4 November; the mandatory reservation fee still applies, and tickets for these days go on sale 10 days in advance.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in August 2026. Check the official site for current details or to book tickets online.
The Borghese Gallery is included in the Roma Pass 48-hour and 72-hour passes, though a reservation must still be made separately by phone. An annual membership card, from €40 for visitors aged 18–30, gives unlimited admission for a year. For planning a longer trip, see my wider Italy travel guides.
Why book the Roma Pass for your visit?
- Free entry to top attractions: Enjoy complimentary admission to many of Rome’s leading museums and archaeological sites with a Roma Pass.
- Public transport included: Use buses, trams and the metro across the city without needing separate tickets throughout the pass validity.
- Flexible duration options: Choose between 48-hour or 72-hour passes to suit how long you’re exploring Rome’s sights.
- Skip-the-line entry: Access select sites faster with priority or skip-the-line benefits where available.
- Cost-effective sightseeing: Save money compared with buying individual tickets, especially if you plan to visit several museums and landmarks.
How to get to the Borghese Gallery: transport guide
The nearest metro stop is Spagna on Line A, followed by roughly a 15 to 20-minute walk through the Villa Borghese gardens. Alternatively, several buses, including routes 52, 53, 63, 83, 92, 223 and 360, stop at “Pinciana/Museo Borghese,” about a 5-minute walk from the Gallery.
Central Rome traffic and limited parking make driving impractical for most visitors; public transport or a short walk through the park is the more reliable option.
Parking at the Borghese Gallery
On-street parking near Villa Borghese is scarce, and central Rome’s restricted traffic zones limit driving into the area. Several paid underground car parks are within a 5 to 10-minute walk of the Gallery, including facilities near Via Sardegna and Via Ludovisi.
Given the location within a large public park, arriving on foot, by metro or by bus is generally simpler than parking.
How long to spend at the Borghese Gallery
Every visit is a fixed two-hour slot (or shorter for the last entry of the day), so there’s no need to plan how long to stay. Arriving 20 to 30 minutes before your booked time allows for the security check and cloakroom before your shift begins.
Accessibility at the Borghese Gallery
Visitors with reduced mobility can use the stair lift to the left of the main external staircase, or enter through the back entrance at Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, which avoids stairs and gives access to the entire ground-floor sculpture collection. A lift to the first-floor Pinacoteca has limited space and doesn’t fit large wheelchairs; the Museum provides a smaller wheelchair to use inside it, with more comfortable wheelchairs available once upstairs.
Deaf visitors can request guided tours in Italian Sign Language, International Sign or American Sign Language, and a video-call information service is available on request. Visitors with disabilities and one accompanying family member or companion are entitled to free admission. Contact the Accessibility Office in advance at +39 0667233753 to arrange support.
Inside the Borghese Gallery: what to see
The ground floor holds the Gallery’s celebrated Bernini sculptures, including Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Proserpina, alongside significant Caravaggio paintings and Canova’s reclining statue of Pauline Bonaparte. The archaeological and ancient art collection, arranged around the walls as decoration, is often overlooked in favour of these central sculptures.
Upstairs, the Pinacoteca (picture gallery) houses Renaissance and Baroque paintings, including works by Titian and Raphael. A temporary exhibition, “Metamorphoses: Ovid and the Arts,” runs until 20 September 2026, alongside a linked programme of talks, a podcast and family tours.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Book your slot well in advance online, since shifts regularly sell out, especially in summer. |
| Crowds | Each shift is capped at 180 people, so the Gallery never feels as crowded as some larger Rome museums. |
| Layout | Sculpture is on the ground floor and paintings are upstairs in the Pinacoteca; plan your two hours across both. |
| Entry process | Arrive 20–30 minutes early for security screening and cloakroom drop-off before your shift starts. |
| On-site logistics | Large bags and backpacks must be left in the cloakroom, which is included in the visit. |
Frequently asked questions about the Borghese Gallery
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for the Borghese Gallery? | Yes, reservation is mandatory for every visitor, including those with free tickets. |
| Is the Borghese Gallery open on Mondays? | No, it’s closed on Mondays, as well as 25 December and 1 January. |
| How long can you stay at the Borghese Gallery? | Visits run in fixed two-hour shifts, except the last shift of the day, which is shorter. |
| Is the Borghese Gallery wheelchair accessible? | Yes, via a back entrance and stair lift on the ground floor; a smaller museum-provided wheelchair is used for the first-floor lift. |
| Is the Borghese Gallery included in the Roma Pass? | Yes, both the 48-hour and 72-hour Roma Pass include it, though a reservation must still be booked separately. |
Things to do near the Borghese Gallery
- Villa Borghese gardens: Rome’s third-largest public park, surrounding the Gallery, with lakes, viewpoints and a zoo.
- Palazzo Altemps: A Renaissance palace displaying part of the National Roman Museum’s ancient sculpture collection, about a 20-minute drive away.
- Spanish Steps: Rome’s famous stepped square, roughly a 15 to 20-minute walk through the gardens.
- Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel: A large museum complex including Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes, about a 30 to 40-minute journey away.
- Via Veneto: A well-known café-lined street bordering the southern edge of Villa Borghese.
Alternative attractions to visit
- Colonna Palace: A private noble family’s palace and picture gallery in central Rome, similar in style to the Borghese collection, about a 20-minute drive away.
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence: One of Italy’s major art museums, with an extensive Renaissance painting collection, roughly a 1.5-hour high-speed train ride away.
- Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence: Home to Michelangelo’s David, also about a 1.5-hour train ride away — see my Florence travel guides for more on planning a visit.
More Rome travel
Other Rome travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Why a private tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum is often the best choice.
- Rome cooking class vs food tour: Which is the best to book?
- Why you should take a closer look at the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona.
- Plan your visit to the Leonardi da Vinci Exhibition in Rome.
- What to expect at the National Etruscan Museum in Rome.
