Things to Do in Villa Borghese Besides the Gallery
Updated October 27, 2026
Villa Borghese is a public park of about 80 hectares, listed by Rome's heritage office (Sovrintendenza Capitolina) as always open and free to enter. Besides the Borghese Gallery it holds a lake with rowing boats, the Bioparco zoo, two national museums (Villa Giulia for the Etruscans and the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna for 19th- and 20th-century art), smaller city museums, a replica Globe Theatre and, on its southern edge, the Pincio terrace and Villa Medici. Only the museums, the zoo and the activities charge. The walking times below start at the gallery door, so you can plan what to do before or after your two-hour slot.
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#1Borghese Gallery, then the gardens with a guide
$60Bernini, Caravaggio and Canova, then a walk in the park around the villa.
4.7 2,885 reviews
The gallery is the only part of the park that needs a timed ticket, booked in advance: €18 (€16 + €2 fee), about $20, on the official site. This small-group tour adds a guide in the gallery and the gardens: 2.5 hours, groups of up to 15, from $60, rated 4.7 from 2,885 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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#2Row a boat on the lake to the Temple of Aesculapius
$70The Giardino del Lago, redesigned in 1786, with a small Ionic temple on its island.
4.7 15 reviews
The temple stands on an artificial island in the lake, which the Sovrintendenza says is reached by short boat trips. It is about 1.1 km from the gallery, around 14 minutes on foot (OpenStreetMap estimate). This booked option gives you 20 minutes rowing yourselves plus 20 minutes with a photographer on the shore, and 30–50 digital photos, from $70; rated 4.8 from 15 reviews on GetYourGuide. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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#3Ride the park on an e-bike
$67See the whole park, Pincio terrace included, in one ride.
4.9 143 reviews
A 2.5-hour guided e-bike ride on mostly car-free paths through Villa Borghese, with a stop at the Pincio terrace. Helmet, poncho and a child seat (up to 20 kg) are included. Small group or private, from $67; rated 4.9 from 143 reviews of this tour on GetYourGuide. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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Bioparco di Roma (the zoo)
Rome's zoo, opened in 1911 and since redesigned as a biopark.
The zoo was built for the 1911 Exposition and later redesigned with fewer cages. The entrance is about 630 m from the gallery, around 8 minutes on foot (OpenStreetMap estimate), so it suits a family visit before or after a slot. Tickets are sold by the Bioparco itself.
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National Etruscan Museum, Villa Giulia
Etruscan art in a papal summer villa on the park's northern edge.
Villa Giulia was built in 1551–1555 as a summer residence for Pope Julius III and now houses the National Etruscan Museum, home of the Sarcophagus of the Spouses. About 1.6 km from the gallery, around 21 minutes on foot (OpenStreetMap estimate).
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Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna
19th- and 20th-century painting, mostly Italian, on Viale delle Belle Arti.
The national gallery of modern art holds paintings and sculpture from the 19th and 20th centuries, with an emphasis on Italian artists. About 1.1 km from the gallery, around 14 minutes on foot, and about 650 m from Villa Giulia (OpenStreetMap estimates).
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Pincio terrace
The view over Piazza del Popolo, at the park's western edge.
Laid out by Giuseppe Valadier in 1809–1814, the terrace looks over Piazza del Popolo and west across the city skyline. It is free and open. About 1.4 km from the gallery, around 19 minutes on foot (OpenStreetMap estimate). Our Pincio page has sunset times by month.
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Villa Medici
The French Academy in Rome, beside the Pincio.
Villa Medici houses the French Academy in Rome and runs its own visits and exhibitions. It is about 500 m from the Pincio terrace and about 1.6 km from the Borghese Gallery on foot (OpenStreetMap estimates).
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Gigi Proietti Globe Theatre
A wooden replica of Shakespeare's Globe, near Piazza di Siena.
Built in 2003 as the Silvano Toti Globe Theatre and since renamed after the actor Gigi Proietti, it stages plays in its own season. About 740 m from the gallery, around 10 minutes on foot (OpenStreetMap estimate).
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Piazza di Siena and the small city museums
The oval arena of the 1960 Olympics and two small museums nearby.
Piazza di Siena held its first horse show in 1922 and the jumping events of the 1960 Rome Olympics; it is about 630 m from the gallery (OpenStreetMap estimate). Nearby are the Museo Pietro Canonica, the sculptor's studio-house, and the Museo Carlo Bilotti in the park's orangery. Both are city museums run by Rome's Sovrintendenza.
Frequently asked questions
Is Villa Borghese free to enter?
Yes. The park is free and the Sovrintendenza lists it as always open. Only the Borghese Gallery, the other museums, the zoo and paid activities need a ticket.
What is there to do in Villa Borghese with kids?
The Bioparco zoo (about 8 minutes on foot from the gallery), rowing boats on the lake, and the Casina di Raffaello, which the Sovrintendenza lists as a play centre for children. Note that children under 18 still need a booked ticket for the gallery (free for EU citizens, plus the €2 fee).
How long should I spend in Villa Borghese?
The gallery slot takes two hours. Add about 20 minutes on foot to reach the Pincio terrace, or half a day if you add Villa Giulia or the zoo.
Is the Borghese Gallery the same as Villa Borghese?
No. Villa Borghese is the free public park; the Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese) is the ticketed museum inside it, in the cardinal's former villa.
What is near the Borghese Gallery?
Within 10 minutes on foot: the Bioparco, Piazza di Siena, the Museo Pietro Canonica and the Globe Theatre. The Via Pinciana gate and Porta Pinciana are about 650 m away (OpenStreetMap estimates).
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