Twenty minutes rowing past the Temple of Aesculapius while a photographer shoots from the shore: 30 to 50 photos to take home.
- Free cancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before; reserve now and pay later. If it rains the service does not run and you are refunded
- Duration40 minutes (20 minutes rowing, 20 minutes photo shoot on land)
- Starting timesShown when you check availability
- LanguagesItalian, English, French, Spanish
The rowing boats on the Villa Borghese lake leave from a small boat house near the Temple of Aesculapius, and you can take one two ways. Walk up and hire a boat at the kiosk: travel guides give €3 per person for 20 minutes, with lower fares for children. Or book this 40-minute experience from Borghese Routes for $70 per person: a host meets you at the Arch of Septimius Severus in the park and takes you to a reserved boat entrance, you row on your own for 20 minutes while a photographer shoots from the shore, then the shoot continues on land for 20 minutes. You leave with 30 to 50 digital photos on a memory card. It holds 4.7 from 15 reviews of this listing on GetYourGuide.
Book Borghese TicketsKey facts
rowing-boat- Duration
- 40 minutes (20 minutes rowing, 20 minutes photo shoot on land)
- Starts
- Shown when you check availability
- Meeting point
- Arco di Settimio Severo inside Villa Borghese, near the lake; the host wears a red Ferrari cap
- Price
- $70 per person
- Languages
- Italian, English, French, Spanish
- Group size
- Private: your group only, up to 5 people
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before; reserve now and pay later. If it rains the service does not run and you are refunded
Included
- ✓ Rowing boat ride of 20 minutes, rowing yourself
- ✓ Professional photo shoot on the lakeshore and on land (20 minutes)
- ✓ 30 to 50 high-resolution digital photos on a memory card with a smartphone adapter
- ✓ Host from the meeting point to the lake
- ✓ Reserved boat entrance, no queue at the kiosk
Not included
- ✗ Photo prints
- ✗ Food and drinks
- ✗ Tour guide
Meeting point
Villa Borghese, Rome — Do not go to the boat ticket office: the host takes you to the reserved boat entrance.
Where the boats are
The boats are on the small lake in Villa Borghese, the Giardino del Lago, where the boat house rents rowing boats a short row from the Temple of Aesculapius. The temple is an Ionic building put up between 1785 and 1792 by Antonio and Mario Asprucci, with an ancient statue of Aesculapius inside. The lake lies in the western part of the park, closer to the Pincio than to the Borghese Gallery, so allow a walk of several minutes between the two.
Walk-up hire or the booked boat experience
Hire a boat at the kiosk if you just want to row: travel guides put the price at €3 per person for 20 minutes, with lower fares for children, paid on the spot. VisitRome says the kiosk runs roughly from March to October. Book this experience instead if you want photos of yourselves on the water: the price is for the photographer, the 40 minutes of shooting and the host, not for the boat. Proposals and anniversaries are what it is built for; one of the ten latest reviews was a proposal.
- Walk-up hire — About €3 per person for 20 minutes, children less; no booking
- Boat ride with photo shoot — $70 per person, 40 minutes, 30 to 50 photos
Price and season
The experience costs $70 per person and is private for groups of up to 5. The walk-up boats cost about €3 per person for 20 minutes. Neither runs in rain: the operator cancels and refunds in wet weather, and the kiosk's hours depend on the weather. The kiosk's season is roughly March to October, so outside it the booked experience is worth checking for your date.
The photos
You get about 30 to 50 high-resolution photos, the original files, on a memory card with an adapter so you can view them on a compatible smartphone straight away. The operator says it keeps no copies after delivery. Prints are not included. A photographer works from the shore while you row, with the temple behind you, then continues on land for 20 minutes and can suggest poses.
What reviewers say
Of the ten latest reviews, nine give 5 stars and one gives 2 stars without a comment. Four of them praise the host and photographer as patient and attentive. With 15 reviews in all, the 4.7 score rests on a small number of visits, so treat it as an early signal rather than a settled verdict.
| Compared | Walk-up boat hire | Boat ride with photo shoot (this page) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About €3 per person | $70 per person |
| Time on the water | 20 minutes | 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes of photos on land |
| Booking | Pay at the kiosk | Online, free cancellation up to 24 h |
| Photos | Your own | 30 to 50 by a professional photographer |
| Entry | Through the kiosk | Reserved entrance |
What reviewers consistently say
- 9 of the 10 latest reviews give 5 stars and 1 gives 2 stars
- 8 of the 10 latest reviews include a written comment
- 4 of the 10 latest reviews praise the host and photographer
- 1 of the 10 latest reviews was a marriage proposal captured on the shoot
Who should not book this
- Anyone who only wants to row: the walk-up kiosk costs a fraction of the price
- Groups larger than 5, the private group limit
- Rainy days: the service does not run
-
Villa Borghese E-Bike Tour
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Borghese Gallery and Gardens Tour
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if the gallery is the reason you came and the park is the bonus
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4.7(15 · GetYourGuide)
Check prices & dates
Book your tickets in advance: popular time slots sell out.
Villa Borghese Rowing Boats: Lake Hire and Photo Tour
From$70per person
Check availabilityHow to book
To row on your own, walk to the boat house by the lake and pay at the kiosk; no booking is needed. For the photo experience, choose your date and time on the listing and book; you can reserve now and pay later, and cancel free up to 24 hours before. Meet the host in the red Ferrari cap at the Arch of Septimius Severus in the park, not at the boat ticket office. Every other option is on the Borghese Gallery tickets page. This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
How do you rent a rowing boat on the Villa Borghese lake?
Walk to the boat house on the lake and pay at the kiosk. Travel guides give €3 per person for 20 minutes, with lower fares for children; VisitRome says the kiosk runs roughly from March to October, weather permitting.
Do I need to book the boats in advance?
Not for walk-up hire. You book in advance only if you want the experience with a photographer, which costs $70 per person and uses a reserved entrance.
Do the boats run in the rain?
The booked experience does not: it is cancelled and refunded in rain. The walk-up kiosk's hours also depend on the weather.
How many people fit in the booked experience?
It is private for your group, up to 5 people.
Is the Borghese Gallery near the lake?
Both are in Villa Borghese park, but the lake is in the western part, toward the Pincio, and the gallery is on the eastern side. Allow time to walk between them, and book a gallery slot separately.
Sources