Museums.artTickets
Number 14 of 20 in Rome

Villa Borghese and the Pincio: Rome's park, and its sunset

Villa Borghese is where Rome goes to breathe. It lies just above the busiest streets of the centre, and ten minutes after leaving the Spanish Steps you can be under the pines.

The small temple of Aesculapius on its island in the lake of Villa Borghese, among trees.
Pierre-Selim Huard, CC BY 4.0
What it is
Garden
Time to allow
1.5 to 3 hours
Cost
Free
Best time
The last two hours before sunset

Rome this week

    Why Villa Borghese is worth it

    The park began in 1605, when Cardinal Scipione Borghese started turning a vineyard outside the walls into the largest gardens Rome had seen since antiquity. The villa he built in them is now the Galleria Borghese. The gardens were remade later in the English manner, with winding paths, a lake and mock temples, and they are now a public park of 80 hectares, the third largest in the city.

    The western edge of the park is the Pincio, a hill that the Romans called the Hill of Gardens. Its terrace, laid out by Giuseppe Valadier between 1809 and 1814, hangs over Piazza del Popolo. From it you see the square and its obelisk below, the roofs of the centre, and St Peter's against the sky.

    After the Forum and the Vatican, a city this dense needs a pause. This is the place for it, and it costs nothing.

    What to see

    1. The Pincio terrace

      Piazzale Napoleone I, at the top of the ramps from Piazza del Popolo. The classic view of Rome at sunset.

    2. The lake

      A small lake with a temple to Aesculapius on an island. Rowing boats are for hire.

    3. The Galleria Borghese

      At the eastern end of the park: Bernini, Caravaggio and Titian in the cardinal's own villa. It needs a booking for a set time.

    4. The avenues

      Hire a bicycle, a pedal cart for four or an electric bike near the Pincio or by the gallery, and take the long avenues of pines between them.

    How to do it well

    • Walk up from Piazza del Popolo by the ramps on its east side, or along the ridge from the top of the Spanish Steps.
    • Pair it with the Galleria Borghese: book the gallery for mid-afternoon and end on the Pincio.
    • The park is large. From the gallery to the Pincio terrace is a good twenty minutes on foot.
    • On Sundays half of Rome is here. For quiet, come on a weekday.
    • With children, the zoo, the Bioparco, is at the northern end of the park.

    Where it is

    Address

    Above Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps

    Nearest station

    Flaminio or Spagna, on line A

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Villa Borghese and the Pincio

    Villa Borghese and the Pincio: common questions

    Is Villa Borghese free?
    Yes. The gardens are a public park and free to enter. The Galleria Borghese inside them is a museum with its own ticket, booked in advance.
    Where is the best sunset view in Rome?
    The Pincio terrace, on the western edge of Villa Borghese above Piazza del Popolo, is the best known: the sun goes down behind the dome of St Peter's.
    How do you get into Villa Borghese?
    From Piazza del Popolo, by the ramps up to the Pincio. From the top of the Spanish Steps, along Viale della Trinità dei Monti. Or from Via Veneto, through the Porta Pinciana.
    How much time do you need for Villa Borghese?
    Allow 1.5 to 3 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about Villa Borghese

    Rating from Google

    4.6

    96,072 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 6 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

    Things to do near Villa Borghese

    The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.

    All 20 things to do in Rome

    Hotels near Villa Borghese

    The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Rome. Distances are in a straight line.

    All 20 hotels in Rome, ranked
    All 20 things to do in RomeMuseums and attractions in Rome