Booking is mandatory for everyone (even minors, free tickets, and the first Sunday of the month): entry happens in two-hour slots with a maximum capacity of about 180 people per slot. The full-price ticket costs €16 + €2 booking fee = €18; reduced EU 18–25 €2; free under 18 (+€2). Slots sell out weeks ahead: book as early as you can. Always verify prices and availability on the official site before buying.
How mandatory booking works
The Borghese Gallery is one of Italy's most restricted museums. For security reasons and to protect the artworks inside a 17th-century palace, access is capped in two-hour time slots with a fixed number of visitors. Each slot admits up to about 180 people, with entries starting every hour (9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM… up to the last slot at 5:45 PM, which is shorter).
Booking is mandatory for everyone, no exceptions: under-18s (free ticket), categories entitled to free or reduced entry, Roma Pass holders, and free-entry days like the first Sunday of the month. As the museum states, "free entry doesn't exempt you from booking." Without a booking, entry isn't guaranteed, even with a ticket bought elsewhere.
The current official site states 180 people per slot with hourly entries. Some third-party sources and older versions still mention 360 people and two-hour intervals: this figure can change, so verify on the official site before buying.
Other Rome experiences you shouldn't miss
Once you've secured your Borghese Gallery ticket, it's worth building a Rome day around it. Many visitors pair the museum with a walk through the Villa Borghese gardens, a guided tour dedicated to Bernini and Caravaggio in Rome, or a tour that also covers the Pincio terrace and Piazza del Popolo. Anyone staying longer in Rome often adds the Vatican Museums and the historic center's other classics.
2026 ticket prices
According to the official "Ticket Info" page, current prices are as follows. The €2 booking fee always applies to every ticket type, even free ones.
| Type | Entry | Booking fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full price | €16 | €2 | €18 |
| Full price, last slot (5:45 PM) | €11 | €2 | €13 |
| Reduced 18–25 (EU) | €0 | €2 | €2 |
| Free (under 18 and other categories) | €0 | €2 | €2 |
The reduced rate applies to EU citizens 18–25, until the day of their 25th birthday. Maximum 5 tickets per purchase. Prices may increase during temporary exhibitions. Figures indicative as of 2026-07, re-verify on the official site.
The simplest package for anyone who doesn't want to chase the official calendar is an audio-guide ticket from an authorized reseller: it costs more than the bare minimum because it includes assistance and the audio guide, but it guarantees a slot even when the museum's site is sold out.
Skip-the-line ticket with audio guide
Priority entry with a guaranteed time slot and digital audio guide covering Bernini, Caravaggio, Canova, and Raphael. Rated 4.6 from 2,600+ reviews — stay up to 4 hours.
How to book, step by step
A) Online (recommended)
- Go to the Borghese Gallery's official site and click "Buy," which redirects to the authorized ticketing circuit.
- Select the date, time slot, and ticket type.
- Pay online: you'll receive a voucher by email with a booking code/QR.
- On the day of your visit, show the voucher at the ticket office (from your phone is fine) to collect your ticket.
B) By phone
Call center +39 06 32810, active Monday–Friday 9:30 AM–6 PM.
C) In person
At the ticket office (basement level), open from 8:30 AM until an hour before closing. There's a high risk of finding everything sold out.
There's no fixed official sales-opening window: releases are irregular, sometimes less than 50 days ahead. The practical advice is to check the official calendar frequently and book as soon as your desired dates appear, especially for weekends, spring, fall, and exhibition periods.
If it's sold out: last-minute tickets and third-party tours
A limited number of last-minute tickets are available every day, purchasable only at the ticket office and not guaranteed: on sale from minute 20 of each hour, with a shorter visit, maximum 2 per person. Not available on institutional free-entry days (first Sunday of the month, etc.).
When the official channel is sold out, the most reliable alternative is a package from an authorized reseller like GetYourGuide: these operators hold their own allocation and often have slots available when the official site is sold out, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. They cost more than the official ticket because they include an audio guide or live guide, but they're the most concrete plan B for important dates.
Flexible plan B: ticket or guided tour, your choice
Ticket + audio guide or guided tour (your choice)
Same skip-the-line ticket, with the option — at checkout — to add a guided tour in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, or Portuguese. Rated 4.5 from 3,400+ reviews.
The museum itself clarifies that, strictly speaking, there's no such thing as a skip-the-line ticket: since everyone enters on a booked time slot, what matters is securing slot availability, not avoiding a line. Be wary of marketing that promises "priority" access as an exclusive perk — the value of these packages lies in the audio guide, the guide, and availability when everything else is sold out.
Free entry and reductions
Free first Sunday of the month
Entry is free for everyone on the first Sunday of every month and on certain public holidays. In practice: tickets are available only 10 days ahead of the date, booking remains mandatory (€2), and there are no last-minute tickets. They go fast: monitor the site as soon as sales open.
Free categories (+ €2 booking fee)
Under-18s; students and faculty from certain programs (architecture, cultural heritage conservation, art-history/archaeology-focused humanities, fine-arts academies); Ministry of Culture employees; ICOM members; EU school groups with teachers; tenured Italian schoolteachers.
Also exempt from the €2 booking fee
People with disabilities and one companion; licensed EU tour guides on duty; journalists with a valid press card; children up to 5 years old. Booking still remains mandatory. Anyone entitled to free or reduced entry must show the document proving it.
Roma Pass, membership, and audio guides
- Roma Pass (48h/72h): the gallery is included, but booking is still mandatory and the €2 fee still applies. Book at least 10 days ahead (20 in high season).
- Gallery membership (from around €40 for ages 18–30): unlimited entry for 12 months, exhibition previews, and a 20% discount on audio guides and guided tours.
- Official guided tours from the museum: about €8 per person on top of the ticket, in Italian and English, 90 minutes, max 15 people.
- Official audio guides: rentable on-site for about €5, in multiple languages, as an alternative to the app included in many packages.
For anyone who really wants to understand the artworks — why Apollo and Daphne changed sculpture, or what's happening in the Caravaggio room — a small-group guided tour with an art historian remains the most-chosen format.
Small-group guided tour with skip-the-line entry
A licensed art historian guides you through Bernini, Caravaggio, and Canova at the pace of the 2-hour slot. Rated 4.7 from 2,700+ reviews — the most-loved guided tour in this lineup.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the most common questions about prices, booking, free entry, and access.
Is booking really mandatory?
Yes, for everyone, including minors, free tickets, and the first Sunday of the month. Entry is by two-hour time slots with a maximum capacity of about 180 people per slot. Without a booking you can't enter, even with a ticket bought elsewhere.
How much does the ticket cost?
Full price €16 + €2 booking fee = €18. Last slot at 5:45 PM: €11 + €2 = €13. EU citizens aged 18–25 and free-entry categories pay only the €2 booking fee. Prices may increase during temporary exhibitions.
Can you enter without booking?
Only with last-minute tickets at the ticket office, sold from minute 20 of each hour, maximum 2 per person, not guaranteed, and with a shorter visit. Not available on free-entry days like the first Sunday of the month.
Is the first Sunday of the month free?
Yes, entry is free for everyone, but booking remains mandatory and the €2 booking fee still applies. Tickets are available only 10 days before the date and there are no last-minute tickets.
Is there a skip-the-line ticket?
Strictly speaking, no: entry is always by booked time slot, so what matters is securing slot availability, not avoiding a line. Third-party packages like GetYourGuide include a ticket and audio guide or tour, and often have their own availability when the official channel is sold out.
What if official tickets are sold out?
You can try last-minute tickets at the ticket office (not guaranteed) or buy a package from an authorized reseller like GetYourGuide: they hold their own allocation and often have slots when the official site is sold out, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Does the Roma Pass work?
Yes, the gallery is included in the Roma Pass circuit, but booking remains mandatory and the €2 booking fee still applies. It's best to book at least 10 days ahead, 20 in high season.
Where is the Borghese Gallery?
Piazzale Scipione Borghese 5, inside Villa Borghese park. The park itself is free and open access; only the Gallery requires a ticket. See also our complete guide to the museum.
