Vatican Gardensis a beautiful landscaped botanical park located in the west of Vatican City on an area of more than 20 hectares. You can only get into the gardens on a guided tour accompanied by government employees. You can’t just walk around here.
The gardens occupy almost half of the entire territory of the Vatican (see them on our Vatican Map). This is not just a beautiful park, it is a whole complex of palaces, towers and other buildings, flower beds, paths and shady alleys, as well as fountains and sources of spring water. Here, on the hilly terrain, among lush subtropical vegetation, you can see many beautiful fountains and sculptures, ancient mosaics and paintings. The trees here include palms, chestnuts, cypresses and pines. You can also find decorative flower beds of cacti and agave.
In the Vatican gardens you can see many beautiful fountains, sculptures and alleys. The photo was taken from the roof of Peter’s Cathedral. Outside the gardens you can see the roofs of the houses of Rome.
During the midday heat, Popes like to stroll along the alleys of the garden, so entry to the gardens for tourists is limited, and at some hours it is completely closed.
A little history. The first gardens on the territory of the Vatican in Rome were laid out in the 13th century. Then they were used to grow vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants. Only in the 16th century a decorative park in the Renaissance style was created on this site. Later, elements of English park art that became popular in the 19th century were introduced into the park. At the same time, a zoo appeared on the territory of the gardens.
The Vatican administration building is also located on the territory of the gardens.
How to get to the Vatican Gardens?
Currently, the Vatican Gardens can only be accessed on an organized tour. To do this, you need to buy a special ticket, which also includes visits to St. Peter’s Cathedral and < a href="https://mashapasha.com/europe/vatikan/museums/">Vatican Museums. It is better to purchase a ticket in advance, 2 months before the trip, since the number of groups is limited, and there are quite a lot of people who want to come here. There are two tour options: two-hour walking tours and 45-minute electric bus tours.
Walking tours lasting two hours are held in the morning at strictly specified times. It is possible to choose a guide in English, Spanish, German or Italian. On Saturdays, one group is recruited with a guide in Russian. You must arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour. Depending on the time of year, the Vatican Gardens tour may begin at 9:30 or 11:00.
Bus excursions are carried out on small open eco-buses with a capacity of up to 28 people. Buses run every half hour in the morning along the alleys of the Vatican Gardens (last departure at 13:00). You are not allowed to get off the bus during the excursion.
Many alleys in the Vatican Gardens are laid out according to the canons of English park art.
Tickets to the Vatican Gardens
Tickets to the gardens must be purchased in advance. You can get here only by purchasing a comprehensive ticket for 33 euros (walking tour) or 37 euros (ride on an open electric bus). These prices are current for 2019. The ticket also includes admission to all Vatican Museums). It is better not to take large bags, umbrellas and other bulky items with you. You will not be allowed into the gardens with them. You can take photographs in the gardens. But you can’t shoot video, although now all cameras record video perfectly, so it’s impossible to control this.
You can Buy a ticket to the Vatican Gardens online at the most popular international one ticket sales site tiqets or on the official website of the Vatican Museums. The price will be approximately the same, but it is more convenient to buy on tiqets, since this ticket will not need to be printed (it can be shown on your phone) and the site promises an additional free VIP service of entry to the gardens without queues. You can buy a ticket for a bus tour on tiqets here. You can buy a regular ticket on the Vatican Museums website here.
Flowers and fountains – decoration of gardens
It is also worth mentioning that in 2014, a separate residence of the popes was opened for tourists in Castle Gandolfo on the shores of Lake Albano, located southeast of Rome. There are papal gardens there too. You can visit the Vatican Gardens and the Gardens of Gandolfo Castle using a different, more expensive all-inclusive ticket. You can find out the price for it and buy here.
Opening hours for the Vatican Gardens:Monday to Tuesday and Thursday to Saturday. The gardens will be closed on Wednesday, Sunday and holidays.
Eagle Fountain – one of the most beautiful fountains in the Vatican
