Discover the Parks, Gardens, & Hills of Rome, Rome

Enjoy your free morning or afternoon in Rome’s beautiful parks, gardens, and hills. Choose from Villa Borghese, Villa Pamphili, Villa Torlonia, or Gianicolo Hill, and discover the best green spots of the city. Mingle with the locals, give your children some free space to play, and relax and admire the architectural details of the villas while enjoying a coffee or afternoon Aperitivo. 

Suggested Parks and Gardens to Visit:

• The Borghese Gallery is located in a beautiful 17th-century villa. Both the gallery and gardens are worth visiting. Inside, you can admire the artwork, and on a sunny day, the gardens of Villa Borghese are a great spot for a picnic.
  • Buy some fruits and snacks from Campo dei Fiori and head towards this park to see how locals enjoy their free time. Inside the gardens, you'll find the Rome Zoo. It's a great place for families, as you can ride a pony, a Segway, a (four-seater) bike, or a boat in the artificial lakes. You'll also find two playgrounds and the Casina di Rafaello, an indoor recreation center for kids. At the San Carlino Theater, you can enjoy Pulcinella, an interactive puppet show.
  • Pincio, a terrace that lies within the park facing the west, is the best spot to enjoy the city at golden hour! Directly below the terrace is Piazza del Popolo, and beyond, the charming Prati district and the dominating Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican. This is undoubtedly one of the most romantic panoramic views in Rome.
    
    
• Along Gianicolo Hill is a pleasant walk that follows a tree-lined path through parks and piazzas. The views of Rome below are worth the climb alone, but there are also some interesting sites along the way. The open-air puppet theater in the park near Piazzale Garibaldi, Teatrino di Pulcinella al Gianicolo, features the Neapolitan hand-puppet Pulcinella on weekends (half-hour shows are staged in the morning and late afternoon for free).
  • Every day at noon, a cannon goes off to proclaim the time of day. This has happened every single day for the past 165 years, only interrupted once! The hill lies behind the characteristic Trastevere area and is a great spot to enjoy the sunset looking over St. Peter’s Basilica. 
    
    
• The Orange Gardens are located at the top of the Aventine Hill, where you'll also find the Santa Sabina Church. Just a little further along is a secret keyhole in the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, famous for framing St. Peter’s Basilica perfectly. This hill looks out over the Tiber River and the west of the historical center. The view is surrounded by a paradisal garden which offers many shaded spots under its trees. It is thus one of the most tranquil panoramic views in Rome, worthy of a visit.
  
  
• Terrazza Caffarelli is a lesser-known spot located on Capitoline Hill. When you climb the ramped staircase, turn right instead of continuing into the center of the piazza. You’ll come across a small pebbled garden that looks out over the Jewish quarter and several cupolas and has an impressive view of the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument from a unique angle.

Read more about unique and interesting activities in Rome.