The Vatican Gardens in brief
The gardens cover roughly 22 hectares, about half of the territory of Vatican City State, and their history goes back to Pope Nicholas III. They lie behind the buildings of the museums and the basilica, so you cannot simply wander in from the street.
In the booking menu they are a category of their own, next to the museum visit. Treat the gardens as a separate booking. The general museum ticket is for the museums and the Sistine Chapel, and it does not turn into a free walk through the grounds.
Ways to see the gardens
Two formats are common. A third visit sounds similar but is somewhere else.
| Option | What it is | Check before booking |
|---|---|---|
| Guided visit | A booked tour through the grounds with a guide | Language, start time, duration and whether the museums are included |
| Open bus | A drive of around 45 minutes, without getting off | Price, minimum age, wheelchair access and the current terms |
| Castel Gandolfo | The Papal Palace and Secret Garden, outside Rome | It is not the Vatican Gardens; see below |
Product details change from season to season. Compare duration, price, language and what is included on the listing for your date, and do not assume that an offer for one year holds for the next.
Our picks: Vatican Gardens
A minibus ride through the gardens or a guided visit, each combined with the museums and Sistine Chapel.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided visit of the gardens, museums and Sistine Chapel
Priority tickets for the gardens, museums and Sistine Chapel, with a guide and headsets. The dome is not included.
Check availability →Garden minibus tour with museums and Sistine Chapel
A fast-track ticket for the museums and the Sistine Chapel plus a minibus ride through the gardens with a multilingual audio guide. There is no audio guide for the museums.
Check availability →Vatican Gardens tours and combinations
Guided garden visits and combinations with the museums, with live prices and availability. Read which entries each one includes.
Planning a garden visit
What to settle before you pick a date.
Pick a weekday
The gardens are closed on Sundays and holidays. That includes the free museum Sundays, so the free day does not help here. The opening hours page lists the closed days in 2026.
Check what the booking includes
Some offers combine the gardens with the museums, others sell the gardens alone. Look for the museum entry, the Sistine Chapel and the start time before you compare prices.
Match it to the museum visit
If you also have a museum ticket, give the two visits clear time slots and allow for the walk between the meeting points. The tours page shows how guided options differ.
Dress for walking
A garden visit is mostly outdoors, so comfortable shoes and weather-ready clothes matter more than in the halls. The dress code for the museums still applies when your visit continues indoors.
Expect security checks
Metal detectors apply to every museum visitor, whatever the booking. Keep the day light: large bags go to the free cloakroom.
Do not confuse them with Castel Gandolfo
The papal villas outside Rome have their own tickets.
The Papal Palace and Secret Garden at Castel Gandolfo are a different visit from the Vatican Gardens in Rome. The full ticket costs €12 in 2026, and reduced tickets cost €6 for ages 7 to 18 and for enrolled students up to 25, with proof. Children up to 6 enter free. These prices are for the entry only, not for a day trip from Rome.
For the garden grounds, the basilica and the square beside them, the sister guides are a good next step: the page on the Vatican Gardens and the guide to St. Peter's Basilica.
What to know about the grounds
A few points that shape the day.
History
The gardens date back to Pope Nicholas III. A guide is the way to hear more of that history on site, because a visit is organised as a tour and not as a free stroll.
Size
About half of Vatican City State is a large area to cover. That is one reason the gardens are visited on a booked tour or by bus, not as a walk-in area.
Weather and season
A garden visit depends on the day. Check the current listing for the season and hours, and keep a plan B for rain. The best time page shows monthly climate averages for Rome.
Children and mobility
Minimum ages and wheelchair access differ by format, and the bus format has carried age and wheelchair limits. Read the terms of the listing you choose before you book with children or with a wheelchair user.
Vatican Gardens: frequently asked questions
Can I visit the Vatican Gardens with a normal museum ticket?
No. The gardens are a separate category in the booking menu. The museum ticket covers the museums and the Sistine Chapel on the day it is issued.
When are the gardens closed?
On Sundays and holidays. That includes the free last Sunday of the month, when the museums are open but the gardens are not.
How large are the Vatican Gardens?
About 22 hectares, sometimes given as 23, which is roughly half of Vatican City State.
How long is the open bus ride?
Around 45 minutes, without getting off. Check the current listing for the price, minimum age and wheelchair access, because these terms change.
Are the Vatican Gardens the same as Castel Gandolfo?
No. Castel Gandolfo is a separate visit outside Rome, with a Papal Palace and Secret Garden ticket of €12 full and €6 reduced in 2026.