🏛 Vatican gardens: tickets, dress code and a tour of the papal residence

The Vatican Gardens cover almost half of the world's smallest state. There is no free access here: you can only walk the paths of the papal residence on an official tour. The green area spans nearly 23 hectares (according to the Vatican Museums, 09/2026).

Practical details below: what to see in the historic areas, where to book a ticket, and how to get there from Termini station.

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How the Vatican Gardens came to be

💡 In short:

The Vatican Gardens are accessible only on a tour and by advance booking.
Tickets are sold on the official Vatican Museums portal, where you also choose the date and group language.
The entrance to the gardens is in the Vatican Museums, nearest metro station: Ottaviano.
Prices and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the official website.

The gardens are older than the Vatican state itself. The area around the tomb of Saint Peter was considered holy, so for a long time nobody settled here. In the 4th century, the first basilica was built over the burial site, and houses began to appear next to it.

The first plantings appeared in the 13th century. Pope Nicholas III built a new palace in the Vatican and laid out a medicinal herb garden next to it. Each successive pontiff added something of his own, which is why the gardens still look like a collection of different eras today.

Painted bench with the Vatican coat of arms in the garden

A place for the pope's rest and work

For the pope, the garden serves as both an open-air office and a place to rest. The pontiff is busy almost around the clock, so the green part of the Vatican is designed to allow him to simply spend time outdoors.

The garden is also valued as a place of quiet. Vatican employees and residents have their own favorite corners where they can get away from the city noise. Several dozen gardeners tend the plantings (according to the official Vatican Museums website, 09/2026).

The plants are set on the southern slopes of the Vatican hills, and a high wall covered with ivy from top to bottom protects them from the winds. The climate in this part of Italy is mild: frost is rare and the soil is fertile, so even exotic species take root.

The gardens are watered by an automatic system. Since the 17th century, water has come from an aqueduct that runs from a lake dozens of kilometers away. Even in a dry summer, the greenery here stays fresh.

Each corner has its own era

The gardens have no single plan: nobody designed them as a whole. So each corner here belongs to its own era, and styles sit side by side without any logic.

Pope Pius IV was fond of park design and built several buildings in the gardens. He surrounded them with fountains and cascades. Under Clement XI, rare subtropical plants began to be cultivated in the Vatican, and a spot behind the wall, sheltered from the wind, was set aside for them.

Over time, this corner turned into a small forest of exotic species. A banana tree and a flowering oleander do not grow next to each other in nature, but here they grow just fine. This very eclecticism became the defining feature of the Vatican Gardens.

Boy at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens

The English garden

The English garden is recognizable by its small waterfall. It is not a real stream but a skillful imitation blended into the landscape. Statues and columns stand nearby, and the picturesque fragments are covered with moss and centuries of greenery.

The stones seem scattered at random, but the composition is precisely arranged: it looks calm and cohesive. There is less geometry and more free-form layout here compared with other areas of the gardens.

Panorama of the Vatican Gardens and Rome rooftops on the horizon

The Italian garden

The Italian garden is built on rare species and dense greenery. An acacia grows here with flowers that resemble a cockscomb: it blooms nine months of the year. Azaleas are displayed in pots on stands and directly on the ground.

Clay vessels, seemingly placed at random, add an antique feel to the landscape. Caring for such variety is difficult, but the rare plants are considered the main value of this part of the Vatican Gardens.

Panorama of the Vatican Gardens with St. Peter's Basilica

The French gardens

The calling card of the Vatican Gardens is in the French section: the green arches over the paths. Keeping them in perfect condition is not easy. The yew that winds around the arches has to be trimmed regularly, and the same work is done on the yew borders framing the lawns.

Complex figures are also shaped from this shrub. It is, in essence, topiary art at its finest. Gardeners maintain the shapes for months, otherwise the lines lose their crispness and the whole composition falls apart.

The Vatican Gardens cannot be called a strict example of landscape architecture. The styles are mixed here, and critics speak of excessive eclecticism. But that is the charm: in one garden, magnolias bloom, cacti of various kinds grow, along with evergreen spruces, cedars, and African palms. All of them thrive. African green parrots live and nest in the gardens.

How to visit the Vatican Gardens

You can enter the Vatican Museums on almost any day, but not the gardens. The grounds remain the pope's active residence, so access is only allowed as part of a group and at strictly designated times. There are few groups, and spots fill up well in advance.

Book on the official museums portal (tickets.museivaticani.va, 09/2026). A museum ticket costs 20 €, the skip-the-line option is 25 € (as of 09/2026, Vatican Museums price list). The gardens tour costs more than a regular ticket: it runs in small groups, and the route includes the museums and the Sistine Chapel (according to the official tours portal, 09/2026).

It is best not to change the date: tickets are non-refundable, and the paid document is exchanged for a paper ticket at the entrance (according to the museums' official website, 09/2026). In high season, pick a time slot several weeks before your trip, otherwise only inconvenient hours will be left.

Entrance to the Vatican Museums with inscription and sculptures

Tickets for gardens tours are also sold through major services, where it is easier to compare dates and formats in advance: gardens tickets and tours on Tiqets.

Tours and tickets in Vatican

Guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and activities — most offers can be cancelled free of charge.

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Visiting rules and tips for tourists

Prepare in advance: you should not come to the Vatican in overly revealing clothing. Bare shoulders and knees are not appropriate here, and the dress code is mentioned on the museums' official website, 09/2026.

In the gardens, you cannot pick plants, wander far from the guide, or photograph the Swiss Guards, the pope's personal security. These same guards screen you at the entrance. Leave bulky items, knives, and tripods at the hotel.

Bring a spare memory card and charge your camera: there are many landscapes in the gardens, and you will not be able to return to the same path. Light trousers and a shirt made of natural fabric handle the heat better than heavy clothing.

How to get there on your own

Buses and trains run from Fiumicino Airport to Termini Station. The metro is right under the station: take line A to Ottaviano-San Pietro, and from there it is about a ten-minute walk to St. Peter's Square (on the map).

Bus sixty-four leaves from Termini, bus sixty from Piazza della Repubblica. If you are unsure about the route, ask the driver "Vaticano?".

If you are staying in central Rome, walking is easier: from Piazza Navona to the Vatican takes about half an hour on foot (on the map). The route through the center takes longer, but you pass squares and bridges along the way.

Vatican Gardens on the map

The gardens lie behind St. Peter's Basilica, on the slope of Vatican Hill. The walk starts from the museum entrance on Viale Vaticano, so check the map to see how long it takes from the metro.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Can you walk through the Vatican Gardens on your own?

No. The gardens remain the pope's private grounds, and access is open only to organized guided groups. A free stroll along the paths is not possible, but the tour usually includes the museums and the Sistine Chapel. Choose your date in advance: in high season, slots run out several weeks ahead.

How much does a Vatican Gardens ticket cost?

The price depends on the format: a walking group, a minibus, or an extended tour with the museums. Check the exact cost of the garden tour on the official portal when selecting a date. Tickets are non-refundable.

What days are the Vatican Museums open?

The museums are open Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 to 20:00, with the last entry at 18:00. On the last Sunday of the month, the doors are open from 9:00 to 14:00, with the last entry at 12:30 (as of 09/2026, museum hours). The garden tour schedule differs from the general museum hours, so check it when booking.

What can't you bring into the Vatican?

Large items, knives, and tripods will have to be left behind. It's also better not to bring heavy photography equipment.

How do you get to the gardens from Termini station?

Go down to the metro under the station and take line A to Ottaviano-San Pietro station. From there it's about a ten-minute walk to St. Peter's Square; the museum entrance is on Viale Vaticano. An alternative: bus sixty-four, which runs from Termini.

In short: what's worth booking

If you're going to Rome for the Vatican, plan your visit in advance: garden tour slots go quickly, and you can't get in without a guide.

If you have one day: take a morning garden tour that includes the museums.
If you're traveling with children: choose the minibus format; the walking group takes about two hours outdoors.
If you have more time: add a separate day for St. Peter's Basilica and the square in front of it.

Staying right by the Vatican walls isn't necessary: from Ottaviano metro station it's easy to reach the entrance from central Rome. Find a hotel in Rome near the Vatican.

Vatican gardens: how to get a tour of the pope's residence