Borghese Gallery Guided Tour Rome: Skip-the-Line Entry

Stand in front of Bernini's Apollo and Daphne without waiting in line

A guided tour of Rome's Borghese Gallery with skip-the-line entry, limited to fifteen people, led by an official guide in English or Italian. The tour covers two hours inside twenty rooms holding works by Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio and Raphael, including the marble Apollo and Daphne (1622–1625), Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix, and Caravaggio's Young Sick Bacchus. Arrive fifteen minutes before departure. Some rooms may be closed for refurbishment.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Borghese Gallery sculptures and paintings

• Enter Borghese Gallery without queue
• View Apollo and Daphne sculpture
• See Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix
• Admire Two Busts of Cardinal Scipione Borghese
• Observe Truth Unveiled by Time sculpture
• Discover David sculpture by Bernini

The experience

The Borghese Gallery sits in one of Rome's most famous villas, and the skip-the-line entry means you walk straight in instead of queuing at the door. Your guide is assigned by the operator and conducts the tour in English or Italian. Headsets are available if you need them. The group stays at fifteen people maximum, so you move through the rooms without the crush that hits the public queues later in the day.

Two hours inside the gallery takes you through twenty rooms. Bernini's sculptures dominate: Apollo and Daphne frozen mid-transformation, Truth Unveiled by Time, David about to sling the stone at Goliath, and the two portrait busts of Cardinal Scipione Borghese carved in 1632. Canova's Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix sits in neoclassical repose, commissioned by her husband and moved between Turin and Genoa before arriving here in 1838. Caravaggio's paintings include Young Sick Bacchus and Boy with a Basket of Fruit, works that anchor the collection's reputation.

Arrive at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled start time. Late arrivals will not be accommodated. Public transportation runs near the gallery, and the tour suits all fitness levels. Note that some rooms may close temporarily for refurbishment, which can shift what you see on any given day.

What’s included

• Entrance fees to the Borghese Gallery.
• guided tour with a live guide in English or Italian.
• skip-the-line entry so you walk straight in.
• headsets if you need them.
• semi-private group capped at fifteen people (or five on the small group option).

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English8 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:00

Guide in English12:00 and 16:00

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to Sunday9 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 17:00

Book up toStart time

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Meet your guide in front the entrance of the Borghese Gallery. The guide will have a sign with the logo of the Agency Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Doooing Experience

Is this one for you?Book this semi-private tour if you want guaranteed entry without queuing and prefer a smaller group than the public option. The 15-person limit lets you linger with each masterpiece rather than navigate crowds.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Apollo and Daphne, the sculpture everyone mentions at the Borghese Gallery?

Apollo and Daphne is a life-size marble sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, carved between 1622 and 1625, that captures the moment in Ovid's Metamorphosis when the nymph Daphne transforms into a laurel tree as Apollo reaches for her. It is considered a seminal work of Baroque sculpture and sits in the Borghese Gallery.

How many rooms does the tour cover?

The tour walks through twenty rooms inside the Borghese Gallery, where the major works by Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio and Raphael are displayed across the collection.

Can I choose between a standard group tour and a smaller option?

Yes. You can book the semi-private tour with up to fifteen people, or choose the small group option limited to a maximum of five participants. Both include skip-the-line entry and a live guide in English or Italian.

What time do I need to arrive before the tour starts?

Arrive at least fifteen minutes before your scheduled departure time. Late arrivals will not be accommodated or refunded.

Are any rooms in the gallery likely to be closed?

Some rooms of the Borghese Gallery may be closed temporarily due to refurbishment works, which can affect which pieces you see on the day of your visit.

Is the tour suitable if I have mobility concerns?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The gallery spans twenty rooms, so you will be walking and standing for the full two hours.