Boboli Gardens – Renaissance Italian Gardens and a UNESCO Heritage Site

Nestled behind Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens offer a serene escape from Florence's bustling streets. Spanning 45,000 square meters, these gardens feature one of the earliest examples of formal Italian landscaping, showcasing groundbreaking symmetrical designs. Stroll through tree-lined paths, admire Renaissance fountains, ancient grottos, an amphitheater, and elegant temples that reflect the legacies of the Medici, Lorraine, and Savoy dynasties. Explore curated tickets, tours, and our handy guide to plan the perfect visit.

Things to know before you buy Boboli Gardens tickets

  • Most tickets include skip-the-line entry, saving valuable time, especially during busy summer months. However, security checks may still cause minor delays.
  • Many tickets also grant access to Villa Bardini Gardens, with its breathtaking views of Florence, and the Porcelain Museum, which houses exquisite European artworks.
  • Guided tours are a great way to bring the stories of the Medici family, Renaissance art, and architectural brilliance to life. Expert guides reveal the hidden features of the gardens, like the Grotta del Buontalenti, and provide a deeper appreciation of Florence's history. Small group tours are perfect for those who want an intimate, interactive experience with plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
  • Located just steps away, Pitti Palace, complements the gardens perfectly. A visit to the palace reveals opulent rooms, priceless art collections, and Medici history, while the gardens provide a peaceful retreat and stunning views.
  • Combo Tickets: For a broader experience,combo tickets including the Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace, and Boboli Gardens offer discounted rates and five-day validity allowing you to explore the heart of the Medici district at your own pace.
  • Enhance your experience by walking the Medici’s exclusive passage connecting the Uffizi Gallery to the Boboli Gardens. This recently reopened Vasari Corridor offers a unique glimpse into their private world and spectacular views of Florence.
  • Tickets allow for single entry only and may be checked at multiple points.
  • Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month, but these days attract large crowds, and priority access is unavailable. 
  • Certain groups—such as children under 18, visitors with disabilities, ICOM members, and Florence residents—are eligible for free entry year-round.

Which Boboli Gardens ticket is best for you?

Skip-the-line entry

  • Bypass long queues saving valuable time.
  • Provides access to the Boboli Gardens, along with neighboring attractions like the Porcelain Museum and Bardini Gardens
  • These tickets are perfect for independent travelers who want to explore at their own pace.

Recommended tickets:

  • Pitti Palace & Palatine Gallery, Boboli & Bardini Gardens Skip-the-Line Tickets

Guided tours

  • Guided tours combine expert storytelling with hassle-free entry, allowing you to uncover the hidden stories of Boboli Gardens, the Medici family, and Renaissance art.
  • A tour streamlines your visit, ensuring you don't miss any highlights while avoiding potential confusion or overwhelm within the expansive palace and gardens.
  • Small group tours ensure a more personalized experience with plenty of opportunities for interaction.

Recommended tickets:

  • Pitti Palace, Palatine Gallery & Boboli Gardens Guided Tour

Combo tickets

  • Combo tickets bundle multiple Florence attractions into a single ticket, offering convenience, flexibility, and savings.
  • The access extends beyond Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens to other iconic Florence landmarks like the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo Florence (including all it's famous sub-attractions), among others.
  • Some tickets are valid for up to five days, giving you plenty of time to take in Florence’s highlights at your own pace.

Recommended tickets:

  • Florence 5-Day Pass: Uffizi Gallery, Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens Tickets
  • Combo: Florence Cathedral Tickets + Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens Guided Tour
  • Medici's Mile Guided Walking Tour with Boboli Gardens Tickets

Special access tickets

  • These tickets provide access to exclusive areas like the recently reopened Vasari Corridor, once a private Medici passage connecting the Uffizi Gallery to Boboli Gardens.
  • Walking the Vasari Corridor gives you rare insights into the Medici’s private world while offering breathtaking views of Florence.
Book tickets

Highlights of the Boboli Gardens

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Kaffeehaus

One of the top highlights of Boboli Gardens is the Kaffeehaus that was built between 1774 and 1785. It was used as a resting place where the court could enjoy a hot cup of chocolate on their walks.

Madama Grotto

Grotto di Madama, built between 1553 and 1555, is located in a small garden along the wall of San Giorgio Convent. It has been designed by Davide Fortini and features a stone frame with an artificial rock set, animal sculptures surrounded by artificial stalactites, marble flooring, and more.

Lemon House

Built between 1777 and 1778, Lemon House was designed to collect the citrus trees displayed in the Boboli Gardens, especially Island Garden, during the winter months. It is still used to hold over 500 citrus plants and features a small garden outside it with four large flower beds of roses.

Amphitheatre

Once you begin your tour of the Boboli Gardens, you will come across the amphitheater adjoined to the hill behind Pitti Palace. It was made from the excess stones brought down from the hillside for the construction of the palace and has been decorated with Roman statues. An Egyptian obelisk was brought from Luxor and placed in the center here in 1789.

Upper Botanical Garden

The Upper Botanical Garden that is located to the west of Cypress Lane. Here you can find several ponds for aquatic plants and a wide range of exotic plants, including pineapple. The layout of this garden dates back to the mid-19th century, and this garden was added as part of the enlargement of the Boboli Gardens in the 17th century.

Garden of Camellias

Located between the southern wing of Palazzo Pitti and the Sundial building, the Garden of Camellias was built to connect Prince Mattias de Medici’s private apartments with the Boboli Gardens. It was rearranged in 1688. The Camellias planted this garden at the end of the 1700s as they had recently become popular.

Viottolone

The Viottolone is a large avenue that slopes down the hill and leads to the Porta Romana exit. It features several terraces and tunnels that offer shade and make a good spot for sitting or reading a book. This avenue is surrounded by cypresses and statues and leads to the Isolotto pond. In this pond, you will see the beautiful fountain named Ocean by Giambologna.

Giardino Del Cavaliere

Giardino Del Cavaliere can be reached by a double staircase. It is located on the rampart of the wall built by Michelangelo in 1529 and is a beautiful meadow to stroll around. From this meadow, you can enjoy views of Torre al Gallo and several private Florentine manors.

The Porcelain Museum

The Porcelain Museum, housed in the Casino del Cavaliere within Boboli Gardens, showcases a remarkable collection of European porcelain, including pieces from Capodimonte, Doccia, Sèvres, Meissen, and others. It ranks among the world's top art museums.

Bardini Gardens

Bardini Gardens is a lovely neighbor of Boboli Gardens - just as beautiful, with much more solitude. Highlights include a baroque staircase, a gorgeous canopy of purple wisteria, and the 17th-century Bardini Villa, now home to cultural exhibitions and a museum dedicated to the Florentine painter Pietro Annigoni.

Plan your visit to Boboli Gardens

Boboli Garden Tickets
  • Opening hours from Monday to Sunday: 8:15 am
  • Closing hours: January, February, November, December: 4:30 pm
    March and October (Standard time): 5:30 pm
    March (Daylight savings time), April, May, September, October (Daylight savings time): 6:30 pm
    June, July, August: 7:10 pm
  • Last entry: One hour before the closing time
  • Closing days: First and last Monday of each month, 25 December

Best time to visit

The gardens offer different experiences depending on the season. While spring are blooming with fragra lush greenery and the gorgeous purple flowers, summer can be hot and golden. Fall and winter visits offer quieter surroundings but may require extra precautions due to wet benches and colder temperatures.

Best visiting hours for Boboli Gardens

Address: Piazza Pitti, 1 50125 Firenze FI

  • By bus: Take lines C3, C4, 37, 6A, 11, 131
    Nearest stop: Piazza San Felice
  • By tram: Take line T1
    Nearest stop: Unita
  • By train: Take line R
    Nearest stop: Santa Maria Novella
  • By car:
    You can reach Boboli Gardens by car but there are a lot of traffic restrictions in the area and limited car parking spaces. To enter ZTL of Florence (limited traffic area), find a garage to leave your car to get your license plate registered and avoid fines.
    Car Parks: The closest car park to Boboli Gardens is located near Porta Romana.
Best ways to reach Boboli Gardens
Boboli Garden Tickets
  • Pitti Palace entrance: Straight from Palazzo Pitti courtyard to Boboli Gardens. All kinds of ticket holders can enter, including those with skip-the-line, guided tour, or audio-visual guide tickets. Another dedicated accessible entrance is also available at the left side of Pitti Palace courtyard.
  • Belvedere Fort: The entrance reopened in July 2022, and can be found on one of the hills within the Boboli Gardens from the Belvedere Fort. It is open to all, including those with reduced mobility.
  • Porta Romana: Located on the southern side of the gardens, an ancient gate built in the 13th century. Suited for everyone seeking a convenient and direct way to explore the Boboli Gardens.
  • Via Romano (Annalena Entrance): Located near the Boboli Gardens Amphitheatre, also known as the Annalena Entrance, this entrance is halfway between Romana and Pitti entrances suitable for all tourists except those with reduced mobility.
    *Pro tip:* Start your journey from the Porta Romana side and head towards the exit near Palazzo Pitti. Enjoy a serene start amidst tree-lined Violottone, before climbing for a panoramic view of Florence. Explore busier garden sections before heading to Bardini Gardens or descending towards Pitti Palace and central Florence.
Which Boboli Gardens entrances to choose?
Boboli Garden Tickets
  • Restroom: Located at Annalena entrance, near the Amphitheatre, in the Porcelain Museum, and near the Garden of the "Hair Washer" Statue.
  • Drinking fountain: Available near the Garden of Madama, Knight's Garden, Grotto of Adam and Eve, and Meadow of the Columns.
  • Bookshop: Located in the courtyard of Pitti Palace.
  • Baby pit-stop: Dedicated room for breastfeeding, changing, and relaxation in the basement, near the Amphitheatre.
  • Cloakroom: Free service available on the right side of the Ammannati Court.
Plan your visit to Boboli Gardens
Boboli Garden Tickets
  • All Boboli Gardens entrances support accessibility. Visitors with mobility impairments or special health needs can access the gardens via Door 1 under the colonnade, equipped with an elevator leading directly to the second floor.
  • Free rental of wheelchairs and walkers is available at the ticket office, no booking or deposit required, subject to availability.
  • Use of electric scooters is evaluated case-by-case for safety. Visitors may be asked to transfer to museum wheelchairs at no extra cost.
  • Guide dogs for the blind and assistance dogs are permitted, provided they wear appropriate harnesses and leashes.
  • Accessible toilets are available within the gardens, including one near the Chestnut Meadow area and another at the entrance to Annalena.
  • Prams and pushchairs are allowed in the gardens, but they cannot be deposited in the cloakroom during the visit. Baby carriers are permitted, especially if small and worn on the front.
Boboli Garden Tickets
  • Store large items in the cloakroom; metal detector inspection may be required.
  • Groups limited to 16 people; tour guides must use whisper systems.
  • Maintain good manners and moderate voices; modest clothing required.
  • Visitors under 12 must be accompanied by an adult; silence mobile phones.
  • Do not touch artworks; no leaning on sculptures or running in the museum.
  • Eating, drinking, smoking, and flash photography are prohibited.
  • No writing or littering; dispose of waste in designated bins.
  • Prohibited items include knives, firearms, drones, and pets (except service animals).
  • Submit LAG products for security check; comply with security personnel.
  • Personal photography allowed without flash or tripods; commercial use requires authorization.
  • Marriage proposals allowed but must not disturb other visitors or involve professional photographers.
Boboli Garden Tickets
  • The gardens are huge, try downloading a map for efficient navigation, as not all points of interest are marked on standard mapping apps.
  • It's good practice to visit 15 minutes before the time on your ticket.
  • Boboli Gardens is a popular picnic spot with a beautiful city view. There's a dedicated picnic area on the eastern side between the Madama Grotto and the Fountain of Ganymede and a recently opened one near the Buontalenti Grotto.
  • Food options inside the gardens are limited, so consider bringing your own snacks or picnic supplies. Remember that sugary drinks and wine are not permitted, but soft juice boxes for kids are usually allowed.
  • When traveling with kids, keep an eye out for the bright green parakeets near the Porta Romana entrance, the large marble discs for climbing, and the face sculpture known as Tindaro Screpolato.
  • If you're a teen group, do watch the film "Inferno," which features scenes shot in the Boboli Gardens. You can even try recreating some shots and make your own audition photobook for fun!
Boboli Garden Tickets
  • Trattoria Ponte Vecchio - Enjoy stuffed pasta and Tuscan wines at this restaurant open from 11 AM to 11 PM daily.
  • Winter Garden Restaurant - Winter Garden Restaurant specializes in delish Tuscan cuisine paired with local wines.
  • Ristorante La Spada - Bite into grilled and roasted meats at the Ristorante La Spada.
  • Ristorante Storico Sabatini - Ristorante Storico Sabatini is a Tuscan restaurant offering signature pasta recipes, Florentine steak, etc.
Boboli Garden Tickets
  • Budget - L'Antica Porta Boutique B&B (140 m), Il Terrazzino su Boboli (160 m), Home in Florence B & B (450 m)
  • Mid-range - Il Pitti Soggiorno (30 m), B&B Beatrice Di Beatrice Burzagli (150 m), De'Bardi (550 m)
  • Luxury - Casa Botticelli in San Felice (130 m), Ad Astra (600 m), Ottantotto Firenze (500 m)

Beyond Boboli Gardens

Palazzo Pitti

Distance: 2 m

A Renaissance palace housing several museums, including the Palatine Gallery with its vast collection of Renaissance paintings.

Book Palazzo Pitti tickets

Uffizi Gallery

Distance: 650 m

One of the world's most renowned art museums, featuring masterpieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci, among others.

Book Uffizi Gallery tickets

Florence Cathedral

Distance: 1 km

Duomo Florence, also known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is a magnificent Gothic masterpiece renowned for its iconic dome, frescoes, and intricate marble façade.

Book Duomo Florence tickets

Frequently asked questions about Boboli Garden tickets

The exact inclusions of a Boboli Gardens ticket depends upon the type of experience you've chosen. They typically include access to the gardens themselves, as well as neighboring and equally famed attractions like the Palazzo Pitti, Palatine Gallery, Porcelain Museum and Bardini Gardens. Do check the ticket details to confirm which additional sites are covered to make the most of your visit.