The Boboli Gardens: wonderful historic park and outdoor museum in Florence
The Boboli Gardens is a beautiful historical park and open-air museum in the heart of Florence. In this large Garden, in addition to plants and flowers, one can admire statues, fountains, ponds, and buildings of great beauty, as well as enchanting views of Florence.
Boboli Gardens : the tickets most chosen by travelers
The Boboli Gardens: at the origin of beauty
Behind the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Garden welcomes over a million visitors annually to Florence. It is one of the world's most important examples of Italian gardens. Its vast surface area of over 30 hectares boasts an ancient botanical collection. Statues, grottoes, monumental structures, and scenic pools enrich the Garden. Nature, art, and science unite in this beautiful Garden, creating an open-air museum.
The gardens were built between the 16th and 19th centuries at the behest of the Medici family and later enlarged by successive ruling dynasties: the Lorraine and Savoy families. They are partly flat and characterised by steep slopes between the palace and the Forte di Belvedere. Important architects worked to realise them.
The first late Renaissance nucleus of the Boboli Garden was created by the architect Niccolò Tribolo. Over the years, new spaces have been made in different styles and with architectural elements designed to arouse the visitor's amazement: paths, small lakes, nymphs, labyrinths, spectacular fountains such as the Neptune and Ocean fountains, tiny temples and grottoes, and first and foremost, the Grotta Grande by the famous architect Bernardo Buontalenti, one of the masterpieces of European Mannerism.
In the terraced area, one can admire the 18th-century Kaffeehaus pavilion, a rare example of Rococo architecture in Tuscany, and the Limonaia, designed between 1777 and 1778 and arrived to us almost intact. A visit to the Boboli Gardens allows you to capture the spirit of court life and enjoy the splendid atmosphere, design and beauty of one of Europe's most beautiful historic gardens.
Useful information for visiting the Boboli Gardens
Days and opening hours:
The Garden is open from Monday to Sunday.
Opening hours: 8.15 am.
Closing time:
- 4.30 pm in January, February, November, December.
- 5.30 pm in March and October (with standard time)
- 6.30 pm in March (in summertime), April, May, September, and October (in summertime)
- 7.10 pm in June, July and August.
The last admission to the Boboli Gardens is always one hour before closing time.
Closing days: first and last Monday of the month, 25 December
- In the event of weather events that are dangerous to the safety of property and people, changes in opening hours or temporary closures are possible.
Types of Tickets and Tours
Single full ticket
With the Boboli Gardens ticket, you have free access to the Garden of Villa Bardini.
Combined ticket Pitti + Boboli
You can visit the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens with a combined ticket.
Free entrance:
- Children under 18
- Persons with disabilities
Free of charge is granted to persons with disabilities and a family member or other accompanying person who provides proof of membership of the social and health care services (appropriate certification may be required).
- Tourist guides and interpreters. The presentation of a valid licence issued by the competent authority is required.
- Scholars, lecturers and university students, upon presentation of appropriate certification
- Ministry of Culture staff
- Members of the International Council of Museums (ICOM)
- Residents of the Municipality of Florence have free admission to the Boboli Gardens. It is necessary to have a free ticket and an identity document or certificate of residence attesting to residence in Florence.
Reduced entrance fee:
European Community citizens over the age of 18, up to and including their 25th birthday, with a valid identity document. The same concessions apply to citizens of non-EU countries on condition of reciprocity.
Booking entrance to the Boboli Gardens:
Entrance to the Garden often involves long queues, especially during the high season. To reduce the waiting time, you can book your entrance and choose a specific time to visit the Garden.
Ticket Uffizi+ Palazzo Pitti + Boboli Garden
Combined entrance to the Uffizi, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens.
The cumulative ticket PassPartout 5 days is valid for 5 consecutive days. It allows one-time priority access to all the museums of the Uffizi Galleries (Uffizi, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens). Priority access is not valid on free days (or bands).
The cumulative ticket requires a reservation only for the Uffizi, which must be the first museum to be visited, arriving 15 minutes before the time of the reservation.
Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens can only be visited later, without any time constraints or additional booking, within 5 days of ticket activation.
Access to the Vasari Corridor:
For logistical reasons, entry to the Vasari Corridor must be on the same day as the visit to the Uffizi, and a surcharge will be incurred.
Boboli Gardens : tips for your visit
Frequently Asked Questions about visiting the Boboli Gardens
How long does it take to see the Boboli Gardens?
A visit to the Boboli Gardens takes approximately 2 hours. During this time, visitors have time to walk around at their leisure, explore the spaces, and admire the statues, fountains, and architectural elements of the Garden. There is no maximum time for the visit, which allows visitors to enjoy the beauty of nature and views without hurrying.
How much does it cost to visit the Boboli Garden?
A single ticket to the Boboli Garden costs €10. It is possible to purchase a combined ticket with a visit to Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens at a discounted price (€22). Multi-day combination tickets are also available, including admission to all the museums of the Uffizi Galleries (Uffizi, Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens).
Why is the Boboli Garden called this?
There are two hypotheses about the origin of the Garden's name. According to the first hypothesis, Boboli derives from a contraction of 'Borgolo', the family's surname that owned land in the area where the Garden stands. The second hypothesis states that Boboli was the name of the area in Via Romana, where one of the entrances to the Garden is also located.
When is the Boboli Gardens free?
Entrance to the Boboli Gardens is free every first Sunday of the month. On this occasion, entry is not bookable, and there may be queues at the ticket office.
How far is the Boboli Garden from the centre of Florence?
The Boboli Garden is not very far from the centre of Florence. It is easily reached on foot from various places in the centre of Florence and the Santa Maria Novella train station. The walking time is about 15-20 minutes.
How to get to the Boboli Gardens
The Boboli Garden is located in Piazza de' Pitti and is easily reached by public transport, bicycle, or foot.
The Garden has 3 entrances:
- Pitti Palace (central gate)
- Annalena entrance in Via Romana
- Entrances of Forte di Belvedere and Porta Romana
On foot: the Garden can be reached by a pleasant walk from various points in the city centre:
- about 15 minutes from the Santa Maria Novella train station
- approximately 15 minutes from the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Basilica of Santa Maria in fiore
- approximately 10 minutes from the Uffizi Gallery
By bus: Buses leave from Florence's Santa Maria Novella train station, Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato al Monte.
From Santa Maria Novella station, it takes about 15 minutes to reach the Garden.
Lines C3, C4, D, 11, 12 and 13 take you directly to the Boboli Gardens area. The nearest stop is Borgo S. Jacopo (350 m). Other handy stops nearby are Piazza San Felice, San Frediano Serragli and Pescaia Di Santa Rosa.
By tram: in about 20 minutes, the T1 line takes you to the Unità stop, the closest to the Boboli Gardens. The Alamanni and Valfonda tram stops are also close to the park.
