City parks and public gardens in Rome

The green side of Rome, Italy

Villa Borghese Gardens ★

Rome's main park, with bike rentals, paddle boats, the landscaped Pincio gardens overlooking Piazza del Popolo, and—this being Rome, after all—several wonderful museums (including the Borghese Gallery)... » more

The Gianicolo ★

The Janiculum is one of the famous "seven hills of Rome," but it's still my favorite, rising across the Tiber from the ancient center and offering a stunning panorama of the city... » more

Orto Botanico

A hidden botanical garden of quiet paths in Trastevere... » more

Circus Maximus

Slung into the Murcia Valley between the Palatine and Aventine hills, the elongated grassy jogging oval known as the Circo Massimo was once the largest stadium in all of Rome, a 2,000-foot-long track where the empire threw its most extravagant chariot races to entertain crowds of up to 385,000 screaming spectators... » more

Roseto Comunale

A hidden garden at the foot of the Aventine Hill, filled with 1,100 varieties of its eponoymous roses and blessed with views between the umbrella pines across the nearby Circus Maximus to the crumbling ancient palaces atop the Palatine Hill... » more

Giardino degli Aranci

A tiny, hidden garden up on the slopes of the Aventine Hill in the ruins of the Savelli family fortress, blooming with orange blossoms and offering peek-a-boo views over Rome and across the Tiber River to the dome of St. Peter's.

Villa Doria Pamphilj

Rome's huge suburban park, full of joggers and others getting away from the tourists.

Tips & links

How long does Rome take?

Planning your day: Rome wasn't built in a day, and you'd be hard-pressed to see it in that brief a time as well. Still, you can cram a lot into just a day or three.

To help you get the most out of your limited time in the Eternal City, here are some perfect itineraries, whether you have one, two, three, or four days to spend in Rome.

» Rome itineraries

Rome tours