I've purchased/reserved tickets through the internet for our Sept. vacation. Upon looking further through this board and elsewhere, it seems we might get more out of our 2 hours there with a tour, but I can't figure out how to obtain this. Can we purchase/hook up upon arrival? Thanks for all of your help!!!!! Nancy

You sign up for and pay for the group tours when you get to the museum. Check the Borghese web site since they're not offered in English throughout the day; only at specified times. I seem to remember 9:10 and 11:10 but check to make certain. I think the price was 5Euro (the same as the self-paced audio).

The guided tour (1.5 hours) was great. After the tour you have another 20 minutes to look at whatever you missed and re-look at things you loved.

You meet the guide at the same spot where you can rent the audios. Just go over to the desk and tell them you there for the guided tour.

Be sure to get to the museum ahead of time so you can check your bags and pick up tickets before your assigned time. They strictly adhere to the schedule and yell at you to get out at the end of 2 hours.

I think you'll appreciate the guided tour...great experience if you don't wish to wander on your own.

Forget about the comment above re "being yelled at" to get you out...Italians yell at everybody unless they're good looking....

Enjoy your trip.

If you don't want to take a tour they do have cards in each room telling about what is in that room (with a brief explaination). It is an amazing museum...you should really enjoy it! At the end we left at the last possible minute and just walked around to see the sculpture again (we saw the paintings first). This way we were able to see things without people crowding around. I think sometimes that is the problem with the groups...

I went onto the website to reserve tickets and they were only allowing bookings until the end of August. How did you get tickets for September, which is when we are going?

My hotel made my Borghese arrangements for me, even made a change when it became necessary.

I used the audio guide, and it was fine.
I can't speak for all guides who lead tours in Rome, but some speak incomprehensible English and that can be one drawback to a guided tour.
I experienced that at the Vatican, and at Domus Aurea.

Thank you everyone for the helpful info-- I really appreciate it. Pius-- I can't remember what website I used-- something like ticketitaly.com. I'll check my stuff at home and provide the info. I'm trying to get all the stuff I know we don't want to missed planned and booked, and then leave open time to explore from there.

You will love the Borghese Gallery!
We used the audio guide when we went and were able to avoid the crowds around the tour guide. The audio guide was very informative and we could see the art at our own pace.
Have a wonderful trip.

pius - wait until the last few days of June or beginning of July and the September schedule will be available on the Borghese web site.

I found the Borghese docent very understandable. She did have a bit of an accent but there was no problem understanding her. Also, the group we were in was very small; maybe 12 people at the most.

I don't get it. I was just there and had no problems walking up to the counter and purchasing tickets on the spot. The audio neck thing was an additional Euro $10.00. We were free to walk around the gardens and even took that little train while waiting for our turn to view the Caravaggio exhibit. Did I miss something? I thought we saw the entire villa.

BTW Our tickets were Euro $8.50 each which included entrance into the Caravaggio exhibit.

Calamari - you can go to the Borghese Museum and buy an entrance ticket, if there are any left. If there are no more tickets for that day then you're out of luck. I believe they allow 250 people into the museum every 2 hours. It's just easier to reserve so you are guaranteed the time slot you want. There's no payment ahead so if you don't show then you don't pay.

The Caravaggio exhibit must be something that's going on now since it wasn't there last October.

Tell me more about the train. Does it go through the Borghese gardens? I didn't see a train when I was there but maybe they only run it during the summer.

I thought I read that some travelers were making back-to-back reservations for the Borghese. That way they could use the audio guide the first time and really see the amazing rooms the second time.
I was there in 2000 and 2 hours is not enough time to really "take in" all of the magnificent rooms. Allow time to give up your stuff and get and pay for your tickets. Some people say start at the top floor, also. It's marvelous no matter how you go or for how long.
Louise

The train has been there every time I have gone. It is like a little train you would get on at a carnival. It winds around the front gardens, passes the horse fountain, Medici villas, walking paths etc. I think the cost was Euro $2.00 per person round trip. One thing that looked like a lot of fun was the bikes for four people. We will do that next year for sure, that way we can spend as much time as we like going through the garden.

I checked various websites (initaly.com, goporta.com,ticketitaly.com)for advance tickets and with the reservation charge it would cost approximately $10.00 more for two tickets. Direct purchase through the galleriaborghese website can only be made in the current month and the next month which means that for September I would have to wait until August. Do you think that is enough time or should I go ahead and pay the extra charge and do it now?

Personally, I think $10 more on a vacation budget is more than worth it if you want to stop thinking about this and move on to another arrangement.

The Borghese is popular, but it's not on every single tourist's itinerary, if you wait and order directly you will probably get tickets. That's a probably as opposed to a definitely. If you disappointment would be worth more than $10, do it now.

elaine, your logic is superb. Isn't it funny how we often let the little inexpensive things consume so much time and energy.

Of course it's not the small amount of money involved. There's a principle here for me, that the Borghese Gallery already has a reservation fee of 2 euros on the price of the ticket and the other booking agencies now have an additional surcharge on the surcharge. I will probably wait and book directly.

Holy Borghese!!! Why does it cost $85.20 (71 Ero) for 2 tickets on Catseye.com? (Tax 50 EUR tax + price 21 EUR).

I went ahead and booked on Initaly.com
28 EUR or $34.76(2 tickets).