We visited here on our first day in Rome. It was a bit of a walk to it from the Metro but we finally found it. Had to wait over an hour to get in as I had not realised there was a time difference between our last country and Rome. Yes I know. Stupid of me.

But the wait was worth it. I had booked our time slot over the internet and when we paid for our tickets there I brought the Roma Pass.

Our first view walking through the curtains was the roof. Oh so amazing. Then on to all the rest of the Gallery. Fantastic.

Recommend a visit. The long walk around the lovely grounds was very nice as well. Funny thing is that there is only a little sign actually telling you where the Gallery is.

But we found it and glad we did.

Jacquie

Based on TripAdvisor reviews, my husband and I booked a guided tour in advance of our trip to Rome, and were so glad that we did. Yes, it's somewhat of a hassle booking ahead, arriving in plenty of time, checking your bags, 2 hour time limit, etc. -- but we still felt it was well worth all the hassle. We're not aficionados of sculpture and weren't familiar with Bernini, but we thought his work was breathtaking and we could've stayed there all day admiring it. (Not that it's a contest, but we preferred Bernini's David to Michaelangelo's.) Plus the Titian and Carravagio paintings were also amazing. Our guide was very knowledgeable and interesting and the 1 1/2 hour tour just flew buy. This truly is a gem and if we ever return to Rome, we'll definitely make a return visit. Not to be missed!

Having read the revving reviews on Trip Advisor, our group of five decided to go check out the Galleria on our last day in Rome. As the rest have said it so well, Galleria Borghese is an absolute gem, and I would agree with the rest that it is a must-go in Rome! Bernini is truly a master - the sculptures are amazing. You can even see emotion on the faces, accurate anatomy of muscular tension, flowing strokes on dress, all on stone marble.

I shall not belabour the necessity of making a reservation before going. I saw people being turned away while I was waiting in line to collect tickets. And check out the map of Villa Borghese before going. The distance is much much more than it seems. The compound is HUGE. I recommend taking buses there. There is a bus stop just outside the nearest gate to the Galleria and there is at least 1 bus that goes there from Termini.

Mrs. Geek and I visited this gallery earlier this week and it was the highlight of our trip to Rome and Florence. We are interested in sculpture and eager to see the Bernini pieces -- we were not disappointed. There are also some great paintings on the upper floor.

As others have mentioned, reservations are strictly required, absolutely no bags can be taken in, and visits are for 2 hours only.

The gallery is also hard to find in the Villa Borghese park, and a fair walk from the nearest metro station, so plan accordingly.

I usually avoid gift shops, but this one is worth a look if you want mementos of your visit. We saw some interesting books and trinkets, but they appeared expensive so we thought we would shop around. We ended up missing out because we could not find some of the things, particularly Bernini-related trinkets (e.g., fridge magnets, figurines), at other locations