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Borghese Gallery or the Vatican Museums?

They are Rome's two great collections, and they could hardly be more different. The Borghese Gallery is one villa in a park, with Bernini's best sculptures, six Caravaggios, Raphael, Titian and Canova, and a strict two-hour slot for 180 people. The Vatican Museums are miles of galleries ending in the Sistine Chapel, and the busiest museums in Rome.

With a guide, the Borghese costs 49 euros and the Vatican early entry 109.

Last checked: October 2026

Bernini's Rape of Proserpina in a gilded room of the Borghese GalleryBernini and Caravaggio

The Borghese Gallery with an art historian

From €494.8(2,248)Free cancellation

Rome's best small museum lets in 180 people an hour and sells out days ahead. The official ticket is 18 euros with the booking fee; this tour is 49, holds the tickets for you, and spends your two hours with an art historian in front of Bernini.

See dates and pricesOur full take
A small group walking through the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican MuseumsThe Vatican

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowds

From €1094.9(3,594)Free cancellation

The official ticket is 25 euros online. This tour is 109, and buys three things you cannot buy yourself: the first entry of the day, a group of ten or so, and the guides' shortcut from the Sistine Chapel into St Peter's.

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Head to head

What you seeThe Borghese Gallery with an art historianBernini's Apollo and Daphne and Rape of Proserpina, six Caravaggios, Raphael, Titian, Canova's Pauline BonaparteVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowdsThe Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, classical sculpture, then St Peter's Basilica
ScaleThe Borghese Gallery with an art historianOne villa, two hours, every room within reachVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowdsA long route through the museums, then the chapel and the basilica: three to three and a half hours
CrowdsThe Borghese Gallery with an art historianCapped at 180 people an hourVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowdsThe busiest museums in Rome; early entry is the way round them
With a guideThe Borghese Gallery with an art historianFrom 49 euros, with an art historianVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowdsFrom 109 euros, early entry with St Peter's
Official ticketThe Borghese Gallery with an art historian16 euros plus a compulsory 2-euro booking feeVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowds20 euros at the door, 25 online
ClosedThe Borghese Gallery with an art historianMondaysVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowdsSundays, except the last of the month
WhereThe Borghese Gallery with an art historianVilla Borghese park, 25 to 36 minutes' walk from our hotels around the Spanish Steps and the PantheonVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowdsBy the Vatican, 31 to 64 minutes' walk from our hotels; a taxi for the early start
RatingThe Borghese Gallery with an art historian4.8 from about 2,250 reviewsVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowds4.9 from about 3,600 reviews

Which one for you

The Borghese Gallery with an art historian

Book the Borghese if you love sculpture, if crowds spoil art for you, if you have been to the Vatican before, or if you have one morning and want every minute of it in front of a masterpiece.

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowds

Book the Vatican if it is your first time in Rome, if the Sistine Chapel is on your list, or if you want St Peter's Basilica in the same morning.

Or both

On a stay of three days or more, do both, on different days: each is a morning's concentration, and the Borghese is the antidote to the Vatican's crowds.

The verdict

First visit: the Vatican, early. Every visit after that: the Borghese, which is the better museum and the calmer morning.

The Borghese Gallery with an art historianVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before the crowds

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Questions people ask

Good questions about Borghese Gallery or the Vatican Museums?

Is the Borghese Gallery better than the Vatican Museums?

For sculpture and for a calm visit, many people think so: Bernini's best work is there, and entry is capped at 180 people an hour. The Vatican has the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms, and far bigger crowds.

Can you do the Borghese Gallery and the Vatican on the same day?

You can, with the Vatican early in the morning and a Borghese slot in the afternoon, but it is a lot of art for one day. Two different days are better.

Which is cheaper, the Borghese Gallery or the Vatican Museums?

The Borghese: 16 euros plus a 2-euro booking fee against 20 or 25 euros at the Vatican, and 49 euros with a guide against 109 for the Vatican early entry.

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Image credits: GetYourGuide