Boboli Gardens is in the Oltrarno, south of the Arno, behind Pitti Palace at Piazza de’ Pitti 1. It is a five-minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio. This guide covers the four garden gates, walking routes, buses, the airport and station, taxis and parking in the limited traffic zone, accessible entrances, bag rules and arrival timing.
Most visitors simply walk, because central Florence is compact and Pitti Palace is just across the river. Buses help if you are further away or want to avoid the hill. Choose a gate other than Pitti only when your ticket, route or access needs make it better.
From the Uffizi or Piazza della Signoria, cross the Ponte Vecchio and follow Via de’ Guicciardini straight to Piazza de’ Pitti. It takes about 5 minutes from the bridge and 10–15 minutes from the Duomo.
Florence’s small electric buses thread through the historic centre and stop at PITTI, right by Piazza de’ Pitti. They are useful from further across the centre, in heat or rain, or for tired legs.
C1 also serves CALZA ROMANA, ROMANA BOBOLI and PIAZZA SAN FELICE along Via Romana. Several suburban lines pass Porta Romana, which is handy for starting at the southern end of the garden.
A taxi works well with limited mobility or a tight connection. Florence taxis are white and are taken from ranks or booked by phone or app. They are rarely hailed in the street.
From Florence’s main station it is about a 20-minute walk: via Via de’ Tornabuoni and the Ponte Santa Trinita, or via the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. It is flat until you reach Piazza de’ Pitti.
The accessible entrances are on the left side of the Pitti Palace courtyard and at Piazzale di Porta Romana. The garden is steep, so visitors with reduced mobility need a companion.
Guided tours often meet in Piazza de’ Pitti or nearby, not at the ticket desk. Your voucher is the instruction that matters.
The Annalena entrance, a short walk up Via Romana from Piazza de’ Pitti, has its own ticket office and toilets. It can be quieter than the Pitti courtyard in high season.
You can enter, and usually exit, through Pitti Palace, the Annalena gate on Via Romana, Porta Romana or Forte di Belvedere. Reaching Pitti Palace does not automatically mean you are at the right garden entrance.
Enter through the palace and its Ammannati Courtyard, which opens onto the Amphitheatre. The main ticket office is here, and the free cloakroom is on the right side of the courtyard.
This garden gate has a ticket office and toilets. It leads into the western side of the garden.
This gate by the old city gate has a ticket office and is an accessible entrance. It opens near the Isolotto and the bottom of the Viottolone.
At the top of the hill, by the fortress, a gate with a Boboli ticket office links the upper garden with Costa San Giorgio and the route toward San Miniato.
Use the gate named on your ticket or voucher. Guided products often use a separate meeting point, and school groups follow different access rules.
Florence has no metro, and its tram lines stop north of the river. Trams are still useful for the first leg of your journey, especially from the airport.
Tram T2 runs from Florence Airport to Unità, beside Santa Maria Novella station, in about 20 minutes.
Tram T1 connects the western and southern suburbs with the Alamanni and Unità stops near the station.
Autolinee Toscane runs Florence’s buses. Check live service and diversions on the day before you leave.
Stops include CALZA ROMANA, ROMANA BOBOLI, PIAZZA SAN FELICE and PITTI. It is useful for both the Pitti and the Porta Romana sides.
Use the PITTI stop for the Piazza de’ Pitti approach. Confirm the direction and current stop position before boarding.
C4 also serves PITTI, near the Pitti Palace and Boboli entrance.
Several suburban routes toward the south of Florence pass Porta Romana. Check the planner if you are coming from outside the centre.
Buy tickets in the AT app, from machines and authorised sellers, or with contactless payment where available. Validate on board.
Small central buses can be slow in traffic and crowded in summer. Walking is often just as quick.
Autolinee Toscane publishes routes and live service information. Check the Autolinee Toscane journey planner on the day.
These are route choices, not guaranteed timings. Use live transport information before you travel.
| Starting point | Simple route | Approx. time | Final step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponte Vecchio | Walk along Via de’ Guicciardini | ≈5 min | Enter through the Pitti courtyard |
| Uffizi / Piazza della Signoria | Walk over the Ponte Vecchio | ≈10 min | Check the gate before joining a queue |
| Duomo | Walk via Via Calimala and the Ponte Vecchio, or take C1/C3/C4 | ≈15 min on foot | Use Pitti or your voucher’s gate |
| Santa Maria Novella station | Walk via Via de’ Tornabuoni and the Ponte Santa Trinita | ≈20 min | Store luggage first |
| Santo Spirito | Walk to Piazza de’ Pitti | ≈5 min | Use Pitti or Annalena |
| Porta Romana | Use the Porta Romana gate | On the spot | Look for the Boboli entry signs |
| Piazzale Michelangelo | Walk via San Miniato and Costa San Giorgio to Forte di Belvedere | ≈25–30 min, hilly | Check the Belvedere gate is open |
Florence Airport (Peretola) is about 20–30 minutes from the centre. Pisa Airport is about an hour away by train.
Take T2 from the airport to Unità (about 20 minutes). Then walk about 20 minutes to Piazza de’ Pitti, or take a taxi. Taxis from the airport to the centre charge a regulated flat fare.
The PisaMover shuttle links Pisa Airport with Pisa Centrale station. Regional trains to Florence Santa Maria Novella take about an hour.
Last admission is one hour before closing, and closing can be as early as 16:30 in winter. Allow for delays, luggage and the transfer before relying on a same-day visit.
Use the station’s luggage deposit or your hotel. Suitcases cannot go into the garden.
Head down Via de’ Tornabuoni, cross the Ponte Santa Trinita and turn left to Piazza de’ Pitti. Or take C1, C3 or C4 toward PITTI.
At Piazza de’ Pitti, use the entrance named on your ticket or voucher.
The streets to Pitti are flat, but crowds, crossings and summer heat can make them feel longer. Save your energy: the garden itself is steep.
The classic route: cross the bridge, continue straight along Via de’ Guicciardini and the square opens on your left.
From Santo Spirito, it is a five-minute walk to Piazza de’ Pitti. From Porta Romana, use the gate on the square or walk down Via Romana to the Annalena entrance.
The Oltrarno is inside Florence’s camera-controlled limited traffic zone (ZTL). Unauthorised cars are fined automatically, so driving right to Pitti is not an option for visitors.
For the main approach, show “Piazza de’ Pitti 1”. For other gates, show “Via Romana” (Annalena) or “Piazzale di Porta Romana”.
Use a public car park outside the ZTL, for example in the San Frediano area or near Porta Romana. Then walk or take a bus. Confirm opening hours and rates in advance.
Street restrictions can prevent a stop at the exact door. Keep the gate name handy for the final approach.
The nearest stop does not guarantee that every route or gate is accessible. Boboli’s paths are mostly clay and gravel, with climbs and descents.
The accessible entrances are on the left side of the Pitti Palace courtyard and at Piazzale di Porta Romana.
Because the terrain slopes almost everywhere, the garden is accessible only with an accompanying person.
Wheelchairs and walkers may be available free of charge, subject to availability. Staff keep an identity document during the visit.
An accessible toilet near the Amphitheatre is reached by stairlift with staff help. Confirm current arrangements before you travel.
The areas around the Amphitheatre and near the Pitti courtyard are the most manageable. The Kaffeehaus and upper terraces are steep.
Florence’s electric buses have low floors. Taxis can be booked with advance notice for accessible vehicles.
Large items can stop your arrival plan. Prepare before you reach the gate.
Backpacks, large bags, umbrellas and other bulky objects must be left in the free cloakroom, on the right side of the Ammannati Courtyard.
Knives, weapons and dangerous materials are prohibited, as are drones, bicycles, electric scooters and skateboards.
Water bottles may not exceed 50 cl, and other food and drinks are restricted, with exceptions for medical, dietary and baby needs. Refill at the drinking fountains.
Keep your ticket, the gate name, any meeting-point instructions and the operator’s contact details on your phone before you leave the hotel.
Boboli opens at 8:15. Closing time varies by season, from 16:30 in winter to 19:10 in summer, with last admission one hour before closing. It is closed on the first and last Monday of each month.
Getting off the bus is not the same as reaching the entrance. Allow time for the walk, finding the gate and the entry checks, plus 2–3 hours inside.
Your voucher may set a meeting point away from the entrance. Follow its instructions rather than joining a general queue.
Gate names and street names are more useful than a distant view of the palace.
The long sloping square in front of the palace confirms the main visitor approach.
This street runs straight from the Ponte Vecchio to Piazza de’ Pitti. If you are on it, you are heading the right way.
This confirms you are approaching the Annalena side, not the palace courtyard.
The medieval city gate confirms the Porta Romana entrance and an accessible approach.
This stop confirms you are right by the Pitti Palace and Boboli entrance.
The fortress at the top of the hill confirms the upper gate, not the Piazza de’ Pitti approach.
A correct route only helps if it ends at the right door at the right time.
Use the latest ticket or operator message, and avoid the closed Mondays.
Note clearly whether you need Pitti, Annalena, Porta Romana or Forte Belvedere.
Look for bus changes or diversions before leaving.
Large bags, backpacks and umbrellas go in the cloakroom. Suitcases should stay at the hotel.
Wear shoes with grip for gravel and bring a hat in summer. Refill water at the fountains.
Park outside the ZTL, or use a taxi, bus or your feet.
Keep your ticket and meeting-point instructions available without mobile data.
Keep enough charge for maps, your ticket and service updates.
Short answers to the questions visitors ask most often.
The main entrance is through Pitti Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti 1. There are also gates at Annalena (Via Romana), Porta Romana and Forte di Belvedere.
Cross the bridge to the Oltrarno and follow Via de’ Guicciardini to Piazza de’ Pitti. It takes about 5 minutes.
The electric buses C1, C3 and C4 stop at PITTI. C1 also serves Via Romana and the Porta Romana side.
About a 20-minute walk, crossing the river at the Ponte Santa Trinita or the Ponte Vecchio.
Not to the entrance, which is inside the ZTL. Park outside the zone and walk, or take a bus or taxi.
Partly. The accessible entrances are in the Pitti courtyard and at Porta Romana, but the garden is steep and needs a companion.
Giardino di Boboli, Piazza de’ Pitti 1. Then confirm the gate on your ticket.
Walk over the Ponte Vecchio, or take C1, C3 or C4 to PITTI. Avoid driving into the ZTL.
Include the final walk, the entrance check and any guided-tour meeting point. Enter at least 2–3 hours before closing.
Images via Wikimedia Commons: Pitti Palace (public domain); Piazza de’ Pitti by Sailko (CC BY 2.5); Porta Romana by qwesy qwesy (CC BY 3.0).
