Rome’s only zoological garden opened in 1911, though rennovations have brought this historic zoo up to speed with modern habitat and conservation science. Today, more than 1,000 animals populate the zoo, and you can follow a number of paths that wind through the park and around a small lake to observe lions, elephants, tigers, monkeys, and giraffes, among others. The small barnyard area has goats, pigs, cows, and other livestock; the bioparco is also home to a rare Kleinmann’s tortoise, rescued from a smuggler's suitcase in 2005. The Bioparco is one of the most popular sights in the sprawling Villa Borghese park, and you can visit as part of a Villa Borghese bike or Segway tour that also includes the Galleria Borghese, the Silvano Toti Globe Theatre, and the Pincio Gardens.
Bioparco is located on Viale del Giardino Zoologico inside Villa Borghese, an easy walk from the Spanish Steps or Piazza del Popolo. The nearest metro stop is Spagna.
The zoo is open daily, but can be very crowded on weekends, especially in the summer. Try to visit on a weekday from May through September, keeping in mind that it can be very hot during the midday hours in Rome, so arrive first thing in the morning to enjoy the zoo before temperatures soar.
Rome’s third largest public park, the Villa Borghese gardens were built in the 17th century for Cardinal Scipione Borghese, though the estate was reworked two centuries later as an English-style garden. One of the most popular outdoor spaces in the city, Villa Borghese covers almost 200 acres of lawn, woods, and lakes; inside the park, visitors can see Bernini’s sculptures in the Galleria Borghese, works from the 19th and 20th centuries in the National Gallery of Modern Art, Etruscan artifacts in the Villa Giulia, and animals from all five continents at the Bioparco.
