‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌
‌

From happy customers

Loved by 35 million+
Antonella Zambrano

Antonella

Jul 2025
5/5
review-image
Beautiful experience. Our guide, Dr. Serena Bertolino, was very professional and knowledgeable. She engaged the group while always keeping our attention on what we were admiring. Absolutely recommended!!!
Carlo Portas

Carlo

May 2025
5/5
review-image
Seeing and getting to know Matera live was a really interesting experience. From the TV reports or the various photographs shown here and there, one cannot at all grasp the beauty and uniqueness of the place, and then the story told by the guide helps you imagine the context and the hard life lived by the locals.
Donna Burgan
GB

Donna

United Kingdom
Jun 2025
4/5
review-image
review-image
The inside of the Palace was beautiful. Especially the marble staircase and the theatre. It was a shame that the fountains were not on and many of the statues needed to be cleaned. It did look like it was a work in progress at some points in the gardens.
suellen orlandi
IT

Suellen

Italy
Apr 2025
5/5
review-image
review-image
Quick and tailless. The palace is beautiful. I took the entrance from 8:45 a.m. and there was hardly anyone, then I left at about 12:30 p.m., and there was a world of people
Anne Micallef
AU

Anne

Australia
Jun 2025
5/5
review-image
The Royal Palace of Caserta is truly a hidden gem. It exceeded our expectations at every turn. Entry into the grounds are strictly timed so visiting the Palace and apartments didn't feel crowded or rushed at all. It was a wonderful experience allowing us the opportunity to appreciate the magnificent Palace at our own pace. We took the option of a golf buggy ride around the gardens with a guide - it allowed us to visit a 10km circuit of the gardens easily with a highly knowledgeable guide who was also able to answer any questions. We highly recommend this option, we wouldn't have otherwise seen as much of the extensive grounds.
Elies Rovira Colomer
DE

Elies

Germany
Jun 2025
4/5
Wonderful staff, because of the strike they arranged my trip with Flixbus, so much the train as the bus leave you next door, in frente really said. I was in maybe 3 and a half hours with an aidioguide via app, a little errors there is still in the numeraire order, the bike I really liked at the end.

The Caserta Palace Gardens: English elegance meets Baroque luxury

The Royal Palace of Caserta boasts not only lavish interiors but also 120 hectares of stunning gardens by Luigi Vanvitelli, blending Italian Baroque and romantic English styles with pools, fountains, and cascades.

How to enter the gardens?

The gardens start directly from the back façade of the palace building. There are direct access points and signage leading out from the palace into the expansive 120-hectare gardens. You'll need your Royal Park tickets for access.

Things to know before you buy Royal Palace of Caserta Gardens tickets

  • Understand the different ticket types. Separate tickets are available for the park and palace, as well as combined options. Pick the right ticket for your desired experience. While all of our ticket options include access to the Park, you can buy exclusive Park tickets and upgrade to include access to the Apartments if you choose to visit both.
  • While the palace closes at 7:30pm, the park closes at 6pm with last admission at 5pm. Plan your visit accordingly, being mindful of different closing hours.
  • Tickets are issued for specific time slots. Make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before your designated time to avoid missing your entry. The palace is very strict about its entry timings. This system helps manage crowds and ensures a good visitor experience.
  • The first Sunday of each month, as well as specific public holidays (April 25, June 2, November 4), offers free admission to the gardens. If your visit coincides with these dates, you can save on ticket costs, but be mindful of massive holiday crowds. For a better appreciation of these beautiful gardens, plan your visit on other weekdays.
  • Check the weather forecast before your visit. The gardens are best enjoyed on a clear day, and rain can impact your experience. If rain is expected, consider bringing an umbrella or rescheduling your visit.
  • For a more in-depth experience, consider booking a guided tour. This option often includes skip-the-line access and offers insights into the lesser-known facts, history, and significance of the gardens and palace. For those fascinated by royal lifestyles or grand architectural schemes, a private tour of the palace is also available.
  • The gardens are designed to be accessible, with pathways suitable for wheelchairs. There are also minibuses equipped with ramps available to assist visitors with mobility challenges in navigating the expansive grounds.

Royal Palace of Caserta Gardens in a nutshell

royal palace of Caserta gardens
  • Size and scope: Area is 120 hectares (296 acres) and length is approximately 3.3 kilometers (2 miles)
  • Water features: A breathtaking Grand Cascade, featuring multiple waterfalls, leads to a large reflecting pool. Dotted throughout the gardens are ornamental fountains, each a unique work of art with its own symbolic meaning.
  • Botanical diversity: Thousands of plants, both native and exotic, were meticulously chosen to add color, texture, and fragrance to the gardens. The gardens also house a rich variety of trees, creating a sense of grandeur and providing shade.
  • Design and layout:
    • Formal Italian Gardens:
     Featuring meticulously designed parterres, sculptures, and geometric patterns, these gardens were inspired by the likes of Versailles.
  • Romantic English Garden: Offering a contrasting landscape, this section boasts winding paths, lakes, and a more natural aesthetic.
  • "Telescope Effect": The layout of the gardens uses a clever optical illusion, aligning pools, fountains, and cascades to create a seemingly endless vista from the palace.

A walk inside the Caserta Palace Gardens

Caserta Palace Gardens

The Parterre and the Old Woods

The Parterre is the wide clearing that you come across when you leave Reggia di Caserta's gallery. It follows the French Garden designs and you will find wide grasslands that resemble a grass carpet. The Old Woods, on the left of the Parterre, existed before the buildings and were kept to maintain the natural element of the garden. It was also the 'Secret Garden' used for entertainment and as a resting place for the court.

Caserta Palace Gardens

The Fountains

In the Caserta Palace Gardens, you will come across a long alley with artificial fountains and cascades that fill multiple basins along a canal. Each fountain is decorated with rich sculptures such as dolphins, Aeolus, Ceres, Venus, Adonis, and a lot more. The fountains were designed in a way that they appear to be much shorter than their actual length of 3 km, thanks to short waterfalls and large basins, creating an optical artifice.

Caserta Palace Gardens

The English Garden

Occupying an area of 24 hectares, The English Garden is the first example of an informal garden in Italy. The garden is home to rare and exotic plants that were imported from around the world. Apart from the plants, this garden also houses several lakes, temples, a greenhouse, an English mansion, a bee house, and many other beautiful statues and elements.

Caserta Palace Gardens

The Carolino Aqueduct

The Carolino Aqueduct, a 38km hydraulic engineering marvel, was built to supply water to the fountains, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the cities Caserta and Naples around the Palace, and all the farms in the area. The entire conduit is buried except for the bridge which is made up of several arches and turrets for improved stability and better maintenance.

Caserta Palace Gardens

The Complex of Saint Leucio Belvedere

Initiated by King Ferdinand IV, The Complex of Saint Leucio Belvedere is a huge village complex in the Royal Palace of Caserta. This complex comprises a functioning silk factory, a living silk museum, Former Royal Apartments and manicured gardens. It was also the birthplace of women’s rights at the request of Queen Maria Carolina.

Caserta Palace Gardens

San Silvestro’s Oasis

A 100 hectares estate bought by King Charles of Bourbon, San Silvestro's Oasis was once a place for hunting, hiking, and immersing oneself in nature. Today, the oasis is funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature where visitors can indulge in a lot of activities here such as night tours, learning about bats, seeing fireflies, nature trails, and more.

​Exploring the interiors of Royal Palace of Caserta

History of the Caserta Palace Gardens

Caserta Palace Gardens

The visionary beginnings

1752-1773

Designed by Luigi Vanvitelli, the works for Caserta Palace Gardens began in 1753 and combined the design of the Italian Renaissance Garden with a solution for the Versailles gardens. Luigi introduced the ‘Telescope Effect’ by designing a straight avenue that started from Naples and ended at the waterfall's top that was located at the end of the Garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta.

Caserta Palace Gardens

A period of slow progress

1773-1845

The current garden at the Royal Palace of Caserta is a reduced version of Luigi’s design. After Luigi passed away in 1773, work halted for almost 4 years. In 1777, his son Carlo presented the King with a reduced version of the original design because of economic difficulties at the time and the number of fountains in the second part of the Caserta Palace Gardens. However, Carlo made sure that his father’s vision was accomplished for the garden with the 3.3 km canal.

Caserta Palace Gardens

The Queen’s Rivalry

Queen Maria Carolina, the wife of King Ferdinand IV, was in competition with her sister Queen Marie Antoinette of France. She requested that an English Garden be built that obscured the beauty of Petit Trianon of Versailles. The construction began in 1786 and the Queen invested her personal fortunes to make sure that the English Garden was quite different from the Park at the Royal Palace of Caserta.

​Evolution of Royal Palace of Caserta

Fountains inside the Caserta Palace Gardens

Fountain of Diana and Actaeon

Fountain of Diana and Actaeon

This sculpture group depicts the dramatic story from Greek mythology. Diana, the goddess of the hunt, discovers Actaeon witnessing her bathing and transforms him into a stag, who is then devoured by his own hunting dogs.

Fountain of Venus and Adonis
Fountain of the Dolphins
Fountain of Aeolus
Fountain of Ceres

Visitor tips

  • Arrive right at opening time (around 8:30am) to enjoy the gardens before the heat sets in, especially during summer. This timing also helps you avoid the larger crowds that build up later in the day.
  • Plan your route! The gardens are vast, stretching nearly 3 kilometers from the palace to the Great Waterfall. Before you start, take a moment to review a map of the gardens to prioritize which fountains and features you want to see, such as the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon and the Fountain of Aeolus.
  • If you’re not up for a long walk, consider renting a bike (available for €4 per hour) or using the paid shuttle service (€2.50 return) to explore the gardens more comfortably, especially if you’re traveling with children or elderly visitors.
  • While there are cafeterias on-site, they can be pricey and crowded. Pack a picnic or snacks to enjoy in one of the many shaded areas throughout the gardens, especially near the fountains.
  • Don’t miss the English Garden, which is often overlooked. This area features a more naturalistic landscape, with winding paths and diverse plant species. It provides a lovely contrast to the formal Italian gardens and is perfect for a leisurely stroll.
  • The gardens are a photographer’s dream. Early morning light is ideal for capturing the stunning fountains and landscapes. Bring a camera or smartphone to capture the beauty, but be mindful of other visitors.
  • The gardens can get hot, especially in summer. Plan to take breaks under the many trees and shaded areas along the pathways to stay cool and hydrated.
  • After exploring the gardens, head back to the palace to see the Royal Apartments. This sequence allows you to appreciate the gardens in the cooler morning hours before moving indoors.

​Plan your Caserta Palace visit

Frequently asked questions about Caserta Palace Gardens

What was the inspiration behind the gardens of Royal Palace of Caserta?

The Caserta Palace Gardens were heavily inspired by the French Baroque style, particularly the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles. Architect Luigi Vanvitelli aimed to create a sense of order, symmetry, and awe-inspiring vistas mirroring the power and wealth of the Bourbon dynasty.

What are the key features of the 'telescope effect' in the garden's design?

The "telescope effect" in the Caserta Palace Gardens is a clever optical trick achieved through strategic alignment and perspective. Pools, fountains, and cascades are positioned along a central axis, creating the illusion of an endless depth. Statues and sculptures frame this view, drawing the eye further down the line and enhancing the perception of vastness. It makes the gardens appear much larger and more expansive than they truly are.

How do the Italian gardens and English landscapes differ within the Caserta Palace Gardens?

The Italian gardens are characterized by their formal layout, symmetrical design, and ornate fountains. In contrast, the English landscapes feature more natural, romantic elements such as rolling lawns, winding paths, and varied plantings that mimic natural scenery, creating a relaxed and picturesque environment.

How has the design of the Caserta Palace Gardens influenced modern landscape architecture?

The Caserta Palace Gardens have influenced modern landscape architecture through their innovative use of space, water features, and the integration of formal and natural elements. The 'telescope effect' and the blending of Italian and English styles have inspired contemporary garden designers to create spaces that balance formality with natural beauty. Modern examples include the National Mall in Washington D.C. with its reflecting pool and monuments aligned along a central axis, or Longchamp Park in Paris, where the Grand Cascade leads the eye towards the cityscape.

What is the historical significance of the Caserta Palace Gardens in relation to the Bourbon dynasty?

The gardens symbolize the power and sophistication of the Bourbon dynasty. They were designed to showcase the wealth and taste of the Bourbons, serving as a symbol of their rule and cultural influence. The gardens also reflect the political and social aspirations of the dynasty during the 18th century.

How are the Caserta palace gardens maintained and preserved today?

To maintain their UNESCO World Heritage status, the Caserta Palace Gardens undergo a multi-faceted preservation effort. This includes meticulous restoration of fountains, sculptures, and water systems, alongside careful conservation of both completed Baroque sections and undeveloped areas. Horticultural experts meticulously care for the diverse plant collection, ensuring the gardens remain a flourishing testament to history and a captivating masterpiece of landscape design.

What are the best times of year to visit the Caserta Palace Gardens for optimal beauty?

The best times to visit are in the spring and early summer when the gardens are in full bloom, and the weather is pleasant. The fall season also offers beautiful foliage and a more serene experience. Each season, however, has its unique charm and beauty.

Are there any guided tours for the Gardens?

Yes, guided tours are available for the Caserta Palace Gardens. These tours offer in-depth insights into the garden's design, history, and key features, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the grandeur and intricacies of the gardens.

More reads

royal palace of caserta

About

Book Now
royal palace of caserta timings

Timings

Book Now
royal palace of caserta location

Location

Book Now
Royal Palace of Caserta
Scan code
Download the Headout app

Get Help 24/7

Headout

We Accept
VISA
MASTERCARD
AMEX
PAYPAL
MAESTROCARD
APPLEPAY
GPAY
DISCOVER
DINERS
IDEAL
FPX
Headout is an authorized and trusted partner of the venue, offering curated experiences to enjoy this attraction. This is not the venue's website.