41.57° N · 12.97° E
A trip from Rome to the Garden of Ninfa, which opens only on set days and by reservation, and to the Caetani castle and medieval village of Sermoneta.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
A romantic garden among the ruins of a medieval city, with a river of clear water, rose bushes and trees from all over the world; open only on set days, by reservation.
The medieval fortress of the Caetani above the village of Sermoneta, with towers, walls and painted rooms; only with a one-hour guided tour in fixed time slots.
A wetland of about 100 hectares recreated beside the walls of Ninfa, with ponds, woods and 152 recorded bird species; visits by reservation.
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
The garden opens only on set days from March to November, by reservation; the 2026 season has already ended and returns in spring 2027. April and May are the months of the rose bushes. In winter you're left with Sermoneta castle, at weekends, and the village.
How you travel
The ways of travelling that suit Garden of Ninfa and Sermoneta. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy plane
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Ninfa, Sermoneta and Norba make a good day with children if you book well: under-12s do not pay in the garden, the castle has towers and walls to explore and Pantanello is a wetland for watching birds. The visit to the garden is in a group and you cannot run or leave the path: for the very young, a baby carrier is better.
Where to stay
Why we like it: Rooms and apartments with kitchen in a 15th-century stone house in Sermoneta's old town, with a private spa booked in 90-minute slots.
Why we like it: Relais in an 18th-century water mill in the countryside of Cori, near Ninfa, with organic vines and olive trees, restaurant, pool and wellness area.
Why we like it: Apartments and studios with kitchen, pool and garden in the countryside of Cisterna di Latina, 2 km from the station with trains to Rome and about 15 km from Ninfa.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: something simple on leaving the visit; book if you want lunch
What to order: something with fresh truffle, which the owners hunt themselves, and in winter the polenta
What to order: whatever the season brings from the kitchen garden, with a wine and the house oil
Map
Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
41.75° N · 12.66° E
Car-freeBy carBy plane
41.93° N · 13.09° E
By carBy plane
41.96° N · 12.80° E
Car-freeBy plane
41.89° N · 12.48° E
Car-freeBy planeBackpackingLuxury
Tips
Set the trip date by the garden's calendar, not the other way round.
There's no guaranteed signal in the garden: take a screenshot.
It's the order that best fits the visit slots.
The ticket office only sells if there are cancellations.
South of Rome, where the Lepini mountains drop onto the Pontine plain, there are three visits a few kilometres apart: the Garden of Ninfa, a romantic garden planted among the ruins of a medieval town; Sermoneta, a stone village crowned by the Caetani castle; and the walls of the Latin city of Norba, on the plateau above. Ninfa is the reason most people come, but it can't be improvised: it opens only a few days a year and by reservation.
The Roffredo Caetani Foundation, which manages the garden, opens it only on set days from March to November, with guided group visits in time slots that are booked on its website, giardinodininfa.eu. The ticket office doesn't guarantee tickets: it only sells if places are left after cancellations. The 2026 season has already ended, and the foundation announces that the garden returns in spring: check the 2027 calendar as soon as it's published and book straight away, especially for April and May. Children under 12 don't pay, there are English-language visits at 10:30 and 15:30 and dogs are allowed on a short lead.
The Garden of Ninfa, in the morning: the river of transparent water, the bridges, the ruined churches covered in rose bushes and trees from all over the world. Next to its walls, the Pantanello wetland, recreated with the WWF, with 152 recorded bird species.
The Caetani castle, in the afternoon, with a one-hour guided visit, and a walk round Sermoneta, with viewpoints over the plain as far as Monte Circeo. If you have time left or it's winter and Ninfa is closed, climb to Norba, with its walls of polygonal blocks and views over the garden.
By car, about an hour and a quarter along the SS148 Pontina; the garden has free parking at the entrance. Between Ninfa and Sermoneta it's about 9 km, half an hour by mountain road according to the foundation; Norma, for Norba, is a quarter of an hour from Ninfa.
Without a car, regional and intercity trains from Roma Termini towards Naples via Latina stop at Latina Scalo; from there, a taxi to the garden, about 10 minutes (Radio Taxi Latina also operates on Sundays). There's no public transport to the door.
On opening days, at the garden exit there is a bar with a dining area; to eat, book a table by phone or WhatsApp. You can't take food into the garden.
In Sermoneta, opposite the castle entrance, Al Castello opens on Saturdays and Sundays at lunchtime, with truffle all year, mushrooms, game and polenta in winter. For a dinner in the countryside, the restaurant at Molino 7Cento, in Cori, cooks with produce from its organic farm; from May to September, Friday to Sunday, its visit to the vineyard and winery with a tasting costs €45 per person.
Inside the village of Sermoneta, Le Camere Pinte rents rooms and apartments with a kitchen in a 15th-century stone house, with a private spa, from €100 a night. In the Cori countryside, Molino 7Cento is a relais in an 18th-century mill with a pool and restaurant. Without a car, the Agriturismo Giulia Bè is about 2 km from Cisterna station, with trains to Rome, and has apartments with a pool from €70 for a double.
Questions
On set days from March to November; the foundation publishes the calendar at giardinodininfa.eu.
No, the visit is in a guided group and by reservation.
By train to Latina Scalo and a taxi, about 10 minutes.
Visit the Caetani castle and the village of Sermoneta, and the walls of Norba.
Accompanied children under 12 don't pay.
In Sermoneta, in the old town; in a relais in the Cori countryside; or, without a car, next to Cisterna station.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/garden-of-ninfa-sermoneta
