Vittorio Emanuele II and a Day Trip to Venaria Reale from Turin

La Venaria Reale, at Piazza della Repubblica 4 in Venaria Reale, brings together a palace, gardens, exhibitions and the Castle of La Mandria. The complex began in the mid-17th century as a Savoy court residence for leisure and hunting, commissioned by Duke Carlo Emanuele II.

The Reggia di Diana was built between 1660 and 1671. From 1699, Michelangelo Garove redesigned the palace complex to give it a grander character under Vittorio Amedeo II. The Reggia and the Castle of La Mandria became UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997, and the Reggia opened to the public in 2007.

For a first visit, focus on the Reggia and its Gardens, which are included together on the Reggia ticket. The Castle of La Mandria is a separate attraction: it became Vittorio Emanuele II’s personal retreat in 1859. You can add it if you want to extend your day beyond the palace grounds.

The Reggia ticket covers the Piano Nobile and Gardens. Listed prices are €18 full price, €15 discounted and €8 for ages 6–21. If you only want the Gardens, their separate ticket is listed at €6 full price, €5 discounted and €2 for ages 6–21; admission to the Gardens is also included with other tickets.

A separate Castle of La Mandria ticket is listed at €10 full price, €8 discounted and €3 for ages 6–21.

The cumulative Reggia–Gardens–Castle ticket is listed at €22 full price, €18 discounted and €10 for visitors under 21 and university students under 26. Its last admission is two hours before closing, so plan the order of your visit with that cutoff in mind.

The Reggia and Gardens are generally closed on Mondays, except public holidays. Listed regular hours are Tuesday to Friday, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Ticket offices and entrances close one hour before the listed closing time. The official ticket page recommends booking and buying in advance.

The Gardens are part of the Reggia visit, or you can visit them with a Gardens-only ticket. The Fountain of Hercules has a water show on the hour on days when the Gardens are open. If you want to include it, use the regular opening hours to plan your arrival and allow time to move through the grounds.

Diana’s Arrow, the garden train, runs Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays. Its listed departures are every half-hour from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 2–6 p.m.; tickets are sold only on site. The Castle of La Mandria gives the estate another historical stop, with its own ticket or as part of the cumulative option.

The venue lists the Reggia and temporary-exhibition areas as accessible without architectural barriers. In the Gardens, the Grand Parterre and Garden of Fluid Sculptures are accessible. Electric scooters are available to help visitors with limited mobility cover the Gardens, and three wheelchairs can be obtained through the welcome desk.

Venaria Reale is about 10 km from Turin. From Hotel Tourist, you can use Turin as a base for the day trip, then choose between the train and local bus connections.

The SFM4, SFM6 and SFM7 railway lines serve the Reggia di Venaria stop on Viale Roma. From there, the ticket office is about 500 m on foot via Via Andrea Mensa.

GTT’s Venaria Express connects Turin’s Via Fiochetto bus station with Venaria, with stops that include Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Piazza Castello and Porta Susa. Its route also serves the Reggia and Parco della Mandria.

GTT bus lines 11, 72, 72/ and VE1 are additional routes to Venaria Reale. Routes and service details can change, so check the official site before you go.

For more detail on getting around Turin, see this guide to the Turin Metro and local transit. If you’re planning time in the city before or after the excursion, use this practical one-day Turin itinerary to shape the rest of your plans.

There is no single visit length that suits every itinerary: the Reggia, Gardens, exhibitions and Castle of La Mandria are separate parts of the estate.

A focused visit can centre on the palace and Gardens, while the cumulative ticket gives you the option to add the Castle. Keep the cumulative ticket’s last-admission cutoff in mind when deciding what to see first.

If you want to include the garden train or the Fountain of Hercules water show, fit those into the Gardens portion of the day. The train has set operating days and departure periods, while the show runs on the hour on open days; check the current details before setting your schedule.

Venaria Reale works as a separate excursion from time spent in Turin’s centre. You can set aside the main part of a day for the palace and Gardens, then keep other city sights for another part of your stay.

For a city-centre route, use the Turin in a Day itinerary as a companion plan rather than trying to fit both schedules into one tightly timed visit.

Before choosing transport or tickets, confirm the operating information with the venue and GTT, as applicable. The listed hours, prices and services are subject to change.