Are you’re feeling museumed-out?
Do your kids have an unusual amount of energy at the moment?
Are craving a green and floral oasis?
Make your way to Parco Giardino Sigurtà! Explore the 150 acres of gorgeous park, let the kids run wild, take a nap in the lawn, and find your favorite flowers (I chose the dahlias).
I’m a mamma of three living in Tuscany and we’ve driven by Parco Sigurtà for years on our way to and from the Dolomites. On our recent trip up to the Dolomites, we stopped, and I’m so glad we did!
A visit to Sigurtà makes a great 2-4 hour stop on a road trip. Or, visit for an entire day and really soak it up.
Parco Giardino Sigurtà began as a farm in the early 1400s and transferred owners through the centuries. In 1941 it was purchased by the Sigurtà family who began developing the gardens you see today. The park opened officially in 1978, and interestingly, it was a drive-through park!
Today, you leave your car in the parking lot and make your way on foot, bicycle, train, or golf cart around the grounds.
Let’s take a look at how to organize a visit to the enormous Parco Giardino Sigurtà with your family, so that it’s an easy, fun, stress-free, and memorable day.
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Parco Giardino Sigurtà – Location and How to Get There
Parco Giardino Sigurtà sits just south of Lake Garda, not far from Verona and Mantua.
Via Cavour, 1
Valeggio sul Mincio (VR)
Distance from:
Peschiera del Garda – 15 km (30 min)
Verona – 30 km (45 min)
Mantua – 30 km (45 min)
Why Visit Parco Giardino Sigurtà with Your Kids
We loved our time at Sigurtà and think your family will too because it’s:
- a gorgeous, open space for your kids to explore and run around in!
- full of interesting things to visit and look at
- well-maintained
- a nice change of scenery from visiting Italian museums and cities
- an easy day-trip from Verona or Lake Garda
- got something for everyone in your family
- easily explored on foot, on a rented golf cart or bicycles, or by the little train
- got great facilities for families
But, Sigurtà isn’t for everyone. For example, you may want to skip it if you’re on a budget and you can’t spend all day at the park. The entrance fee is a hefty 18€ for adults, 10€ for kids 5-10, free for kids 4 and under (all prices subject to change).
When to Visit Parco Sigurtà with Kids
You can visit the park in the spring, summer, and fall (it’s closed December – February).
It does attract crowds during the summer but you won’t notice the crowds much in the park because it’s so big. Summer brings high temperatures, but luckily, there are plenty of shady spots (and ice cream/popsicle vendors). We visited mid-June and the temperatures were in the mid- to high-70s.
Spring also brings an influx of visitors to see the tulips (in April there are over a million tulips blooming!) and other flowers like irises and roses (in May). This is the most colorful time of year to visit, but summer also has its share of colorful blooms like sunflowers, and September also has flowers on display.
Basically, you can’t go wrong.
Read more about visiting Italy in January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December.
Highlights of Sigurtà with Kids
The only problem about visiting Sigurtà with kids – it’s huge, and there’s so much to do. You don’t want to be running back and forth all day, so it’s a good idea to choose a few places to prioritize and to plan your route (more on that below).
Here are some family-friendly highlights of Parco Giardino Sigurtà:
- Riding the trenino (little train); has audioguide in English
- Renting a golf cart – 20€ first hour, 10€ every following hour (max 4 people, and a baby on a lap still counts as one of those people)
- Riding e-bikes 6.5€ for the first hour and €3.25 each add ½ hour
- Finding your way through the labyrinth
- Saying hello to the friendly koi in the great lawn’s pond
- Rolling down and running around the great lawn
- Kicking a ball around anywhere in the park
- Seeing the deer and donkeys
- Visiting the little farm (with turkeys, chickens, ducks, sheep, and goats); note that it’s not a petting zoo
- Feeding the goats
- Finding your favorite flowers (some were bigger than my kids’ heads!)
- Watching the turtles swim
There are many more things to look at, like the Great Oak (Sigurtà’s oldest tree at over 400 years old!), the little turtle statue, and the water gardens with gorgeous lotus flowers, and you can find them marked on the park’s paper map.
Good To Know: When I asked my kids to choose their favorite part of the day, they chose the labyrinth (3 and 6 year olds) and the great lawn (9 year old). They also loved the energetic koi in the pond in the middle of the great lawn.
Good To Know: Parco Giardino Sigurtà doesn’t have playground for kids. After visiting, I realized that it’s better it doesn’t have one. Instead of spending the day at the playground, kids interact with nature!
If you like labyrinths, check out Emilia-Romagna’s Mason’s Labyrinth
Eating at Sigurta with Kids
One word – picnic! Pack your own meal and enjoy it on the huge green lawn. We brought simple panini, watermelon, carrots, popcorn, and water and supplemented with ice cream and popsicles at one of the cafés. You can also get more fancy – we saw families with wicker picnic baskets and silverware.
Cafés onsite serve panini, potato chips, ice cream bars and popsicles, coffee, and cold drinks.
How to Visit Parco Giardino Sigurtà in 4 Hours
Drive to Sigurtà and park in the free lot just past the entrance (marked on my map above).
Walk to the entrance with your family. Bring a stroller if you have smaller kids and a picnic lunch or snacks to enjoy in the park.
Pay the entrance fee.
Pick up a map at the entrance. There’s also a scavenger hunt for kids (in Italian).
Buy tickets for the little train and take the 40-minute ride around the park. You’ll get a feel for the size of Sigurtà and see many attractions (but the train doesn’t stop and you can’t get off). You can snack on the train if you want to.
Set out and see your ‘musts.’ For us, after the train loop, our boys really wanted to return to/see:
- Great lawn
- Labyrinth
- Turtles
- Farm animals and goats
We set off on foot to see these, and ended up stopping at other places on our loop.
When you’re hungry, stop and have your picnic or a snack in a grassy area. You can also get a snack at one of the cafés in the park.
When you’re done, head back to the entrance and your car. It doesn’t seem like a lot to do in four hours, but the park is huge and spread out.
We were all tired after the four hours, but so satisfied with our day!
Basics for Families
Strollers – Sigurtà is stroller-friendly and full of families with babies and strollers. You can push your stroller on the paths and on the grass. We had an umbrella stroller on our visit.
Parking – The easiest parking is the free Sigurtà parking lot marked on my map above. You do have to walk about 10 minutes (500 meters) to get to the entrance (along the main road, but there is a sidewalk). Otherwise, you can look for paid parking in the town
Toilets – There are plenty of toilets scattered around the park. You can change your baby’s diaper in the bathroom or bring a changing pad and change baby in nature.
Bring a picnic blanket or sheet – The grass is actually fine to sit on (it’s soft and well-maintained), but we were happy to have a sheet. There are also benches in the park and an area with picnic tables by the main bar at the entrance.
Bring a ball – The large grassy fields are perfect for kicking a ball around!
Bring a book or card game like UNO – Great options for kids who are tired, not as active, or just want to ‘chill’ a bit.
Snacks – Bring your own and supplement with a gelato or cold drink.
Tickets – The official website doesn’t offer discounts, but you can find discounted tickets from third-party sites, like GetYourGuide (this Sigurtà Garden Park Entry Ticket is discounted for both adults and kids). The advantage of purchasing online (through the park or third-party) is you don’t have to wait in line to purchase tickets. On our visit in mid-June, there was no one in line, but the staff said the entrance line can be long.
Drinking Water – We found many water fountains on our visit. Bring water bottles and refill. You can also purchase water from the many cafés in the park.
Open Water – There are multiple ponds in the park and they’re not fenced, so be careful with your little kids.
Breastfeeding – Don’t be shy, there’s plenty of space for you to find a private and quiet area. If you don’t want to sit on the ground, there are benches scattered throughout the park. It’s a magical place to breastfeed, surrounded by the open, grassy fields and gorgeous plants, trees, and flowers.
Shoes – Sneakers or comfy sandals that your kids can run in are a must. Give flip flops or dressy sandals a miss. Read more about Choosing Kids’ Shoes for Italy.
I hope this helps you have a great day at Parco Giardino Sigurtà with your kids!
You may also want to check out
Lake Garda with Kids
Italy with a Baby or Toddler
Best Places to Visit in Italy with Kids
Fun & Memorable Things to Do in Italy with Kids
Trauttmansdorff Gardens (Merano)
