Looking for a little more as you explore the Getty Villa gardens and exhibits? Take a guided tour for in-depth information and behind-the-scenes details from a museum expert. These tours are offered free to the public at various times through the week. Check the current calendar to see which tours will be offered during your visit; then meet at the Tour Meeting Place outside the Museum Entrance. For more free talks and tours at the Getty Villa, check out the Villa’s Tour page.
Architecture Tour
While the Getty Villa houses more than 44,000 Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities, the Villa is a work of art on its own, modeled after a first-century Roman country house. The 40-minute Architecture Tour highlights various architectural elements of the Villa and offers insights into daily life in the ancient world. Offered multiple times every day.
Garden Tour
Explore the Villa’s four gardens and learn about the ancient Roman gardens that inspired them. This 40-minute tour highlights the garden’s sculptures, fountains, and reflecting pools, along with its 300-plus plant varieties. Foodies may opt for the 30-minute Culinary Garden Tour instead, which specifically focuses on the garden’s edible plants, herbs, and fruit trees and their connection to cooking in antiquity; it’s available on Thursday and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Garden Tour is offered multiple times every day.
Collection Highlights Tours
Want to see the Villa’s greatest hits? First-time visitors to the Getty Villa might consider this tour, available once a day on weekdays and twice a day on the weekend. This 50-minute tour highlights many of the major works on display from the Museum’s collection. Offered at 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday–Sunday; also at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Spotlight Talk
Short on time? Explore the richness of the ancient art housed in the Getty Villa in this 20-minute gallery talk that takes an in-depth look at one major work in the museum’s collection. Offered once a day; see calendar for times.
The Observant Eye
From mythology to death, nudity to wine, key topics in the ancient Greek and Roman world—and their expression in the museum’s collection of art and artifacts—are examined in the 50-minute Observant Eye tour. Offered Monday and Friday at 2:00 p.m.
