Activity provider: Enjoy Rome
Day trip

Rome: Vatican & Lunch at Pope's Summer Residence Day Tour

5 / 5

9 reviews

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    Day trip

    Rome: Vatican & Lunch at Pope's Summer Residence Day Tour

    Activity provider: Enjoy Rome

    From US$ 88.93 per person

    Your day tour begins with a drive from Rome to the pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo – a lovely town overlooking Lake Albano. Afterwards, return to Rome for a visit to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.

    About this activity

    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
    Covid-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
    Reserve now & pay later
    Reserve now & pay later to book your spot without any charges today. Learn more
    Duration 8 hours
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Skip the ticket line
    Live tour guide
    English, Spanish, French, German

    Experience

    Highlights
    • Visit the pope's summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, an exclusive destination recently opened to the public
    • See the Papal Palace and the pope's private gardens
    • Skip the lines and discover the amazing works of art in the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica
    Full description
    Start your 9-hour program with a bus ride to Castel Gandolfo, a secluded and charming town that’s home to the pope’s summer residence. Explore the pope’s private Barberini Gardens by mini-bus and with the assistance of an audio guide. The Papal Palace was recently opened to the public by Pope Francis. You’ll see the treasures of this extravagant yet intimate interior, including works by Bernini. Enjoy a break for lunch and some free time to explore the town before heading back to Rome. In the afternoon, begin a 3-hour tour of Vatican City at the Vatican Museums. With your priority access you’ll skip the lines, allowing more time to discover the great works of art. Continue to the Sistine Chapel, where your guide will point out amazing art including Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement – the largest fresco ever painted by a single person. The last stop on this walking tour of Vatican City is St. Peter’s Basilica, which is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture.
    Includes
    • Skip-the-line priority access
    • Audio guide for Castel Gandolfo tour
    • Live English speaking guide for Vatican City tour
    • Bus from the meeting point and back
    • Hotel pickup and drop-off
    • Lunch
    • Gratuities
    Not suitable for
    • People with mobility impairments
    • Wheelchair users
    Covid-19 precautions

    You must book this activity online because the ticket office is closed

    Safety measures in place
    • All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
    • You must keep social distance while in vehicles
    • The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds
    Traveler requirements
    • You are required to bring and wear a mask
    • You will receive a mandatory temperature check
    • All participants who are over 12 years old must present proof of full vaccination
    • All participants are required to bring and wear FFP2 masks. Blue surgical masks will not be accepted

    Select participants and date

    Participants

    Date

    Meeting point

    Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.

    Important information

    Not allowed

    • Shorts
    • Luggage or large bags
    • Short skirts
    • Sleeveless shirts
    • Weapons or sharp objects

    Know before you go

    • Please note that the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica have a strict dress code year-round. All visitors must have their shoulders covered and pants/skirts must come to the knee. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes!
    • The Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica have strict security restrictions. Due to metal detectors at the entrances of most sites it is forbidden to bring the following:
    • Weapons and blunt objects (knives, long umbrellas, etc.)
    • Glass bottles, aerosol sprays and alcohol
    • Bicycles, skates and Segways
    • Luggage
    • Pets
    • If you or any member of your party has difficulty with mobility (uses crutches or a wheelchair, etc.) please contact the tour operator in advance. This tour is not wheelchair accessible. Private tours are available to meet these needs, on request.
    • Please note that the meeting point is outside the tour operator's office. For security reasons, no personal belongings may be stored there. Please plan accordingly.
    Customer reviews

    Overall rating

    5 /5

    based on 9 reviews

    Review summary

    • Value for money
      4.4/5
    • Safety
      4.8/5
    • Service
      4.3/5
    • Organization
      4/5

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    Star rating:

    Just beautiful

    Everything went great. Our driver to Castel Gandolfo was just great. Very personable and explained and told me a lot along the way because I also speak Italian. I then translated it into English for my relatives from Australia. Lunch in the garden was great, great atmosphere and Castel Gandolfo is a super cute little town. The view of the lake is amazing. in dream! On the way back, the driver was so nice and let us out in Termini so that we could drive comfortably and quickly to the next meeting point. Thank you again for that! It was a great experience!

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    August 8, 2019

    S
    Sonia – Germany Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Fantastic tour ... less organization

    The Tour was really interesting, very nice, I am satisfied. Unfortunately I am not satisfied with the organization. I booked in May the tour for August 24, Catel Gandolfo with audio guide and the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica with guide in Italian, as shown on the ticket with the personal code. On 23 August (the day before the tour) I am contacted by phone and they tell me that I made a mistake in booking, on Thursday the Vatican Museums do not have a guide, or I choose the audio guide or they reimburse me the cost of admission. I choose the audio guide, which is only for the Museums and not for the Basilica .. If it was communicated to me in May I would have changed the date. The meeting point for the bus is in via Cavour, then after Castel Gandolfo it leaves you in the area (but not close to) the Vatican Museums and gives you some (wrong) indication to collect the Vaucher for the museums. Believe me it was not easy. I repeat the TOUR was fantastic but not the organizat

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    August 25, 2017

    I
    IRENE PATRIZIA – Italy Verified booking

    Helpful?

    Wonderful Day Tour of Castel Gandolfo, Vatican Museums and St. Peter's

    Wonderful way to spend the day if you’ve already seen most of the main historical destinations in the city center. The tour began a little early (8:00 am) with a bus ride to the small town of Castel Gandolfo where the Pope’s summer residence is. We rode first by bus, then by a mini eco-train around the sites in this beautiful mountaintop town. After visiting the Pope’s private gardens and the Papal Palace, we were given some time to eat lunch and walk about town a little. This incredibly adorable town sits at the top of the mountain, overlooking the lake so on a clear day (which we luckily had) the views were breathtaking. Definitely enjoyed the morning at Castel Gandolfo more than the afternoon at the Vatican – but a visit there is a must when in Rome. If it were a longer trip, we would’ve liked to spend more time in Castel Gandolfo and around the Castelli Romani. Such a nice change of pace from the city center and so beautiful!

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    June 5, 2017

    A
    Asya – Italy Verified booking

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    Product ID: 101336