Castel Gandolfo: Pope's Summer Residence & Secret Garden Tour

We had an amazing tour of the Castel Gandolfo thanks to our amazing tour guide Francesca D'Orazio! We were in awe and in shock of how beautiful this site is. The gardens are truly amazing!! We booked a private family tour (4 adults and my daughter of 16 months) and Francesca was so amazing with all of us! She was very knowledgeable about the history of the site and gave great background information about everything we saw. She made the experience so memorable by working with the security guards to show us secret rooms in the palace and we had the chance to go out to the terrace to view Lake Albano! (Which not all tour groups get to do) we finished the day by having lunch with her at Ristorante Pagnanelli which was delicious and also had great views of the lake. This was included as part of the tour which was great! If you are looking for a beautiful, easy, and quick day trip outside of Rome, book the private tour of Castel Gandolfo with Francesca! Pick-up at our hotel was prompt (start the day at 8:30 am) and we were back to Rome by 3:30 pm and there was decent traffic coming out of the city. So it’s a perfect day trip if traveling with elderly family members or young children. Highly recommend this tour and company!

I did this private tour with a companion two years ago and did nothing but brag about what a fantastic opportunity I found in it. So much so, that two MORE friends were enthusiastic enough to ask to go along. Four of us signed up and were wowed by our terrific guide, Francesca Dorazio. Francesca is passionate about her Vatican job and it was infectious. We already knew that what we were about to experience was unique, and could discontinue at any time, but it was Francesca who made each room in the palace come alive. She was able to answer any question with ease, and was completely at home, as if she lived in the Palace. The gardens were mesmerizing and our driver excellent. Afterwards, a wonderful meal that just did not end, with delightful and imaginative courses. Francesca was alerted to some allergies and made sure all went smoothly for our group of four. I can't say enough: this trip is so worth the money! I would not have done it a second time if it wasn't, so, don't hesitate!

Visita Residenza estiva Papale Prima di entrare , gia' ne cortile ti trasmette una emozione che non puo; essere descritta , l ' esposizione delle auto che anno accompagnato I vari Papi nel corso di un secolo, per non parlare della bellezza interna dove si ammirano I sontuosi affreschi che immortalano la storia della chiesa, la commozione riavviene quando visiti lo studio del Santo Padre nonche' la camera da letto. Una emozione indescrivibile. L ' unica nota stonante (secondo me) e' il prezzo del biglietto + visita al giardino e' di eur 48 x due persone. Bellezze del genere dovrebbero essere visitate da tutti con un minor costo. c.m

<p>If you're looking for an over the top experience, this is it! Franchesca our guide who was amazing and our driver Alessandro both spoke beautiful English and were informative and engaging as well as extremely service oriented. Our private golf cart tour of the gardens took us where the group bus tour could only see from the perimeter. The castle tour was great, but what made it truly special was the private entre to the 4 personal rooms of the Pope not open to the public tour. The coup de gras was the incredible lunch on the balcony overlooking Lake Albano with 5 courses and wonderful wines to experience a true Italian feast! This was the highlight of our trip!</p>

<p>OMG! Don't miss this opportunity if you have even the slightest interest in seeing the interior of the Apostolic Palace. I had high expectations and they were surpassed. We noted the group tours there, with headphones. I have to tell you, having a private Vatican guide gave undivided attention, and we were able to see the rooms without having to strain through the large groups present. The luncheon afterwards was amazing, both in the food and the view. I can't wait to go back and do this again.</p>