Explore the Pontificial Villas Gardens at Castel Gandolfo - Tour - Rome

We will begin by meeting at the Palazzo before heading to visit the fairy-tale villa where popes have come to escape the hustle and bustle of the Vatican since the 17th century.

You will get a tour of the beautiful gardens built into the ruins of Emperor Domitian’s own 2,000 year-old country residence and listen to the audio guide to learn delightfully peculiar stories about the many popes who used the villas as their sanctum. Take in the remains of Emperor Domitian's residence and find out all there is to know about the Popes, including which pontiff installed a swimming pool and which one laid low in Castel Gandolfo for months after handing in his resignation.

Finally you will explore the 55-hectare gardens of the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfowhere you can listen to the audio guide as you roam the gardens to learn all their secrets. Climb aboard the eco-friendly minibus to discover what the Castel Gandolfo gardens has to offer; see tree-lined avenues, flowers, fountains, and statues and admire views of the sapphire blue and emerald green waters of Lake Albano.

Audioguide languages

English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish