Full Day Pope's Summer Residence, Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour
Activities

Full Day Pope's Summer Residence, Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel Guided Tour

Free cancellation
Language: English
Availability: Saturda
Mobile voucher accepted
Duration: 8 hours
Do this because
  • • Explore the Pontifical Residence of Castel Gandolfo, summer residence of the Pope, for centuries prior.
  • • Understand the Popes’ lifestyles over the last half century, visiting 20 marble-floored rooms of the Apostolic Palace open to the public, including the grooms' room, gallery of Alexander VII, Pope's bedroom, the clock parlor, papal portrait gallery, the throne room and view various statues and paintings.
  • • Enjoy a walk through the Villa Barberini Gardens and Belvedere Garden, built on the archeological ruins of of the Roman villa and gardes of Emperor Albanum Domitian and Pope's Farm, a family-run farm of 50-acre which produces everything that the Pope eats.
  • • Visit the Vatican Museums with skip-the-line tickets and admire the Pigna Courtyard, Pius Clementino Museum, Chandelier’s Gallery, Tapestries Gallery, Raphael’s Rooms and many others.
  • • Step inside the Sistine Chapel to admire ‘The Creation of Adam’ by Michelangelo
What to expect

You will embark our confonfortable air-conditionated bus to a memorable journey to Castel Gandolfo in the verdant Alban Hills, where you will be treated to a private guided visit of the Papal summer residence, including the Apostolic Palace, coveted Private Papal Apartments, and the Barberini Gardens.

Riding through the hidden parts of Vatican State, just in recent years opened to the public, your guide will entertain you with historical anecdotes and intriguing facts. Be among the few, most privileged, to see Vatican railway station, the giant Year-2000 Jubilee bell, the stunning meditation gardens in use by popes since 1279, and the Pope’s private heliport which Roman Pontiffs use regularly for pastoral passages.

You have the chance to visit the spectacular visit to the Apostolic Palace for an insider’s look at the rare treasures it contains, with the Papal Apartments including the Pope's private bedroom, study and chapel. This 17th century abode has served as a summer residence to the Popes since Urban VIII chose it for its stunning position and panorama in 1626. Explore this remarkable complex, often referred to as the ‘Second Vatican’, culminating in the breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape from the Papal Terrace, a privilege that may even pale in comparison to the view.

Continue for a stroll covering the best of the Barberini Gardens, some of the most beautiful in Italy, built over the ruins of Emperor Domitian’s villa. This Renaissance masterpiece is nothing less than a feast for the senses. Admire the evocative natural and archaeological features of this earthly paradise, including the Magnolia Garden, Path of Roses, with the impressive ruins of the imperial theatre, the ancient ‘crypto-portico’ covered passageway, and more until you reach the Belvedere Gardens with views that sweep to the sea, before joining your bus for your journey back to Rome. Then, "Our No Wait Access Vatican Tour gets you past long lines at the Vatican Museums, so you spend more time exploring the world’s most incredible art collection and less time waiting outside. Travelling in groups of 30 people or less, we visit the highlights of the Vatican. With commentary from your expert, English-speaking guide you’ll see the, the Hall of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of Candelabra and the incredible Raphael Rooms. Listen as your guide brings these works of art to life for you – pointing out things you never would have noticed on your own and teaching you about the characters behind these great works. A definite highlight of our tour comes when we visit the Sistine Chapel. Guided tours are not permitted within the chapel, so your tour guide will have already filled you in on the details with the aid of photographs of the paintings. Take some time inside this world-famous room to pick out the details you heard about – Michelangelo’s boneless self-portrait for example, in which he expresses to the world that he would rather be skinned alive than paint the Sistine Chapel again. As incredible as his work is, it must have been back-breaking – a fact you’ll understand all the better after you learn what it takes to create a fresco.

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What's included
  • check Tour as per description
  • check Access to the Vatican Museums with Skip-the-line tickets
  • check Tickets to the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo and Gardens with all reservation fees included
  • check An English-speaking escort to lead visitors to the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo
  • check English-speaking tour guide in Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
  • check Map of and introduction to the Vatican Museums
  • check Access to the Vatican Museums until closing time
  • check All transfers in air-conditioned bus
  • check Small groups of 22 people or less
Where

Piazza dei Re di Roma, Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome, Italy

Meeting point:
Meet us 10 minutes before the tour starts at Piazza dei Re di Roma. Our coordinators will be wearing blue polo shirts or jackets for easy recognition. ;GPS Coordinates: 41.8824586, 12.5139945
What to remember
  • The tour ends at Vatican Museums.
  • Gratuities for excellent service are appreciated.
  • If you have difficulty finding the meeting point for your tour or if you have any other issue requiring urgent attention, please phone +39 06 8336 0561.
  • Please plan on being at the meeting point at least 15 minutes before the meeting time. We are unable to accommodate late arrivals. Missed tours or tickets due to late arrivals cannot be refunded.
  • This tour involves a fair amount of walking, comfortable shoes are recommended.
  • We regret that we are unable to accommodate guests with wheelchairs or mobility impairments on our tours.We regret that we are unable to accommodate pushchairs or strollers on our tours.
  • Our City Wonders guides will have a City Wonders sign with the name of the tour at the meeting point for easy recognition
  • Appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. Knees, shoulders and backs must be covered. City Wonders cannot be held responsible for entry denied due to improper dress.
  • City Wonders reserves the right to refuse participation on its tours to any guest under the influence of drugs or alcohol or to any guest whose behavior is disorderly, or poses a threat to other guests or City Wonders staff.
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Provider
City Wonders
Booking fee
Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.
Cancellation policy
Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins.

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