Day Trip to the Pope’s Summer Residence at Castel Gandolfo with Cooking Experience | Small Group
Explore the culinary and cultural delights of Castel Gandolfo's papal estate
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€249.00
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For More Information
(0039) 334 7243374
Mon - Sat / 08:30 AM - 8:30 PM
Why Choose It?
- Journey to the papal estate for a day in Rome’s beautiful countryside.
- Master unique recipes in a cooking class on the papal estate.
- Explore the beautiful town of Castel Gandolfo and Barberini Gardens.

Tour Description
Escape the frenetic energy of the Eternal City for a heaven-sent day in the surrounding hillside. Our exclusive collaboration with the Vatican Museums brings you an indulgent day of culture and cuisine, exploring the papal palace and landscaped Barberini Gardens and taking part in a hands-on cooking class in which you’ll master age-refined recipes originating from the papal estate.
Castel Gandolfo is the most idyllic retreat in the Roman countryside, benefiting from an exquisite spot overlooking the fantastically sapphire volcanic lake. Before the popes, the emperor Domitian built a summer villa here in the first century AD, the ruins of which are within the estate of the Pontifical Villas. Discover what drew them to the area on this unforgettable day trip.
Venture from the Vatican into the Roman countryside
We’ve laid on luxury transport to take you into the Roman countryside. Traveling south of the city along the Via Appia, you’ll pass rolling hills and lush landscapes as you ascend above the Eternal City.
Upon arriving in the tranquil town of Castel Gandolfo, you’ll accompany your expert guide across the square and into the Apostolic Palace that’s served as the popes’ summer residence since the 16th century.
Tour the pope’s private apartments in the Apostolic Palace
Starting off in the palace’s small museum, which Pope Francis recently opened to the public to display the papacy’s treasures, we’ll discover the fascinating history of the popes and enjoy sweeping views over the sapphire waters of Lake Albano.
We’ll then make our way up to the second floor to wander the storied hallways of the pope’s private apartments. Furnished in ancient carrara marble, these apartments tell the fascinating stories of the popes who lived here. Your guide will walk you through the protocol and procedure of their prestigious visitors and provide a fascinating insight into their private lives here.
Embark on a hands-on cooking class on the papal estate
Leaving the Apostolic Palace, you’ll be met by private transport to take you the short distance through the papal estate to our converted farmhouse – the location of your cooking class. Our fluent English-speaking chef will welcome you with a wine and antipasti reception to whet your palette before your unforgettable cooking experience.
Learn how to master recipes refined over generations in this fun, hands-on cooking class. Using ingredients sourced exclusively from the papal estate, you’ll be making a pasta dish and dessert to indulge on over lunch. Best of all, we’ll email you the recipes so you can replicate them at home to impress friends and family.
Explore the sculpted Barberini Gardens
The Barberini Gardens are among the most beautiful in Italy. With sweeping panoramas over Rome and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the distance, they’re home to a wealth of ancient and apostolic treasures from an imperial palace and amphitheater to a range of themed landscaped gardens.
We’ve laid on eco-friendly transport to take you through these lush, sculpted gardens. Your guide will nourish you with the knowledge of their history, taking you from the time of Romulus and Remus to the present-day papacy of Pope Francis. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to stop off and explore various sites and gardens for stunning photo opportunities.
Finish in the town square of Castel Gandolfo
Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the quaint town of Castel Gandolfo, enjoying views over the sapphire waters of Lake Albano, and relaxing over a coffee or gelato in the historic town square. You’ll then meet your driver who will accompany you back to Rome, refreshed and relaxed.
If you’d like to start your day with exclusive earliest access to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter’s Basilica, you can upgrade this tour to our Full Day Sistine Chapel and Pope’s Summer Residence experience. Click on the link for more information.
- Itinerary:Apostolic Palace tourCooking Class and LunchBarberini Gardens tourFree time in Castel Gandolfo
- Included:Round-trip transfer from RomeLicensed guideTransport around Castel GandolfoCooking Class and Lunch
- Wheelchair accessible:Not for shared tours. Guests with limited mobility are encouraged to visit our private tour page.
- Meeting Point:Via dei Corridori 42 / TBA
excellent guides
Our guides are fluent in English and have a contagious passion for the inspiring cultural heritage of our Italian cities. Experts in their fields, they will immerse you in the hidden histories and intriguing lives of history's great protagonists. So much to see, so easy to miss out: with the help of our guides, visit the most absorbing sites and uncover the stories that have changed the world. Don't miss this fascinating journey!
dvorahl2022
Best tour ever. Martha was our guide. She is the best. They way she explained all , answered our questions give us all the information in every place all was wonderful. It was... read moreMartha was our guide. She is the best. They way she explained all , answered our questions give us all the information in every place all was wonderful. It was a very hot summer day and she always looks for ways to give us the information under the shade before we went into the sun. I highly recommend this company and Martha as well. It was very easy to make the reservation and pay. We took the private tour and was perfect. 3 hours that feel like Half hour . We didn’t do any limes to get into the places. Know that if you go by yourself or in other yours you could be up to 2 hours under the sun to get into the coliseum or forum. I highly recommend the private tour. read less - 8/05/2022
michelleSheiowitz
Great Food Stroll with Luca We did the Trastevere Food Stroll with Luca B and he was great! Brought us to great authentic locations and provided his expert advice! We would highly recommend this tour... read moreWe did the Trastevere Food Stroll with Luca B and he was great! Brought us to great authentic locations and provided his expert advice! We would highly recommend this tour and Luca!! read less - 7/30/2022
amandaadams72
Amazon tour and guide! We toured the colosseum and underground with Gigi on Wednesday and had a great time. He was so knowledgeable and fun, he really made the tour a highlight for us.... read moreWe toured the colosseum and underground with Gigi on Wednesday and had a great time. He was so knowledgeable and fun, he really made the tour a highlight for us. I would recommend him to anyone wanting a great tour of Rome!!!-- read less - 7/07/2022
Nolagirl6772
Delizioso! Our guide, Luca, was amazing! We enjoyed tastes of Rome that we would never have experienced on our own including the best cannoli I have ever tasted! Our 11 year... read moreOur guide, Luca, was amazing! We enjoyed tastes of Rome that we would never have experienced on our own including the best cannoli I have ever tasted! Our 11 year old was impressed with the pasta and the roasted pork. My husband and I enjoyed the very unique pizza. Luca was very informative and friendly and everything was so delicious. Go - and go hungry! read less - 7/06/2022
Matthew S
Bike tour and cooking class, outstanding! We have done several tours with Walks Inside Rome over the years, and they are always incredible. This year we chose the Appian Way bike tour and the three pastas... read moreWe have done several tours with Walks Inside Rome over the years, and they are always incredible. This year we chose the Appian Way bike tour and the three pastas of Rome cooking class. Both of them were unforgettable!
First, the bike tour. I am a klutz, and the last time I was on a bike I had such a bad crash I never thought I’d do it again, but this was something my husband had wanted to do for a long time, so I nervously agreed. Our guid, Fabrizio, was amazing. He was patient with me and before long the beauty and aromas of the Via Appia Antica melted my fear. We got to experience the city I love so dearly I. A unique way, get some exercise, and learn so much about the city’s history. I absolutely recommend this experience, and we’re thankful we had Fabrizio as our guide. He was great!
That evening we got to celebrate my survival with the cooking class! Davide was our chef and he too was outstanding! Caccio e pepe, carbonara, and amatriciana are the three pastas. The class was wonderful. We were welcomed with Prosecco and a selection of cheeses, meats and olives. I’m a vegetarian but wanted to learn to make everything and was planning to just eat the caccio e pepe, but Davide grabbed some extra tomatoes and we made a pomodoro sauce that’s the best I’ve ever had just a wonderful experience! The location is beautiful, which adds to the ambience. Amazing as always, WIR! read less - 6/24/2022NorthStar739415
Foodie walking tour of Trestaverde Luca was outstanding as our guide for our foodie walking tour of Trestaverde. Very knowledgeable, fun and easy going. Explained every stop and why each stop was selected. Also... read moreLuca was outstanding as our guide for our foodie walking tour of Trestaverde. Very knowledgeable, fun and easy going. Explained every stop and why each stop was selected. Also provided interesting history of the area. We would highly recommend Luca to anyone. read less - 6/23/2022
TIML_NC
Great Tour Great experience, though we had 9 in our group instead of 6. Our tour group met in front of the Vatican Museum entrance just before 7:30 and entered right... read moreGreat experience, though we had 9 in our group instead of 6. Our tour group met in front of the Vatican Museum entrance just before 7:30 and entered right at 8am. Our guide Cecilia was extremely knowledgeable and spoke great English. Plenty of time to take pictures along the tour as well. We ended our tour in St Peter’s Basilica, but stayed longer to go see the catacombs. We were there probably 4 hours total. Would not have been the same experience in a larger group or later in the day. read less - 6/11/2022