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
Your day starts at the Vatican where 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:Papal ApartmentsCooking Class on the Pope's FarmBarberini GardensCastel Gandolfo
- Included:Tour of the papal home and gardens in Castel GandolfoWine and antipasti receptionExclusive cooking class using locally sourced ingredientsOrganic lunch on the papal estateRecipes emailed as PDFsLuxury transport to and from Castel Gandolfo
- Wheelchair accessible:Not for shared tours. Guests with limited mobility are encouraged to visit our private tour page.
- Meeting Point:Domus Artis Mosaici (Via della Conciliazione, 48, 00193 Roma RM) ; Return drop-off in Piazza della Repubblica at approximately 6.00 pm
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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!
Lovely cooking class with great people Really enjoyed this class, as first you go to a local food market to get the ingredients you cook with - so you feel a bit like a local too!... read more 
AMAZING! Hello!
Myself and my partner visited you this time last year and we're reminiscing about our wonderful experience with you!
I was hoping that I hope get the ingredients & cooking... read more- Absolutely Wonderful! It was absolutely wonderful 3hrs
Got to know so much history about the Colosseum and Roman history
if I'm ever coming back, I would definitely recommend booking a tour - Amazing Guide, Amazing Experience We did the early morning Vatican tour with Walks Inside Rome. Our guide, Lea, was great. She took time to learn our interests (geology for my daughter) and... read more
- Pasta and Tiramisu What a great time we had tonight! Our chef David made the evening, so easy to make Tiramisu and pasta. We all interacted and learned how to make simple good... read more
- Fun Family Activity This was one of our family's favorite experiences in our entire Italy trip! We loved making pizza and gelato, and Marco did a fabulous job of teaching our whole... read more
- Such a fun evening! We had a fantastic time on our food tour. Our guide, Valeria, was super fun. Lots of energy, funny stories to tell, information about the neighborhood and life... read more
- 3 hour walking tour of Jewish Ghetto, synagogues, and musuem We flew overnight, arriving in Rome in the morning. Just a few hours later we met Viviana, our guide, for our tour. She was wonderful. We enjoyed... read more
- Do it! This was one of the highlights of our trip! Unlike other cooking classes I saw when I was searching for one, this one first meets at an amazing market (I... read more
- BOOK THIS TOUR!!! Barbara was absolutely fantastic! She was knowledgeable, funny and able to help us navigate in a way that maximized our time and experience. We would wholeheartedly suggest spending the extra... read more
