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Why Choose It?
- Save 15% combining 2 tours and a cooking class.
- Book with the only operator in Rome offering this experience.
- Tour the Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica 90 minutes before opening.
- Explore the Pope's private apartments in Castel Gandolfo.
- Master recipes refined over centuries in a hands-on cooking class on the Pope’s estate.
- Tour the lush Barberini Gardens and quaint village of Castel Gandolfo.
Tour Description
Indulge in a day worthy of the papacy as you combine a VIP tour of the Vatican with a venture into the Roman countryside. After taking in the art, architecture, and captivating culture of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter’s Basilica, you’ll be driven to the Pope’s summer residence at Castel Gandolfo for a full-day trip and culinary experience that’ll be the highlight of your trip.
Your private, expert guide will be by your side throughout the day, ready to accommodate any of your wishes, answer any questions, and tailor the itinerary just for you. Once your day is over, you’ll feel you’ve truly experienced the Vatican and its territory in Castel Gandolfo, following in the footsteps of the papacy and mastering traditional Italian cooking using produce freshly sourced from the estate.
Step inside the Vatican Museums before they even open
Because you have prized earliest access tickets to the Vatican Museums and its collection, you’ll step inside at 7:30 am – 90 minutes before the Vatican opens to the general public. This means you and your private guide will be free to roam the Vatican’s vast collection, honing in on exactly what you want in the peace and quiet of the early morning.
Your private guide will walk you through the Vatican’s unmissable collections, suggesting the perfect itinerary to suit your tastes. Should you wish to see something in particular, just let them know. Otherwise, they’ll guide you through a carefully crafted itinerary exploring the fabled Gallery of the Candelabra, the resplendent Gallery of Maps, and the stunningly detailed Gallery of Tapestries.
Surround yourself with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel
Stepping inside the Sistine Chapel, you’ll find yourself emerging right beside the sublime mural masterpiece of the Last Judgment and the seemingly three-dimensional masterpiece of Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling. The Great Master spent an astonishing four years painting the latter, suspended on his back as the paint slowly blinded him.
Your earliest access to the Vatican allows you to experience the Sistine Chapel like so few ever do: in peace and space as opposed to the noise and bustle of crowds. Take some time to savor the moment as you familiarize yourself with Michelangelo’s lifelike biblical creations.
Take time to explore Saint Peter’s Basilica
Making your way directly from the Sistine Chapel to Saint Peter’s Basilica through a secret passageway, you’ll learn all about the basilica’s long and gripping history from your expert guide. Built atop the site of the eponymous gospel writer’s burial, Saint Peter’s Basilica is the world’s most famous church. You’ll have the opportunity to explore all its treasures during your final stop at the Vatican.
Stand in the shadow of Bernini’s Baldachin, the monument built atop Saint Peter’s eternal resting place. Marvel at Michelangelo’s Pietà, one of the Great Master’s earliest artworks, as the crepuscular rays creep in through the basilica’s windows to illuminate your path. Then descend beneath the basilica to explore the crypt where many of the popes are buried. Once you’ve had your fill, we’ll make our way out into Saint Peter’s Square and onwards to meet your driver.
Journey in luxury to the hilltop town of Castel Gandolfo
The popes first started coming to Castel Gandolfo in the 16th century, traveling here for its seclusion, comfort, and stunning views over Rome and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Visit the town today and soak in the stunning scenery of its hillside and the cerulean waters of Lake Albano and you can quite see why they chose here.
Upon your arrival in Castel Gandolfo, your guide will take you straight inside the Apostolic Palace. Previously a place of absolute privacy, it was recently opened to the public by Pope Francis who converted one floor into a small museum and opened the second – the popes’ private apartments – to visitors. Discover the routines and rituals surrounding the Pope’s personal life and the procedure and protocol of his many esteemed visitors.
Experience a private cooking class on the papal estate
From the Apostolic Palace, you’ll be driven straight to our cooking school on the papal estate where your private English-speaking chef will welcome you with a wine and antipasti reception.This will whet your appetite for your hands-on cooking class where you’ll perfect the art of making a traditional Italian lunch by hand, using ingredients sourced exclusively from the papal estate.
Castel Gandolfo is home to several time-honored recipes that have been refined over generations, like the beloved cappellacci del prete (ravioli stuffed with a rich ragù sauce). Because this is a private cooking class, you can decide with your chef what you want to cook (depending on what’s freshest for the season or what you want to impress friends and family with back home!). Indulge on your main and dolce over a home-made lunch paired with select regional wines.
Roam the sculpted Barberini Gardens and town square
Nestled among the lush, landscaped Barberini Gardens are both ancient and apostolic treasures . We’ve laid on private, eco-friendly transport to take you through them while your guide tells you of the rich and gripping story of the area’s development. From Pope Benedict’s favorite garden to an ancient imperial palace and amphitheater, you’ll be able to explore the Barberini Gardens to your heart’s content, capturing the moment with stunning photographs.
This experience – one of our very best day trips from Rome – concludes in the quaint, sleepy town of Castel Gandolfo, where a medieval stone piazza overlooks the shimmering blue waters of the expansive lake below. Take some time to linger over a coffee or indulge yourself further on some regional gelato before your private driver accompanies you back to Rome and the hustle and bustle of the ancient imperial capital.
Your unforgettable experience on the rural papal estate awaits.
- Itinerary:Vatican MuseumsSistine ChapelSaint Peter's BasilicaPapal ApartmentsCooking Class on the Pope's FarmBarberini GardensCastel Gandolfo
- Included:VIP earliest entrance to Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's BasilicaTour 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:Yes
- Meeting Point:Entrance of the Vatican Museums (Viale Vaticano 100)
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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
