Take a stirring journey through art and religious history with skip-the-ticket-line entry to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. Avoid the long ticket lines and then enjoy your visit at your own pace.  Wander through the Greek Cross Gallery to see elaborately-carved sarcophagi that might just contain the earthly remains of some of antiquity's famous kings and queens. Peek at the Cabinet of the Masks, or tour the Sala degli Animali to see a virtual menagerie of fantastic beasts, real and imagined. Walk the Upper Galleries, including the Gallery of Maps, to see how cartographers depicted the world through the ages. See masterpieces by Renaissance masters in the Raphael Rooms, and rest for a while in the Borgia Apartments. Then, it’s time to marvel at Michelangelo’s exquisite Sistine Chapel, the crown jewel of the Vatican, and perhaps even of all the world’s art treasures.

Explore the Papal Palace at your own pace with a multilingual audio guide. Admire the architecture, learn its history, and discover its many collections of art, relics, and more. Extend your visit with a minibus tour of the Barberini Gardens and admire the intricate displays. Once you arrive at the Castle doors, pick up your audio guide and begin your walk through the palace. Gaze at the many treasures, from uniforms and relics to artworks and furniture. Learn the interesting history of the Pontifical Residence, commonly known as the Second Vatican. Designed by the Swiss-Italian architect Carlo Maderno for Pope Urban VIII, and it has served as a summer retreat for various popes since the 17th century. Don't forget to pay your respects to the sedan chair of Pope Pius IX, and the BMW used by Pope John Paul II, before taking the option to visit the Barberini Gardens on a 45-minute minibus tour. The gardens offer views of intricately designed shrubbery and unique fountains, the perfect finisher to the palace experience.

See Vatican City's top attractions on a sightseeing tour where you don't have to wait in line. Discover the treasures of the Vatican Museums with a guide or on your own. Take in the beauty of the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's incredible artworks. Explore the Vatican Gardens with an audio guide. Meet near the Vatican Museums and enjoy fast-track access to Europe's most renowned art collection. Dive into the art world with an expert guide or explore on your own, depending on the option chosen. Take in the Gallery of the Candelabra, the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, and more. Admire the impressive collection of classic sculptures at the Pio Clementino Museum. Wander the halls of the ornate and elaborate papal apartments, including the Raphael Rooms and Borgia Apartments. Finally, step into the world of Michelangelo as you uncover the secrets of the Sistine Chapel. Continue to the Gardens of Vatican City and receive your audio guide. Learn about the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Apostolic Palace, and the Governor's Palace. Admire St. Peter's Basilica from a unique perspective and immerse yourself in this peaceful hideaway. Or choose the option that includes the Vatican 360 experiences gives you 360 access to the Vatican City and Castel Gandolfo Starting off at the Vatican Museum, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Europe’s most renowned art collection. Accompanied by an expert guide, enjoy fast track entrance and dive into the history of the Art world. Admire the impressive collection of classic sculptures in the Pio Clementino Museum. Wander the halls of the ornate and elaborate papal apartments, including the Raphael Rooms and the Borgia Apartments. And finally, step into the world of Michelangelo as you uncover the secrets of the Sistine Chapel. Once you’ve had your art fix, it’s time to explore the Vatican Gardens. Stretching an impressive 57 acres. Enjoy the picture-perfect landscapes and uncover the impressive garden architecture that draws influence from both the baroque and renaissance era. After spending the morning at the Vatican City, it’s time to head out of town by train to explore the Papal Palace at Castel Gandolfo, about an hour north of Rome. Pick up your audio guide at the welcome desk and start your journey through the Apostolic Palace. First up, enjoy the museum and experience the intricate work of the clergy up close as you pass by historical papal gowns and the impressive display of the Pope’s portable throne. Then, it’s up to the Papal apartment. Step into the true home of Christianity as you admire the Pope’s clock parlour, music gallery, the Swiss Hall, and even the Holy Father’s library. The all-access Vatican experience wraps up with a tour of the Barberini gardens. There you’ll not only enjoy stunning panoramic views, but also a complimentary picnic with locally sourced porchetta and wine.

Explore the 55-hectare gardens of the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo by open minibus. Listen to the audio guide as you roam the gardens to learn all their secrets. Meet your greeter in the Palazzo before starting your tour. Climb aboard the eco-friendly minibus to discover the Castel Gandolfo gardens. See tree-lined avenues, flowers, fountains, and statues. Admire views of the sapphire blue and emerald green waters of Lake Albano. Take in the remains of Emperor Domitian's residence. 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. You can upgrade your minibus tour of the gardens. Choose from a visit to the papal apartments or lunch in the papal gardens. In the Pope's summer residence, discover five hundred years of papal history in the apartments. Wander from the bedroom to the private chapel and from the library to the studio. Gaze at the balcony from which the Popes pronounced the Angelus every summer Sunday. Or, enjoy a lunch of traditional foods in the garden picnic area. Tuck into a porchetta or vegetarian sandwich, bottled water, a wine or beer, and typical wine biscuits.

Escape the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquil Castel Gandolfo where you can follow in the pope’s footsteps. Start off at the Apostolic Palace, pick up your complimentary audio guide, and get ready for a sneak peek into the lives of the popes at their traditional vacation retreat.  Experience the intricate work of the clergy up close as you pass by historical papal gowns and the pope’s portable throne. Explore the pope’s private apartment and enjoy sweeping panoramic views from his hill-top home. Next, visit the Barberini Gardens. Explore the luxurious gardens from the comfort of an air-conditioned minibus. Uncover the history of this unique site with a complimentary audio guide, available in a multitude of languages. Enhance your experience by selecting the full-day option and enjoy a guided tour.

Explore Rome at your own pace with the Go City Rome Explorer Pass. Choose from 2 to 7 attractions and tours from a list of over 35 popular activities. With a full 60 days to use your pass (which starts with your first attraction visit or tour) enjoy plenty of time to experience Rome. Visit the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums, enjoy a pizza dinner in the Prati District, go to a classical music concert, bike ride among ancient Roman ruins, and experience much more. Avoid the hassle of buying individual attraction tickets. With your pass, everything is right on your phone. Get a digital guide packed with attraction information and instructions on booking your visits. Choose any 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 Rome and Vatican attractions or activities from the following: Cultural and Historical Sights • Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill with audio tour, hosted entry, and multimedia video (R) • Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - reserved entrance (R) • St. Peter's Basilica Guided Tour • Borghese Gallery and City Guide app (R) • Castel Sant' Angelo with audio guide (R) • Capitolini Museum with hosted entry (R) • Altar of the Fatherland Panoramic View (R) • Pantheon Guided Tour (R) Other Tours and Experiences • Big Bus Rome Hop-on Hop-off 1-Day Classic Tour • Rome Catacombs Tour including transfer (R) • Piazza Navona Underground • Best of Rome at Twilight (R) • Papal Audience (R) • Rome Ghost and Mystery Tour (R) • Bike rental with Caracalla Baths (R) • Ancient Via Appia Antica by Bike • The Three Tenors in Concert with Ballet - St. Paul's Church • Museo delle Cere (Wax Museum) • Welcome to Rome Show • Leonardo Da Vinci Experience • Vivaldi's Four Seasons Meets Bach's Masterpieces • Trevi District Underground: Small Aqueduct Domus (R) • Vigamus - Video Game Museum • Empresses, Emperors and Courtesans Tour (R) Food and Drink • Wine tasting with a certified sommelier near the Colosseum • Hard Rock Cafe Rome - Skip the Line • Pizza terrace dinner in the Prati District (R) • Healthy and fresh food break in the city center • Spritz and salad menu near the Vatican • Italian breakfast at Vero Food (city center or Prati District) (R) Reservations required. Follow the instructions on the digital guide for each attraction or tour.

Enjoy a unique half-day tour from Rome that will take you to the lovely town of Castel Gandolfo where you will visit the Papal Palace and its stunning landscaped gardens. Castel Gandolfo, built on the site of the legendary ancient settlement of Alba Longa, is one of Italy’s most picturesque towns and has been home to the Papal summer retreat since 1596. Situated in the Regional Park of the Castelli Romani, it enjoys splendid views over the beautiful Lake Albano, which you will be able to admire from the grounds of the Apostolic Palace. On this tour, you will be able to explore the up-to-now hidden gems of this glorious private residence with an audio-guide in the language of your choice. Following this, you will have the opportunity to see the gorgeously manicured Barberini Gardens and the impressive ruins of Emperor Domitian’s villa, before enjoying a lunch prepared with fresh produce from the palace farm! If you have not already done so, you will have the chance to add a tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica with your fantastic guide onto your experience, in which case, upon your return to Rome, you will be dropped off right outside the Vatican.

Visit the summer residence of the pope at Castel Gandolfo. Wander through its stunning gardens, browse the Apostolic Palace museum exhibition, and learn about the pope, past and present. Meet your guide at the entrance of the villas and then board a bus to visit the gardens of the pope's summer residence. As you go through the gardens, learn interesting facts and see where the library is located. Hear about the library's catalogue including works by Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton. Make stops at some of the most emblematic points such as La Villa Barberini. Also see Villa Cybo, a garden full of marble statues and fountains of great artistic value. Then, visit the Apostolic Palace, also known as the Papal Palace and now serves as a museum. In the museum, see different pope-mobiles and discover the many aspects of the pope's day-to-day life. During the course of your tour hear about the popes who have passed at the residence, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's time here after his resignation, and many other stories.

Whether it's your first or fifth visit to the Vatican, take the time to discover all there is to see on this full-day comprehensive tour of its museums, gardens, and grounds. You’ll begin early by meeting your guide outside the entrance to the Vatican Museums where you’ll skip the usually long lines outside to go straight in. This collection houses 26 distinct museums and 70,000 pieces of art. But we’ve taken the stress out of your day by ensuring you’ll be accompanied by an official Vatican guide who knows these museums inside-out and will be able to take you to the best of the best. Enjoy the exquisitely crafted sculptures in the Octagonal Courtyard, the magnificent Raphael Rooms, and the ornate Gallery of Tapestries. You'll also arrive at Michelangelo's masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel, fully prepared with tips from your guide on what to look out for. Next, you'll journey into the stately Vatican Gardens. Entry to this collection of landscaped gardens, forests, and medieval monuments is strictly for those on tours (like this one), so you’ll be sure of a slice of tranquility within the bustling city-state. After you’ve soaked in the fresh air, you’ll make your way to the Vatican Rail Station with your guide for a journey to make your Vatican experience complete. Opened as recently as 2015, you’ll step aboard the Pope’s train and set your sights on one of the most beautiful hill towns in all of Italy coming into view. Steeped in history, Castel Gandolfo is not only the summer residence of the Popes but close by is the birthplace of the legendary Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. The gorgeous gardens of the Villa Barberini are where you’ll be treated to an inviting buffet lunch, made of traditional Italian dishes and fresh seasonal ingredients. Use your free time after lunch to explore the charming town further. We’d recommend visiting the Papal Palace for an audio tour (included) where you can roam inside the Pope’s apartments, which are vastly more extensive than even those of the Vatican! Afterward, be sure to wander towards the beautiful Lake Albano and take in the scenic hill views.

Take a tour of the Apostolic Palace, stroll through the Barberini Gardens, and walk in the footsteps of the pope himself on this thrilling half-day trip. After meeting your host near Termini Station, a train will take you to Castel Gandolfo, where you’ll transfer to a comfortable open-roofed bus. Enjoy the Barberini Gardens for an hour while the audio guide explains the interesting details of the area. You’ll be fascinated by the sense of history and grandeur as you pass through this historical must-see. Take in the breathtaking views of the picturesque Lake Albano – and be sure to take lots of photos. From there, you’ll step into the impressive Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope. Take your time to enjoy this world of pure artistic beauty. Visit the luxurious papal apartments, see the gallery of the papal portraits, the extensive Vatican Library, and much more!  An absolute must-do for any visitor to the area.