Papal Blessing at Castelgandolfo Day Trip from Rome

Rome, Italy

Take this special excursion to receive a Papal Blessing at Castelgandolfo in the summer months only. Availability is limited, so don't miss the opportunity to leave the busy Italian capital to spend time with the Pope at his summer residence at Castelgandolfo.

Leaving Rome, you will pass the enormous ruins of the Terme di Caracalla before taking the ancient Appian Way and passing the Chapel of Domine Quo Vadis.

Your tour will then proceed through the hills to the south of Rome. The area known as the 'Colli Albani' is home to many picturesque villages such as Frascati, Nemi, Genzano and Ariccia, and the splendid Villa Aldobrandini.

The Pope's summer residence is very near the volcanic lake of Albano. The Papal Blessing takes place in the square facing the Papal Palace of Castelgandolfo.

USD $60.01

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Edward M	November 2010
The 2-3 hour wait outside and inside the residence was worth it. The village was charming and nearby scenery beautiful. We were within 25 feet of Il Papa who spoke from his balcony. This was a very emotional experience and very well organized. The only question was the initial visit to a Vatican gift shop near St. Peter's before heading to Castelgandolfo. The stop was a waste of time and very inappropriate. I don't know if this is standard or someone got a kickback. It couldn't detract from the amazing experience of the day.

Review by: Hugh L	September 2010
Felt that this was not the best trip. Papal blessing was great, we were there in lots of time etc however the stop at the gift-shop for a toilet break near the Vatican was a disgrace obviously someone is on commission!

Review by: Anonymous	August 2010
Awesome!!!!!

Review by: Jeffrey F	August 2010
Angela our guide, was very knowledgeable and an impressive linguist. The lake was spectacular and the intimacy of the Papal Blessing was quite nice. Our only criticism was the misrepresentation that was made to the guests that they should buy items at the "officially" sanctioned Vatican gift shopvery expensive, as "the Pope would be blessing these items as well" This was not the case of course . Anyone can easily see the "hustle" in that game and it was not necessary. Thanks

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	September 2009
It was an amazing opportunity to see the Pope. The tour guide was very informative and friendly. Please make sure to wear comfortable shoes and be ready to wait for at least forty-five minutes to get inside the Castelgandolfo.

Review by: Scott O, United States of America	September 2009
This was an experience of a lifetime. If you ever have the opportunity to do this tour when the Pope is at his summer home we highly recomend it. Our tour guide and drive were teriffic.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	September 2009
It was our first day in Italy and despite the 97 degree F temperature. The trip for the Papal Blessing at Castelgandolfo was wonderful!

Review by: Geraldine L, United Kingdom	September 2009
It was an experience I would not have wished to miss. It was not without a lot of pain in having to stand for so long.

Review by: Patrick H, United States of America	September 2009
It was a nice trip through the Italy's country side. The tour guide had alot of info about the different places of importance. When arriving at Castelgandolfo, there was alot of people already and everyone fighting to be the first in line. Our tour guide placed us in line and then left us as we waited for about an hour in line. Lukily in the shade. While the other tours began arriving they proceeded to stand beside us or in front of us which made it quite frustrating for people on our tour. Our tour guide left us and was no where to be found. Once the doors opened - it was mayham as everyone pushed each other to get in. We waited another hour for the Pope to arrive. The blessing itself was 20 short minutes and gave blessings in a handful of languages. The English blessing was just about 2 seconds which was quite dissappointing. But I guess seeing the Pope was the trade off. We would have preferred another tour which we could have sat while waiting and having a tour guide organizing our line would have been helpful.

Review by: George M, United States of America	August 2009
Absolutely terrific! All 3 of my tours with Viator were great!

Review by: Anonymous, Brazil	August 2009
The tour guide was amazing! She was very king and had very good information regarding all the necessary topics. Time management was also perfect. Thank you very much! The tour was PERFECT!

Review by: Gerard M, United States of America	August 2009
Spectacular. The tour guide was immensely informative.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	August 2009
What a wonderful experience. I would recommend this to anyone who is wanting to receive a papal blessing. It was unlike a papal blessing at St Peter's this experience was much more personal and moving. The tour left as schedule and they put us in line to get a perfect place behind the barrier. We stood just under the window. I can only say this was the highlight of our Rome adventure.

Review by: Greg D, Ireland	August 2009
A long wait but most definately worth it.

Review by: Anonymous, United Kingdom	August 2009
We enjoyed the trip very much. The tour guide was excellent.

Review by: Wayne Corrie S, Canada	September 2007
The excursion was terrific. However, we were a little disappointed in the rush to leave the hotel. We were told the pickup would be a 7:00 a.m. However, the shuttle arrived at 6:40 and we were told it would leave in five minutes. We rushed through breakfast to only sit in the vehicle until 7:00 a.m. waiting for another couple.

Review by: Douglas B, United Kingdom	September 2007
Excellent organisation - great being picked up at the hotel - mini tour of Rome prior to papal visit.

Review by: Paul M, United Kingdom	August 2007
Wear comfortable shoes, long wait.

Review by: PAUL M	August 2007
Wear comfortable shoes, long wait.