# Apostolic Palace and Secret Garden of Castel Gandolfo

What to do en Castelli Romani · Castelli Romani

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/things-to-do/castel-gandolfo-apostolic-palace · Revisado: 2026-11-12

- Duración: 2 h
- Temporada: All year except July; usually closed on Tuesdays
- Para quién: People interested in the Vatican, art and history; families

The popes' summer residence above Lake Albano: rooms, portraits of the pontiffs, the private apartment and the Secret Garden, with reserved entry.

The palace that dominates the square of Castel Gandolfo was for centuries the summer residence of the popes. Since 2014 it can be visited: the gallery with the portraits of the pontiffs, rooms with tapestries and works of art, rooms of the private apartment that were closed for centuries and the Secret Garden. It is run by the Vatican Museums and you enter by reservation on their website.
When it opens
According to the official 2026 calendar, on weekdays it is open from 9:00 to 13:00; on Saturdays, from 9:00 to 16:00 in winter and from 9:00 to 17:00 from March to October; on Sundays, from 10:00 to 17:00. It is usually closed on Tuesdays and for most of July, when the pope resides in Castel Gandolfo. In January and February, the Moro Garden and the Secret Garden can only be seen at weekends. Leaving the rooms begins half an hour before closing. Check the calendar before you go: it changes with the pope's presence.
What is included
The standard visit covers the palace and the Secret Garden. There are special guided tours, such as the rooms closed to the public and the astronomical domes of the former Vatican observatory, and family rates. On the ground floor there is a café with a terrace over Lake Albano and a bookshop in the Chinese Room.
Getting there
By regional train from Roma Termini on the Albano line: Castel Gandolfo station is below the village, about ten minutes' walk uphill. By car, along the Via Appia Nuova; parking in the centre is difficult on Sundays.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 41.74659, 12.65048

## Cerca de aquí

- [Hotel Castel Vecchio](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/where-to-stay/hotel-castel-vecchio), a 710 m
- [Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/things-to-do/palazzo-chigi-ariccia), a 3.3 km
- [Lo Specchio di Diana](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/where-to-eat/lo-specchio-di-diana), a 6.0 km
- [Nemi and the viewpoint over its lake](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/things-to-do/nemi-village-lake), a 6.0 km
- [Hotel Cacciani](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/where-to-stay/hotel-cacciani), a 7.2 km
- [Ristorante Cacciani](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/where-to-eat/cacciani), a 7.2 km
- [Frascati: the square, Villa Aldobrandini and a glass of wine](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/things-to-do/frascati-villa-aldobrandini), a 7.3 km
- [Tusculum Archaeological Park](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani/things-to-do/tusculum-archaeological-park), a 7.4 km

## Consejos

### Book and check the calendar
It is usually closed on Tuesdays and in July; on days of a papal audience the hours change.

### Finish on the terrace
The palace café looks over Lake Albano.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Do I need to book?
Yes, book on the Vatican Museums website.

### Is it open on Sundays?
Yes, from 10:00 to 17:00 according to the 2026 calendar.

### Can I go by train?
Yes, on the regional from Termini to Albano, stopping at Castel Gandolfo.

Destino: [Castelli Romani](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/lazio/castelli-romani.md)