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Castel Gandolfo tickets: Papal Palace & Gardens

Run by the Vatican Museums · €12 full price · hours change from day to day

The Papal Palace at Castel Gandolfo is sold by the Vatican Museums: €12 full price, €6 for ages 7–18 and students up to 25, free under 7. The ticket covers the palace, the Garden of the Moor and the Secret Garden. The only official online shop is tickets.museivaticani.va.

All tickets online: from €24 on Tiqets →

At a glance

Official tickets
  • Full – Papal Palace and Secret Garden€12
  • Reduced – ages 7–18 and students up to 25 with proof of enrolment€6
Free for
Children under 7; from the second child on with the Family rate (mother, father and at least 2 children aged 7–18 or students up to 25); visitors with a certified disability of at least 67% (plus one companion if not self-sufficient), issued only at the ticket desk; ICOM and ICOMOS members.
Booking
Booking recommended Online tickets only on tickets.museivaticani.va, the sole official sales site (beware of look-alike domains), or at the ticket office in the palace. The Family rate is sold on site only. Tickets are non-refundable.
Opening hours
Hours vary by day according to the official Papal Palace calendar: 9:00–13:00 with closing at 14:30, 9:00–16:00 with closing at 17:30, or 9:00–17:00 / 10:00–17:00 with closing at 18:30. Visitors are moved out of the rooms 30 minutes before closing. Some days are closure days: check the calendar before you go.
Closed
Closure days marked on the official Papal Palace calendar
Time needed
about 2 hours
Address
Piazza della Libertà, 00073 Castel Gandolfo (RM)
Official sales
Musei Vaticani – Polo Museale di Castel Gandolfo (Palazzo Papale e Giardino Segreto)

Checked on the official site on 28 October 2026 · Sources & checks

Castel Gandolfo Papal Palace & Gardens
Photo: Livioandronico2013, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Booking on Tiqets

Pick a date and time

Papal Palace & Gardens of Castel Gandolfo: Entry + Optional Astronomical Dome

from €24 · ★ 3.6 (41)

This calendar is Tiqets's own: live availability and price; you pay and get the ticket from Tiqets.

Open on Tiqets →

Which ticket is right for you

All tickets online

Reseller prices are refreshed daily; the final price is the one on the partner's site. Resellers cost more than the official ticket because they add availability, free cancellation or services.

The ticket in brief

The palace that popes used as a summer residence is managed by the Vatican Museums, and you buy it through their system: €12 full price, €6 for ages 7–18 and for students up to 25 who can show proof of enrolment for the current year. Under-7s are free. The ticket covers the palace rooms plus the two gardens right next to it, the Garden of the Moor and the Secret Garden, and you can visit on your own or with a guide.

The Vatican Museums are blunt about one thing: the only official online ticket site is tickets.museivaticani.va, and look-alike domains charge inflated prices. If you arrive via a search ad, check the address bar before paying. Families with at least two children aged 7–18 can ask for the Family rate at the desk (the second child onwards goes free); it can't be booked online.

Check the calendar, every time

Opening hours here are not fixed. The official calendar, a PDF on the Vatican Museums site, mixes short days (entry 9:00–13:00, closing at 14:30), long days (closing at 17:30 or 18:30) and closure days. Rooms start emptying 30 minutes before closing. Taking an afternoon train out of Rome on a short day is the classic way to find the gate shut.

One more difference from the Vatican Museums: the free last Sunday of the month applies in Rome only.

What the partner products add

The basic ticket covers the palace and the gardens around it. Partners also sell an eco-minibus tour through the much larger estate of the Pontifical Villas, palace entry combined with the astronomical dome of the Vatican Observatory, and day trips from Rome by train or coach. Tiqets, GetYourGuide and Headout all sell the plain palace ticket and the minibus version; on the day trips most of what you pay for is transport and a guide.

Getting there

The palace stands on Piazza della Libertà in the middle of the village, above Lake Albano. Regional trains from Roma Termini stop at Castel Gandolfo station, and from there it's an uphill walk into the village. Bring cash or a card for the ticket desk if you're claiming a family or student rate, along with the documents to prove it.

FAQ

How much are Castel Gandolfo tickets?

€12 full price. The €6 reduced ticket is for ages 7–18 and for students up to 25 with proof of enrolment. Children under 7 go free.

Where do I buy official tickets?

Online only at tickets.museivaticani.va, which the Vatican Museums name as their sole official site, or at the ticket office inside the palace. Watch out for look-alike domains charging more.

What are the opening hours?

They vary by day on the official calendar. Some days entry runs 9:00–13:00 with closing at 14:30; other days the palace closes at 17:30 or 18:30, and some days it's shut. Check the Vatican Museums' calendar PDF before travelling.

Is it free on the last Sunday of the month?

No. The free last Sunday applies to the Vatican Museums in Rome. It isn't among the palace's free-entry categories.

Is the Vatican Museums ticket valid here?

No. Castel Gandolfo has its own ticket, sold on the same official site.

How long does the visit take?

Allow about two hours for the palace and the two gardens, more if you add the minibus tour of the estate.

Sources & checks

Official prices and rules are copied from the pages below. Spotted a change? Write to info@tickets.co.it.

  1. Official site: Musei Vaticani – Polo Museale di Castel Gandolfo (Palazzo Papale e Giardino Segreto) · tickets.museivaticani.va
  2. museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/tariffe-e-biglietti.h — prices
    Palazzo Papale e Giardino Segreto di Castel Gandolfo Biglietto di ingresso Intero € 12,00
  3. museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/tariffe-e-biglietti/b — prices
    Biglietto ridotto € 6,00 Minori di età compresa tra 7 e 18 anni.
  4. museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/tariffe-e-biglietti/b — prices
    Singoli studenti di età non superiore ai 25 anni (compiuti) in possesso di un documento rilasciato dall’Istituto scolastico o universitario comprovante l’iscrizione per l’anno in corso.
  5. museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/tariffe-e-biglietti.h — free
    Il biglietto è gratuito dal secondo figlio in poi e i bambini da 0 a 6 anni hanno comunque diritto alla gratuità. N.B.: acquisto del biglietto esclusivamente sul posto, presso la biglietteria situata nel Palazzo (no prenotazione online)
  6. museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/tariffe-e-biglietti.h — free
    Biglietto gratuito Palazzo Papale e Giardino Segreto di Castel Gandolfo Bambini al di sotto dei 7 anni (non compiuti).
  7. museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/scegli-la-visita.html — booking
    L’unico sito ufficiale per l'acquisto dei biglietti online è https://tickets.museivaticani.va Si invita a prestare attenzione alle potenziali truffe e a quei siti che utilizzano domini simili a quello ufficiale
  8. museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/visita_musei/scegli_visita/ville/ — hours
    GIORNO DI CHIUSURA • CLOSURE DAY 09.00 • 13.00 14.30 APERTURA • OPENING TIME CHIUSURA • CLOSING TIME 09.00 • 17.00 18.30 ... 9.00 • 16.00 17.30 ... 10.00 • 17.00 18.30
  9. museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/visita_musei/scegli_visita/ville/ — hours
    L’USCITA DALLE SALE DI ESPOSIZIONE INIZIA MEZZ’ORA PRIMA DELL’ORARIO DI CHIUSURA
  10. museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/eventi-e-novita/iniziative/mostre/2026 — visit
    L’accesso all’esposizione è gratuito ed è incluso nel biglietto d’ingresso al Palazzo Papale di Castel Gandolfo (visitabile, con guida o autonomamente, insieme al Giardino del Moro e al Giardino Segreto).
  11. museivaticani.va/content/dam/museivaticani/pdf/visita_musei/scegli_visita/ville/ — address
    Il meeting point è presso l’ingresso del Palazzo Apostolico (Piazza della Libertà, Castel Gandolfo - Roma)

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