The town of Castel Gandolfo is a quick day trip from Rome.  Last year, the Vatican opened up the summer residence after Pope Francis decided not to spend his summers at the villa as had been tradition with his predecessors.  Pope Francis had already ordered the grounds of the Barberini gardens open to the public for the first time back in 2014.                                  I went through a group package organized at work.  It included a Trenitalia train ticket from Roma San Pietro train station, which takes about an hour to reach the town of Albano Laziale.  The tour times are either 8:30 am or 11:30 am.  

From the Albano Laziale train station shuttle buses take passengers up to the town where the Papal summer villa is located.  Trains also run from Rome Termini to Albano Laziale.  There are also options to visit the Lake Albano for paddle-boating.  

Pope Benedict spent his first few months of retirement at Castel Gandalfo in 2013.  The complex includes the papal villa, a farm, the remains of a Roman villa, and the Barberini Gardens.

The dress code is similar to the Vatican (no shorts or sleeveless tops).  A tour of the palace interior is available with an audio guide.  On Saturdays, it takes about an hour to tour the courtyard and interior (mainly due to the crowds).

After the villa tour, enjoy a leisurely Italian lunch at one of the quaint cliff side restaurants with a lake view.  

Then there are regularly scheduled train tours through the Barberini garden.  This lasts 90 minutes and includes an audio guide.

Like many palaces and villas in the area, the grounds originally were part of ancient Roman complexes.  In this case, the grounds were part of Emperor Domitian’s residence.  

In 1929, the Italian government transferred ownership of Villa Barberini and its grounds to the Vatican.

Pope Pius XI later acquired orchards near Albano to establish a working farm.

After the garden tour, a stroll though the town Castel Gandolfo is recommended.  There is enough time to grab a drink in the square or walk around before the shuttle buses need to depart for the train station.

There are some interesting mosaics and art in the square. 

Its a picturesque town full of cute shops and funky bars.  

One looks just like an antique shop, but turned out to be a restaurant with an outdoor bar.