Bracciano: Odescalchi-Orsini ancient Castle Tour with Lunch
Description
Visit, admire the majestic Odescalchi Castle, one of the most beautiful, real imposing Renaissance mansions in Europe. Odescalchi&Orsini Castle is located about 50 km southeast of Civitavecchia. Built between 1470 and 1485 by Virginio Gentile Orsini it is one of the most beautiful, impressive and original Renaissance residences in Europe. It underwent many transformations over the centuries due to its strategic position at the gates of Rome. Visit the more than 20 rooms on the Piano Nobile, the paintings, the furnishings and the splendid medieval kitchen with armory. . Today, the castle has now become a famous location for parties, with actor Tom Cruise choosing it for his wedding with Katie Holmes. Once there, take the unique opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking view of the lake and the surrounding countryside below. Finally, round off your tour by replenishing your energy with lunch in a typical restaurant with local products.
Tour Options
Itinerary
TERMINAL CRUISE SHUTTLE BUS. I’ll wait for you with a signature of your name in “Largo della Pace snc” Civitavecchia. It is the meeting point and last stop of the port free shuttle bus (that picks up you from the boat).
The tour starts with a guided visit of the Orsini-Odescalchi Castle, an icon of the power and the prosperity of its Lords. Its construction stars in the IV century. Nowadays the Castle has become a famous location for parties and Tom Cruise chose it for his wedding with Katie Holmes. You will lead you then in a short walking tour through the historic center of Bracciano to finally reach the “Belvedere della Sentinella” where you will enjoy the breathtaking view of the lake and the surrounding countryside below. The tour will proceed with a lunch in a typical restaurant with local products.
Walking tour near the lake or in the ancient city centre
lake of Bracciano
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup from Civitavecchia area: please include in your reservation the accommodation name and its address. Pickup time will be approximately 08.50 AM, although due to the traffic conditions, you may have to wait 5–10 minutes more
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Reviews(10)
Paolo was a great driver / guide. He gave us good information on the sites on the way to the Castle. The Castle itself was spectacular. We listened to a narrative of the Castle, received via our phone. The descriptions could get lengthy but the information was first class. Many rooms had original frescos and furniture. I loved the knights armor and weapons that were on display. We were able to go up the towers and saw great views of the surrounding area. Lunch was at a cute lakeside restaurant where we had excellent seafood. I would strongly recommend this tour.
We booked this tour and were left standing on the street waiting for 30 minutes only to find out the castle wasn't even open on the day we were scheduled. We were not notified by the tour company of the cancelation. I would avoid myloveitaly tours.
We’re sorry for the inconvenience and for the time you spent waiting. That said, on the day of your tour you were arriving by cruise ship, and phone service on board is often unavailable or extremely limited until you’re on land. We were therefore unable to reach you in time to notify you directly. We also provide an emergency contact number specifically for same-day operational issues; in this case, we did not receive any call to that emergency line, which would have allowed us to assist immediately.
We had a fantastic experience on this tour. We had the better part of the day to spend doing something prior to embarking on a cruise. We dropped off our luggage then met our tour guide at the port in Civitavecchia. The tour was everything we hoped it would be. Thanks so much for the great memories!
We had a great day with Michele! The castle was great and we had a nice walk through the town and had a nice lunch by the lake. Michele was a great guide. We highly recommend this tour!
Elizabeta was one of the best tour guides I've had! When traffic was poor, she easily & quickly navigated the back roads so we didn't lose time. She had the perfect balance of explaining the sites & culture mixed with personal conversations. Everything was clear and easy to understand and I loved her personal touches she gave to the tour.
Viator booked us with a pick up at our hotel. Which I have in the confirmation. The day of the pick up the driver went to the port. I contacted him saying we were at the hotel waiting. The response I got back said they didn’t service that area. I am trying to get a refund. Viator should not have booked this.
This jewel can also give those who have visited other similar buildings the exact idea of what a manor is. Absolutely not to be missed.
Our guides were fabulous! Lunch was amazing, the best pasta I have ever eaten! Andrea and our second guide were so knowledgeable and personable and the castle was spectacular.
We visited the Bracciano Castle with Andrea as a tour guide. He was excellent! He picked us up from Largo Della Pace and drove us first to a smaller castle. Important tip: try not to schedule the earliest possible tour (8am). He was surprised that MLI allowed us to do this, because nothing (including the smaller castle) is truly open until 10 and cafes aren’t really open for lunch until after noon. But he led us around the castle to get a great (and cooler) view of the sea in addition to a beach. We then made our way to Bracciano Castle, and he guided us right to the front desk where our tickets were all paid for. The castle tour is essentially self-guided…Andrea said to text him when we were finished. The castle itself was very impressive, but it was not easy to climb all of the stairs for older folks. This was still a very impressive sight. After the castle, he took my wife, my kids and I (grandparents stayed behind to rest) on a walking tour of the city, and led us to another nice outlook looking over Lake Bracciano. We then came back to a restaurant near the castle that served us a very laid-back three-course “light” Italian lunch that was excellent (and super-filling…don’t eat a lot of breakfast!). Lunch was fully included. After lunch, he drove us back to the cruise ship area, and we thanked him and parted ways. All together, this was about 7 hours. We would highly recommend this for an off-the-beaten-path excursion in the Rome area. And of course we would highly recommend Andrea…he was great, and my son really appreciated his great English. One final tip: you do NOT have to wear pants if it is super-hot. That was a mistake! But overall, a great experience.
