Castel Gandolfo Lake Kayak and Swim Tour

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Rome, Italy

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

3 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Castel Gandolfo sits above the placid waters of Lake Albano, rich in history and natural beauty. With this tour, glide along the lakeshore in a single or double kayak to admire sites dating back thousands of years, from the remains of a prehistoric village and ancient Roman port to the spot where popes would once dive into the crystalline lake from their nearby summer palace.

Experience Lake Albano from the water with a guided kayak tour
An introductory lesson to learn how to paddle and maneuver your kayak
Admire historic sights along the lakeshore and stop to take a dip
A small-group activity suitable for all ages and skill levels

What's Included

Local guide
Private tour
Snacks

Hotel pickup
Remember to bring a change of your clothes, sometimes they might get a little wet with drops.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via Spiaggia del Lago, 18, 00073 Castel Gandolfo RM, Italy
The meeting point is at the Beach in front of Saroli Tennis Club

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We can pickup you in Rome at the subway station of Anagnina - subway red line directly connected with Termini Central Station - The pick up point is in front of the Old Blu Train wagon

Itinerary

Lake Albano

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Giro del lago di Albano (anello)

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Ahmed_S

I had an amazing kayak trip! The scenery was stunning, and paddling through the calm waters was refreshing. The guide was knowledgeable and friendly, making the experience even better. Highly recommend for a fun outdoor adventure!

Reviews

4.8

based on 663 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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A wonderful experience!...

Rosemary_N, Aug 2025

A wonderful experience! Friendly staff picked us up and dropped us off at the Anagnina station. Relaxing kayaking, swimming, and small pizza lunch. Beautiful escape from the city. Highly recommended.

Very nice

Ahmed_S, Jul 2025

Great experience

Tafi_M, Jun 2025

It was a well organized excursion and the service was excellent. I appreciated how we were offered to be picked from the metro station to the lake and back.

Great tour guide!!

Erica_D, Dec 2024

Alex was a fantastic tour guide!!! He helped us learn how to kayak and we had a really beautiful tour of the lake where he provided us with wonderful information on both history and nature of the lake!!! It was a really amazing experience!!

Great trip!

Jordan_R, Oct 2024

This was a ton of fun, especially you like a little more physical activities than the average walking tour. The lake was beautiful, very still and good temperature. October was a great time to go, not many ppl on the lake but still very nice weather. It got a little breezy at the end of the tour but not too bad (I still jumped in the lake for a quick swim!). Pickup was easy as well as the old train car you meet at is impossible to miss if you’re coming on the subway (although the driver was a couple mins late and I got worried). Only other criticism was that we didn’t get a ton of the history of the lake. We got little rid bits of info from the guide as we kayaked around the lake but those conversations only included 1 or 2 ppl. Regardless, this was still one of my favorite things we did in Rome.

Beautiful and so very worth it

Chelsea_T, Sep 2024

Great experience, amazing views, very friendly staff and a great break from the city. Would highly recommend.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Grazie mille, ti aspettiamo per un noleggio .

Beautiful and Refreshing :)

Mickey_C, Aug 2024

We were able to escape the August heat and enjoyed the mountains and surrounding town. We were well guided given the history of the area which was wonderful. The guides are well seasoned and alert, even towed my 11 yo when he needed a break. We went swimming, had a snack, can't say enough about the trip! Very accommodating and hospitable, thank you!!!

Beautiful day on the lake

Bethany_L, Jul 2024

Our guide Michael was friendly and knowledgeable, and this tour was thoroughly enjoyable. Such a serene time on the lake, the perfect break from the heat of Rome. The lake had changing facilities and a snack bar. I was traveling solo and it was enjoyable and easy.

Enjoyable and fun, definitely don’t want to miss out!😁

Melissa_R, Jul 2024

Wonderful experience, guides made it very fun and enjoyable for all😊Water and lunch was even included, Mateo provided great service! Would recommend 😁

Beautiful, relaxing kayaking adventure

Deborah_M, Jul 2024

We had a lovely experience kayaking on the lake. The water was clear and the quiet beauty of the hillsides was so relaxing.

Kayaking

Amy_h, Jun 2024

Very nice group of guides. Went above and beyond. Would definitely recommend this tour. The scenery is incredible.

We recently had an...

Philippe_H, Jun 2024

We recently had an amazing kayaking adventure with Mattias and Andrea as our guides. They were incredibly helpful and very nice. Highly recommended!

What a wonderful way to...

Sandra_P, Jun 2024

What a wonderful way to spend a few hours outside of the hustle and bustle of Rome. Lake Albano is stunning and the kayak and swim provide a lovely escape into nature. The pick up and drop off from the from the train station really simplifies getting their, and the kayak guides are patient, kind, and knowledgable.

Hidden gem in Rome

Adriana_L, Jun 2024

This was one of the best hidden gems in Rome. It was such an exciting and wonderful experience in such a scenic area - it felt like we weren’t even in Rome! Our guide Michael was amazing in helping us get started with the kayaks, and the pizza we got was also so delicious. The water was so clear and blue, and the greenery was fantastic too. We would highly recommend this experience!

Enjoy the experience!!

Nancy_Y, Jun 2024

The experience was really nice. We got picked up from the station and the guide was super friendly, we enjoyed the kayaking experience ans would definitely recommend it!

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Thanks a lot !

Wonderful time on a gorgeous lake!

Christine_K, Jun 2024

Our guide shared the history of the lake and its surroundings. He was an expert kayaker and leader. Thoroughly enjoyed our time on the lake. We even got to take a little swim!

Spectacular kayaking

Ashley_H, Jun 2024

This was a great experience away from the busy city of Rome. Laura picked us up at the train station and provided a great time from start to finish.

Incredible experience!

Ashley_c, May 2024

Alex was amazing…he did a great job connecting with each person and asking about our lives. The kayaking was absolutely amazing, as well as the wonderful swim. Best tour guide we’ve had!! Thank you!!

Great trip to get out of the city, really is beautiful!

Leni_S, Nov 2023

Alex the instructor was amazing! He picked us up from the metro and brought us to the lake. What can I say, it's beautiful! Words can't describe! Also treated to some homemade pizza and a hot chocolate! (Coffee for my husband) . Great information about the lake as we paddled round! Highly Recommend! Weather was perfect!

Sorry to Miss It.

Douglas_D, Oct 2023

We missed our tour due to arriving at the incorrect pickup point. There was a description of the pickup point but not an address. Google maps lead us to the wrong pickup location. I will request for a refund.

Great Outdoor Experience, Outside of (Rome) City

Erica_M, Sep 2023

This was an awesome experience! I appreciated the clear explanation of meeting point location. The Tour Guide, Alex, was friendly, engaging and knowledgeable about the Lake as well as surrounding areas and Rome history. He was polite and helpful in his kayaking tips/guidance both before starting to kayak and out on the lake too. The restaurant that we stopped in and enjoyed a wonderfully delicious antipasto platter and refreshing drinks was a real lovely, open and spacious venue. It was a great highlight too, to swim in the lake and at no time did I or group members made to feel we had to rush or hurry our time, the day trip experience was well organised and carried out.

Kayak Heaven!

carolynn_h, Sep 2023

Wow! This was a wonderful day! The guides, equipment, gorgeous lake, swimming, pizza and transportation were perfect!

Kayaking in Lake Albano

Santiago_P, Aug 2023

It was so wonderful to spend a summer afternoon in the beautiful lake by Castelgandolfo. The guides Carlotta, Francesco, and Lucca were wonderful. Special thanks to Lucca for helping me with the Kayak. I highly recommend this excursion as a way to experience the beauty of the countryside near Rome.

Wonderful

Andrew_C, Aug 2023

The lake is very beautiful and the staff giving the tour were fantastic. The whole experience was well organised and exceptional value.

Beautiful views

Jillian_C, Aug 2023

This Kayaking group was amazing. They stayed with the everyone gave clear instructions. This was my children first time and they throughly enjoyed it. The crew was very pleasant. Restaurants in the area and different paths to get to the beach.

Loved the people

alexandra_t, Jul 2023

Amazing experience! It's a beautiful place. What really made it for us is the people. Andrea and his sister were amazing and sociable people. The love and interest to chat displayed by both was incredible.

Amazing guides and beautiful lake.

Alyson_G, Jul 2023

The lake was beautiful and guides were kind and amazing! Great for teens! My only complaint was the transportation. When I booked, it said for hotel pick up. When we got to Rome we then found out that we had to get from Rome to Anginini, a 45 minute drive and it cost us $120 to go both ways.

Fun activity in Rome

Gary_B, Jul 2023

It was a very fun activity. They picked us up on time from a Metro Stop and took us to the destination. The tour guide gave us rowing instructions prior. The tour was very fun and informative, and the location is amazing. The pizza they brought us was an added bonus!

Great excursion on a hot day

chrisshollandd, Jul 2023

Fransico was really nice and patient. I enjoyed his knowledge of the lake and surrounding area. I would recommend especially on a hot summer day!!

Great escape, beautiful scenery and awesome guides

George_M, Jun 2023

Who would have thought something like this even exists so close to Rome! Our tour guides were very friendly and hospitable, providing us transfers to the metro station as well as some amazing pizza at the end! The best thing about this experience is that they ensure you can go at your own pace, allowing you to choose to either stick with the group to listen to the historical and geological stories about the area or paddle a little away from the group while enjoying the serenity of the lake. Thankfully the weather was good too so we were able to fit in a nice swim towards the end. Rome has a lot to offer but this is a great experience if you want a break from all the chaos and you love nature.