EN
Book
The Passetto di Borgo seen from Castel Sant'Angelo, towards St Peter's

Passetto di Borgo

The Passetto is the walled corridor that links the Vatican with Castel Sant'Angelo. It can be visited only on set days, with a guide or a silent escort, and you book it on its own: it is not part of the normal castle ticket.

An independent guide: we are not the official website of Castel Sant'Angelo or its ticket office.

Photo: Chris 73, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

On this page
  1. The pope's escape route
  2. The official visits
  3. Official prices
  4. Booking
  5. The step-free visit
  6. Questions and answers

The pope's escape route

According to the museum, the Passetto goes back to the 6th century, when Totila began fortifying Hadrian's Mausoleum. Its link with the Bastione San Marco of the castle dates to 1277, under Pope Nicholas III, and Alexander VI Borgia (1492–1503) added a covered upper walkway.

It became famous in the Sack of Rome of 1527, when Pope Clement VII ran along it to safety in the castle. According to Wikipedia it is about 800 metres long.

The arches of the Passetto di Borgo along the street
The arches of the Passetto along Borgo. Photo: Hugo DK, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

The official visits

VisitWhenWhat
Daytime, guided or silentFriday, Saturday, Sunday, 9am–1pmPassetto and Bastione San Marco, castle entry included
Saturday eveningSaturday, 7pm–11pmPassetto, then a walk on the bastions through the Hall of the Urns, the ramp and the dromos, museum closed
Step-free2nd and 4th Sunday, 10:45am and 12:15pmPassetto only, from the Torre del Mascherino, no castle entry

Visits are led by archaeologists and art historians. The Passetto is never open on the first Sunday of the month. On the CoopCulture price list the daytime guided visit is also excluded on 25 April.

The museum's English page says the calendar is “in continuous implementation”: dates and slots are published on the booking page.

Official prices

TicketWho or whatPrice
Passetto by day, guidedCastle ticket + one-hour visit of the Passetto and Bastione San Marco€30
Passetto by day, guided, reducedAges 18–25€14
Passetto by day, silentCastle ticket + 30-minute walk with a silent escort€24
Passetto by day, silent, reducedAges 18–25€8
Passetto on Saturday night, guidedPassetto, bastions, Hall of the Urns, ramp and dromos, museum closed€28
Passetto on Saturday night, guided, reducedAges 18–25€26
Passetto on Saturday night, silentThe same evening route with a silent escort€14
Passetto on Saturday night, silent, reducedAges 18–25€12
Passetto, step-free visitPassetto only, from the Torre del Mascherino€14
Passetto, step-free visit, reducedAges 18–25€12
  • Daytime guided: the castle ticket (€18) plus €12 for a 60-minute visit, groups of up to 25.
  • Daytime silent: the castle ticket plus €6 for a 30-minute walk with an escort who doesn't comment.
  • Saturday evening guided: a €4 Passetto ticket plus €24 for the 60-minute visit.
  • Under-18s pay nothing according to the price lists. On the step-free visit, people with disabilities pay only the visit and their companion is free.

CoopCulture's page is not consistent: its summary gives the daytime visit as €10 on top of the castle ticket (the price list says €12), describes the evening silent entry as €4 + €12 (the price list says €14), and a booking note says the visit is free only under 6 and costs €2 under 18. Check the total when you book.

Booking

  • Official visits are sold on Musei Italiani (website and app) and on CoopCulture's Passetto page, where you see the dates and slots.
  • Meet at the castle ticket office (Lungotevere Castello, 50) at least 15 minutes before your slot; the visit starts from the Passetto.
  • Step-free visits start in Piazza della Città Leonina, at the corner of Via del Mascherino.

The step-free visit

  • Up to 20 people, including at most 5 wheelchair users; manual wheelchair users must come with a companion, who goes in free.
  • Entrance door 90 cm wide; the corridor is 450 metres long, 75–215 cm wide and at least 240 cm high.
  • The route does not include the Bastione San Marco. It is not recommended for people with claustrophobia.
The Passetto di Borgo and Castel Sant'Angelo at night
The Passetto and the castle at night. Photo: NormanB, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

Questions and answers

Can you walk the secret passage from Castel Sant'Angelo to the Vatican?

You can visit the Passetto di Borgo on official guided or escorted visits, by day on Friday to Sunday and on Saturday evenings, booked in advance.

How much is the Passetto di Borgo?

By day €30 guided or €24 silent, castle ticket included; on Saturday evenings €28 guided or €14 silent.

Is the Passetto included in the castle ticket?

No. It is a separate visit; the daytime versions include the castle ticket in their price.

Is it open on the first Sunday of the month?

No, the Passetto is never open on the first Sunday of the month.

Where our information comes from

Castel Sant'Angelo entry from €22
Book