The Angels & Demons trail (Dan Brown's 2000 novel, the 2009 film) is a half-day walk through five real places in central Rome: Santa Maria del Popolo, St Peter's Square, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Piazza Navona and Castel Sant'Angelo. There are two ways to do it: on your own, mostly free, or with a guided tour of about 3 hours, from about $84 in October 2026. The "Path of Illumination" is an invention of the novel: only the places and artworks are real.  ## The stops in the order of the novel | Stop | What it is in the novel | Visit | |---|---|---| | Santa Maria del Popolo | The Chigi Chapel, "Earth" | Free; Mon-Sat 8:30-9:45, 10:30-12:00 and 16:00-18:00, Sun 16:30-18:00 | | St Peter's Basilica | The square, "Air" | Square open to all | | Santa Maria della Vittoria | Bernini's Ecstasy of St Teresa, "Fire" | Mon-Sat 6:45-12:00 and 16:00-19:00, Sun 9:00-12:00 and 16:00-19:00 | | Piazza Navona | The Fountain of the Four Rivers, "Water" | Open to all | | Castel Sant'Angelo | The finale and the Passetto | Closed Monday, Tue-Sun 9:00-19:30 | The Pantheon, close to Piazza Navona, also appears in the novel and requires a ticket (€7 since 1 July 2026). Church hours are those noted in October 2026: they close during Mass. ## On your own or with a guide? On your own: allow 4 to 5 kilometres of walking, a map and some reading on Bernini (see Bernini and Borromini, baroque Rome). With a guide: the most booked tour is the "Illuminati Trail", rated 4.3 out of 5 from about 460 reviews (GetYourGuide, October 2026), with an advertised duration of 3 hours; check on the activity page whether the Castel Sant'Angelo entry is included and where the tour starts. Its main benefit is explaining what is true in the novel, what is invented and what you cannot see with the naked eye. ## Fact or fiction? The Vatican Secret Archives (renamed the Apostolic Archive) exist but are not open to the public; the Passetto di Borgo, the fortified corridor linking the Vatican to Castel Sant'Angelo, is real and can be visited on certain dates, often with a separate ticket. The "four altars of science", the conspiracy and the race against the clock are fiction. For other film settings, see filming locations in Rome. ## Tips Start in the morning so the churches are open. Cover your shoulders and knees (see dress code in churches and the Vatican). If Castel Sant'Angelo interests you, see Castel Sant'Angelo tickets.
See in this guide
See these 5 places on the map
