• Madrid

    Optional first day in Madrid

    Once you arrive in Madrid, you will be picked up by a private car at the airport and transported to your magnificent hotel. You have lunch on your own, and after a siesta, we will take a guided afternoon walking tour of Old Madrid.

    We will visit some of the most interesting sites like the Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel, where you can taste wonderful tapas and pinchos. We will then have dinner at one of Madrid’s most exquisite restaurants.

    Madrid's Plaza Mayor (Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra on Flickr)
    Madrid's Plaza Mayor (Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra on Flickr)
  • Day 1

    León

    We will travel by private bus or train from Madrid to our hotel in León. After settling in, everyone will meet and we will embark on a guided afternoon tour of the beautiful city of León.

    We will see, among other things, the Bayonnat Gothic Cathedral, with its unique stained glass windows. We will visit the Basilica of San Isidoro, with its tombs of the Kings of León and fine Romanesque paintings. Last but not least, we will see the Casa de Botines, a neogothic styled building designed by Gaudi (one of the three Gaudí buildings outside Catalonia). You will have a chance to view the city walls, built in the 1st century BC and enlarged in the 3rd-4th centuries AD.

    We will then have a delicious dinner with samplings of Léon’s classic cuisine.

    Casa de Botines (Photo by Tomás Fano on Flickr)
    Casa de Botines (Photo by Tomás Fano on Flickr)
  • Day 2

    16.4 kms / 10.2 miles

    León-Astorga

    16.4 kms / 10.2 miles walking and approximately 20 miles by private bus.

    León-Astorga
    León-Astorga: 16.4 kms / 10.2 miles walking

    We will leave Léon in the morning and travel by private bus to Hospital de Órbigo to begin the first day of our walk (Hospital is part of the town’s name, as many towns and places along the path were originally hospitals for pilgrims hundreds of years ago.) We will begin walking in Hospital de Órbigo after having a chance to view the Puente de Orbigo, a magnificent Roman bridge.

    From here, we will walk to the hotel in Astorga. In the afternoon, you are free to explore the historic city, enjoy the hotel spa, or rest. Astorga is home to the famous Cathedral of Santa Maria de Astorga and the 19th-century Episcopal Palace, designed by Gaudi. There are also Roman archaeological remains, including sewers, two baths (late 1st and 3rd century AD), remains of the forum and several mosaics, as well as remains of the ancient city walls.

    We will then have a scrumptious dinner to refuel for the next day’s walk.

    Hospital de Órbigo (Photo by canduela on Flickr)
    Hospital de Órbigo (Photo by canduela on Flickr)
  • Day 3

    16.4 kms / 10.2 miles

    Astorga-Molinaseca

    16.4 kms / 10.2 miles walking and approximately 32 miles by private bus.

    Astorga-Molinaseca
    Astorga-Molinaseca: 16.4 kms / 10.2 miles walking

    On day three, we will take our bus to the Cruz de Ferro (the Iron Cross), one of the most famous and meaningful places on the Camino. It is traditional for a pilgrim to carry a stone, representing a burden one has been carrying, and leave it at the base of the cross in order to lay down one’s burden and move on.

    Our walk will begin shortly after at the Iron Cross, and we will walk through beautiful countryside and descend to El Acebo, the beginning of one of Spain’s most charming regions, El Bierzo. After El Acebo, we will wind our way down to Molinaseca for lunch. Here, you can sit by the beautiful river and watch the storks in their nests before lunch at one of our most favorite restaurants. After lunch, the bus will take us to our beautiful hotel in a nearby town.

    El Acebo (Photo by Rufino Lasaosa on Flickr)
    El Acebo (Photo by Rufino Lasaosa on Flickr)
  • Day 4

    15.9 kms / 9.9 miles

    Molinaseca–Villafranca del Bierzo

    15.9 kms / 9.9 miles walking and approximately 13 miles by private bus.

    Molinaseca–Villafranca del Bierzo
    Molinaseca–Villafranca del Bierzo: 15.9 kms / 9.9 miles walking

    After breakfast, we will continue by bus to Camponaraya, where we begin our walk to Villafranca del Bierzo. After our well-deserved lunch, we will head back to our hotel for the evening. Here, we will have a tour of the winery, before a delicious dinner at the hotel.

    Walking on the Camino (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
    Walking on the Camino (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
  • Day 5

    11.4 kms / 7.1 miles

    Villafranca del Bierzo–Triacastela

    11.4 kms / 7.1 miles walking and approximately 26 miles by private bus.

    Villafranca del Bierzo–Triacastela
    Villafranca del Bierzo–Triacastela: 11.4 kms / 7.1 miles walking

    We begin our day by taking the bus to O’Cebreiro, where the Camino enters the region of Galicia. There, we will visit Las Pallozas, historic stone houses of Celtic origin and the incredible pre-Romanesque church, the oldest such church on the Camino that remains fully intact and which was the site of a documented miracle. We will continue in our bus climbing a little past the Alto de Pollo, the highest point of the Camino.

    We will then start the day’s walk, descending through the beautiful wild flowers and scenery to the village of Triacastela. From there we will enjoy lunch and then go to our new beautiful country house for the night.

    Las Pallozas (Photo by Pedreda on Flickr)
    Las Pallozas (Photo by Pedreda on Flickr)
  • Day 6

    12.4 kms / 7.7 miles

    Triacastela–Sarria

    12.4 kms / 7.7 miles walking and approximately 6 miles by private bus.

    Triacastela–Sarria
    Triacastela–Sarria: 12.4 kms / 7.7 miles walking

    Today is one of our more relaxing days. In the morning, we will leave the hotel and return to Triacastela to start our walk to the Monastery of Samos for about 6 miles. Once there, we will have a guided tour of this 6th century monastery, which still operates as a monastery today.

    After our visit, we will have lunch in one of the finest restaurants in Samos and travel by our private bus back to our hotel, passing through several charming towns, villages, and forested paths en route to our hotel.

    Monastery of Samos (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
    Monastery of Samos (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
  • Day 7

    13.7 kms / 8.5 miles

    Sarria–Portomarin

    13.7 kms / 8.5 miles walking and approximately 5 miles by private bus.

    Sarria–Portomarin
    Sarria–Portomarin: 13.7 kms / 8.5 miles walking

    Only 100 kilometers to Santiago!

    We begin our walk in Peruscallo, and will continue from there to Portomarin, which sits on a reservoir created by damming the Mino River, which is one of the largest rivers in Spain. When the reservoir is low, you can see the ruins of the ancient town of Portomarin, which was submerged in water when the river was dammed.

    From Portomarin, we will take the bus to our hotel outside the town and enjoy a great dinner together.

    From Sarria to Portomarin (Photos by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
    From Sarria to Portomarin (Photos by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
  • Day 8

    13.5 kms / 8.4 miles

    Portomarin–Palas de Rei

    13.5 kms / 8.4 miles walking and approximately 4 miles by private bus.

    Portomarin–Palas de Rei
    Portomarin–Palas de Rei: 13.5 kms / 8.4 miles walking

    Today’s route takes us through through typical Galician villages, decorated with their raised corncribs and the occasional carved granite cross that marks the way to Santiago. We begin our walk in the town of Hospital de Cruz. Continuing west, we walk through the first of many eucalyptus forests along the Camino and work our way to Palas de Rei. When we arrive, the best way to reward ourselves will be with a glass of Albariño white wine, the most famous white wine from the region of Galicia.

    En route to Palas de Rei (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
    En route to Palas de Rei (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
  • Day 9

    12.6 kms / 7.8 miles

    Palas de Rei–Arzúa

    12.6 kms / 7.8 miles walking and approximately 12 miles by private bus.

    Palas de Rei–Arzúa
    Palas de Rei–Arzúa: 12.6 kms / 7.8 miles walking

    We start the morning walking through beautiful countryside until we arrive in Melide. For those who like octopus, this will be the best chance to taste the incredibly tender octopus which is boiled in large copper kettles on the street.

    You will likely pass many cows along the way, as Arzua has one of the highest numbers of cows per capita in Galicia.

    A group of curious cows (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
    A group of curious cows (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
  • Day 10

    10.6 kms / 6.6 miles

    Arzúa–Santiago

    10.6 kms / 6.6 miles walking and approximately 14 miles by private bus.

    Arzúa–Santiago
    Arzúa–Santiago: 10.6 kms / 6.6 miles walking

    On our last walking day, we will continue by bus to the town of Ras to begin our walk to Santiago. Here you will walk through beautiful pine and eucalyptus forests and feel the excitement among all the pilgrims as you near Santiago. We will arrive in Santiago in time for the noon Pilgrim’s Mass and you will then be free to explore the city.

    After a rest, we will walk to our farewell dinner at a very fine restaurant in Santiago, where locals enjoy the traditional dishes of Galicia’s regional cuisine.

    En route to Monte de Gozo (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
    En route to Monte de Gozo (Photo by Jesús Pérez Pacheco on Flickr)
  • Day 11

    Santiago

    After breakfast at the hotel, you are free to explore the city or catch your plane home. We say goodbye to you in Santiago, with hearts full of gratitude for the chance to have walked with you.

    Santiago's Cathedral (Photo by Javier Pais on Flickr)
    Santiago's Cathedral (Photo by Javier Pais on Flickr)
  • Finisterre

    1-day extension from Santiago to Cape Finisterre

    Join us for an extra day at the end of the tour. What’s included:

    • Breakfast
    • Private bus to Cape Finisterre and surrounding area.
    • A gourmet lunch at Cape Finisterre with wine
    • A five-star hotel in Santiago de Compostela
    • Cost per participant: 550€; supplement for single room occupancy: 155€
    The last milestone at Cape Finisterre (Photo by Bernt Rostad on Flickr)
    The last milestone at Cape Finisterre (Photo by Bernt Rostad on Flickr)