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Every year hundreds of thousands people make the journey along Camino de Santiago’s most famous route: Camino Francés. Instead of spending more than a month on the full-length trail, join this tour to hike the last 100-kilometer (60-mile) portion of it—and you’ll still get your Pilgrim Passport stamped! Starting from the city of Sarria, the trail takes you through the delightful Spanish countryside and villages, with each of them offering mouth drooling local dishes. The path’s endpoint is in the historic Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia, whose monumental cathedral reputedly safeguards the remains of St. James, the apostle.
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Make sure to arrive to your hotel in Sarria on time to enjoy your first dinner as a group. Meet the guide, the group, and get a good night’s sleep before starting the Camino.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Alfonso IX
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To kick off the Camino, you’ll have a peaceful walk through oak woods and quaint villages along quiet country rods. The village of Barbadelo at 580m has a beautiful Romanesque church that’s worth a visit. You’ll also pass through Ferreiros. Once you arrive in Portomarin at 550 m, you can relax on one of the many terraces of the main plaza.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 21.9 km / 13.6 miles
Accommodation: Hotel Ferramenteiro
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Start the day by crossing the river Minho and climbing steadily uphill. On your way, you’ll pass through Gonzar, Romanesque Church of Santa María, Castromaior, and the Galician Cemetery in Ligonde. In Eirexe, you’ll find a Romanesque portal of the church, featuring a sculpture of Daniel and animals, as well as a statue of Santiago de Peregrino. Arrive in Palas de Rei at 565 m for the night.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 24.2 km / 15 miles
Accommodation: Hotel Complejo La Cabana / Hotel Alda Palas de Rei
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Today the Camino continues slightly downhill, passing the village of Casanova and the charming village of Leboreiro. End your day at Melide with dinner at one of the many traditional restaurants.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 14.7 km / 9.1 miles
Accommodation: Hotel Carlos 96
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Head off to the tranquil countryside along forest trails and through a few hamlets. At Boente de Ariba, pass by an ancient church of Santiago before continuing through a forest track and reaching Catanada. Cross a few streams and the last stretch to Arzua on a long, uphill bit. Once there, relax in your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 14.3 km / 8.9 miles
Accommodation: 1930 Boutique Hotel
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Today you’re passing through woods, along streams and through sleepy villages. Take your time and visit the chapel of Santa Irena and marvel at its unique statues of Santiago. The rest of the way to Rua-O Pino is on a quiet country road. Rua at 310 m is one of the less-crowded stopping points before Santiago de Compostela.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 17.5 km / 10.9 miles
Accommodation: Hotel Ruta Jacobea
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You’re nearly there! The next stage is Lavacolla, where pilgrims traditionally washed in the river before reaching Santiago de Compostela. The tall eucalyptus trees line your way to Monte del Gozo (Mount of Joy) at 368m). From here, you can see your goal—the Cathedral of Santiago! After a descent into the city, you’ll be able to witness this UNESCO World Heritage Site up-close. Marvel at the architecture and relish the wonderful atmosphere in this cultural and spiritual mecca.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Hiking: 20.5 km / 12.7 miles
Accommodation: Pombal Rooms
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Your Camino Frances tour has come to an end. If you’d like to stay longer in the area, just ask your guides for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
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What you get on this adventure:
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- An experienced hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- 8-day hiking tour along Camino Frances
- Most breakfasts and dinners (as listed in the itinerary)
- Accommodation (specially chosen 2-3* hotels or equivalent)
- Luggage transfers
- Holiday or Pilgrim Pack by your guides — pilgrim passport, luggage tag, route notes or guidebook (if you have requested a hard copy)
- 24/7 Customer Service
What’s not included:
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- Transportation to and from the starting/end point
- Lunch and drinks
- Insurance
- Premium accommodation — available upon request
- Airport pick — available upon request
- Additional night — available upon request
- Day tours — available upon request
- Guide gratuities — optional
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The most important thing about walking the Camino Frances is that you enjoy the journey at your own pace. Whether you’re a very fast or a slow walker, we encourage you to enjoy the trail. Having said that, being in good walking shape is still required. The trails have plenty of opportunities to rest and recover, and you’ll be accompanied by a support vehicle that can help you shorten or lengthen the walking stages if needed.
You’ll be doing between 11 and 28 km a day (7 to 17 miles), carrying a daypack of things you might need on the trail. Don’t worry about the baggage, though, as the support vehicle will carry everything for you!
Hiking consecutive full days can be quite strenuous. In preparation for your hike, your guides recommend doing some 5-10 mile (8-16 km) walks – including some uphills and downhills with a loaded backpack.
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Here’s a list of clothing we recommend bringing:
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- Clothes made from quick-drying fabrics (avoid cotton)
- Leisure clothing and footwear for the evenings
- Spare clothes for layering
- Waterproof rain jacket
- Fleece pullover or jacket
- Quick-dry short-sleeved and long-sleeved tops
- Quick–dry walking pants (consider the ones that zip off to make shorts)
- Waterproof pants — optional (unless it’s very cold, it’s usually best to hike in shorts, but feel free to bring these pants if you’d feel more comfortable)
- Hiking boots or shoes
- Hiking socks
- Sunhat
- Gloves
Here’s a list of other equipment we suggest you bring:
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- Daypack large enough to carry everything you might need throughout the day
- Hydration bladder or a water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Hiking poles — optional
- Earplugs — optional
- Basic first aid essentials, such as blister protection
- Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, etc.)
- Camera — optional (but recommended)
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Your guides will take care of all luggage handling and transportation for the duration of your tour. This means that you’ll leave your bags with your guide in the morning, and they’ll handle the details of getting them into the next hotel room. Luggage is transferred on the days that you are walking to a different hotel. We ask you to have it ready at reception at 8.00 so as to make sure we can deliver your luggage and others as early as possible in the afternoon. The luggage transfer is limited to 1 bag per person with a maximum weight of 15 kg per bag. Additional bags can be transferred for an extra €10 per bag per transfer.
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Accommodation for the duration of your tour is based on a number of criteria, including location, comfort, services, price, and character. Though accommodation on the Camino is limited, your guides will always try to book something that is near the Camino as well as the historical center of the city. Expect hotels of a 3* standard in larger cities, while for the smaller villages and towns, your guide choose hotels or guesthouses of a 2* standard. Exceptions may be made.
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Your guides are determined to provide you with the best available on the Camino. Each night, you can expect traditional meals or tapas prepared with fresh and local products. A table will always be reserved for your group at the end of the day in one of your guides’ favorite restaurants along the trail. Any special dietary requirements or allergies can be accommodated, just let us know in time so they can be taken into consideration.
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Group sizes and prices:
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- For these Camino Frances tours, the usual client to guide ratio is 16:1. That’s also the maximum group size.
- It takes a minimum of 7 people for this tour to operate.
- The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
Camino Frances tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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To start your Camino Frances tour, you need to reach Sarria. Most people fly into Santiago–Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ), 2-3 hours away from Sarria—depending on whether you rent a car or take the bus. Your guides can either arrange airport transfers to the meeting point for an additional fee or you can reach them by yourselves.
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57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Spain and Portugal, please refer to requirements for travel to Spain and travel advice for Portugal.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
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