Trip details

What you get on this adventure:

• • 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:

• • 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

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.

Here’s a list of clothing we recommend bringing:

• • 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:

• • 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.

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.

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.

Group sizes and prices:

• • 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:

• • 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.

A non-refundable 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 2 months (60 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.

• • If Client cancels the Booking anytime prior to sixty (60) calendar days in advance of the trip contemplated by the booking, Client is entitled to a full refund minus the deposit.
  • For cancellations fifteen (15) to fifty-nine (59) calendar days in advance, Client is entitled to a refund in the amount of fifty percent (50%) of the total amount paid when Booking.
  • After that deadline, Client is not entitled to any refund. Any reimbursable expenses arising out of the Booking incurred by Guide prior to the date of cancellation (including but not limited to plane tickets, car rental payments, and lodging or transportation fees) are non-refundable as soon as they are incurred by the Guide.

Client can transfer their booking to a person who satisfies all the requirements, having first given the Guide reasonable notice in writing to do so before the departure date (such notice must be given more than 21 days prior to the date of departure). Client who transfers the Booking shall be jointly and severally liable with the transferee to the Guide for the payment of any balance due in respect of the holiday and for a substitution fee of €30.00 per person substituted, subject to a maximum of €120.00 per booking (or such other greater sum as may be authorized).

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.

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!