Self-Guided Walk Along the Camino Francés

By going on a self-guided tour, you’re able to walk at your own pace and enjoy the journey at your own pace without worrying about the logistics of it all. The guiding company who put this all together is Follow the Camino—they are local guides who have been leading pilgrims along their journey since 2007 and they were the first ever operator to organize walking along Camino de Santiago!

There are many perks of choosing a self-guided tour. Apart from not having to adjust to the group, you’ll have the accommodation, breakfasts, luggage transfer, and route instructions sorted. You’ll be staying in handpicked, carefully-selected 2 or 3-star hotels and guesthouses and there’s no need to print out anything upon checking-in—your guides booked and arranged everything for you, all you have to do is show your I.D.

This is a hassle-free trip so if you want to focus on enjoying your pilgrimage in the Spanish bucolic countryside, these self-guided tours are the perfect match.

Included:

• • Self-guided tour along the Camino Frances:
    • Walk the full Camino Frances
    • Walk the final 100 km
    • Walk from Leon to Ponferrada
    • Walk from Logroño to Burgos
  • Holiday pack — pilgrim passport, luggage tag, route notes or guidebook if you have requested a hard copy (this will be waiting for you at your first accommodation)
  • Pre-departure meeting (a week or two before the departure, online meeting)
  • Walking notes and vouchers — download them yourself, the vouchers contain all the information about your accommodation and there’s no need to print them as your reservation will be confirmed
  • Breakfasts
  • Accommodation during the tour (2 to 3-star hotels or equivalent)*
  • Luggage transfers
  • 24/7 Customer service

Add-ons:

• • Premium accommodation
  • Airport pick-up
  • Additional nights
  • Additional luggage

Not included:

• • Transportation to and from the starting/end point
  • Lunch, dinners, and drinks
  • Travel and medical insurance

If you have any special dietary requirements, let us know in time so we can make arrangements. Please remember to mention it once again upon check-in, it’s always best to double check.

*Please note that accommodations are subject to availability and it may not be possible to book the exact accommodations listed day-by-day in the itinerary (in case there is a detailed list).

*Please note that refrigerators are not guaranteed in the accommodations.

The most important thing about walking the Camino Santiago 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. Check out the day-by-day itinerary to learn about daily distances. Keep in mind that you’ll be 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!

Full walk of  the Camino Frances

• • Hiking for more than a month is strenuous. If you’ve never done any long-distance hiking, you should start your workout regime at least 12 weeks prior to the start of the hike. Work on your strength, stability, and cardio. Let us know if you have any questions regarding preparation.

Other 6 and 7-day itineraries

• • A reasonable level of fitness is required for 6 and 7-day itineraries. If you can comfortably walk for several hours at a time and enjoy being active, you should do well. It’s recommended to do some training walks beforehand to build up your stamina and ensure you’re comfortable with the daily distances.

Remember, the Camino is not a race, and there will be plenty of opportunities to rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way.

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 or backpack large enough to carry everything you might need
  • Duffle bag for all your belongings if you decide to have your luggage transferred
  • 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)

We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. This packing list works best for the May-October season. If you’ll be walking in cooler months, consider adding a warmer base layer, mittens, rain pants and sturdier, waterproof Gore-tex shoes/boots.

Your guides will send you a pre-departure pack by post. The pack contains your pilgrim passport, luggage tag, route notes or guidebook if you’ve requested a hard copy. In case there are certain complications with receiving the pre-departure pack, it will wait for you at your first accommodation.

You’ll have to download the walking notes and vouches yourself. The walking notes are here to assist you. Although the Camino is pretty well-marked and you only need to follow the yellow arrows, there are sometimes variations on the routes or some of them are more difficult to follow than the others. We recommend that you always familiarize yourself with the daily journey ahead. You’ll also download the vouchers yourself. These vouchers contain all the information about your confirmed accommodation—there will be an address, their phone number, any special instructions on how to get there, and a small map.

You will find a 24/7 support phone number on the bottom of each voucher. Keep in mind that there’s no need to print out the vouchers, as your reservations will be confirmed.

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-star standard in larger cities, while for the smaller villages and towns, your guide choose hotels or guesthouses of a 2-star standard. Exceptions may be made.

In case your accommodation is located outside the town, you’ll need to check your vouchers for specific instructions on how to get to your accommodation. Most likely the accommodation will organize a taxi transfer or they will pick you up themselves. All the necessary information will be on the vouchers, which is why it’s important to check them every morning so you can plan ahead.

Pricing is based on double occupancy. Still, a solo traveler can certainly sign up, but please note there will be an additional single supplement fee.

One of the best things about these guided tours is that luggage transfers between hotels are included! This means that all you’ll have to carry with you throughout the day is your daypack with essentials.

You are limited to 1 bag per person with a maximum weight of 15 kg/ 33 lbs per bag, it does not matter the size of the bag. Additional bags can be transferred for an extra €10 per bag per transfer. Please note that boots or smaller bags attached to the main bag count as an extra bag and will be charged accordingly.

Luggage is transferred on the days that you are walking to a different hotel. We ask you to have it ready at reception by 8am so as to make sure your luggage is delivered as early as possible in the afternoon.

Group sizes and prices:

• • It’s possible to arrange self-guided tours for both solo travelers as well as large groups.
  • Pricing is based on double occupancy. Still, a solo traveler can certainly sign up, but please note there will be an additional single supplement fee.
  • Please note that your chosen dates for the tour are not guaranteed until confirmed by the guide. If the guide is unable to secure your preferred dates/accommodation, you’ll get a full refund!

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.

The departure point varies based on the itinerary you choose.

• • To reach Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the easiest option is to fly into Bilbao or Toulouse, then take a train or bus for the final leg.
  • For Sarria, fly into Santiago de Compostela or A Coruña, both offering good train and bus connections.
  • León is best accessed via Madrid’s Barajas Airport, with frequent high-speed trains to the city.
  • For Logroño, the most convenient major airports are Bilbao and Madrid, with train and bus options available to reach the city.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!