Overview
This is the most popular section of the Camino Frances, walking from Sarria to Santiago (guided) in 8 days. This is the last 100km of the camino, which is the shortest sub-section that you can do and still get your Compostela Certificate. Fully guided, staying in hotels and guesthouses, explore the tranquil landscapes of Galicia, ancient towns and villages such as Portomarín and Melide, with the backdrop of dramatic landscapes such as Serra de Ligonde and the Rio Miño Valley. As with all our tours, your luggage is transferred for you, as you enjoy the trail with other pilgrims and adventurers on this small group tour.
We also offer this CaminoFrances as a self-guided tour. Check our itineraries here.
- Church of San Juan of Portomarín
- Melide
- Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
- Compostela Certificate
- Fully guided by Camino Frances expert
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Sarria
Private group transfer from Santiago airport/train station to Sarria. Sarria is a small town in Galicia and the last place where you can start your Camino and collect your Compostela Certificate. If you arrive early, we strongly recommend taking a taxi to Samos and visiting the Monastery founded in the 6th century and been welcoming pilgrims since then. Meet your fellow pilgrims and the guide.
- Accommodation: Hotel Duerming Villa de Sarria or similar in Sarria
Day 2: Sarria – Portomarín | 22km
Start your day by walking past Sarria Castle, then continue along flat country roads through various pretty hamlets, with one particular stop recommended in Barbadelo to visit its Romanesque church. Your day comes to a close in Portomarín on the Rio Miño, famous for having been moved brick by brick to build the Belesar reservoir.
- Walking for the day: 22km, 5-6h, ↑200m ↓300m
- Accommodation: Hotel Villa Jardin or similar in Portomarín
Day 3: Portomarín – Palas de Rei | 24km
We start the route towards Serra de Ligonde with a low difficulty level, climbing up to 725m. Today, the green landscapes are mixed with some paved areas, peppered with some of the prettiest villages of Castromaior, Ventas de Narón and Ligond. For the last 3km leading into Palas de Rei, you walk on a dirt track that runs parallel to the main road.
- Walking for the day: 24km, 6h, ↑450m ↓300m
- Accommodation: Hotel Casa Benilde or similar in Palas de Rei
Day 4: Palas de Rei – Arzúa | 29km
Today we enter the province of A Coruña. We leave Palas via Campo dos Romeiros, a traditional meeting place for pilgrims, and continue on through eucalyptus forests, crossing medieval bridges into towns like Furelos, Boente and Castañeda. This stage is more difficult due to the distance, so we stop in Melide, giving you an opportunity to sample the famous octopus dish, pulpo a feira. before finally arriving in Arzua, which is famous for its cheese.
- Walking for the day: 29km, 7h, ↑225m ↓400m
- Accommodation: Hotel Arzua or similar in Arzúa
Day 5: Arzúa – Amenal | 22km
Pick up some local cheese for lunch in Arzúa, and then continue through the old quarter of the town, past some sturdy oak trees, which give way to meadows. After visiting the medieval shrine at Santa Irene and the Baroque fountain of healing waters, your day comes to a close in Amenal.
- Walking for the day: 22km, 5h, ↑200m ↓225m
- Accommodation: Hotel Bello or similar in Amenal
Day 6: Amenal – Santiago de Compostela | 16km
This is your final stage of the Camino Frances, starting off your way walking through tranquil rural terrain and eucalyptus groves. At Monte del Gozo, pilgrims historically make one last stop at the spring in Lavacolla to wash their face and feet. Enter the ancient city of Santiago de Compostela and celebrate the end of your journey along with many other pilgrims and adventurers at the Cathedral.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 3-4h, ↑175m ↓175m
- Accommodation: Hotel Gelmirez or similar in Santiago de Compostela
Day 7: Santiago de Compostela
Today we have a guided visit to the Old Town of Santiago de Compostela, including a visit to Santiago Cathedral. The visit to the cathedral includes the Pórtico de la Gloria and the tomb of the Apostle James in the crypt, one of the highlights of the trip. Participation in the Pilgrim’s Mass.
- Accommodation: Hotel Gelmirez or similar in Santiago de Compostela
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, group transfer to airport or train station, or we can also arrange extra nights in Santiago.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in simple but comfortable hotels and guesthouses, located close to the route of the Camino. All of them have private or en-suite facilities and offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and hearty local food.
Click to view sample hotels
- Hotel Duerming Villa de Sarria (Sarria)
- Hotel Villa Jardin (Portomarín)
- Hotel Casa Benilde (Palas de Rei)
- Hotel Arzua (Arzua)
- Hotel Bello (Amenal)
- Hotel Gelmirez (Santiago de Compostela)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast are included (usually buffet breakfast/coffee and toast/bread/croissant) on all days and 2 dinners (day one and six). When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before.
Difficulty and terrain
This walk is graded moderate and includes walks of 20km per day on average (the longest one is 29km); the terrain is flat or hilly (read more about difficulty grades) without steep ascents or descents. You will follow a mixture of dirt roads, woodland paths, minor roads and some busier roads close to the bigger towns and cities. The routes are well-waymarked, and there is a guide to lead you the way.
When to go
This trip is available on a specific date in 2027. 20 March.
This trip needs a minimum of eight people to operate. Therefore, if your booking has fewer than eight travellers, please note that confirmation is dependent on the group size coming up to at least eight. The maximum number of people for this trip is fifteen.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Santiago de Compostela (SCQ). The alternative airport is A Coruña (LCG).
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to Spain without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Sarria, Santiago de Compostela and A Coruña. For more details, see Spain’s national rail operators or use the Omio planner above.
- Arrival in Sarria: A group transfer included on day one from Santiago airport/train station to Sarria.
- Departure from Santiago de Compostela: A group transfer is included to Santiago airport.
- If staying longer in Spain, from Santiago there are regular train services to many destinations in Spain. For more information and tickets, visit Renfe or use the Omio planner above.
Important 2026 airport update: please note that the main airport in Santiago de Compostela, Santiago-Rosalía de Castro (SCQ), will be closed during April and May 2026. At present the closure dates are 23 April to 27 May 2026, and we will keep a close eye on any changes to these dates. If you are planning on doing the Camino de Santiago during this time, please seek out alternative ways to travel to or from Santiago de Compostela. Of which there are plenty. The closest alternative airports are: Vigo, A Coruña, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas and, for those on the Camino Portugues, Porto Airport may even do the trick. There is a train station in Santiago de Compostela, which is 2km from the cathedral. For more details of onward train travel, see the national rail operator Renfe, or the English language booking platform Rail Europe. We can also organise private transfers to Vigo and A Coruña Airports.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights in private rooms with en-suite facilities
- 7 breakfasts and 2 dinners
- Group private transfer from Santiago airport/train station to Sarria on day one
- Private transfer from the hotel in Santiago to Santiago airport on day eight
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (one piece up to 20kg per person)
- Support car throughout the trip for emergencies
- Local English-speaking guide
- Guided tour of Santiago de Compostela (old town) and entrance to Santiago Cathedral on day seven
- Pilgrim’s passport and scallop
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights in Santiago before and after the tour
- Airport transfers from/to other airports
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
Compostela/Pilgrim’s Passport
You need to get your passports stamped in churches, restaurants or hotels along the way. At the end of the walk in Santiago de Compostela, you can obtain your Compostela Certificate.
Important: Due to the large influx of pilgrims during summer, and to avoid long waiting times, the Pilgrim Office in Santiago has installed a numbered ticket system for issuing pilgrim certificates (the Compostela). This new system allows pilgrims to collect their tickets and, using a QR Code, to check the status of the queue and estimated waiting time to obtain the Compostela. However, the number of tickets per day is limited, so on days with high numbers of pilgrims arriving; there is a possibility that not all pilgrims will be able to collect their certificate on the day of arrival and will have to return for it on the following morning.
Therefore, if obtaining a pilgrim certificate is important to you, and if you plan to undertake the Camino between April 15th and October 15th, we recommend that you arrange the return travel in such a way that you will be in Santiago de Compostela during the morning after your arrival. Better still, we encourage you to book a second night in Santiago so that you can collect the certificate without rushing and enjoy the charms of the city.
