Overview
The Camino Frances is the most popular camino route, an inland odyssey of 780km between Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the French Pyrenees and Santiago in Galicia. The Camino Frances León to Santiago route is a combination of the fourth and final stages, over 18 days. Start in the handsome city of León, with impressive Gothic and Gaudí influences, and take in cultural gems en route such as the historic villages of O Cebreiro and Hospital de Órbigo, and medieval Ponferrada and the restored town of Portomarin on the RIo Miño. In between, the León Mountains, Castilian Plateau and the River Miño create backdrops for perfect trails.
- Santa María de León Cathedral
- O Cebreiro
- Ponferrada Castle
- Church of San Juan of Portomarín
- Ribadiso
- Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in León
Arrive in León and take some time to explore the city. We recommend visiting the cathedral, Gaudí’s Casa Botines and the Hospital de San Marcos. A walk through the Old Town and a stop in Barrio Húmedo for some local tapas are also highly recommended.
- Accommodation: Hotel Rincón del Conde or similar in León
Day 2: León – Olcina de Valdoncina | 11km
You leave the city of León along a practically flat and pastoral section of the camino, taking you through the towns of San Miguel or Fresno.
- Walking for the day: 11km, 3h
- Accommodation: Domus Oncinae or similar in Olcina de Valdoncina
Day 3: Olcina de Valdoncina – Hospital de Órbigo | 24km
Today’s walk is a flat one across the Castilian Plateau, but it is a long one, so pretty tiring all the same.
- Walking for the day: 24km, 6h
- Accommodation: Hostal Don Suero Quiñores or similar in Hospital de Órbigo
Day 4: Hospital de Órbigo – Astorga | 17km
Today’s walk starts to become more mountainous as you head towards the Roman city of Astorga, the capital of the Maragatería region and the place where the Camino Frances and Vía de la Plata meet.
- Walking for the day: 17km, 4h
- Accommodation: Hotel Gaudí or similar in Astorga
Day 5: Astorga – Foncebadón | 26km
From Astorga, gradually make your way up towards the León Mountains and into the Bierzo region, taking paths surrounded by broom, heather and oak trees.
- Walking for the day: 26km, 6-7h
- Accommodation: El Trasgu de Foncebadón or similar in Foncebadón
Day 6: Foncebadón – Ponferrada | 27km
Today, the camino climbs to the top of Mount Irago. Stop at the iron cross on top of the mountain and visit St. James chapel before descending to El Bierzo. Once in Ponferrada, we recommend exploring the Old Town and its 12th-century Templar Castle. Make sure to try the local specialities, such as botillo (a kind of smoked sausage) and some of Spain’s most delicious cured meats.
- Walking for the day: 27km, 7h
- Accommodation: Hotel Aroi Bierzo Plaza or similar in Ponferrada
Day 7: Ponferrada – Villafranca del Bierzo | 24km
Continue along quiet trails through fields and vineyards to Villafranca, also known as Little Compostela, where we recommend visiting the gardens of Iglesia de Santiago. The church has a Forgiveness Gate, Puerta del Perdón, that only opens during Holy Years.
- Walking for the day: 24km, 5-6h
- Accommodation: Hotel Posada Plaza Mayor or similar in Villafranca del Bierzo
Day 8: Villafranca – Vega de Valcarce | 16km
It’s a pretty flat stage today following the old N-VI national road and Valcarce River for a final 2km stretch.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 4h
- Accommodation: Hostal El Recanto or similar in Vega de Valcarce
Day 9: Vega de Valcarce – O Cebreiro | 12km
Today you embark on what many believe to be the most beautiful stage on the camino, and possibly the most exciting, trekking up to O Cebreiro, gateway to Galicia, and quite an ascent, with a difference in altitude of 700m up La Faba hill. However, your arrival in the traditional mountain village of O Cebreiro and the surrounding O Courel and Os Ancares mountains makes it all worthwhile.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 3h
- Accommodation: Casa Pazos or similar in O Cebreiro
Day 10: O Cebreiro – Triacastela | 21km
Walk through the Serra de Ranadoiro to Alto do Poio (1,337m), home to a famous pilgrim statue with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. From the Alto, start your descent into the village of Triacastela.
- Walking for the day: 21km, 5h
- Accommodation: Complexo Xacobeo or similar in Triacastela
Day 11: Triacastela – Sarria | 18km
Today’s stage is a short one, heading through native Galician oak woods, then across the San Xil Valley, one of the most beautiful in Galicia, to the town of Sarria. This is another important town on the camino, and we recommend visiting the churches of Santa Mariña and El Salvador or strolling around some of its charming antique shops.
- Walking for the day: 18km, 5h
- Accommodation: DP Cristal or similar in Sarria
Day 12: 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
- Accommodation: Casa do Maestro or similar in Portomarín
Day 13: Portomarín – Palas de Rei | 25km
Cross the Rio Miño and start a steady climb upwards to reach Gonzar and then Castromaior, where the tiny Romanesque Church of Santa Maria is situated. Continue along country roads edged by bright yellow gorse, pine and oak trees to reach the high point of today’s walk at Sierra de Ligonde (750m), then descend to the old hamlet of Ligonde.
- Walking for the day: 25km, 5-6h
- Accommodation: Casa Avelina or similar in Palas de Rei
Day 14: Palas de Rei – Melide | 15km
Head towards Campo dos Romeiros, an important meeting point for pilgrims, then on to Leboreiro, a pleasant forest hike to finally cross a medieval bridge over the River Melide into the city after which it is named. Melide is where the Camino Primitivo merges with the Camino Frances.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 3-4h
- Accommodation: Pensión San Antón or similar in Melide
Day 15: Melide – Arzúa | 14km
Walk through through oak and eucalyptus forests on a day that is mostly shady, the camino also crossing several streams as far as the village of Boente and the Church of Santiago. Next is the pretty medieval hamlet of Ribadiso and, finally, the town of Arzúa, famous for its local cheese. We recommend visiting the churches of Santa María and A Magdalena.
- Walking for the day: 14km, 3h
- Accommodation: Hotel Arzúa or similar in Arzúa
Day 16: Arzúa – O Pedrouzo/Amenal | 19 or 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 either O Pedrouzo or Amenal.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 4h (22km if you overnight in Amenal)
- Accommodation: O Acivro or similar in Rua, O Pedrouzo or the area
Day 17: O Pedrouzo/Amenal – Santiago de Compostela | 19 or 16km
At last, you have come to 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: 19km, 4h (16km if you start in Amenal)
- Accommodation: Alameda Rooms or similar in Santiago de Compostela
Day 18: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their proximity to the camino, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Important: We aim to book you into each town listed on the itinerary. However, in case of low availability, we may book you two nights in the same town with provided transfers. Also, on some occasions, your accommodation can be located a few kilometres away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Rincón del Conde (León)
- Domus Oncinae (Olcina de Valdoncina)
- Hostal Don Suero Quiñores or similar in Hospital de Órbigo
- Hotel Gaudí (Astorga)
- El Trasgu de Foncebadón (Foncebadón)
- Hotel Aroi Bierzo Plaza (Ponferrada)
- Hotel Posada Plaza Mayor (Villafranca del Bierzo)
- Hostal El Recanto (Vega de Valcarce
- Casa Pazos (O Cebreiro)
- Complexo Xacobeo (Triacastela)
- Hotel DP Cristal (Sarria)
- Pousada Portomarín (Portomarín)
- Hotel Mica (Palas de Rei)
- Hotel Carlos 96 (Melide)
- Hotel Arzúa (Arzúa)
- O Acivro (O Pedrouzo/Amenal)
- Alameda Rooms (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 is included (usually a simple buffet breakfast/coffee and toast/bread/croissant) on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Where no dinner is included, most places serve hearty pilgrim menus – you can get a three course dinner including wine for about €14-18 per person.
Difficulty and terrain
This walk is graded moderate with daily distances of 4-6h, and up to 27km a day; the terrain is mostly flat, rarely undulating with some occasional steeper ascents (read more about difficulty grades). You will follow a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths. The routes are perfectly waymarked with yellow painted arrows and a yellow shell on a blue background, and the itinerary is very easy to follow. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available year-round; the best months to visit are April–June and September–October, as in the summer months it may become too hot (and crowded).
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For more information, see our blog the Best time to walk the Camino de Santiago.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airport for this tour is Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport (SDR) and departure airport – Roaslía de Castro-Santiago Airport (SCQ). An alternative airport is Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD).
By train or bus
Arrival in León:
- If you are able to travel to Spain without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in León and Santiago de Compostela. For more details, see the national rail operator Renfe or use the Omio planner above.
- There are bus services from Santander, Madrid, and other major Spanish cities to León. For more details, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above.
Departure from Santiago de Compostela:
- There is a shuttle bus to the airport of Santiago from the centre of Santiago with different stops in the city.
- 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.
- Alternatively, there are also regular bus services to many destinations in Spain. For more information and tickets, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 17 nights accommodation
- 17 breakfasts
- Maps
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (one piece per person, max 20kg)
- Guided tour of Santiago de Compostela (old town)
- Galician cheese tasting in Santiago (not on Sundays)
- Pilgrim’s passport and shell
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Additional luggage
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on the spot)
- 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
- Airport transfers
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 passport 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. A minimum of two stamps per day is required to obtain the certificate. For avid stamp hunters, visit Los sellos del Camino.
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. 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 15 April and 15 October, 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!
