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 O Cebreiro to Santiago route is the final 150km section, starting in the tiny, traditional village famous for its pallozas, round stone houses dating back to Celtic times. After two days of tranquil trekking you get to Sarria, the 100km countdown to Santiago, followed by Portomarín on the Rio Miño, famous for having been moved brick by brick to build the Belesar reservoir. Follow country roads and tree-lined trails to Melide, where the Camino Primitivo merges with the Camino Frances, followed by plenty of shrines and chapels before you get to Santiago on day ten.
- O Cebreiro
- Church of San Juan de Portomarín
- Ribadiso
- Santa Irene shrine
- Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in O Cebreiro
Your journey on the last 150km of the Camino Frances begins in the mountain village of O Cebreiro with its rich Jacobean tradition. Treat yourself to some exquisite local cheeses and cured meats.
- Accommodation: Casa Pazos or similar in O Cebreiro
Day 2: 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 3: 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, 4-5h
- Accommodation: Hotel DP Cristal or similar in Sarria
Day 4: 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: Pousada Portomarín or similar in Portomarín
Day 5: 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: Hotel Mica or similar in Palas de Rei
Day 6: Palas de Rei to 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: Hotel Carlos 96 or similar in Melide
Day 7: 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 8: Arzúa – O Pedrouzo/Amenal | 19km/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 9: O Pedrouzo/Amenal – Santiago de Compostela | 19km/16km
At last, you have come to your final stage of the Camino Frances, 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 overnight in Amenal)
- Accommodation: Alameda Rooms or similar in Santiago de Compostela
Day 10: 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
- 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 easy to moderate/moderate with daily walks of 3-6h, and up to 25km 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 the 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 all 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 airport for this tour is Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ). The alternative airport is A Coruña Airport (LCG).
By train or bus
Arrival in O Cebreiro:
- From Santiago de Compostela, there is a daily bus service to O Cebreiro (3h). For more information visit Monbus or use the Omio planner above.
- From A Coruña there are bus services to O Cebreiro (direct or with with a change in Melide). For more information visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above.
Departure from Santiago de Compostela:
- There is a shuttle bus to the Santiago airport from the centre of Santiago with different stops in the city. Check Tussa for more details, or use the Omio planner above.
- 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.
- You can also book private transfers with us
Inclusions
Included
- 9 nights in private en-suite rooms
- 9 breakfasts
- Pilgrim’s Passport and scallop
- Digital pack (general route information and simple maps)
- Luggage transfers 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)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes & 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; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- 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 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. 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!
