DETAILS
For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have walked the Way of St. James in a hopeful search for penance, enlightenment, and adventure. Their destination was Santiago de Compostela, Spain, where it is believed the remains of St. James, Apostle and patron saint of the country, are buried. We invite you to follow in these peregrinos’ (pilgrims’) footsteps on selective hikes along Europe’s celebrated Camino de Santiago.
- Pricing from
- $9,999
- Trip Type
- International Land & Rail Tours
- Departure Dates
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Apr 9, 2027 - Apr 21, 2027
ITINERARY
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day 1
Depart on an overnight flight to Pamplona
Depart independently on an overnight flight to Pamplona via Madrid.
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day 2
PAMPLONA
Arrive in Pamplona and transfer to the Hotel Tres Reyes Pamplona overlooking Castillo Square. This evening, join fellow guests for an apéritif at a festive welcome reception.
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day 3
PAMPLONA/RONCESVALLES
Rise for a walking tour through Pamplona’s medieval Old Quarter. After lunch, drive to Roncesvalles, one of the main Camino entry points into Spain. Receive your credencial, or pilgrim passport, and walk your first stretch of the Camino de Santiago. Return to Pamplona later this afternoon. You may opt to follow the route of the Running of the Bulls to the 19,000-seat Plaza de Toros de Pamplona, or stop at Café Iruña, frequented by Ernest Hemingway and featured in The Sun Also Rises. Gather this evening for a warm welcome dinner.
Approximate walking distance: 6.5 kilometers / 4 miles -
day 4
PAMPLONA / ESTELLA/LAGUARDIA
Travel to Santa María de Eunate, an octagonal 12th-century Romanesque church in the Izarbe Valley. From there, walk along the Camino to Puente la Reina, where the two main pilgrimage routes meet. Explore Puente la Reina’s medieval streets and cross the Arga River over the 11th-century Queen’s Bridge, the town’s namesake. Lunch is at leisure. Transfer to Estella to visit San Pedro de la Rúa, known for its 12th-century cloister. Continue to Laguardia, the walled medieval capital of the Rioja Alavesa wine region. Check into the Hotel Silken Villa de Laguardia, your home for the next two nights. Dinner is at a local restaurant, with regional cuisine and Rioja wines.
Approximate walking distance: 4.5 kilometers / 2.75 miles -
day 5
LAGUARDIA/LOGROÑO
Transfer to the university city of Logroño and its Old Quarter for a visit to the Concatedral de Santa María de la Redonda. Inside, view a painting attributed to Michelangelo and carvings by Spanish Baroque sculptor
Gregorio Fernández. Continue to Samaniego for a guided tour and winepairing lunch at Bodegas Baigorri, a Rioja Alavesa producer known for its gravity-flow winery. Return to Laguardia and visit the Iglesia de Santa María de los Reyes, known for its carved portico and hilltop setting. Walk the streets of this walled wine town, with time to enter underground cellars and taste or buy local Rioja wines. The rest of the day, including dinner, is at leisure.
Rest day (walking only for sightseeing) -
day 6
LAGUARDIA / NÁJERA / AZOFRA / SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CALZADA / BURGOS
Depart for Nájera, the former capital of the Kingdom of Navarre, and visit Monasterio de Santa María La Real, the burial place of Navarrese, Castilian, and Leonese monarchs. Walk the Camino to Azofra, then drive to Santo
Domingo de la Calzada for lunch and a visit to the Catedral de Santo Domingo de la Calzada. In Burgos, meet your local guide to see the Cartuja de Miraflores, a Carthusian monastery with Gil de Siloé’s late-Gothic altarpiece, gilded with some of the first gold from the Americas. View the alabaster tombs of King John II and Queen Isabella of Portugal. Check in for a two-night stay at the Hotel NH Collection Palacio de Burgos, with dinner at leisure.
Approximate walking distance: 5.8 kilometers / 3.6 miles -
day 7
BURGOS
In Burgos, enter the UNESCO-listed Catedral de Burgos, begun in 1221 and known for its Gothic spires, decorated chapels, and the tomb of El Cid. Continue to the Monasterio de las Huelgas, a 12thcentury royal monastery and burial place of Castilian kings. Visit its museum of medieval textiles, including rare Islamic fabrics once worn by Castilian royalty. After lunch, walk a Camino path through oak and pine forest toward the valley of the Río Vena. Dinner is at leisure.
Approximate walking distance: 6.1 kilometers / 3.8 miles -
day 8
BURGOS / CALZADA DEL COTO / CALZADILLA DE LOS HERMANILLOS / LEÓN
Drive this morning to the small village of Calzada del Coto and begin a beautiful hike along this stretch of the Camino to Calzadilla de los Hermanillos, while basking in open countryside views. Pause for a casual lunch of regional tapas before continuing to León, where you’ll spend an afternoon at leisure. After checking in for a two-night stay at the Parador de León, enjoy a stroll to see the medieval Gothic Palacio del Conde Luna and the Renaissance façade of the Casa de las Carnicerías before returning to the hotel for dinner.
Approximate walking distance: 8.7 kilometers / 5.4 miles -
day 9
LEÓN
Follow the Camino within the walls of León to visit Casa Botines, Gaudí’s neo-Gothic palace begun in 1891 and declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1969. Inside, view a Gaudí exhibition and 19th- and 20th-century
paintings by Ramón Casas, Raimundo de Madrazo, Joaquín Sorolla, and Ignacio Pinazo. Visit the 13th-century Catedral de León, known for stained glass dating from the 13th through 20th centuries. Continue to Basílica de San Isidoro, a major Romanesque church on the Iberian Peninsula. See the Pantheon of Kings, known as the “Sistine Chapel of Romanesque Art.” Enjoy time to walk through León on your own before dinner at the hotel this evening.
Approximate walking distance: 2.1 kilometers / 1.3 miles -
day 10
LEÓN / ASTORGA / PONFERRADA / LUGO
Traverse the Camino’s open páramo, a treeless grassland with red earth and wide views. In Astorga, a crossroads of major pilgrimage routes, visit Gaudí’s Palacio Episcopal de Astorga, a late 19th- to early 20th-century neo-Gothic building that houses a museum devoted to the pilgrimage. After lunch, continue to Ponferrada and tour the 12th-century Castillo Templario, built by the Knights Templar to protect pilgrims. The castle stands above
the old quarter and houses the Biblioteca de los Templarios, with rare manuscripts and knightly artifacts. Arrive in Lugo and walk atop the Muralla Romana, the world’s only completely intact Roman city walls. This UNESCO World Heritage site encircles the historic center, with views of narrow streets on one side and the modern city on the other. Dine together this evening.
Approximate walking distance: 6.7 kilometers / 4.2 miles -
day 11
LUGO/ MONTE DO GOZO / SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Visit Lugo’s Catedral de Santa María, whose Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque elements reflect the cathedral’s long history. Its doors stay open to pilgrims most of the time, and inside, see the lamp that burns continually before the altar. After lunch, begin the final walk from Monte do Gozo, the hill where pilgrims first see the towers of Santiago’s cathedral. Continue on foot into Santiago de Compostela with fellow pilgrims. Check into Hotel San Francisco Monumento, a restored 18th-century convent with roots reaching back almost 800 years. Dinner is at leisure. Later, you may join an optional excursion to Cape Finisterre, once thought to be the westernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Watch the sunset from the cape with a glass of Cava.
Approximate walking distance: 4.7 kilometers / 2.9 miles -
day 12
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Walk through Santiago de Compostela’s Old Town, a UNESCO-listed quarter that has drawn pilgrims across Europe since the Middle Ages. Along cobbled streets, see landmarks tied to the city’s role as the Camino’s final destination. At noon, attend Mass at the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. During the pilgrim liturgy, watch the Botafumeiro, the cathedral’s large incense censer, swing high above the congregation. Lunch and the
afternoon are at leisure. Gather this evening for a festive farewell dinner.
Rest day (only sightseeing walking) -
day 13
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA / MADRID / RETURN
Depart the hotel and transfer to the Santiago de Compostela airport early this morning for the flight home with a connection through Madrid.
Everything you need to know about the tour
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HOTEL TRES REYES, PAMPLONA
This perfectly situated hotel near the town’s historic center houses elegant and spacious rooms with modern amenities and complimentary Wi-Fi.
HOTEL VILLA DE LAGUARDIA, LAGUARDIA
This four-star property, nestled among vineyards in Rioja Alavesa, offers 84 rooms, a luxurious spa, and two top-notch restaurants serving up delectable gastronomic and wine experiences.
HOTEL NH PALACIO DE BURGOS, BURGOS
This 16th- and 17th-century building houses 110 elegant and spacious rooms, featuring a clever fusion of classic and contemporary design.
PARADOR DE LEÓN, LEÓN
Originally built in the 16th century to house the Military Order of Saint James, this magnificent property features stately function rooms, a spectacular cloister and chapter house, elegant guest rooms, a library, and a wonderful restaurant serving up beautifully prepared traditional cuisine.
Mercure Lugo Centro
Spend an overnight at this city hotel, which sits near Lugo’s UNESCO-listed Roman walls. Enjoy its modern rooms, a garden terrace, 24-hour fitness center, and restaurant serving Galician cuisine.
SAN FRANCISCO HOTEL MONUMENTO, SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Minutes from the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, enjoy the tranquility of an 18th-century Franciscan convent with four-star amenities, including a heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi.
TOUR MAP
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