You’ll be part of an organised tour group, the dates of which will have been set in advance. There’ll be a tour guide and a support vehicle for the group throughout the trip. Accommodation, meals and equipment transport are the same for both types of tour, both the group trip and the self-guided tailor-made trip. You can join a group on your own or with other people.

If you have your own group of six or more people, we can arrange specific dates with a private tour guide for you.

This is a self-guided tour and you do not form part of an organised group. The dates are flexible, so you can choose when to go. You won’t have a guide, nor a support vehicle. Accommodation, meals and equipment transport are the same for both types of tour, the group one or the tailor-made trip.

We’ve set up a series of guided tours throughout the season with different start dates,  check them out.

You can choose to book a tour where you are met at the start, or a trip which sets off from Madrid.

Depending upon the number of participants, a minibus or coach will be organised from Las Matas railway station at 11.000hrs on the first day of the tour. To get to Las Matas, daily suburban trains on lines C8 and C10 run from Atocha and Chamartín stations every 15 minutes.

In guided tour groups on foot or on bicycles, a minimum of six people is required. There is also a maximum number, but various tour guides will be on duty if the groups are very large.

If you have booked a guided tour but have not been able to get together the minimum number of people necessary, we will give you the option to switch to a tailor-made tour on foot or on bicycle or offer you a full refund for all trips. This does not usually occur, however.

For groups of six people or more, we can organise guided tours on any date.

A large variety of people take part in guided tours, a mixture of lone travellers, couples, families and pairs or groups of friends.

Each member of the group can walk at their own pace,  nobody is obliged to keep up with the others. In general, each group comprises a mix of people with different abilities and walking speeds.

You can share a room with another group member if you wish, and this is perfectly possible. Alternatively, you can book a single room if there is one available.

Logically, this depends upon how fit you are already. If you are physically in good shape, you will find it easier to cover the distance involved, so it is advisable to train beforehand. However, you can always resort to the support car (if you are on a group trip) for some of the checkpoints, if you need to.

During each stage of the journey there are a series of set meeting points, and this is where each participant decides whether they want to carry on walking or whether to use the support car if they are tired or suffering from physical difficulties.

No, this is carried by the support car, although we recommend you take a small rucksack with a bottle of water, a change of clothing, camera, a small first aid kit, identity documents, and so on.

The difference is that on the group tour, you will join an organised party with a tour guide and support car, whilst on the tailor-made tour you will not have either a guide or a support car, these are self-guided trips. Accommodation, meals and equipment transport services are the same for both types of tour.

You can walk alone or with any other person who books to go with you. At high season in particular, there tend to be a lot more people walking, so you will almost certainly get to know and to see other people every day.

No, there’s no minimum or maximum number of people for tailor-made trips.

Accommodation is in hotels or guest houses of two or three stars for the standard tours. Special tours tend to be in large country guest houses or hotels of three to five stars.

Booking depends upon availability of the accommodation. All hotels and guest houses have been carefully selected for their location and the services they offer.

The accommodation is found in different towns and villages along the pilgrimage route. Unless stated otherwise, all hotels are easy to reach on foot. Some rural hotels and guest houses are outside the towns, so you will have to make diversions off the established footpaths. Where this arises, we’ll let you know.

We work with various hotels and guest houses in each town and village. On the group tour, we can let you know beforehand which ones have been designated for your trip. For the tailor-made tour, your accommodation will depend upon availability at the time of booking, so we cannot tell you in advance which ones you will be staying in. We will send you the reservation slips and full information about your hotels before you start your trip, however.

A single room has one bed; a double room has a double bed and a triple room has three separate beds. For the latter, availability will need to be checked first.

All rooms are booked with a private bathroom, unless otherwise stated.

Some hotels will have Wi-Fi or internet access, but not all of them. When you get your trip programme, a few weeks before you start, we’ll tell you in full detail about each of your hotels.

Some hotels may offer laundry services. The best  thing to do is ask them when you arrive. When you get your programme, a few weeks before you set off, we’ll tell you about each of your hotels in full detail.

All hotels provide bed-linen and towels. You don’t need to bring a sleeping-bag.

If you’re going to get to your hotel after 19.00hrs, please let them know in advance. Check-in time is normally after noon and check-out time is before noon, so if you’re going to get there earlier, it may be that your room is not ready. You can find contact information for all hotels on the programme we send you.

In some towns and villages, it is possible to book hotels of a higher category for an extra charge. Please ask us for more information and we will offer you an upgrade wherever possible.

A Pazo is an historic building made of stone or granite. Some have gardens and swimming pools for relaxing in. Our selection of accommodation is based upon the character and level of tranquillity of the area and complex, meaning Pazos are often outside the towns (2-5 kilometres away) with limited access. The quality is considerably higher than that of a hotel. All rooms have their own bathrooms; the interior décor is original and tasteful, with ancient exposed beams and original, classical furnishings.

Half-board includes breakfast and evening meal. Most hotels offer a lunchtime menu. Generally, a first and second course with a series of choices for each, plus dessert, wine and water are offered.

If you prefer bed and breakfast only, please let us know when you book so we can adjust the price accordingly.

Evening meals are usually served from 20.00hrs onwards, but this may vary according to the hotel. Upon arrival, ask at the reception desk about times for breakfast and evening meals.

No, lunch is not included since, almost certainly, you’ll be walking at this time of day. If  you wish, we can include picnic lunches at 10€ per person per day. These are prepared by the hotels and generally include a sandwich or baguette, fruit, a bar of chocolate and a drink.

If you have special dietary requirements or allergies, please let us know when you book so that we can advise the hotels. If you are wheat-intolerant or need a gluten-free diet, it is best to bring your own bread, since not all hotels can offer gluten-free bread.

Your luggage must be in the hotel reception area by 08.30hrs each morning. In general, it will be delivered to your next stop before 14.30hrs each day.

Luggage carrying is by companies we work with and, sometimes, by the hotels themselves. In some hotels, it may be that the hotel is not familiar with the system because it has been organised independently of them.

Luggage transport is limited to one bag or suitcase per person with a maximum weight of 15 kilos each. You can arrange to transport extra luggage by paying a supplement. Please contact us to discuss if this is the case.

You will receive your detailed programme within one week of completing your booking. It will be sent to the postal address you give us on the booking form.

Each programme includes: reservation slips for hotels; route maps; general information about the pilgrimage route; maps; one luggage label per person, and a pilgrimage accreditation per person.

We’ll send your programme to your address or that of the person who made the booking, unless there is not enough time to do so. If this is the case, we will send it to you by email. Please let us know which you prefer.

Programme packages are sent by recorded delivery.

For the tailor-made tour, we do not book or include transport to the starting point, but we can provide you with information about the best ways of getting there, depending upon your destination and where you are coming from. For the group tour with set dates, you have the option to book transport from Madrid or to go directly to the start of the tour yourself.

In most towns and villages along the route you can buy sandwiches and drinks. The route plans tell you where the bars, restaurants and shops are that you can buy food and drinks.

In general, you can use the toilets in bars, shops and restaurants en route, although sometimes you may need to buy something there to be able to use the bathrooms.

Along the route, there are springs and fountains, but we recommend you do not drink from these as the water is untreated. You will have bars, restaurants, shops, supermarkets and vending machines at your disposal to buy bottled water without any problems.

Your hotels will provide bed-linen and towels, so you don’t need to take  your own.

Some hotels, towns or villages will have Wi-Fi or internet access, but not all. You can check which hotels offer this service when you receive your programme a few weeks before setting off. You will spend a lot of time in rural areas, meaning internet access will be limited.

In many areas, and, in general, in the towns, you will get a mobile phone signal. As you will be mainly walking in rural areas, the signal may be limited at times.

In some areas, there is public transport between towns, but not in all. It depends upon where in town, and what connections are available. Check with us beforehand or, when you are there, ask at your hotel about local bus and train services. Where there is no public transport, the alternative is to use a taxi.

In Santiago, there are a number of free parking spaces. There are also secure paid-for car parks in various parts of the city. Your hotel in Santiago will provide parking for a daily fee. Check with us in advance for the various options.

Yes, we offer the option of renting bicycles.

We offer various models of mountain bike. Check with us for further information.

The pedals are standard ones with aluminium foot-rests. Automatic pedals are not available.

The standard package includes a standard-model moountain bike (18 gears), a helmet, and a water bottle.

There is additional equipment available for hire (saddlebags, bottle-racks, travel-bags, and so forth). Contact us for further information.

Your bike will be delivered to your first hotel the night before you start your trip. You will have to attach the pedals and adjust the handlebars yourself (tools and instructions are included, and it is not difficult).

Yes, if you wish to bring your own bike and technical parts, no problem.

You’ll be riding along a combination of paths and roads, depending upon the terrain, your level of physical fitness and how many people you are travelling with. Some parts of the pilgrim’s route are suitable for cyclists, but others are not because the going is too tough or the paths too narrow.

When you’ve finished, leave your bike in your last hotel.

No, nobody will put the bike together, but this normally involves tightening the handlebars and fitting the pedals, and is not difficult.

You’ll leave your bike in your hotel overnight. The bike will be in a secure place, but please advise the reception staff as soon as you arrive that you have a bike with you.

The exact distance varies day by day, depending upon the terrain and how far it is between the main towns. The distance ranges from 40 to 80 kilometres per day. We can personalise your trip with shorter stages if you prefer.

If you are injured or you’re tired and can’t complete a stage, you can take a taxi to your hotel and ask them to bring your bike as well. If you don’t think you can continue on your bike for the rest of the trip, let us know. Your hotels will still be the same ones.

Please check your bike when you receive it to ensure that it has not suffered any damage whilst being transported. We cannot be held liable for any damage not advised to us when the bicycle is collected. We recommend you bring a puncture repair kit with you to carry in your saddlebag.

This is possible where the programme description gives the option of splitting up a day. When this option is not provided, the best solution is to walk to the halfway point, return to your hotel in a taxi to spend a second night there, and take a taxi the next morning to where you stopped the day before to carry on walking to your next town. Ask before booking to get a price quotation.

Yes, you can add as many extra nights as you wish to your programme.

Generally, it is not possible to make changes once you have booked. If exceptional circumstances arise, ask us and we’ll help as much as possible. A change of booking may have a knock-on effect on the rest of the tour and increase the price.

Yes, you can add rest days by booking an extra night in any town or village.

Yes, we’ll provide you with a list of services for each town. You can also ask for information at any one of the hotels you stay in.

Yes, you can personalise your programme. Let us know your preferences and we will do whatever we can to tailor a trip to your taste.

You can start and finish anywhere you wish, at the beginning, middle or end of the programme. However, we have organised the programmes so that they start and finish in large enough towns to give you access to the best methods of transport.

Yes, you can exclude some services if you wish.

The price includes accommodation in hotels or guest houses with private bathrooms for the standard package, and hotels or Pazos – country guest houses – of three to five stars for the superior package; specified meals for each itinerary; transport of luggage between designated accommodation, and an information pack with notes, maps, luggage consignment tickets, pilgrimage accreditation and 24-hour assistance.

No, there are no additional charges. The only elements that attract extra costs are services that you request specifically, such as airport transfers, taxis, extra nights, picnic lunches, hotel upgrades, additional packages, and so on.

Single rooms in hotels carry an extra cost, which will be added when you book.

A deposit must be paid when you book in order to reserve your place. Choose your preferred payment method on the booking form. Deposits are non-refundable.

The booking deposit is 100€ per person for both group tours and tailor-made tours.

The balance should be paid a month before you set off. You’ll receive a notification by email or telephone to remind you.

Once you have booked, there is a 30€ charge for any changes or alterations to the dates chosen. You will also need to wait for confirmation of the new dates selected.

If you cancel your booking, the following charges apply:
Cancellation more than 45 days before start of tour: 30% of full price
Cancellation between 10 and 30 days before start of tour: 50% of full price
Cancellation less than 10 days before start of tour: 100% of full price
We recommend you take out travel insurance before you start.

You can choose your trip according to your destination, chosen theme, difficulty rating, category, or duration. Information for each route offers a general description of the landscape and difficulty level. We can also help you to choose a route which is suitable for you.

Comfortable trainers or walking shoes (but not brand-new ones).
Comfortable footwear for resting after a day’s walking.
A poncho for when it rains, or a raincoat which covers your rucksack.
Shorts or trousers for walking, short-sleeved T-shirts, a jumper, sweater or jacket for nights and various spare pairs of socks.
Hat or baseball cap, sunglasses and sun lotion.
Water bottle or flask.
A first-aid kit. Blisters, chafing and twisted ankles are the most common ailments.
Hiking poles.
All documentation clipped together for each of the stages, hotel booking slips and pilgrimage accreditation.

The time of year depends upon the route you wish to take. If you take the shorter, end routes of the pilgrimage which finish in Santiago de Compostela, the most popular and pleasant time is between April and June, or September. July and August tend to be much hotter, but continue to be popular. In general, northern Spain does not suffer the same extreme temperature found in the south. From late October to March, temperatures can be very low and there is a greater chance of rain in the Galicia region. It often snows during the winter months, but mainly in mountainous areas. Contact us for further information.

For each case, we will give you detailed information according to where you are coming from and where your starting point is.

This is an official document that proves you are a pilgrim. You can get this accreditation from the ecclesiastical authorities from any town or village or church along your route. This accreditation shows your name and where you started your trip from. Along the pilgrimage route, you can gradually add on stamps to show the official checkpoints you have passed through. Once you reach Santiago, you can obtain the Compostelana (a certificate to show you have completed the pilgrimage) at the Pilgrims’ Office, provided you have covered at least 100 kilometres.