Camino Frances Final Stage - Sarria to Santiago - 7 Days

Get a taste for the Camino by walking the most iconic section of the trail from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela over 5 continuous days of hiking. Covering an average of 15 miles per day, this section is on relatively even terrain. Join the trail in Sarria and complete the final 100 km (62 miles) of the Camino Frances allowing you to qualify for your ‘Compostela’ certificate on arrival in Santiago de Compostela. Celebrate your accomplishment at the end of your journey with fellow pilgrims you met along the way!

Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This walk is graded moderate and includes daily walks of 18 to 29 kilometres so you will be walking for between 5 and 8 hours each day. The trail consists of a mixture of dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths. There will be a few ascents along the way on well-developed hiking trails. The path to Portomarin leads down a short, steep descent on a narrow stone staircase with high steps. During rainy weather this part on the way can be slippery. 

Distances

Our walks start and end at a central point in the village (church, bus stop., etc.). Access routes to your accomodation are not included in our kilometre distances. 

Although the route mostly leads along wide, relatively easy-to-walk paths, the unpaved sections and the daily distances of between 9 and 30 kilometres require a good basic level of fitness and a certain amount of hiking experience. The first section from St Jean-Pied-de-Port with steep ascents and descents in the Pyrenees is the most difficult. The entire 40-day Way of St James naturally requires a great deal of stamina. But the longer you are on the road, the fitter you will become. Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos and León are fascinating cities that you must visit and the smaller towns are also very charming and often offer wonderful regional delicacies.

Accommodation

Our Camino Tours include small rural hotels and hostals (a word used to describe small Spanish hotels and guesthouses), close to the route of the Camino. You will always have a private room and en-suite (attached) bathroom. In Sarria and Santiago, you will stay in 3-star hotels. The other nights will be in a mix of rural hotels and hostals - all with private rooms and en-suite bathrooms.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This trip is available to solo travellers to start on any day. You will need to pay a supplement for a single room (which is available on the "Included" tab of this tour).

We don't arrange for solo walkers to room together, but one of the joys of the Camino is the many people you meet so you will rarely walk alone.

Meals

A light continental breakfast is included each morning. This can sometimes just be coffee, bread and orange juice.

Lunch and dinner are not included, so you are free to choose from the available options. Every place you stop will have evening meals available and you can get a pilgrims menu for about 10 Euros, which includes 3 courses, wine and water!

Additional nights:

We strongly suggest that you add an additional night to your trip in Santiago so that you are able to attend the Pilgrim's Mass at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela which takes place at noon each day. A highlight of any journey on the Camino.

Extensions:

Many people choose to continue their Camino to Finisterre, we can organise this for you too. Have a look at the Camino Finisterre itinerary on our website.

The Camino is very easy to follow. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows and a yellow shell on a blue background. The detailed travel pack we supply includes a detailed information pack for planning and preparing for your Camino, detailed instructions of how to find your overnight accommodation and everything you need for your Camino.

In addition to the printed route notes, you will receive in your travel pack, you will also have access to our Macs Adventure App, allowing you to follow the route on richly detailed mapping on your smartphone.

Recommended Reading

Although not essential, if you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:

• A Guidebook to the Camino de Santiago by John Brierly

You can start your Camino on any day of your choosing between March and Mid-November.

The best time to walk the Camino depends on your personal preference! 

Spring (April to June) is a fantastic choice. Expect pleasant temperatures, blooming landscapes, and fewer crowds than summer. Be prepared for the potential of spring showers.

Summer (July and August) brings sweltering heat to much of Spain, but the northern regions remain refreshingly mild thanks to their coastal climates. If you're a social butterfly, this is your season! The trails are buzzing with fellow pilgrims, creating an unbeatable atmosphere for meeting people, local festivals, and sharing stories.

Autumn (September to early November) is another excellent time to go. You'll enjoy milder temperatures, stunning autumn colors, and quieter trails as the summer crowds dwindle. But, much like spring, there's still a chance of rain—because nature loves keeping us on our toes!

By Air:

From the UK Ryanair fly direct to Santiago from Stansted and Easyjet fly direct from Gatwick. From outside the UK, you can fly to Santiago via Paris with Vueling or from Madrid with Ryanair

Private Transfers:

We are able to arrange taxi transfers for you in Spain (bookable in advance at a supplement); these include from Sarria/Santiago to Santiago Airport/O’Cebreiro/Sarria/Vigo Airport/A Coruna. Please get in touch to enquire about how we can help with transfer arrangements in Spain.

By rail from Madrid city centre to Sarria

If you are flying into Madrid, you can take the train directly to Sarria. It takes around 4-5 hours on a fast train. You can check this on the RENFE website, but please note that on the website you have to book the train to Lugo (and get off at the stop before which is Sarria). German Rail (Deutsche Bahn) has a useful website for looking up train travel throughout Europe.

To reach Madrid city centre from the airport, you can take a train, a bus or the underground (see Madrid Airport's website)

From Santiago Airport to Sarria by bus and train

From Santiago city centre, catch the bus to Monforte de Lemos – timetables are available at http://www.alsa.es/

Then from Monforte de Lemos it is a very short train journey to Sarria by train – timetables are available at RENFE website (Sarria is small so you will find your accommodation easily).

You can also travel from Santiago Airport to Sarria by road; you will need to change buses in Lugo. The Santiago-Lugo route runs between the airport and the city of Lugo with stops in the towns of Arca, Ferreiros, Arzúa, Mélida, Palas de Rei and Guntín. From the airport, departures are at 07:10, 09:25 (except Saturday and Sunday), 11:10, 12:55 (except Sunday), 16:10, 18:40 and 20:10 h (except Saturday). Please check for the most recent information on the Santiago Airport website and/or the Monbus website.

**Top Tip! As websites are not always available in English - use google chrome as your web browser, and use the ‘translate’ function (right-click on the page then click ‘translate’)**

From Santiago Airport to city centre and vice-versa

From Santiago, you can arrange a private transfer through Macs Adventure, to ensure a smooth end to your Camino. Alternatively, a bus runs between the airport and Plaza de Galicia in Santiago, stopping at different points in the city (Pazo de Congresos, Capilla San Lázaro, the bus station, the railway station, Rúa da Rosa, and others). From the airport, the bus departs from 00:00 to 23:30, every half hour (duration 20 mins). Please see the Santiago Airport website for current timetables.

From Santiago to Madrid by train

If you would prefer to travel by rail, you can take a train (fast trains are available, 4h duration approx.) from Santiago to Madrid with RENFE.

By Bus within Spain

There are good bus connections from Santiago to other cities within Spain – see http://www.alsa.es for bus schedules.

From Santiago City Centre to the Airport

From Santiago, you can arrange a private transfer through Macs Adventure, to ensure a smooth end to your Camino. Alternatively, a bus runs between the airport and Plaza de Galicia in Santiago, stopping at different points in the city (Pazo de Congresos, Capilla San Lázaro, the bus station, the railway station, Rúa da Rosa, and others). From the airport, the bus departs from 00:00 to 23:30, every half hour (duration 20 mins). Please see the Santiago Airport website for current timetables.

From Santiago to Madrid by train

If you would prefer to travel by rail, you can take a train (fast trains are available, 4h duration approx.) from Santiago to Madrid with RENFE.

By Bus within Spain

There are good bus connections from Santiago to other cities within Spain – see http://www.alsa.es for bus schedules.

Baggage Transfers

Baggage transfers are included (max 20kg per person). Your main bag will be transferred each day between your overnight accommodation so that you only need to walk with a daypack.