This Camino de Santiago self guided tours will be designed to your requirements (it’s not an off the shelf package). Pricing is affordable without compromising on the quality and service you would expect from a bespoke tour operator.
We recognize that the Camino is a magical experience and with our expert knowledge and organization we will make it special for you.
This self guided walking tour is aimed at couples, small groups and solo travelers.
Two months before your travel date we will send you your own personalised information wallet that includes a map book, route notes, overviews of each day’s walk with highlights, recommendations for places to eat, luggage labels and your Pilgrim’s Passport so you can collect the stamps for your Compostela Certificate.
Accommodation along the Camino
All hotels along the route have been hand picked to ensure that after a day’s walk you are well looked after with a good meal and have a comfortable room with your own private bathroom. We’ve used our extensive knowledge and experience of the Camino to carefully select some of the best friendly hotels, country inns and manor houses that have character and charm.
We will always secure for you the best accommodation. In the event that the best is not available we will provide you with one of a similar standard and price.
Overnight accommodation has been chosen with a high priority to your comfort, so you can appreciate a little luxury after a day’s walking. Your accommodation ranges from an 18th century boutique hotel to Galician palaces and a converted 13th century monastery in the heart of Santiago.
Over the years we have identified the best places to stay within certain budgets, the right places to eat and have developed excellent relationships with hoteliers, restaurateurs and transport people that ensure you get a seamless trip.
To make your Camino tour special we have carefully planned each walking stage to ensure your daily stop over places are either in the prettier Camino towns or in beautifully scenic locations that leave long lasting memories that would urge you to come back. The guide books and many other tour operators will plan your Camino to the set stages, which are not necessarily the best places to stop at.
Our Camino Self Guided tours offer you flexibility, peace of mind and great value. It’s re-assuring to know that when you set out each day you can look forward to good food and accommodation that evening but even better to know that you are getting the best at a reasonable price. Using our expertise, contacts and knowledge of the area from running our Small Group Tours we are able to plan and organize for you the perfect tour of the last stages of the Camino that meet your requirements.
We want you to enjoy the most authentic Camino experience without compromising on the quality offered. For this reason all our accommodations have been carefully selected to ensure you get the best. Small hotels with character, manor houses once used by the Galician gentry and family run country inns and farmhouses grasp that genuine Camino feel. Walks in Spain pride’s itself on finding only the best quality places. All rooms have private en suite bathrooms. Although we can be flexible with your start date, at popular times of the year we have pre-booked set dates to guarantee our favourite hotels.
Walks in the the Camino
We have carefully selected the stages from Leon to Santiago de Compostela as they offer the most varied choice of walking days along the Camino. You will be following the route through ferns, heather and gorse, over rounded undulating hills, passing through traditional Celtic villages, Galician hamlets, eucalyptus forests and finishing with the emotional walk up to the cathedral in Santiago. Depending upon your choice of stages you will be welcomed at each place by the warmth of the Galician people.
You choose the number of days and we can recommend for you an ideal itinerary that fits in with your walking preferences. On average most people walk between 15km and 24km a day to fit in with the natural stop over places. You can choose to walk any sections between Leon and Santiago de Compostela. We will provide you with all the necessary information to ensure you get the most out of each day with those extra snippets of local knowledge.
Paul will be your contact from start to finish. From your initial enquiry, planning your perfect trip, making all your travel arrangements in Spain and going that bit further by planning your trip extensions, Paul will be your contact. Should you need any assistance, Paul will always be ready to answers your calls.
You’ll receive a quality information wallet containing map book, route notes, highlights of each day’s walk, useful tips on finding the extra special places, your Pilgrim’s Passports for the Compostela Certificate, Walks in Spain luggage labels, hotel vouchers with clear instructions on finding your accommodation and much more. You will not need a guide on the Camino. It is well marked and easy to follow.
Camino Santiago de Compostella walking holiday itinerary
We can offer a choice of tour from 7 to 14 days, just let us know what suits you and we will build a trip for you.
This is a flexible self-guided walking holiday. You’re in control and choose your dates, distances each day, number of days, hotel grades, luggage transfers, airport transfers and meal arrangements.
If you are traveling from afar we recognize the limited number of days and time you can dedicate to your Camino trip so our 8 days 7 nights self guided Camino tour is an excellent starter to experience the last 110km of the famous Camino Frances. We also recognize the importance of making your Camino tour special and have used our knowledge and hotel contacts to put together one of our most popular itineraries along the famous Camino Frances and qualifying you for your Compostela Certificate.
Sample itinerary
Below is an example of what your walking holiday could look like.
Day 1 – Arrival Day Sarria or Barbadelo – Getting to the start from Madrid can never be easier. With direct trains Madrid to Sarria we will take care of making all the necessary arrangements to get you to the start. There is no better place than getting into the Camino atmosphere than Barbadelo, a pretty hamlet on the Camino 4km from Sarria with an authentic Camino feel.
Day 2 – Barbadelo to Portomarin 18km / 11miles – Step outside the hotel and you are on the Camino! A great start to your Camino, easy walking from hamlet to small village being greeted by the warmth and hospitality of the Galician people. The terrain on today’s walk is easy underfoot walking on country paths and old stone tracks. Highlights include the Romanesque church of Santiago de Barbadelo, the emblematic 100km marker and the descent and crossing of the River Mino to new Portomarin.
Day 3 – Portomarin to Lestedo 20km / 12miles – A day of varied terrain firstly through shaded forests climbing out of Portomarin and then quiet country roads passing small villages excellent for short stops to sample some of the local pastries (empanadas) and wine. Your final resting place is the old rectory in Lestedo, now a peaceful hotel with fantastic hosts Cesar and Susana.
Day 4 – Lestedo to Coto 13km / 8miles – A shorter day’s walk offers the chance to take the Camino at a leisurely pace. Frequent stops are recommended with a visit to the Romanesque church in Palas de Rei to stamp your passport. After Palas de Rei the Camino takes you through some beautiful pastures and wooded forests. Your resting place for the night is a restored coach house featured in the film The Way.
Day 5 – O Coto to Castaneda 16km / 10miles – On leaving O Coto you pass the medieval hamlet of Leboreiro. A very pretty first half to today’s walk crossing small rivers over medieval bridges and with the chance to sample Melide’s signature dish, Octоpus. The second half of the walk is through shaded forest and a small detour off the Camino takes you to one of our favourite manor houses on the Camino once used by Galician gentry. Pili will ensure you’ll be looked after with a delicious home cooked dinner.
Day 6 – Castaneda to Rua 23km / 14miles – You’ll find it difficult to leave the idyllic setting of the manor house but once you get started a rewarding walk awaits you of undulating green pastures, oak forests and eucalyptus trees. Men in berets and women dressed in traditional daywear greet you on your journey wishing you “Buen Camino” as they tend to their everyday chores as if time has stood still.
Day 7 – Rua to Santiago 21km / 13miles – Shaded wooded forests and a final climb up to the Monte de Gozo where the first glimpses of the Cathedral spires of Santiago await you. A short walk through the pedestrian streets of the historic part of Santiago and you have reached the impressive Obradoiro Plaza where fellow pilgrims gather in awe of the beautiful cathedral and reflect on their journey through history.
Day 8 – Departure Day – Taxi transfer to Santiago airport or train station.
Dates and Availability
April through to October is the best time of year to do this walking holiday, with the exception of July and August when it’s too warm.
Price start from as little as £450 for a 7 days 6 nights self guided tour. The sample itinerary is priced at £650 per person and includes staying at all our favourite small hotels, manor houses and country inns.
Depending on where you wish to start your holiday from we can recommend and book for you the most efficient way to get there.
Please contact the holiday provider, through the contact form below, for more information.
