There are journeys you take to see a place, and journeys you take to feel it. The Camino de Santiago belongs firmly in the second group. For more than a thousand years, pilgrims have followed these paths across northern Spain, and on this guided walk you can follow in their footsteps, one unhurried stage at a time, with the planning left to someone else.

Your itinerary at a glance

• Duration: 13 days / 12 nights

• Route: Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela, through Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León and Astorga

• Walking: Moderate grade, with most days 3 to 5 hours on the trail

• Dates: Departure dates available on request

• Price: Price on application

• Included: An English-speaking guide, a support vehicle that carries your luggage, 12 breakfasts and 12 dinners, local guides in Burgos, León and Santiago, and a Rioja winery visit with tasting

From the Pyrenees to Rioja

Your walk begins in the Pyrenean foothills at Roncesvalles, then continues through Navarra to Pamplona. Over the following days the trail carries you through Puente la Reina and on to Logroño. A highlight comes on the way to Burgos, when you stop at Laguardia for a winery visit and tasting in the heart of Rioja before returning to the trail through the Montes de Oca.

Across the Meseta to León

Burgos and León are two of Spain's great cathedral cities, and in each you'll join a local guide to explore the cathedral and the old streets. In between, the open farmland of the Meseta gives you long, quiet stretches of trail where the rhythm of walking does its quiet work.

Over the mountains into Galicia

The landscape changes again as you climb to the Cruz de Ferro, a place of real significance for pilgrims, and on to the village of O Cebreiro. From here the trail drops into the green hills of Galicia, with a visit to the Samos Monastery along the way. In Arzúa, the evening is marked by the Queimada, a traditional Galician ritual.

Arriving in Santiago

The final walk from Lavacolla into Santiago de Compostela is a moving one. You'll have a full day in the city with a local guide, including the cathedral, and the option of the evening pilgrims' mass. A day trip to Cape Finisterre, on the coast, closes the journey.

Walking at your own pace

The trails are well defined, though there are some climbs and descents, so walking poles are recommended and a reasonable level of fitness will make every stage more enjoyable. If you'd prefer a rest on any day, you can stay with the support vehicle and be dropped further along the trail.

Why book with us

As experienced travel agents, we can tailor the experience around you, from flights and extra nights before or after your walk to the other places you'd like to see in Spain. We're TAANZ bonded and IATA accredited, and you'll have one person to call before, during and after your trip.

ENQUIRE NOW

Let's meet and start planning your Camino together. Call us on 09 520 4142 or email sales@weretravel.co.nz.