Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Camino de Santiago: the last 100 km from Sarria to Santiago
8 days walking the last 115 km of the Camino Frances, Sarria to Santiago de Compostela via Portomarin, Palas de Rei and Arzua.
8 days · Round trip from Santiago de Compostela · up to 12 guests
Morning mist over farmland near Melide, the kind of start most walking days have in spring and autumn Photo: tunante80, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_terra_da_Santa_Compa%C3%B1a_(Melide,_A_Coru%C3%B1a)_(30584042721).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Santiago de Compostela
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Active
Five walking days in a row, about 115 km in total: 19 to 29 km a day, five to seven hours on your feet on farm lanes, forest tracks and some road shoulder, with short climbs and descents but no mountains. Our vehicle meets the group along each stage, so you can ride part of any day.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 545 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to June and September to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Collect your pilgrim passport in Sarria and two stamps a day all the way to Santiago
- Pass the 100 km waymarker in the oak and chestnut woods beyond Sarria
- Cross the Mino into Portomarin, the village whose church was moved stone by stone above the reservoir
- The Iron Age hillfort at Castromaior and the painted church at Vilar de Donas
- Pulpo a feira for lunch in Melide and the medieval bridges at Furelos and Ribadiso
- Walk into the Praza do Obradoiro together and collect your Compostela the same afternoon
- A guided morning in the cathedral, with the Pórtico da Gloria and a walk across its rooftops
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 545 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive and drive to Sarria
Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) to Sarria
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Sarria
- Drive about 1.5 h
Afternoon
Fly into Santiago de Compostela's Rosalía de Castro Airport (SCQ) by early afternoon; the exact latest arrival for the group transfer is confirmed with your final itinerary. Our driver meets you in the arrivals hall, and we drive east about an hour and a half, through green Galician farmland and eucalyptus, to Sarria, about 115 km from Santiago on foot and the most popular starting point for the last 100 km. After checking in, your guide walks the group up the stepped Rúa Maior through the old town to the Romanesque church of El Salvador, the stump of the medieval castle and the Convento da Madalena, with views back over the valley you will leave in the morning. On the way you collect your credencial, the pilgrim passport, and its first stamp.
Evening
At the evening briefing we cover the week: stage lengths, what to carry in your daypack, and how the vehicle works. Then we sit down to a welcome dinner.
Included
- Pick-up at Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ) and transfer to Sarria
- Old-town walk in Sarria with your guide: Rúa Maior, El Salvador church and the Convento da Madalena
- Your credencial (pilgrim passport) and first stamp
- Welcome briefing
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free time before dinner to settle in
Activity: About 2 km on foot, with steps up through the old town.
Sarria to Portomarin
Sarria on foot to Portomarin, then by our vehicle to Palas de Rei
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Palas de Rei
- Drive about 30 min
We set off at about 8 am, ahead of most of the day walkers who start in Sarria, and climb out of town over a small medieval bridge into oak and chestnut woods. The route runs past the church at Barbadelo and through hamlets of stone farmhouses, hórreos (raised granaries) and dairy fields; cafes along the way stamp your credencial. A few hours in you pass the 100 km waymarker, a concrete pillar covered in pilgrims' notes, and most of the group stops for a photo. From there the path descends to the Belesar reservoir on the Mino. Old Portomarin lies under the water: when the dam was built in the 1960s, the fortress church of San Nicolás was taken down and rebuilt stone by stone on the hill above.
Afternoon
We cross the long bridge, climb the steps into the new village and sit down to a late lunch near the church. Then our vehicle takes the group about 30 minutes on to Palas de Rei, your base for two nights.
Included
- Guided walk from Sarria to Portomarin, about 22 km
- The 100 km waymarker
- Sit-down lunch in Portomarin
- The church of San Nicolás, rebuilt above the reservoir
- Vehicle transfer to Palas de Rei, with your luggage carried ahead
Easier option: Join the vehicle at the cafe stop about halfway and ride to Portomarin, or ride to lunch and skip the steep final descent to the river.
Free time: Evening free in Palas de Rei
Activity: About 22 km, five to six hours on foot with stops; rolling farm lanes and woodland, a steady climb out of Sarria and a steep descent to the Mino.
Castromaior and the painted church of Vilar de Donas
By our vehicle back to Portomarin, then on foot to Palas de Rei, with a side trip to Vilar de Donas
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Palas de Rei
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
Our vehicle takes the group back to the bridge at Portomarin, so the walk picks up exactly where it ended, and we start at about 8 am, usually in morning mist over the reservoir. The day climbs steadily through pine and farmland to Gonzar. Just beyond, at Castromaior, we leave the path for twenty minutes to walk round the ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort, with the route laid out below you.
Afternoon
Lunch is a proper sit-down meal at Ventas de Narón or Ligonde, the high point of the day, near 720 m. From Lestedo our vehicle runs the group a few minutes up a side road to Vilar de Donas, a Romanesque church linked to the Order of Santiago, whose apse is painted with 15th-century frescoes of saints and elegant ladies. It keeps short, seasonal opening days, so the visit depends on the day; your guide arranges it with the caretaker, and if it is closed we stop instead at the small Romanesque church in Leboreiro on day 4. Then we walk the last few kilometres downhill into Palas de Rei.
Evening
No packing tonight.
Included
- Guided walk from Portomarin to Palas de Rei, about 25 km
- Castro de Castromaior, the Iron Age hillfort
- Sit-down lunch on the route
- Vilar de Donas church and its frescoes when it is open, arranged by your guide with the caretaker (otherwise the church at Leboreiro on day 4)
Easier option: Ride from Portomarin to Gonzar, about 8 km, and walk the rest of the stage (the Compostela requires the whole stage on foot).
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Palas de Rei
Activity: About 25 km, six hours on foot with stops; a long, gentle climb in the morning and a gradual descent after lunch. Vilar de Donas keeps a limited, seasonal schedule and is not a promised visit; we confirm it for your dates.
Octopus in Melide, on to Arzua
Palas de Rei on foot through Melide to Arzua
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Arzua
The longest stage, so we leave at about 8 am. The path crosses into the province of A Coruña through Leboreiro, a hamlet with a stone hórreo and a small Romanesque church, and over the medieval bridge at Furelos, its arches low over the river. Melide, the halfway point, is where the Camino Primitivo from Oviedo joins the Camino Frances, and it is famous for pulpo a feira: octopus boiled in copper pots and cut with scissors onto wooden plates with olive oil, salt and paprika.
Afternoon
We sit down to lunch at a pulpería around midday. The afternoon runs through eucalyptus and oak, with several short climbs and drops across streams, to the stone bridge and old pilgrim hospital at Ribadiso, a good place to soak your feet in the river. From there it is a last climb into Arzua, known for its soft cow's milk cheese, and your base for two nights.
Included
- Guided walk from Palas de Rei to Arzua, about 29 km
- The medieval bridge at Furelos
- Pulpo a feira lunch in Melide
- The bridge and old pilgrim hospital at Ribadiso
Easier option: End the walk in Melide after lunch (about 15 km) and ride the vehicle to Arzua, about 20 minutes, for a free afternoon (the Compostela requires the whole stage on foot).
Free time: Evening free in Arzua
Activity: About 29 km, seven hours on foot with a long lunch; several short climbs and descents after Melide. This is the hardest day; the Melide option halves it.
Through the woods to O Pedrouzo
Arzua on foot to O Pedrouzo, then by our vehicle back to Arzua
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Arzua
- Drive about 18 min
A shorter day after the long one, and one of the prettiest.
Evening
We leave Arzua at about 8 am with the luggage left behind, since tonight we come back to the same hotel. The path runs almost entirely through woods of eucalyptus, oak and pine, between small farms and hamlets with their hórreos and stone crosses, and the numbers on the waymarkers drop below 40 km. Walkers on the Camino del Norte, which joined at Arzua, now share the path, so the cafes are busier and the mood lifts. We stop for a sit-down lunch on the way and pass the chapel and fountain of Santa Irene, whose water was once believed to heal, before reaching O Pedrouzo in the early afternoon. The vehicle collects the group and brings everyone back to Arzua, about 20 minutes, for a free late afternoon. Try the local cheese in a bar on the main street.
Included
- Guided walk from Arzua to O Pedrouzo, about 19 km
- Sit-down lunch on the route
- The chapel and fountain of Santa Irene
- Vehicle transfer back to Arzua
Easier option: Ride to the lunch stop and walk the shaded last section to O Pedrouzo, or take the afternoon off (the Compostela requires the whole stage on foot).
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Arzua
Activity: About 19 km, four and a half to five hours on foot; gentle ups and downs, mostly shaded forest tracks.
Into Santiago de Compostela
By our vehicle to O Pedrouzo, then on foot to Santiago de Compostela
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Santiago de Compostela
- Drive about 18 min
Our vehicle drops the group back in O Pedrouzo at about 7:30 am, and the luggage goes straight to the hotel in Santiago. The last stage starts in quiet eucalyptus woods, skirts the end of the airport runway, and passes Lavacolla, where medieval pilgrims washed in the stream before entering the city. A climb brings you to Monte do Gozo, the hill of joy, where pilgrims had their first sight of the cathedral towers. From there it is about 5 km of city streets, through the Porta do Camiño and down into the old town, until you come out under the arch of the archbishop's palace, often to the sound of a Galician bagpipe, into the Praza do Obradoiro.
Afternoon
Lunch is a late, celebratory one.
Evening
Afterwards your guide takes the group to the pilgrim office to collect your Compostela, and in the evening you can attend the pilgrim mass in the cathedral.
Included
- Guided walk from O Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela, about 20 km
- Monte do Gozo
- Arrival in the Praza do Obradoiro
- Sit-down lunch in the old town
- The pilgrim office with your guide to collect your Compostela
- The evening pilgrim mass in the cathedral
Easier option: Ride to Monte do Gozo and walk the last 5 km into the city with the group (the Compostela requires the whole stage on foot).
Free time: Late afternoon free in the old town
Activity: About 20 km, five hours on foot; gentle until the climb to Monte do Gozo, then city pavements. Mass times are set by the cathedral and confirmed with your final itinerary.
The cathedral and the old town
A day on foot in Santiago de Compostela
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Santiago de Compostela
Morning
A morning inside the city you walked to. We start early at the Mercado de Abastos, the food market, while the stalls are filling with Galician cheese, shellfish and peppers. Then a local guide takes the group into the cathedral: the Romanesque nave, the silver altar and the crypt said to hold the remains of St James, and the Pórtico da Gloria, Master Mateo's carved 12th-century doorway, seen in a booked slot. After that we climb onto the cathedral rooftops, walking on the granite steps of the roof with views over the old town's slate and stone, which UNESCO listed in 1985. On the way down we pass the Holy Door on the Praza da Quintana, open only in Holy Years such as 2027 and sealed otherwise. The noon pilgrim mass follows for those who want it; on some days the Botafumeiro, the huge censer, swings across the transept, but the cathedral does not publish a fixed schedule.
Afternoon
The afternoon is yours: the Pilgrimage Museum, the Alameda park, or a long lunch.
Evening
In the evening we gather for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Mercado de Abastos with your guide
- Guided visit of Santiago Cathedral with a local guide
- The Pórtico da Gloria in a booked slot
- Cathedral rooftop tour
- The noon pilgrim mass (optional to attend)
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Day trip to Cape Fisterra and Muxía on the Atlantic coast (in place of the free afternoon, priced at booking)
Free time: Afternoon free in Santiago
Activity: About 4 km on foot on cobbles, with stairs on the rooftop tour.
Depart from Santiago
Santiago de Compostela to Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
A last breakfast, and a last walk through the old town if your flight allows: the Praza do Obradoiro is quiet first thing, before the day's new pilgrims arrive, and it is a different place when you are not the ones arriving. Our driver takes you to Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ), about 13 km and 20 minutes from the old town, at a time that fits your flight; we arrange the transfers when we have everyone's flight details. Santiago has direct flights to Madrid, Barcelona and several European hubs, and fast trains to Madrid if you are travelling on. If you would like more time, we can book extra nights in Santiago, or you can join our northern Spain trip, which also visits Santiago, for the Basque Country, Rioja and Asturias. Luggage storage is available at the hotel if you leave later in the day.
Included
- Drop-off at Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ)
Free time: Free until your transfer
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 11 am to enjoy a slow last morning.
- Santiago de Compostelastart
- Sarria1 night
- Palas de Rei2 nights
- Arzua2 nights
- Santiago de Compostela2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Galicia is green because it rains: expect at least one wet day in spring or autumn, and morning mist in the valleys that burns off by midday. June and September are warm in the afternoons, which is why we start walking at about 8 am.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Walkers who want to earn the Compostela without planning stages, beds and bags themselves
- First-time pilgrims who would like a guide to explain what they are walking past
- Travellers who want the Camino's company and cafes, but a private room and a proper lunch
- People who want a backup vehicle on hand on long days
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who cannot walk 20 km or more on consecutive days; the vehicle helps, but walking is the trip
- Travellers looking for the solitude of the Camino's quieter routes; this is its busiest stretch
- Pilgrims who want to sleep in albergues and carry everything themselves
- Step-free access: paths are uneven and the old towns are steep and cobbled
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Sarria1 night
- Palas de Rei2 nights
- Arzua2 nights
- Santiago de Compostela2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Sarria, 2 in Palas de Rei, 2 in Arzua, 2 in Santiago de Compostela's old town
- Small hotels and casas rurales of at least a 3-star-plus standard, each room with its own bathroom
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Santiago de Compostela Airport (SCQ)
- Our own vehicle and driver for the whole trip, shadowing every walking stage
- Your luggage carried hotel to hotel, so you walk with a daypack
- Vehicle shuttles at the end and start of stages, and a seat whenever you want to ride part of a stage
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, who walks every stage with the group
- A local guide for the cathedral visit in Santiago
Activities
- Your credencial (pilgrim passport)
- Sarria old-town walk
- Guided walk of the last 115 km of the Camino Frances, Sarria to Santiago, in five stages
- The 100 km waymarker and the church of San Nicolás in Portomarin
- Castro de Castromaior hillfort
- Vilar de Donas church and its frescoes (on its opening days)
- The medieval bridges at Furelos and Ribadiso
- Pilgrim office visit with your guide to collect your Compostela
- Pilgrim mass in Santiago Cathedral
- Guided visit of Santiago Cathedral and the Pórtico da Gloria
- Cathedral rooftop tour
- Mercado de Abastos, Santiago
Meals
- Breakfast daily (7)
- 5 sit-down lunches, one on every walking day, including pulpo a feira in Melide
- Welcome dinner in Sarria
- Farewell dinner in Santiago
Not included
- International flights to and from Santiago de Compostela
- Visa or travel authorisation fees, if any
- Travel insurance (with cover for walking)
- Dinners other than the welcome and farewell dinners
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Cape Fisterra day trip
- Donations at churches and the cathedral
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 545 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in small hotels and casas rurales, breakfast daily, a sit-down lunch on every walking day, welcome and farewell dinners, airport transfers, our vehicle and driver carrying your luggage and shadowing every stage, a See Sight Tours guide who walks with you, your credencial, and the cathedral visit, Pórtico da Gloria and rooftop tour in Santiago.
Will I get the Compostela certificate?
Yes, if you walk every stage from Sarria and collect two stamps a day, which your guide makes sure of. The pilgrim office asks for at least the last 100 km on foot; we start about 115 km out. If you ride the vehicle for part of a stage, the office may not issue it, but you can still get a certificate of distance.
How fit do I need to be to walk the last 100 km of the Camino?
Fit enough to walk 19 to 29 km a day for five days in a row, on farm lanes and forest tracks with short climbs. Train with long walks in the shoes you will wear. Our vehicle meets the group along each stage, so on any day you can ride part of the way and rejoin the group.
Do I have to carry my luggage?
No. Our driver carries your suitcase from hotel to hotel, so you walk with a daypack holding water, a rain jacket, snacks and your credencial. On two nights we return to the same hotel, so you only unpack in four places all week.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so the group fits around one table at lunch and stays together on the busy final stretch into Santiago. Your guide sets a pace that works for everyone.
Who leads the walk?
A See Sight Tours guide walks every stage with you and stays with the group for the whole trip. A local guide joins us for the cathedral visit in Santiago. Our driver follows the route by road, carrying luggage and meeting the group at cafes.
I am travelling solo. What will it cost?
Solo travellers are welcome on the same departures. A room of your own is from CAD 545 more than the shared price, and it is a real single or double room, not a smaller one. If you would rather share, ask us and we will try to match you with a roommate of the same gender.
When is the best time to walk the Camino from Sarria?
April to June and September to October. Days are mild and green, the cafes are open and the route is busy but not packed. July and August are the hottest and most crowded months. Expect rain on at least one day in spring or autumn, and mist in the mornings.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather walk independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section: we can quote the same hotels and luggage transfers without a guide.
Will we see the Botafumeiro?
Maybe. The giant censer swings at some pilgrim masses, on feast days and when it is requested, but the cathedral does not publish a fixed schedule. You attend the evening pilgrim mass on the day you arrive and can attend the noon mass the next day, which gives you two chances.
Do I need a visa for Spain?
No, not for a short stay: Canadian, US, UK and Australian passport holders do not need a visa for Spain, which is in the Schengen area. The EU's ETIAS travel authorisation for visa-free visitors is not yet in operation and has no confirmed start date, so check the current rules before you fly.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 2,795 per person sharing, taxes included.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.