Walking the Camino de Santiago: Sarria to Santiago (Self-Launched, 8 Days)
8 days · Camino de Santiago, Galicia, Spain
Explore! charges £1,370
No-markup version: ~£745 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Explore!'s guided 8-day Camino walk — the classic final 115km from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, which qualifies you for the Compostela pilgrim certificate. You'll walk the same stages independently: book your own pilgrim hostels and small hotels, collect your credencial in Sarria, follow the yellow arrows, and join pilgrims from around the world at the midday Pilgrim's Mass. Optional luggage transfer services and self-guided booking packs make this easy to arrange solo. All costs are approximate and based on mid-range albergues/guesthouses and a mix of menu del día and supermarket picnics.
Day-by-day
Arrive Santiago de Compostela, transfer to Sarria
Santiago de Compostela → Sarria
Fly into Santiago de Compostela (Ryanair/easyJet from UK from ~£30 one-way, or Vueling/Iberia via Madrid). From the airport take the shuttle bus to the city bus station (~£1.30) then a Monbus or Alsa coach to Sarria (~2h, £7-9). Alternatively pre-book a shared shuttle transfer with companies like Transfer Camino for ~£25 if the coach timing doesn't suit. In Sarria, pick up your credencial (pilgrim passport, £2) at the Albergue de Peregrinos or many hostels/churches — you'll need it stamped twice a day. Settle into a small pension or private albergue room, buy snacks for tomorrow, and do an easy orientation wander past the Church of Santa Marina and the castle ruins.
🚌Santiago airport shuttle to bus station ~£1.30; Monbus/Alsa coach Santiago–Sarria ~£8
🛏Pensión or private double room in an albergue in Sarria (e.g. Hospedería San Lázaro or Casa Peltre), ~£28-35/night
- →Collect credencial pilgrim passport in Sarria
- →Orientation walk: Church of Santa Marina, Sarria Castle ruins
- →Buy trail snacks, blister kit and sun cream
Walk Sarria → Portomarín (22 km)
Sarria → Portomarín
First proper walking day: 22km of gentle Galician lanes, oak woods and hamlets like Barbadelo with its Romanesque church. Start early (7:30-8am) to avoid the heat. Stop for coffee and tortilla in Ferreiros or Mercadoiro. You'll pass the 100km milestone marker — the official start point for the Compostela certificate. Arrive in Portomarín, the town rebuilt on a hillside when the reservoir flooded the original, and cross the long bridge over the river. Book ahead in summer — Portomarín is a bottleneck.
🚌On foot (22 km, ~5-6 hrs)
🛏Hostal/pensión in Portomarín or private room in Albergue Portomarín, ~£30/night
- →Walk 22 km with the yellow Camino arrows
- →San Pedro Church and the 100km milestone photo stop
- →Evening stroll to the reservoir shoreline
Walk Portomarín → Palas de Rei (20 km)
Portomarín → Palas de Rei
A shorter, rolling day through farmland, vineyards and the hamlet of Ligonde. Highlights include the disused railway bridge at Ponte Gullar and the 80km marker. Great café stops in Gonzar and Castromaior (pre-Roman hillfort nearby if you want a 20-minute detour). Arrive early afternoon in Palas de Rei, a functional pilgrim town with good supermarkets and a couple of excellent pulperías — a good night for your first proper plate of pulpo a la Gallega (~£12-15).
🚌On foot (20 km, ~5 hrs)
🛏Hostal or pensión in Palas de Rei (e.g. Hostal Andaina or Pensión Restaurante), ~£30/night
- →Walk 20 km Portomarín to Palas de Rei
- →Castromaior hillfort detour
- →Dinner at a local pulpería
Walk Palas de Rei → Melide (28 km) — octopus and Rías Baixas
Palas de Rei → Melide
The longest day at 28km, so start at dawn. You'll cross the medieval bridge near Melide and pass through pretty hamlets with hórreos (raised granaries). Melide is the undisputed pulpo capital of the Camino — book a table at Pulpería Ezequiel or A Garnacha and try pulpo a la Gallega with paprika, olive oil and coarse salt, paired with a glass of Rías Baixas Albariño (~£14 for the meal). If 28km feels too much, split it: many walkers break at Ribadiso (22km) and taxi the final stretch (~£12).
🚌On foot (28 km, ~6.5-7 hrs); optional local taxi for part of the stage ~£12
🛏Pensión or hotel in Melide (e.g. Pensión Manuel or Hotel Carlos 96), ~£32/night
- →Walk 28 km Palas de Rei to Melide
- →Medieval bridge and Galician hórreo hamlets
- →Pulpo a la Gallega dinner with Albariño wine
Walk Melide → O Amenal (27 km) with Arzúa cheese stop
Melide → O Amenal
Another long stage, but a beautiful one through eucalyptus and chestnut woods. Halfway is Arzúa, famous for its soft tetilla-style Arzúa-Ulloa cheese — buy a wedge from a local shop or order the cheese board with a coffee (~£5). Carry on past Santa Irene Chapel, the Guillermo Watt memorial and the River Iso crossing to O Amenal, just 15km from Santiago. Book O Amenal early; the few hotels here fill up fast.
🚌On foot (27 km, ~6-6.5 hrs)
🛏Hotel or casa rural in O Amenal (e.g. Hotel Amenal), ~£35/night
- →Walk 27 km Melide to O Amenal
- →Arzúa cheese tasting
- →Visit Santa Irene Chapel and Guillermo Watt memorial
Walk into Santiago de Compostela (17.5 km) and Pilgrim's Mass
O Amenal → Santiago de Compostela
The final short day: 17.5km via Lavacolla (where medieval pilgrims ritually washed) and Monte do Gozo, the hill where you get your first sight of the cathedral spires. Walk into the Praza do Obradoiro and queue at the Pilgrim's Office to collect your Compostela certificate (free, ~1-2 hrs in peak season). Aim to arrive by 11am to catch the 12 noon Pilgrim's Mass at the cathedral — you may see the giant botafumeiro incense burner swing if it's a special day (or tip-funded). Book your Santiago hotel now; the old town fills quickly.
🚌On foot (17.5 km, ~4.5 hrs)
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Santiago old town (e.g. Hostal Suso or Hotel Gelmírez equivalent), ~£40/night
- →Walk final 17.5 km into Santiago
- →Collect Compostela certificate at Pilgrim's Office
- →12 noon Pilgrim's Mass at Santiago Cathedral
Santiago de Compostela city day + optional Finisterre
Santiago de Compostela
Free day in Santiago. Take a self-guided walk of the old town — Praza do Obradoiro, cathedral rooftop tour (£12 via the cathedral's own ticket office), Mercado de Abastos food market, and the Pilgrim Museum (~£3). Book a walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£15) if you'd like the history narrated. Alternatively, take the daily Monbus coach to Cape Finisterre (~2.5h each way, ~£16 return) to see the 'end of the world' lighthouse where many pilgrims burn a boot or watch the sunset — or a GetYourGuide day trip from ~£35.
🚌On foot in the city; optional Monbus coach to Finisterre ~£16 return
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Santiago, ~£40/night
- →Santiago Cathedral rooftop tour (~£12)
- →Mercado de Abastos food market
- →Optional day trip to Cape Finisterre (~£16 coach or ~£35 tour)
Depart Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Easy morning: a last café con leche in the old town, then the airport bus from Praza de Galicia (~£1.30, 30 mins) for your flight home. If you have a late flight, consider a morning visit to the cathedral museum or the Alameda park for the classic cathedral view.
🚌Airport bus ~£1.30; return flight to UK from ~£35-60
🛏—
- →Final café in Santiago old town
- →Airport bus to Santiago de Compostela Airport
Self-launched vs. Explore!
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Explore! | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£745 | £1,370 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £625 per person (46%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Explore!-style trips? Check them out here.~£745
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Walking the Camino de Santiago: Sarria to Santiago (Self-Launched, 8 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £745 per person for 8 days in Camino de Santiago, Galicia, Spain. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Explore!?+
Yes — Explore! charges around £1,370 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £745 — a saving of roughly £625 (46%) per person.
How long is the Camino de Santiago, Galicia, Spain trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Camino de Santiago, Galicia, Spain.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a hiking, slow-travel, backpacker trip through Camino de Santiago, Galicia, Spain, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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