Travel arrangements
Please make your own travel arrangements to the starting point of the section you selected. There are several options from which you may choose: car, plane, or public transportation (such as train, or bus). We selected mayor villages or cities as starting points to ensure they can be reached easily by public transportation from Bilbao or Santiago airports (Note: Other airports are located in Santander, León, Pamplona, and Oviedo/Asturias). You are welcome to book just one section on the Camino Francés, or several sections in a row. Choosing the latter, you will always have one day without hiking before the next section begins. This day is good to recover from the strenuous walks, give your feet a break, and get prepared for the next hiking section! If you would like to have a day off within one section, you are welcome to book additional nights as well.
Note to the following description
For better orientation we listed all starting and destination points of the daily hikes, followed by total kilometers traveled and total meters of climb given in brackets. “Total meters of climb” only counts ascents. We haven't counted downhill meters. All calculations are approximate calculations.
Section 1 A: St. Jean Pied de Port – Pamplona (5 days / 4 nights)
Day 1: Individual travel to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, Day 2: St. Jean-Pied-de-Port – Roncesvalles (distance: 26 km / ascent: 1,250 m), Day 3: Roncesvalles – Larrasoaina (26 / 200), Day 4: Larrasoaina – Pamplona (15 / 170), Day 5: Individual departure from Pamplona. You are welcome to extend your trip by continuing with Section 2, or by booking additional nights for Pamplona.
Information on this section: You should allow a full extra day at the start of your hiking trip for travel to St. Jean-Pied-de-Port. The pass leading from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port across the Pyrenees is the most famous one and looks back on a long, mysterious history. This old Roman route was early used by Charles the Great to invade Spain through the back door. You hike through tall forests, pass green meadows, and cross mountain creeks with crystal-clear water on medieval pilgrimage bridges, and follow the path along the Río Arga until you reach the capital of the region Navarra: Pamplona!
Section 1 B: Jaca – Puente la Reina (Pamplona) (7 days / 6 nights)
Day 1: Individual travel to Jaca, Day 2: Jaca – Puente la Reina de Jaca (direct way: distance 22 km / ascent -200 m, via San Juan de la Peña: distance 34 km / ascent 780 m), Day 3: Puente la Reina de Jaca – Artieda (24/ 75), Day 4: in the morning taxi transfer from Artieda to Ruesta, then hiking trip from Ruesta to Sangüesa (21 / 320), Day 5: Sangüesa – Monreal (26 / 340), Day 6: Monreal – Puente la Reina d. N. (24 / 360), Day 7: in the morning taxi transfer to Pamplona, then individual departure, or extension of the hiking trip with Section 2.
Information on this section: Jaca, secret capital and pearl of the Pyrenees. Many places you pass on this pilgrimage route will make you feel like being back in medieval times! You will see monastery San Juan de la Peña, a medieval monastery carved into the rocks in the 11th century. The building will not only fascinate you with its unique location and immense extension, but also with its fine architecture and stone mason's art. Experience the magnificent world of the mountains and enjoy being close to nature on this route through the Pyrenees. Until Puente la Reina (with its famous pilgrim's bridge) you won't meet a lot of pilgrims on the paths, instead you have it all to yourself!
Section 2: Pamplona – Burgos (11 days / 10 nights)
Day 1: Individual travel to Pamplona, Day 2: Pamplona – Puente la Reina d. N. (distance 22 km / ascent 330 m), Day 3: Puente La Reina d. N. – Estella (23 / 290), Day 4: Estella – Los Arcos (21 / 170), Day 5: Los Arcos – Logroño (28 / 245), Day 6: Logroño – Nájera (28 / 290), Day 7: Nájera – Santo Domingo (22 / 250), Day 8: Santo Domingo – Belorado (22 / 150), Day 9: Belorado – Atapuerca (29 / 505), Day 10: Atapuerca – Burgos (20 / 110), Day 11: Individual departure from Burgos, additional nights in Burgos, or extension of the hiking-trip with Section 3.
Information on this section: After Pamplona, the path leads you uphill to cross the Perdón mountain with its huge windmills. Crossing Gothic stone bridges you pass villages, in which time seems to have stopped for centuries. You hike through the famous and legendary vineyards of La Rioja until you reach Burgos, former residence of the Kings of Spain. Burgos' old town will fascinate you with its magnificent buildings dating back to Romanic, Gothic, and Renaissance times, and last but not least with its splendid, two-spired Gothic cathedral.
Section 3: Burgos – Astorga (12 days / 11 nights)
Day 1: Individual travel to Burgos, Day 2: taxi transfer from Burgos to Hornillos, then hike from Hornillos – Castrojeriz (distance 18 km / ascent 160 m), Day 3: Castrojeriz – Frómista (26 / 165), Day 4: Frómista – Carrión (19 / 50), Day 5: Carrión – Calzadilla (16 / 30), Day 6: Calzadilla – Sahagún (22 / 50), Day 7: Sahagún – Burgo Ranero (18 / 80), Day 8: Burgo Ranero – Mansilla (19 / 20), Day 9: Mansilla – León (18 / 90), Day 10: León – Villadangos (24 / 80), Day 11: Villadangos – Astorga (23 / 120), Day 12: Individual departure from Astorga, additional nights in Astorga, or extension of the hiking trip with Section 4. 
Information on this section: Leaving Burgos and its outstanding treasures behind, the path continues via Hornillos to Castrojeríz. This small village will capture your heart not only by its old churches and romantic castle ruin on top of the hill, but also by its unique location: It appears like an oasis in the midst of the wide and open Meseta landscape. Frómista hosts one of the most beautiful Romanic churches of the St. James' Way. Sahagún stands out by its uncommon brick buildings and Mozarabic church. Then, on you go to León, once residence of the Kings of Spain! León will fascinate you with its impressive old town and its magnificent buildings. Don't miss seeing the famous Cathedral of St. María, and the Basilica of St. Isidoro, which holds the Royal Pantheon. Astorga will impress you with its historic town hall, its extraordinary cathedral, and with the Episcopal Palace built by Antoni Gaudí in neo-Gothic style.
Section 4: Astorga – Santiago de Compostela (14 days /13 nights)
Day 1: Individual travel to Astorga, Day 2: Astorga – Rabanal (distance 20 km / ascent 280 m), Day 3: Rabanal – Molinaseca (26 / 400), Day 4: Molinaseca – Villafranca (31 / 150), Day 5: Villafranca – Ambasmestas (16 / 460), Day 6: Ambasmestas – O´Cebreiro (15 / 640), Day 7: O´Cebreiro – Triacastela (21 / 70), Day 8: Triacastela – Sárria (19 / 280), Day 9: Sárria – Portomarín (22 / 320), Day 10: Portomarín – Palas de Rei (24 / 320), Day 11: Palas de Rei – Arzúa (29 / 150), Day 12: Arzúa – Rúa (20 / 80), Day 13: Rúa – Santiago de Compostela (19 / 190), Day 14: Individual departure from Santiago, or beach holiday at the Galician coast, or extension of the hiking trip with Section 5.
Information on this section: The path leads you from Astorga, an old historic Roman town, through the green Montes de León mountains. At the mountain top (1,505 m) you will soon notice a small iron cross, the “Cruz de Hierro”, where pilgrims leave a stone they brought from home. On you go via Ponferrada with its huge castle of the Knights Templars to Villafranca, a lovely village situated in the heart of the El Bierzo wine country. Before the long climb to O' Cebreiro (destination of 6th day), we scheduled an additional night to reduce the tough hike to the mountain top. O' Cebreiro is a picturesque village that stands out due to its old Celtic houses with thatched roofs. From here, the path continues through the beautiful Galician countryside of green meadows, woods, and farmland often divided into small sections. In the tiny villages, where time seems to have stopped for centuries, the villagers will greet you warmly. In Portomarín (destination of 9th day) you will see how the nearby water reservoir caused the relocation of the whole village, including its famous Romanic church, to a site 100 m higher in elevation. Finally, you will reach Santiago the 13th day of your hike. Santiago welcomes you with numerous churches, its world-famous cathedral with the shrine of the apostle St. James, and its vivid old town with its unique mixture of Spanish residents, students, and pilgrims from all over the world. At the pilgrim's office you will receive your well-earned „Compostela” (certificate of pilgrimage).
Section 5: Santiago d. C. (– Finisterra) – Muxia (8 days / 7 nights)
Day 1: Individual travel to Santiago, Day 2: Santiago – Negreira (distance 22 km / ascent 140 m), Day 3: Negreira – Olveiroa (32 / 220), then taxi transfer to A Picota, Day 4: in the morning taxi transfer back to Olveiroa, then hike from Olveiroa – Cee (18 / 100), Day 5: Cee – Finisterre (14 / 150), Day 6: Finisterre – Lires (14 / 40 ), Day 7: Lires – Muxía (15 / 130), Day 8: Individual departure from Muxía, or beach holiday at the Galician Atlantic coast, Hotel Lombiña.
Information on this section: Leaving Santiago you follow the well signposted trail through eucalyptus groves and green hills to the legendary Cape Finisterre (literally: end of the world). At this place, the coffin of St. James is said to have had first contact with the Iberian peninsula. Close to a monument, many pilgrims participate in the last ritual of the pilgrimage route: they burn their clothes and other personal items as a symbol of a new beginning after their pilgrimage. Within two more days of hiking along the beautiful Galician coast you will reach Muxía with its gorgeous pilgrimage church situated directly by the sea. You can end your hike here in Muxía, or beforehand in Finisterre. (For Finisterre, the price for 5x bed & breakfast rates at € 315.00 per person based on double room, surcharge for single room € 142.00, charge for luggage transport* € 176.00, calculation based on 4x € 44.00 per piece of luggage).