The French Way
Classic walking Camino pilgrimage · Madrid to Santiago de Compostela
October 18–28, 2026
Walk the famous final stretch of the Camino Francés from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, framed by time in Madrid and at the Parador in Santiago. Six walking days cover around 73 miles / 117km, with a private coach alongside so pilgrims can walk as much or as little as they wish. Suitable for walkers and non-walkers alike.
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Overview
This French Way pilgrimage begins in Madrid and ends in Santiago de Compostela, following the classic final stretch of the Camino Francés from Sarria to Santiago. You start with two nights in Madrid, including a guided visit to the Prado Museum and a talk by historian and "Ghosts of Spain" author Giles Tremlett, before travelling via the historic city of Astorga to where we begin to walk the Camino at Sarria.
Over six walking days, you follow the Way through villages, farmland and woodland to Santiago, with distances planned so that confident walkers can complete each stage at their chosen pace and others can choose to shorten days using the support coach. Along the route, there is time for worship and reflection, visits to churches and historic sites, and shared meals in carefully chosen restaurants and hotels. In Santiago we stay at the 15th-century Parador on Obradoiro Square, with a guided visit to the cathedral and museum. We attend Pilgrim's Mass and enjoy a farewell dinner overlooking the square.
Key Facts
Route: Madrid → Astorga → Sarria → Portomarín → Airexe → O Coto → Arzúa → O Pedrouzo → Santiago de Compostela
Style: Full walking Camino with private coach support; suitable for walkers and non-walkers
Duration: 11 days / 10 nights (18–28 October 2026)
Walking level: Six walking days covering around 73 miles / 117km, with daily stages from roughly 10–14 miles (16–23km). Options to shorten or ride sections by coach.
Group size: Designed for church groups of around 16–30 people
Who it’s for: Churches and Christian groups wanting a classic French Way pilgrimage, with flexibility for different walking abilities and space for worship, teaching and reflection
Why this Camino – highlights & who it’s for
Tour highlights
Begin with two nights in Madrid, staying in a central 5★ hotel with time to arrive well and gather your group before the walking starts.
Enjoy a guided visit to the Prado Museum with an art historian, seeing masterpieces by Velázquez, Bosch, Goya and other great artists that share Spain’s history.
Hear historian Giles Tremlett, author of Ghosts of Spain, give an insider’s view of the country’s history, tensions and deep religious roots.
Receive a pilgrim's blessing at the Catedral del Redentor in Madrid, where you’re given your Compostela passport and scallop shell ready to set out on the Camino.
Spend an evening at Botín, the world’s oldest restaurant, with a private visit and dinner followed by a traditional flamenco show at a local tablao.
Pause in the medieval city of Astorga, at the crossroads of the French Way and the Roman Silver Road, visiting its Gothic cathedral and Gaudí-designed Episcopal Palace.
Walk six stages on the French Way from Sarria to Santiago, covering around 73 miles / 117km through forests, farmland, villages and historic bridges.
Experience a pilgrims’ service and aperitivo-style gathering with Galician music at a rural estate near Arzúa, as the Camino nears its end.
Spend two nights at the Parador de Santiago de Compostela, the 15th-century former pilgrim hospital on Obradoiro Square, beside the cathedral.
Take a guided visit of Santiago Cathedral and its museum, a visit the Anglican Centre your pilgrimage helps support and with time to explore the old city on your own.
Attend the Pilgrim's mass in Santiago Cathedral (with the botafumeiro when scheduled) and share a farewell dinner in a private room at the Parador overlooking the square, with the opportunity to receive the Compostela certificate if you have walked the required total of 62 miles / 100km.
Who this Camino is for
This itinerary is especially well suited to:
Churches wanting a classic French Way experience, rooted in worship, walking and shared life.
Groups with mixed walking abilities, where some are keen to walk every mile and others need the option to shorten days or travel by coach without feeling left behind.
Pilgrims who value history, art and culture, with time in Madrid and Astorga as well as on the trail, and expert voices helping to open up Spain’s story.
Churches looking for a well-supported first Camino, with private coach, experienced host and guide, and characterful, high-quality accommodation including nights at the Parador in Santiago.
With a private coach accompanying the group providing checkpoints each day, pilgrims can choose how much of each stage to walk.
Walking the French Way
On this itinerary you walk the final 73 miles / 117km of the French Way from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela over six walking days. Daily stages range from roughly 10–14 miles (about 16–22km), following a mix of woodland paths, farm tracks, quiet lanes and village streets. You pass the 100km marker – the minimum distance needed on foot to receive the Compostela – and walk through well-known Camino towns such as Portomarín, Palas de Rei, Melide, Arzúa and O Pedrouzo.
A private coach travels with the group throughout providing daily checkpoints. Each day, pilgrims can choose to walk the full stage, shorten the distance or ride the coach for part of the route. Meeting points and rest stops are planned so that those walking different distances can still come together for key moments, including the final approach into Obradoiro Square to the Cathedral. This flexibility makes the pilgrimage suitable for both confident and more gentle walkers.
Day by day on the French Way
A brief overview – details may vary slightly depending on dates and hotels.
Day 1 – Welcome to Madrid
Home → Madrid
Overview
Arrive in Madrid and settle into your central 5★ hotel. In the evening, you gather for a welcome dinner hosted by Insider’s Camino with writer Giles Tremlett and meet the team who will be travelling with you.
Today’s highlights
First chance to meet your fellow pilgrims and leaders
Time to arrive, unpack and start to slow down
Welcome dinner in the heart of Madrid
Day 2 – Art, blessing and an evening of tradition
Madrid (on foot + coach)
Overview
After breakfast you walk to the Prado Museum for a guided highlights tour with an art historian, then see more of central Madrid on a panoramic coach tour. You visit the Anglican Catedral del Redentor to receive a pilgrim blessing, passport and scallop shell, with a light buffet lunch. In the evening you visit Botín, the world’s oldest restaurant, for a private visit and dinner, followed by a flamenco show.
Today’s highlights
Guided visit to the Prado Museum with an art historian
Pilgrim blessing and Compostela passport at the Catedral del Redentor
Private visit and dinner at Botín, plus flamenco show
Day 3 – Astorga and arrival in Camino country
Madrid → Astorga → Portomarín (coach)
Overview
Leaving Madrid by coach, you travel north to the medieval city of Astorga, at the crossroads of the Camino and the old Roman Silver Road. A guided visit takes in the cathedral and Gaudí-designed Episcopal Palace, with time for a light lunch. Later you continue by coach into Galicia and arrive in Portomarín, where you settle into your hotel and share dinner together.
Today’s highlights
Scenic coach journey from Madrid towards Galicia
Guided visit to Astorga’s cathedral and Gaudí’s Episcopal Palace
First evening in Camino countryside accommodation
Day 4 – First steps: Sarria to Portomarín
Sarria → Portomarín · 22.3km / 13.85 miles
Overview
After breakfast you transfer by coach to Sarria for your first day on the French Way. The path leads through villages, farmland and pockets of chestnut and oak woodland, past the important 100km marker – the minimum distance for the Compostela. You finish the day in Portomarín, crossing the Miño River and climbing into the town before returning to your hotel for dinner.
Today’s highlights
Starting your Camino on the trail at Sarria
Passing the 100km marker towards Santiago
Walking through classic Galician countryside to Portomarín
Day 5 – Views, cruceiros and a country hotel
Portomarín → Airexe · 17.3km / 10.75 miles
Overview
You leave Portomarín and climb gently through woodland, rewarded with wide views over the Galician hills. The route passes through small hamlets and wayside cafés, and by stone crosses including the ornate cruceiro at Lameiros. Reaching Airexe, you end the walking stage and take a short coach transfer to a rural hotel with spa set among traditional stone buildings, where you stay for two nights.
Today’s highlights
Gradual climb out of Portomarín with far-reaching views
Stone crosses and quiet hamlets along the Way
First night at a peaceful countryside hotel
Day 6 – Rolling country to Palas de Rei and O Coto
Airexe → O Coto · 16.1km / 10 miles
Overview
Today’s stage winds through rolling countryside towards Palas de Rei, a lively Camino town with cafés and a Romanesque church. As more pilgrims join the route, the path becomes more sociable. You continue through oak and eucalyptus woods and small villages until O Coto, where the stage ends before returning by coach to your rural hotel.
Today’s highlights
Gentle paths through fields and woodland
Time in Palas de Rei, an important Camino town
Social stretches of path as more pilgrims join the route
Day 7 – Melide, bridges and Arzúa cheese
O Coto → Arzúa · 20.5km / 13.74 miles
Overview
From O Coto you walk towards Melide, where the Camino Primitivo meets the French Way and many pilgrims stop to taste the local octopus. The route continues over the medieval bridge at pretty Ribadiso da Baixo and through villages on the outskirts of Arzúa, known for its creamy cheese. A short coach ride takes you to a rural estate nearby, where you stay for two nights.
Today’s highlights
Meeting of Camino routes in busy Melide
Crossing the medieval bridge at Ribadiso da Baixo
First evening at a traditional Galician country estate near Arzúa
Day 8 – The last full day on the trail
Arzúa → O Pedrouzo · 19.2km / 11.9 miles
Overview
Today you walk from Arzúa to O Pedrouzo through meadows, woods and a string of small villages and hamlets. With Santiago now within reach, the day carries a mix of anticipation and reflection. In the evening you return to your countryside base near Arzúa for a pilgrims’ service in a small chapel, followed by an aperitivo-style gathering with local music.
Today’s highlights
Quiet woodland and village paths as Santiago draws closer
Time to reflect on the journey during your last full walking day
Pilgrims’ service and relaxed evening with Galician music
Day 9 – Walking into Santiago together
O Pedrouzo → Santiago de Compostela · 19.3km / 12 miles
Overview
Your final day on the trail begins back at O Pedrouzo, with the path leading towards Monte do Gozo and the first glimpse of Santiago’s cathedral spires. The last miles are more urban but deeply meaningful as you walk into the city. Pilgrims who have walked different distances come together to enter Obradoiro Square as a group. In the evening, private Eucharist in the 13th-century church of San Fiz and enjoy dinner at a favourite local restaurant.
Today’s highlights
First views of Santiago from Monte do Gozo
Shared arrival into Obradoiro Square in front of the cathedral
Evening Communion service at the 12th century San Fiz
Celebratory dinner in Santiago
Day 10 – Exploring Santiago and farewell dinner
Santiago de Compostela
Overview
You spend today discovering Santiago with a private walking tour of the old town, cathedral and its museum, including a visit to the Anglican Pilgrim's Centre that your pilgrimage helps support. You attend the Pilgrim's Mass at the Cathedral (when available with the botafumeiro).The afternoon is free to wander, rest or shop before gathering in a private room at the Parador for a farewell dinner overlooking Obradoiro Square.
Today’s highlights
Guided tour of Santiago’s cathedral, museum and historic streets
Visit to the Anglican Centre in Santiago
Pilgrims’ Mass with Botafumeiro (when scheduled) and farewell dinner at the Parador
Farewell dinner, looking back over the journey together
Day 11 – Homeward journey
Santiago de Compostela → Home
Overview
After breakfast at the Parador, there is time for a final walk across the square or a last visit to the cathedral before you depart for the airport or onward travel. The organised pilgrimage ends, but many pilgrims find that the experience of the French Way continues to shape prayer, conversation and church life back home.
Today’s highlights
Final moments in Santiago’s old town and Obradoiro Square depending on your departure time
Journey home or onwards with time to reflect on what the Camino has opened up for you and your church
Accommodation & meals
Accommodation is an important part of this pilgrimage. You begin in a 5★ hotel in Madrid, close to the historic centre, and stay in a series of good-quality, comfortable properties along the French Way in Galicia, before ending with two nights at the Parador de Santiago de Compostela on Obradoiro Square.
Breakfast is included daily.
All dinners with wine are included across the itinerary, from relaxed hotel meals to special evenings such as your night at Botín in Madrid and the farewell dinner at the Parador in Santiago.
With the exception of one included lunch in Madrid, lunches are at your own expense along the Way, giving you freedom to choose cafés, bars or picnic spots as you go.
Your hosts & guides on this pilgrimage
Joanna Wivell
Your Insider’s Camino host
Originally from Yorkshire and based in Spain for 20 years, Joanna has walked multiple Camino routes since 2004. She combines her love of walking, Spanish culture, food and music to create pilgrimages that are joyful, deeply rooted and pastorally sensitive.
Georgie Wingfield-Hayes
Camino guide
Georgie is a British biologist and writer who lives in Spain and has a lifelong love for its language, people, culture, landscapes and nature. When not guiding pilgrim groups on the Camino, she spends time in the wild mountains of Sanabria in north-western Spain, writing about the relationship between humans and nature. She first walked and guided on the Camino in 2006 and never tires of accompanying pilgrims on their journeys.
Contributing experts on this pilgrimage
Bishop Carlos López Lozano
Episcopal Bishop of Spain and member of the Anglican Communion, theologian and architectural historian, who brings insight into the church’s story in Spain.
Giles Tremlett
British historian, author and journalist, known for Ghosts of Spain and other works on Spanish history. Giles joins the group in Madrid to share his perspective on Spain’s past and present at the start of the pilgrimage.
Practicalities, pricing & FAQs
What’s included
For church leaders
We handle the bookings and logistics for your Camino, so your team can focus on leading the pilgrimage
Private online pilgrimage page for your church, with full trip details and a registration link you can share with your congregation.
Pre-trip information for your group (meeting points, packing guidance, daily outline)
Support with rooming lists, dietary needs and mobility information before you travel
A dedicated Insider’s Camino host and Camino guide travelling with your group
Option to discuss pre- or post-tour travel with Insider’s Tailored Travel
For pilgrims
5★ hotel in Madrid and Santiago, plus good-quality, comfortable accommodation along the French Way
Breakfast each day and dinners with wine on most evenings, plus one included lunch (other lunches at your own expense)
Six walking days on the French Way, with private coach support throughout
All guided visits and entrance fees mentioned in the final itinerary
Insider’s Camino host and one Camino guide (two guides for groups of 24 or more)
A built-in donation of 200 US dollars per pilgrim to the Friends of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago
All applicable local taxes
Not included
International flights to and from Spain
Airport transfers, unless specifically stated in your proposal
Travel insurance (required for all pilgrims)
Gratuities for guides and drivers
Any meals and drinks not mentioned as included
Personal spending (snacks, extra drinks, shopping, independent activities)
Notes
Your main luggage travels on the dedicated coach from hotel to hotel. On walking days you only carry a small daypack, with the option to leave extra items on the coach
The coach also serves as a support vehicle at agreed checkpoints for anyone who wants to shorten a stage or sit out part of the walk
Pricing
For a typical 10-night French Way pilgrimage, pricing is as follows:
Price per person (based on shared room): from around $5,950 USD
Single room supplement: from $1,100 USD
Non-refundable deposit per person: $650 USD
These figures are a guide based on the current 18–28 October 2026 example departure, and may vary with final dates, group size and specific inclusions.
FAQs
How demanding is the walking on this French Way itinerary?
This is a full walking pilgrimage, but with coach support and the option to shorten stages.
There are six walking days covering about 73 miles / 117km, with daily stages from roughly 10–14 miles (16–23km). Confident walkers can complete each day’s distance; others can shorten stages or ride the coach and still share the key moments of the journey.
Can less confident walkers or non-walkers still come?
Yes – the itinerary is described as suitable for walkers and non-walkers.
A private coach travels with the group and there are agreed meeting points along the route. Many pilgrims choose to walk some stages and ride others, depending on energy, health and the weather. No one has to choose between “all or nothing” with the walking.
Will I receive the Compostela certificate on this tour?
If you walk at least a total 100km / 62 miles and collect sufficient stamps, you should qualify for the Compostela.
The itinerary is designed around the Sarria–Santiago section, which meets this requirement, but eligibility always depends on your personal walking record and the criteria of the Pilgrim Office in Santiago at the time of travel.
Is this a good first Camino for our church?
For many churches, this French Way itinerary is the archetypal first Camino.
It offers a classic route, six walking days, and time in Madrid and Santiago to place the Camino in its wider spiritual and cultural context. The presence of a host, guide and coach makes it realistic for a wider range of pilgrims than an unsupported long-distance walk.
How big does our group need to be?
Most French Way pilgrimages are designed for church groups of around 16–30 pilgrims.
There is typically a minimum of around 16 paid participants for a dedicated departure. If you are a smaller church or an individual pilgrim, Insider’s Camino can advise whether it’s possible to join an existing group on certain dates.
Still wondering about something? See our full Camino FAQ or contact us.
Gallery – the French Way in pictures
The French Way is as much about the feel of the journey as the miles you walk. These images offer a glimpse of what you might see between Madrid, Astorga, Sarria and Santiago – woodland paths, village bridges, quiet chapels and the moment of arrival in Obradoiro Square.
Explore Other Caminos
Wondering if there's a different Camino that might suit your church better? We offer several routes to Santiago, each with its own character and walking experience.
The Portuguese Way Pilgrimage
Walk from Porto to Santiago through vineyards and forests.
Begin in Porto's historic centre and walk through Portuguese vineyards into Galicia. Rich hospitality, exceptional food and wine culture.
Distance: 127km / 79 miles
Best for: Churches valuing comfort alongside challenge
The Silver Way Pilgrimage
A gentler Camino through southern Spain during Holy Week.
Experience Seville's spectacular Easter processions before walking the ancient Roman road to Santiago.
Distance: Shorter daily stages
Best for: Those preferring less demanding walking with cultural richness
Explore the Camino
Light-Walking Pilgrimage
A light-walking pilgrimage from Madrid to Santiago, combining selected walks on the French Way with Spanish art, worship, history and private coach support.
Distance: Five walking days
Best for: Churches wanting a richer Camino experience with coach support
Ready to talk about the French Way?
If you’d like to explore bringing your church—or joining an existing group—on the French Way, we’d love to hear from you.
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