DAY 1: Arrival at Bilbao Airport and visit to the Guggenheim museum. Trip to the hotel in Pamplona and welcome dinner.

DAY 2: Today you will see how the old pilgrimage way  to Santiago enters Spain across the Pyrenees, more specifically at the pass of Roncesvalles. From that spot, you will descend down the mountain in the direction of Santiago, always following that millenary route. You will get the chance to see the height of Mezkiritz or Zubiri and you could even enter Pamplona on foot, after a hike of 4 or 5 km, if you fancy the idea of emulating true pilgrims. Night in Pamplona.

DAY 3: After leaving Pamplona behind you will follow the course of the pilgrimage way. You will first come across Puente la Reina, with its impressive six-arched bridge to then make for several other small pilgrimage towns such as Estella or Los Arcos until you get to Logroño and there you will take the occasion to taste the world-famous wine: Rioja You will then continue and meet the Nájera and Santo Domingo de la Calzada. You will reach Burgos in the evening, an ideal place for a saunter in the old quarter after dinner, where you will admire its gothic cathedral.

DAY 4: Early in the morning, you will take another amble in the city, as it awakens with its characteristic bustle and vitality. You will then take a detour off the pilgrimage route in order to visit the famous monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, which boasts the  oldest Romanesque cloister in the world and Covarrubias, regarded as the cradle of Castile. Back to the hotel, dinner and accommodation.

DAY 5: You will retake the pilgrimage way to Santiago and continue visiting several small towns it passes through such as Castrojeriz, Frómista or Sahagún. The city of León will be awaiting you with a splendid guided tour of the many treasures of its old quarter and, above all its gothic cathedral. Dinner and accommodation

DAY 6: You will travel to the town of Astorga: it is notable for its walled city, its cathedral and its Bishop’s Palace, designed by the great architect Gaudí. In  Castrillo de los Polvazares, in the heart of the region known as Maragatería, you should taste the famous “maragato” stew. You will then leave behind the flat Castile across the region of el Bierzo and up the mountains of O Cebreiro. Its famous cheese, its “pallozas”, circular stone houses, and the local legend of the Holy Grail, well deserve a stopover. Now the landscape is lush with vegetation and mountainous. You will walk into Triacastela among oaks and chestnut  trees and visit the Benedictine monastery in Samos. In the evening  you will get to the valley of Sarria, where you will rest and spend the night.

DAY 7: Sarria has a well preserved old town and fascinating surroundings. You will follow again the pilgrimage way and at Portomarín you will go across the river Miño. Known for its local firewater, this village was rebuilt a few decades ago when the original settlement was flooded by a reservoir. Its impressive Romanesque church was  transferred stone by stone to its new location. After leaving behind Portomarín you will visit the medieval castle of Pambre. The landscape here is less craggy, filled with meadows and low hills. You will be driven through the villages of Melide and Arzúa to arrive at the Monte do Gozo (the “Mount of Joy”), from which pilgrims got the first sighting of Santiago. You will be able to walk the few streets separating you from the shrine of the Apostle Saint James. It is an unforgettable experience. The coach will then pick you up and take you to the hotel

DAY 8: An experienced guide will reveal to you the reasons behind the success of this city. University students, art on the streets, pilgrims all over and the ever-present rain are elements inherent to the city. You will visit its majestic cathedral, the impressive squares surrounding it, the Hostal de los RR.CC (an old 16th century hospital, now a luxurious hotel) , the university buildings, the town market etc.

In the afternoon, after a special farewell lunch, you will be free to stroll round the city at you leisure, do some shopping etc.

DAY 9: Transport to the airport in Santiago and end of the trip.