Do you dream of it, but keep postponing?
Stop postponing. Start living.
Have you ever lain awake with that burning question: “What if I just go and do that pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela?” That dream you’ve been cherishing for years, but keep postponing because:
- You don’t want to go alone
- You doubt whether you can do it
- You’re afraid of the uncertainty
Here’s your chance. Now.
🌟 Why NOW is the perfect time
Research shows it crystal clear: people mainly regret chances they didn’t take. Not the adventures they did pursue.
Your healthy body? ✓ Your desire for adventure? ✓ The time is ripe.
Claim your spot and walk the Camino together with a small group!
In brief: What does the pilgrimage journey entail?
- Flight to Santiago (book yourself, as well as accommodation)
- Bus journey to Villafranca (approx. 4 hours). You’ll stay overnight in a hostel (both included)
- Day 1, start of pilgrimage
- Day 8, arrival in Santiago. End of pilgrimage. You’ll stay overnight this last day in a hostel (included)
- Return journey (book yourself)
Pilgrimage Spain – Walking Alone Yet Together!
Let Safe and Healthy Travel help you fulfill that great wish of a pilgrimage in Spain.
Walking the organized pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in a small group
🚶♂️ Start together, free to walk alone
Small group, great freedom
Start in an intimate group (max 8 people) and feel free to:
- Walk together when you want to
- Walk alone when you’re ready for it
- Make new pilgrim friendships
Your Camino, your pace, your experience.
This is exactly what a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is, and you’ll experience it along the way.
Why do I do this?
Because I hear from many people that they really want to walk the Camino de Santiago. They dream of it but can’t or don’t dare to take that step. I want to take that step together. Come over that threshold and walk the Camino! You’re living now and now is the chance to undertake a pilgrimage!
If you have a healthy body?
If you feel inspired to go walking…
Then now is the time to go.
Don’t postpone it. Research shows that people regret decisions they didn’t make. The decisions they did make, experiences they did pursue have only helped them further to know what they actually wanted. Do you know Bronnie Ware and her research? Read about her research, very interesting.
Come along and experience what it’s like to walk the Camino. To walk on that ancient pilgrimage route, the Camino Frances (the French Way).
I choose to keep the group no larger than a maximum of 8 people, including myself as travel guide and fellow pilgrim. We will sleep in hostels with other pilgrims, you’ll feel embraced by the pilgrim community when we eat the pilgrim meal with other pilgrims in the evening. You’ll also see that along the way, during a cup of coffee, you’ll encounter that same pilgrim again.
The pilgrimage from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela has brought me so much and I want to share that with others. That can only be done by taking you along on this special ancient pilgrimage through the Spanish landscape!
Walk the last 200 km on the pilgrimage Camino de Santiago in Spain. Sign up right away for spring ’26!
🏔️ The Last 200km: Your Transformation
From Villafranca del Bierzo to Santiago de Compostela
8 days. 200 kilometers. Ancient old paths.
Every day a new chapter:
- Sunrises that touch your heart
- Coffee with fellow pilgrims from around the world
- Evenings full of stories and connection
- The peace you don’t know at home
This is more than walking. This is coming home to yourself.
Tips to prepare – Camino de Santiago
If you sign up to walk the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, you’re a fan of walking. But have you ever walked several days in a row? It sounds heavy, walking days on end, being on the road and those feet of yours… that have to do it for you.
When I walked the Camino Frances for the first time (Sept 2016), I didn’t know what I was getting into. I had ‘prepared’ myself that year by walking at least 1 to 2 times a week. The longest hiking trip I had done was no less than 17 km… That is, looking back now, a short day on the Camino. Yet this was sufficient preparation for me. I was physically and mentally ready to walk the Camino.
I started the pilgrimage itself on the first day with 25 km, the second day with 27, then 20 and then 17, 24, 29 etc. Read this short account of the first 200 km I walked on the Camino Frances.
On September 3, 2016, I started my pilgrimage and would eventually take 35 days. I took 2 rest days in the meantime and had a total of 5 blisters. And did you know that I got all the blisters on 1 day?
The shortest day in kilometers was 14 km and the longest was 39 km… I walked many days alone but also walked quite a few days with the Dutch Marianne and originally Dutch John… And I also walked several days with the Australian Terry and the Canadian Jerry.
I have the most wonderful memories of my time as a pilgrim. As an acquaintance of mine said: You have a life before you’re a pilgrim and a life after. This is absolutely true!
What I want to say is that walking the Camino de Santiago is different from taking a walk at home. You can’t compare your mindset with how you plan a walk at home. At home you’re thinking about the chores that are still waiting, e.g. doing laundry, grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, etc.
On the Camino, the rest of the afternoon and evening is for recovery and thus free from physical chores. You don’t have to do anything other than rinse/wash your clothes, explore the village a bit and make sure you get a good evening meal. After that, you go to bed at a good time and give your body and feet the rest they need for another day of walking on that road to Santiago de Compostela.
Walking the Camino de Santiago means different distances every day and passing through different villages. Every day we take, together or you alone / with another pilgrim, breaks in those villages. Take half an hour for a cafe con leche and see the other pilgrims pass by, greet each other “Buen Camino“. Take an hour to enjoy your lunch on a terrace or perhaps somewhere along the roadside. Everything is possible and you have all the time.
Just calculate if you walk 6 hours a day, you easily make more than 25 km. So if you walk 3 to 4 hours in the morning, there’s plenty of time to take it easy in the afternoon.
- Online there are many tips to find about training to walk the Camino de Santiago. Take a look for instance at the schedules from Adventure Element, Hillwalk Tours or REI. It’s different for everyone and you know yourself best. You know what you need as preparation for this pilgrimage journey.
Your Credential – Your Pilgrim Passport
Before we start walking, I make sure we have the credential, a pilgrim passport. This ensures that we’re ‘allowed’ to sleep in the hostels for pilgrims. The pilgrim passport also ensures that you can prove how many kilometers you’ve walked on the Camino Frances.
Staying overnight in the Albergues – pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
In the hostels, the rule is that you can only stay 1 night. You get a stamp in your pilgrim passport at the hostel. The next morning the hostel must be empty around 8 o’clock.
From 12 / 13 hours, new pilgrims can check in at the hostels again. So if you’re finished in the afternoon, you can check in.
To sleep comfortably in the hostel, it’s important that you bring a sleeping bag. This should be as light as possible and therefore I recommend a silk liner. We use private hostels and experience shows that there are blankets in every hostel.
Curious about the stages in this pilgrimage journey? Take a look right away
Receiving your Compostela in Santiago de Compostela?
You get the Compostela if you’ve walked more than 100 km on the ancient Camino Frances. With this trip you’ll cover more than 100 km and so you’re entitled to the Compostela. When we arrive in Santiago de Compostela, we’ll apply for it.
It’s said that you must collect 2 stamps per day in your credential, your passport, if you ‘only’ walk 100 km. We’re going to walk double that and I can assure you that it’s no problem at all to collect multiple stamps in your pilgrim passport. Along the way, for example, we come to churches where they’re happy to give you a stamp.
And so it becomes a nice document for later when you’ve filled your pilgrim passport after our 8 days on the Camino de Santiago. You don’t have to hand this in when you collect your Compostela and you can keep it.
Conditions for this pilgrimage journey
You ensure that you have taken out your own travel and health insurance. You participate in this pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela at your own risk. If the trip is cancelled for any reason, you will first have to turn to your own insurance.
Zinvol Reizen is affiliated with GGTO (Foundation Guarantee Fund for Specialized Tour Operators).
You ensure the travel preparation yourself so that you can walk the number of kilometers per day. Earlier I already shared some links with tips for your preparation.
Shoes / Backpack / Walking sticks
You ensure that you wear good, broken-in walking shoes during the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Also ensure that you have a backpack that fits well on your back and that you can walk with for the entire trip. Walking sticks are highly recommended while walking on the Camino.
If something happens along the way, we’ll look together at how to solve it. If you can’t walk one day, you take the bus or taxi to the next place. We stay together as a group at the overnight locations.
Safe and Healthy Travel on the Camino Frances
What I arrange for your pilgrimage journey to Santiago de Compostela
💰 What do you get for €970?
Everything arranged, carefree enjoyment:
- 🏠 All overnight stays in authentic hostels
- 🚌 Comfortable bus journey to starting point
- 📜 Your pilgrim passport
- 👥 Personal guidance from experienced guide
- 🎯 Certainty: we sleep in the same hostel every night
Not included: Flight ticket, meals (€30 per day), personal expenses
There are services that drive between the different villages to transport the luggage of the pilgrims. If you choose to use such a service along the way, that’s at your own expense. This will cost about 4 to 5 euros per day.
It would be great if you complete the pilgrimage with your own luggage.
This has multiple reasons.
We all have luggage with us, some more than others. Do you carry everything with you? Do you say goodbye to what you don’t need or do you carry the burden? This will have its impact on all levels, of course physically but also psychologically. To let this process do its work, I prefer not to use this service where possible.
Of course, I understand if the physical problems are too great, apart from the discomforts that are normal on a pilgrimage, that you’ll use that service. We’ll look for that solution together when the time comes.
In most villages, there’s a possibility to book a hotel or private room in the hostel. If you choose that, these costs are also at your own expense. This is not possible every day, so you’ll occasionally spend the night in a dormitory with the other pilgrims.
Should there be unexpected turns (trip cancellation / having to go back halfway), I’m of course willing to think along in the process. My guidance beforehand and on location is non-refundable.
Packing list for this pilgrimage journey
Read what I had with me on my pilgrimage: Packing list for pilgrims – Camino Frances
The packing list varies a bit for everyone. Everyone values different items. Make good considerations in this. A nice tip for your preparation while packing is the following: Everything you leave at home is a bonus
Install the Buen Camino app / or the Camino Ninja app on your phone. These can replace a travel booklet. They show you the route, all tourist extra routes or replacements. They also tell you what there is to see along the way and in the villages. So a very handy app to have along the way.
Costs and dates for this pilgrimage journey
I’m going to undertake this trip with you on:
📅 Your Choice of 3 Dates (2026)
🌸 Spring 2026:
- April 15-25, 2026 (6 spots available)
- April 28 – May 8, 2026 (7 spots available)
- May 13-23, 2026 (6 spots available)
Reserve now with €270 deposit
Overview pilgrimage journey dates:
Trip April 15 to April 25, 2026 – 6 spots available
- April 15: flight to Santiago (book yourself, as well as accommodation)
- April 16: bus journey to Villafranca (approx. 4 hours). You stay overnight in a hostel (both included)
- April 17: day 1 start hiking trip
- April 24: day 8, arrival in Santiago. End of hiking trip. You stay overnight this last night in a hostel (included)
- April 25: return journey (book yourself)
Trip April 28 to May 8, 2026 – 7 spots available
- April 28: flight to Santiago (book yourself, as well as accommodation)
- April 29: bus journey to Villafranca (approx. 4 hours). You stay overnight in a hostel (both included)
- April 30: day 1 start hiking trip
- May 7: day 8, arrival in Santiago. End of hiking trip. You stay overnight this last night in a hostel (included)
- May 8: return journey (book yourself)
Trip May 13 to May 23, 2026 – 6 spots available
- May 13: flight to Santiago (book yourself, as well as accommodation)
- May 14: bus journey to Villafranca (approx. 4 hours). You stay overnight in a hostel (both included)
- May 15: day 1 start hiking trip
- May 22: day 8, arrival in Santiago. End of hiking trip. You stay overnight this last night in a hostel (included)
- May 23: return journey (book yourself)
Costs Pilgrimage Journey Santiago de Compostela
- The price is €970
Because you really walk your own pilgrimage, there are all kinds of possibilities to make it possible for you to undertake this special journey.
Upon registration, I ask for a deposit of €270 to reserve your spot. On this site you can also see how many spots have already been sold and how many pilgrims can still register.
- Group size minimum 4 pilgrims
Minimum pilgrims per trip are 4 and maximum group size is 7. I’ll keep you informed of the numbers so that when the pilgrimage journey goes ahead you can immediately book your ticket.
We’ll take the bus from Santiago de Compostela a day before the hiking trip starts to Villafranco del Bierzo. We’ll do this journey together if you fly to Santiago. Your bus ticket is included in the price and will be deducted if you travel to Villafranca del Bierzo yourself.
Stages to walk in this trip
- 23.5 km = Villafranco del Bierzo – La Faba
- 26 km = La Faba – Triacastela
- 21 km = Triacastela – Sarria
- 22.4 km = Sarria – Portomarin
- 25 km = Portomarin – Palas de Rei
- 25.8 km = Palas de Rei – Ribadiso
- 22.1 km = Ribadiso – O Pedrouzo
- 20.1 km = O Pedrouzo – Santiago de Compostela
Also read the general travel conditions on my website Zinvol Reizen.
Read the frequently asked questions about this trip
Start preparing already and order the booklet of the Camino Frances. I also used this during my first pilgrimage and found it ideal. Very comprehensive small booklet with information about sights along the way, elevation meters and hostels etc. Everything about the Spanish St. James Route to Santiago de Compostela.
Share this trip with people you know who would like to do the pilgrimage but keep postponing it. Tip them about this unique opportunity to walk the last 200 km of the Camino Frances in a small group.
Don’t wait too long to register. The trip is confirmed with a minimum of 4 registrations.
Email me at Zinvol Reizen or send me a message on one of the social media channels.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Camino de Santiago journey
Do I have to book my own flight ticket? Yes, you book your own flight ticket to Santiago. This way you retain the freedom to stay an extra day afterwards in the interesting city of Santiago de Compostela. An ancient city that houses all kinds of historical treasures. Early in the season there are no direct flights to Santiago, in September there are.
How about the first night in Santiago? You also book that in a hotel of your own choice. The next morning the journey to Villafranca del Bierzo by bus begins. You have plenty of choice in Santiago. Along the way we stay in hostels, especially for the pilgrim. So maybe you choose to sleep in a hotel the first night.
Is the last night in Santiago included in the trip? Yes, we still spend the last night together in a hostel in Santiago de Compostela.
How long is the taxi ride from Santiago to the airport? Santiago is just a small city and the taxi ride to and from the airport is only fifteen minutes.
What do I need in the hostels? You need a silk liner with a pillowcase attached. In most hostels where we stay, blankets are available should it get a bit cooler.
Can I also sleep in a hotel now and then? That’s possible. In most places, private rooms can be booked or a hotel in the area. These costs are at your own expense. (Sometimes Zinvol Reizen doesn’t get the money for the bed in the hostel back, if that’s the case you’ll get this money back)
Inspiration to read beforehand on my website:
- A day in the Life of the Pilgrim
- Budget for your pilgrimage – Spain
- Sleeping in an Albergue on the Camino de Santiago
- Pros and cons of walking on the Camino de Santiago in cold or warm weather