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On our guided Camino de Santiago bike tour from León, you’ll discover the magic of the French Way in comfort, enjoying exclusive hotels and full guide service.
This beautiful tour is designed to be fully rideable from cathedral to cathedral, beginning at León’s majestic Gothic masterpiece and finishing at the Pórtico de la Gloria in Santiago de Compostela.
Starting in the plains of Castile-León, you’ll cycle past medieval castles, holm oak forests and wheat fields and into the lush green mountains of Galicia. This is a fabulous slow travel experience that will take you off the beaten track and into the heart of authentic rural Spain, with the support and insight of our expert local Bike Spain Tours guides.
During this 240km ride you’ll soak up the history of the region, stay in exclusive accommodations set in beautifully-restored historic buildings, and sample authentic cuisine and wine from the regions of Castile-León and Galicia.
Day 1: Leon
Arrival day
Accommodation: Parador de Leon GL
Meals included: Dinner
Welcome to your guided Camino de Santiago bike tour!
We’ll pick you up from your hotel in Madrid, and together we’ll travel by van through the Sierra de Guadarrama and over the fertile plains of Castile to the historic city of León. On the way, we’ll stop for lunch in Rueda, famous for its exquisite verdejo white wine.
Founded in 68 BC, the ancient city of León will take your breath away. Together, we’ll wander the narrow streets of the city’s old quarter and discover the spectacular Gothic cathedral, which boasts the most beautiful stained glass windows in all of Spain, and admire the Museo Casa Botines de Gaudí, a magnificent example of 20th-century Modernist architecture.
No visit to León is complete without a tapas crawl around the Barrio Húmedo, or “wet district”, so called because it’s where you’ll find the highest concentration of bars and pubs!
Before dinner, we’ll head to the Madres Carbajales convent to get that all-important piece of documentation that will record our pilgrimage – the credencial del peregrino.
Day 2: Leon – Astorga
Route: 55km/34.6 mi
Elevation: +484m/+1,588 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Vía de la Plata
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
The first stage of our Camino de Santiago bike tour begins in León, traversing classic Castilian landscapes, complete with holm oaks, golden wheat fields and moderate rolling hills. The scenery along the first half of the route is relatively dry, but gets greener the further west you go as the cornfields give way to endless vineyards.
Today’s route finishes in the historic town of Astorga. Located at the convergence of the Camino de Santiago and the Vía de la Plata, Astorga offers a rich cultural legacy stretching from Roman times through to 20th century Modernism. We’ll admire the majestic Palacio de Gaudí, which houses a museum dedicated to the Camino de Santiago, and enjoy a dinner of traditional cocido maragato (meat stew with beans served one element at a time).
Day 3: Astorga – Villafranca
Route: 59.7 km/37.1 miles
Elevation: +805 m/+2641 ft
Accommodation: Parador de Villafranca del Bierzo
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Today we move from the rolling hills of Castile into the mountains that mark the entrance into Galicia!
From Astorga, the Camino climbs gently up to the foothills of your first mountain pass. Once we’ve reached the top of Foncebadón, we can relax and enjoy the sweeping downhill ride to Villafranca, with gorgeous views of vineyards stretching out endlessly on both sides.
Just outside of Foncebadón, we’ll come across the famous Cruz del Ferro, the highest point of today’s ride and also the highest point of the Camino Francés, where pilgrims traditionally leave a small stone as a symbol of leaving behind their burdens before arriving in Santiago.
Continuing on the Camino, we’ll pass through the medieval town of Molinaseca before finishing the day’s cycle route in the ancient city of Ponferrada, historically a stronghold of the Knights Templar and still dominated by their imposing 12th century castle.
From Ponferrada, we’ll travel by van to the town of Villafranca del Bierzo, where we’ll stay in the renovated, comfortable and modern Parador.
Day 4: Villafranca – Monforte de Lemos
Route: 38.1 km/23.7 miles
Elevation: +277m/+908 ft
Accommodation: Parador Monforte de Lemos
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
From Villafranca the Camino climbs up to the mountain village of O’Cebreiro, the most demanding ascent of the western Camino Francés. Fortunately, we can cover this segment in our van!
The tiny mountain village of O’Cebreiro is our first stop in Galicia. The village holds huge cultural significance for the Camino de Santiago. The 9th century church of Santa María do Cebreiro is one of the oldest and best-preserved along the whole Camino, and is said to house the Holy Grail! Its bells once rang through the mists to guide pilgrims to safety, and the views when the skies are clear are astounding.
From O’Cebreiro, it’s downhill all the way to Sarria. We’ll visit the Benedictine monastery of Saint Julian in Samos, whose foundation dates all the way back to the 6th century, and follow country roads through pine and eucalyptus forests towards Sarria, where we’ll stop to have lunch and soak up the Camino atmosphere.
After lunch, we’ll travel by van to the Parador in Monforte de Lemos, a charming little town with excellent wines.
Day 5: Monforte de Lemos – Arzúa
Route: 48 km/28.8 miles
Elevation: +690m/+2264 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Pazo Santa Maria
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Central Galicia is covered with dense pine forests and eucalyptus groves, which will provide shade as we trace our way through tiny villages spread along the Camino, many of which don’t have much more than a couple of residents and a lot of cows!
Luckily Galicia is criss-crossed by country roads, giving us the opportunity to get off the beaten path. We’ll discover some hidden routes that take us away from the crowds of the Camino. We’ll ride along peaceful paths with fabulous views and historical castle ruins.
We’ll spend tonight in Arzúa, which is famous for its local Arzúa-Ulloa cheese, which has Protected Denomination of Origin status.
Day 6: Arzúa – Santiago de Compostela
Route: 44 km/27.4 miles
Elevation: +692 m/+2262 ft
Accommodation: Parador de Santiago
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Today’s stage takes you along forest paths, through the beautiful Galician countryside to your final destination: the Pórtico de la Gloria (“The Façade of Glory”) of Santiago Cathedral! Along the way, we’ll pedal past Lavacolla hill, where medieval pilgrims would tidy themselves up before reaching Santiago. From there it’s on to Monte do Gozo (Mount of Joy), so named because it offers pilgrims their first glimpse of the Cathedral of Santiago.
The official end-point of the Camino in Santiago de Compostela is the Cathedral, located in Plaza del Obradoiro. We’ll take a break in the plaza to celebrate our achievement and soak up the amazing atmosphere. There is something indescribably human about the sight of hundreds of daily pilgrims arriving into the plaza, just as countless others have done over the centuries.
Inside the Cathedral, pilgrims traditionally embrace the statue of St James and visit his tomb. Our next stop is the Pilgrims’ Office, where we can obtain our Compostela pilgrim certificates.
Congratulations on the completion of your pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela!
Day 7: Santiago de Compostela
Departure day
Meals included: Breakfast
After breakfast, our services come to an end.
Santiago de Compostela has its own airport, and is well-connected with destinations within Spain and in other European countries. Connections by high-speed train are also available (via local train to Ourense). If you require any assistance with your onward travels, please contact our Bike Spain Tours team.
OPTIONAL EXTENSION: As the most important city in Christian medieval Spain, Santiago de Compostela is well worth taking an extra day to explore. Alternatively, we recommend a trip to the “end of the world”: the spectacular Finisterre peninsula. The western-most point in Spain, Finisterre is the traditional end of the Camino de Santiago, where pilgrims would traditionally burn old clothes and cast the ashes into the ocean as a symbol of their purification after their journey.
Parador de León GL San Marcos
Located in Leon’s historical center, directly in the heart of one of the most impressive Roman complexes of the Peninsula.
The convent of San Marcos is one of the greatest architectural gems of the Spanish town of Leon, together with the Cathedral, the San Isidoro Basilica or the Casa Botines. It has now become a Parador and is one of the most important monuments of the Spanish Renaissance.
Hotel Via de la Plata
This modern hotel was built in 2011, over the stones of the convent of San Francisco.
The hotels design gave priority to the space in the rooms, the furniture and the welcoming contemporary decoration. If offers the rest you deserve while enjoying the best location in the historic district.
Parador de Villafranca del Bierzo
Villafranca del Bierzo is a town full of churches, monasteries and convents. Right at the town entrance stands this converted historical building, known as a Parador in Spain
The leading tourist accommodation in the fascinating El Bierzo district. It is surrounded by mountains covered with cherry and fig trees, slopes dotted with chestnuts, poplars and small farms.
Parador de Monforte de Lemos
The historic site of San Vicente do Pino is located in the uppermost part of the town of Monforte de Lemos.
San Vicente do Pino Monastery and the palace of the counts of Lemos houses the Parador de Monforte. The monastery dates back to the 9th century, although the current structure was built in the 17th century in the neoclassical style.
Hotel Pazo Santa María
This elegant hotel dates back to the first half of the eighteenth century.
The Pazo Santa Maria complex comprises of various historical buildings which in themselves amount to a small village. Pazo Santa María has 16 lovely bedrooms located either in the main building or in the small individual annex cottages.
Parador de Santiago – Hostal Reis Catolicos
The Parador de Santiago is a blend of history, art and tradition. It is the emblem of the city and the prefect nights rest for pilgrims.
The hotel is located in Obradoiro Square near the cathedral, creating an area of spectacular beauty in one of the most visited provincial capitals of the world. A stay at this Parador means a visit to a truly unique and exclusive location.
3.590,00€
On our guided Camino de Santiago bike tour from León, you’ll discover the magic of the French Way in comfort, enjoying exclusive hotels and full guide service.
Minimum group size for guaranteed departure at this price: 4 people.
Other dates and group size options available upon request.
| Dates | 14 May 2025, 22 Jun 2025, 27 Sep 2025, 5 Oct 2025, Custom dates |
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We loved the trip and rate it a 10. We thought the friendly, personal service was great and overall the trip was a very good
value. We enjoyed all of the
hotels and restaurants. We particularly enjoyed the Pulperia where we had lunch as we reached Santiago, and restaurant in Santiago were we had the final dinner. We liked trying some of the traditional Spanish foods that Pablo recommended
and ordered.
We really enjoyed Pablo and Juan. They treated us more as friends than customers.
