How many days to walk the Camino the Santiago? French, Norte & Others

Most of us have all sorts of obligations and ties back home. When planning the Camino, it is important to know how long it will take us to reach Santiago, so we can take appropriate leave from our work, and make the necessary arrangements with our loved ones. I’ve walked all major Caminos in Spain, and shared my journey with both fast and slow (and super fast and super slow) pilgrims. Based on my personal experience I believe I can give you a decent estimate on how many days you will need to walk the chosen road. Before we proceed to the numbers though, I want you to realize a few things.

First of all, each Camino is a unique individual experience. The fact that some guidebook suggests you should do the way in 30 stages does not mean such a schedule will fit you. What’s more, you never know who you will meet and will want to share your walk with. Maybe you are a quick walker, but will meet someone you really like, and they will do just half of your distance on an average day. And while they cannot walk faster, you can always walk slower, so the two of you can stay together. This example just illustrates why it is better not to have an exact number of days on your mind.

Secondly, Camino de Santiago is a long walk. Regardless of how fit you are, anything can happen on such a walk–including a stretch of incredibly bad weather that will simply halt your progress. I walked many long distance trails and pilgrimages in my life, and the biggest lesson they taught me is the lesson of humility. Regardless of how fit you are, and how well you prepare in terms of equipment, some stupid thing like a bad blister or sprained ankle, or shin splits can stop you for days, and alter your plans and schedule. You should always count with a possibility of something happening when you embark on a long journey such as a Camino de Santiago… Let’s move to the approximate walking time for all major routes.

* Do not forget to check also: Ultralight packing list for Camino de Santiago, 2023 edition – Less than 5 kilos and you have all you need.

Table of Contents

How many days it takes to walk Camino Frances

Camino Frances is by far the most popular pilgrimage route in Spain. It is hilly at the start but then it flattens out, passing through a variety of landscapes and provinces. Let’s have a look at some walking times from the three most popular starting points:

From Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago (791 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 30 days.
- Fast walkers: 25 days.
- Slow walkers: 40-45 days.
- Speed record: 5 days (by a Czech Ultra runner).
From Leon to Santiago (305 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 12 days
- Fast walkers: 8-10 days.
- Slow walkers: 15-20 days.
From Saria to Santiago (100 kilometers):
- Average number of days: 4 days for pilgrims who started earlier, but often 5-6 days for organized groups who do just the last 100 kilometers and aren’t accustomed to walking yet.
- Fast walkers: 3 days.
- Slow walkers: 7-8 days.

How many days it takes to walk Camino del Norte?

Camino del Norte is slightly longer and slightly tougher than the French Camino. The first week is full of small yet steep hills, and though it also flattens somehow later on, you will encounter some surprises on your way later on (in terms of difficult terrain or hills). Let’s have a look at average time of walking to Santiago from major starting points:

From Irun to Santiago (800 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 33 days.
- Fast walkers: 25 days.
- Slow walkers: 42-49 days.
From Bilbao to Santiago (650 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 25 days.
- Fast walkers: 18 days, though I walked with some triathlete guys who did it in 13 days.
- Slow walkers: 35-40 days.
From Santander to Santiago (560 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 20 days.
- Fast walkers: 15 days.
- Slow walkers: 25-30 days.
From Gijon to Santiago (335 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 14 days.
- Fast walkers: 10 days.
- Slow walkers: 20-22 days.

– One of many breathtaking views on Camino del Norte, Basque Country. One doesn’t feel like rushing when passing through places like these….

How many days it takes to walk Via de la Plata?

Via de la Plata is the longest and flattest of the major Caminos in Spain. It stretches over 1,000 kilometers, all the way from Seville to Santiago. Some people actually start from Cadiz or even from Gibraltar, but I would not recommend it, since the way is badly marked and you have to walk on busy roads (highways) a lot.

If you find any information on this page incorrect or outdated, or have a suggestion how to improve it for fellow pilgrims, please let us know. Thank you for helping the pilgrim community, and buen Camino 🙂

It may seem that one can cover longer distances on Via de la Plata since it is almost flat until it reaches Galicia, but you should not forget the scorching sun and heat, especially in the province of Extremadura (meaning “very tough” in English), which slows down every pilgrim. Let’s have a look at average time it takes to reach Santiago from two major starting points:

From Seville to Santiago de Compostela (1,020 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 40 days.
- Fast walkers: 25-30 days (but beware you’ll have to start early in the morning to cover 35-40 kilometers, since heat will be unbearable in the afternoon).
- Slow walkers: 50-60 days.
From Salamanca to Santiago de Compostela (510 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 20 days.
- Fast walkers: 15 days.
- Slow walkers: 25-32 days.

* May also interest you: Map of all major Caminos in Spain, technical details (such as elevation gain) for all routes.

How many days it takes to walk Camino Primitivo?

Camino Primitivo starts in Oviedo and ends in Santiago. It is approximately 320 kilometers long, and the most hilly from all major Caminos (you will find much more difficult and mountainous caminos in Spain, such as San Salvador or Lebaniego, but they aren’t popular and most pilgrims do not even know such caminos exist).

Primitivo was also a relatively little-known Camino ten years ago. Now it is extremely popular though, and “race for beds” is not uncommon in the high season, which is in summer. Many people actually divert to this way from Camino del Norte, combining both coast and “mountains” to one trip. Anyway, let’s have a look at the average time of walking Primitivo.

From Oviedo to Santiago (320 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 14 days.
- Fast walkers: 9-10 days.
- Slow walkers: 16-22 days.

How many days it takes to walk Camino Portuguese?

The main part of Camino Portuguese starts in Porto and ends in Santiago (290 kilometers), though some people start all the way from Lisbon (610 km to Santiago), or from Fatima (450 kilometers to Santiago), which is another pilgrimage city in Portugal known for miracles). Personally I would not recommend starting in Lisbon, since the way to Porto entails a lot of walking on busy national roads and is almost entirely on asphalt. Anyway, let’s move to the average time it takes to complete each route:

From Porto to Santiago (290 kilometers, the distance is similar for both coastal and inland route):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 12 days.
- Fast walkers: 7 days.
- Slow walkers: 15-18 days.
From Lisbon to Santiago (610 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 24 days.
- Fast walkers: 16-21 days.
- Slow walkers: 30-35 days.
From Fatima to Santiago (450 kilometers):
- Average number of days to complete the camino: 18 days.
- Fast walkers: 10-15 days.
- Slow walkers: 20-25 days.

Final thoughts

Camino is not a race, and unless you attempt a FKT (fastest known time) on your pilgrimage, it makes no sense to hurry. I understand though that for many pilgrims it is hard to find two weeks of time, let alone a month, and combine it with work and family life. I hope this article helped you to understand what Camino (and from which starting point) you can realistically manage to walk in a time allotted, or how many days you should plan for your trip (and buy your flight tickets accordingly). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you!

Matej

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