Which path calls to you?
Seven pilgrimages, three traditions, many ways of walking.
- Region
- Spain & France
- Distance
- 790 km
- Duration
- 30-35 days
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Tradition
- Christian (Roman Catholic)
- Topology
- linear
- Best months
- AprMayJunSepOct
- Annual pilgrims
- 242k
The most walked pilgrimage in the world. From Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port across the Pyrenees, through the vineyards of Navarra, the meseta of Castilla, and into Galicia. 790 kilometers of terrain that strips away everything you thought you needed.
- Region
- Spain
- Distance
- 784 km
- Duration
- 30-38 days
- Difficulty
- hard
- Tradition
- Christian (Roman Catholic)
- Topology
- linear
- Best months
- MayJunSep
- Annual pilgrims
- 22k
784 kilometers along the Bay of Biscay, from the French border to Santiago. The oldest of the Caminos — walked when the inland was Moorish and the Cantabrian coast was the safer road. The sea is your companion for most of it.
- Region
- Spain
- Distance
- 263 km
- Duration
- 10-13 days
- Difficulty
- hard
- Tradition
- Christian (Roman Catholic)
- Topology
- linear
- Best months
- MayJunSep
- Annual pilgrims
- 28k
263 kilometers from Oviedo to Santiago. The original Camino — the route walked by King Alfonso II in 814, the year after the apostle's tomb was found. Every other Camino descends from this one.
- Region
- Portugal & Spain
- Distance
- 243 km
- Duration
- 11-14 days
- Difficulty
- easy
- Tradition
- Christian (Roman Catholic)
- Topology
- linear
- Best months
- AprMayJunSepOct
- Annual pilgrims
- 101k
243 kilometers north from Porto to Santiago. The gentler Camino — easier terrain, southern light, Portuguese pastéis in the morning and Galician empanadas by night. The second most walked of all the Caminos.
- Region
- Spain
- Distance
- 112 km
- Duration
- 5-7 days
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Tradition
- Christian (Roman Catholic)
- Topology
- linear
- Best months
- AprMayJunSepOct
- Annual pilgrims
- 30k
112 kilometers from Ferrol to Santiago. Walked since the medieval period by English, Irish, Scandinavian, and Flemish pilgrims who arrived by ship because walking from their homes was impossible. The shortest of the major Caminos, and the one for people who cannot take a month off.
- Region
- Japan
- Distance
- 1200 km
- Duration
- 45-60 days
- Difficulty
- hard
- Tradition
- Buddhist (Shingon)
- Topology
- circular
- Best months
- MarAprMayOctNov
- Annual pilgrims
- 150k
A 1,200-kilometer circle around Japan's smallest main island, connecting 88 sacred temples. You walk with Kukai — the monk who walked this path in 774 AD. The island walks with you.
- Region
- Japan
- Distance
- 38 km
- Duration
- 3-4 days
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Tradition
- Shinto-Buddhist (Shugendo)
- Topology
- network
- Best months
- MarAprMayOctNov
- Annual pilgrims
- 45k
An ancient network of pilgrimage trails through the sacred mountains of the Kii Peninsula. Where Shinto and Buddhism fused into something older than either. One of only two pilgrimage routes in the world with UNESCO World Heritage status.
Choosing a pilgrimage
- Which Camino is the easiest?
- The Camino Portugués Central is generally considered the easiest — 243 km from Porto to Santiago with gentle hills, good weather, and well-spaced accommodation. The Camino Inglés is shorter at 112 km but moderately hilly. The Camino Francés is longer (790 km) but its infrastructure makes it forgiving for first-timers.
- Which pilgrimage takes the longest?
- The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan is the longest — 1,200 km in a full circle around the island of Shikoku, typically walked in 45 to 60 days. The Camino Francés is second at 790 km in 30 to 35 days. The Camino del Norte is comparable at 784 km but takes 30 to 38 days because of the extra elevation gain.
- Which route is best for first-time pilgrims?
- The Camino Francés. It has the best infrastructure, the clearest waymarking, the most fellow walkers, and the longest written tradition. If you want something shorter for your first walk, the Camino Portugués Central from Porto is a popular alternative. Avoid the Camino Primitivo or the Camino del Norte as a first pilgrimage — both are physically demanding and have sparser support.
- Which Camino has the fewest walkers?
- The Camino Primitivo sees the fewest walkers of the major Caminos — around 28,000 per year, compared to 242,000 on the Francés. The Camino del Norte is next at about 22,000. If solitude matters to you more than comfort, one of these is what you want.
- Can I walk any of these routes in winter?
- Yes, but with trade-offs. The Camino Francés is walkable year-round except the Napoleon Route over the Pyrenees, which closes November through March. The Camino Portugués and Camino Inglés stay open in winter. The Kumano Kodo is cold but walkable. The Camino Primitivo is difficult in winter due to snow on the high passes. Shikoku 88 is walkable in lower elevations but some mountain temples become hard to reach.
- How do I choose between the Camino de Santiago and the Kumano Kodo?
- They are the only two pilgrimage routes in the world twinned as Dual Pilgrim paths, meaning they are considered equivalents in different traditions. The Camino is long and linear; the Kumano Kodo is short and dense. Choose the Camino if you want four to six weeks of slow walking through village Europe. Choose the Kumano Kodo if you want a concentrated four-day encounter with Japanese mountain spirituality. Or walk both and earn the Dual Pilgrim certificate.