Camino Le Puy Way: Stages 1 & 2
- Walk Stages 1 and 2 of the Camino Le Puy Way from Le Puy to Conques
- The charming towns of Estaing and St Côme d’Olt
- Walking through the stark, high plateau of Aubrec
- Climbing the 267 steps up to the Chapel of St Michael d’Aiguilhe
- Having dinner on a café terrace looking out over the River Lot
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Le Puy-en-VelayArrive in the historic city of Le Puy-en-Velay which has been a pilgrimage centre since the Middle Ages. Spend time here exploring the sites within this city that is set in a volcanic plateau and is famed for its rocky peaks which rise out of the valley.

Situated close to the old town in Le Puy-en-Velay, this hotel offers 45 modern rooms and an on-site bar. It is a 10-minute walk from the train station. A buffet breakfast is available each morning and includes pastries, marmalade, ham and cheese.
The walk today begins at the cathedral and from here, and as you follow the trail, you will see wonderful views over the whole area. This morning you will cross the Velay, an area famous for its lentils and black sheep. Later this afternoon arrive in St Privat d'Allier where you will spend the night.Â
Ascent:Â +589m (1932ft) /Â Descent:Â -351m (1151ft)

This comfortable Gite-Hotel is a popular stop over choice on the Camino Le Puy. Clean comfortable rooms and a welcoming reception make for a lovely stay in St. Privat d'Allier.
Located in the heart of Saint-Privat-d'Allier, La Vieille Auberge is a cosy hotel with beautiful views of the village and rocky surroundings, and boasts a large restaurant, and 19 fully-equipped rooms.

Un Escargot dans sa Coquille is a lovely and welcoming accommodation and restaurant.
During today’s walk you will pass through widely differing countryside, such as the Allier gorges and a volcanic plateau of great natural beauty. Climb a tiny chapel dedicated to St James perched atop a rocky belvedere and past the Madeleine Chapel, which was carved out of the rock in the 17th century.
Ascent:Â +594m (1948ft) /Â Descent:Â -503m (1650ft)
Les Gabales is a charming guesthouse, offering comfortable, traditionally decorated rooms and delicious food.

This stylish building is a converted Eighteenth century hostellerie, with all modern comforts but still decorated in the traditional style.
La Dentelle du Camino is a friendly gite, offering comfortable rooms and lovely food to the pilgrims on the Camino Le Puy.
Today you discover the Margeride Plateau with its characteristic villages, secluded hamlets, ancient stone crosses and pastures hemmed in by stone walls. Each village has charming features such as granite houses with carved doorways and cottage gardens. 1 km off the main track, you will come to the village of Les Faux and your accommodation for the night.
Ascent:Â +583m (1912ft) /Â Descent:Â -433m (1420ft)
Experience the peace and authenticity of the region in the hamlets of Faux.In this natural setting choose your room, cozy and comfortable with bathroom and toilet, television and telephone.
This morning continue across the plateau of the Margeride as far as Aumont, which is the gateway to the Aubrac. Between Le Rouget, which takes its name from the typical red-roofed houses of the area. See pretty hamlets, and churches with ‘comb-style’ belfries, before arriving in Aumont Aubrac, a small town and where you can see the former Benedictine priory and Romaneque church of Saint Etienne.
Ascent:Â +436m (1430ft) /Â Descent:Â -505m (1656ft)
Hotel Prunieres is a family run hotel with a great atmosphere.
Charming and comfortable hotel on the Camino.
Chez Camillou is a lovely hotel marrying modern decor and traditional cuisine, offering comfortable bedrooms, delicious local food and a spa.
Today is long day of walking once more but it is worth it as you leave behind the Margeride Plateau and begin to cross the Aubrac Plateau, a wide expanse of pastures, old barns, drystone walls, and swathes of wildflowers, depending on the season. Later arrive in Nasbinals, where there is a superb 14th century Romanesque church built of brown basalt.
Ascent:Â +352m (1154ft) /Â Descent:Â -220m (721ft)
A delightful family run hotel in the centre of Nasbinals.
Begin your walk by making your way down the Boraldes Valley and then pass through the village of Aubrac, which was founded in 1120 by a Flemish knight, Adelard de Flandres. Then pass a large wooden cross and head along a grassy track which becomes a walled lane and walk into the hamlet of Belvezet. Cross the Aude and descend steadily into St Chely d’Aubrec, your final destination for today.
Ascent:Â +226m (741ft) /Â Descent:Â -584m (1916ft)
Set in a verdant valley, St Chely d’Aubrac has been welcoming pilgrims for a very long time. For four generations, this family-run hotel has built up its reputation for its warm welcome & gastronomic specialities.
An old converted house with a great restaurant in the heart of the countryside.
At the heart of the village of St Chely d’Aubrec is the church, extended in the 19th century and which holds two incredible altar pieces, a copy of the painting The Descent from the Cross by Rubens and a 14th century bas-relief representing Christ and his Apostles, exhibited at the Musée du Louvre in 2009. See these exquisite pieces of art before crossing the old bridge over the Boraldes River and continuing into the the heart of the Lot Valley.
Ascent:Â +232m (761ft) /Â Descent:Â -674m (2211ft)
The Garden of Eliane is a 19th-century Aveyronnaise house located in the entrance of Saint-Come d’Olt, one of the most beautiful villages of France. It has a private garden and a swimming pool with six superb bedrooms. Each of the six rooms- wonderfully restored in 2002- has its own personality with private bathroom and from 2 to 4 beds. A generous breakfast is included each morning.
Today’s incredible walk between St Côme d’Olt and Estaing in the upper valley, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pitched roofs of hand-hewn tiles called lauzes blend in harmony with bejeweled Romanesque churches along this pilgrim route to Compostela. Ancient vineyards here are spread out along terraces and on arrival in Estaing you cross the famous Pont Gothique and see the wrought iron cross and the statue of Francois d’Estaing.
Ascent:Â +420m (1378ft) /Â Descent:Â -486m (1594ft)
The hotel was remodelled to provide each and every guest with  a pleasant and comfortable stay at the heart of the village.
This morning includes a 350 m ascent to Golinhac were you will find the Church of St Martin set on the site of a 9th century Benedictine abbey.Â
Ascent:Â +487m (1597ft) /Â Descent:Â -156m (512ft)
This accommodation is in a renovated presbytery, with beautiful views of the surroundings, and delicious menus.
From Golinhac pass through small hamlets and spot wooden balconies of old riverside tanneries, window boxes full of colourful geraniums and prosperous bourgeois town houses. You then walk through woods climbing quite steeply and then veer off on a lane that directs you alongside the woods and which undulates between fields. Pass Fontromieu and the Church of Saint-Marcel before arriving in Conques, a village that rises steeply from a conch-shaped valley.
Ascent:Â +377m (1236ft) /Â Descent:Â -700m (2297ft)
In the heart of the medieval village of Conques, the Auberge St-Jacques welcomes you to a peaceful and comfortable spot, across from the abbey church of Sainte-Foy. We offer you rooms with bath, telephone and TV, a small lounge, bar and restaurant, where you will enjoy the gastronomic delights of Aveyron cuisine.
Bid farewell to the Camino Le Puy today. After breakfast check out of your hotel and make your onward journey.
This trip has a carbon score of 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?You can either complete Stages 1 & 2 of this pilgrimage route as a self-guided walking tour in its own right, or you may complete one or more of the sections at the same time. This particular section is graded as moderate because on Stage 1 two days of the walk are 26km, so quite long days of walking. However Stage 2 is definitely more towards the easy to moderate rating. If you like staying in comfortable hotels whilst enjoying the camaraderie of fellow pilgrims and travellers then this tour will suit you.
Pilgrimages | For those looking to follow a path of self-discovery. Our Pilgrimage and Camino routes take you on a journey through diverse landscapes and local flavours, while meeting like-minded adventurers along the way.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This walk is graded moderate and includes daily walks of 15-33km. The walk is extremely well way-marked and you will also be supplied with turn by turn route notes and detailed maps so you will have no problem following the route each day. On the Le Puy Camino you will follow a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths.
The accommodation includes a mix of B&Bs, auberges, and small 1- or 2-star hotels with traditional hospitality. The style of accommodation on this tour reflects the rural areas along this historic trail.
Due to occasional availability constraints, particularly during peak season, lodging may not always be located directly along the path. In such cases, you'll either be transferred to nearby accommodations for the night or, in some instances, stay at the same hotel as the previous evening. At times, en suite rooms may also not be available. We always communicate with you during the booking process.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms within your party, we are more than happy to accommodate you, solo walkers are also welcome.
Meals
Your hotel stay includes daily breakfasts and dinners. Breakfasts are served buffet-style (please note typical offerings will vary by region and accommodation, ranging from a simple selection to more varied options), while dinners feature a set "meal of the day." For those who prefer more options at dinner, an additional supplement can be paid. Packed lunches are also available upon request—simply order the evening before. Alternatively, you can explore local grocery stores, cafés, or restaurants along your route for lunch.
The route is well waymarked with white and red painted arrows but please take care at intersections. There will always be other walkers around in case you are looking for help. A detailed information pack including route notes, local information and maps will be waiting for you at your first accommodation. You will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you will have no problems finding the way. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!Â
- 11 Nights in either 1 or 2* hotels
- 11 Breakfasts
- 11 Dinners
- Baggage transfers
- Daily route information and access to mapped GPX tracks within the Macs Adventure App
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our partner in France and our UK office
- Travel to the starting point and from the finish
- Lunches, drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Travel insurance
- Mountain rescue / emergency assistance
- Additional nights before or after the holiday
This tour can be started on any day between the beginning of April and the end of October, offering flexibility to suit your travel plans. For bookings from October onwards, a supplementary charge might apply due to the out-of-season bag transfer service required.
Snow is possible in early April, particularly at higher elevations on the Camino Le Puy, especially in the Aubrac region. If you plan to begin your journey during this time, be well-prepared for wintry conditions. The weather along the Camino Le Puy varies greatly, reflecting the changing seasons and regional differences.
The closest international airport to Le-Puy-en-Velay is Lyon Airport which is approximately 150km away. Many flights from the UK and other gateways in Europe fly into Lyon. From here you can take a train to Le-Puy-en-Velay which takes approximately 2 and a half hours. Up to date schedule and fare information can be found on the SNCF website. You can also drive to Le-Puy-en-Velay. Parking is available in an underground car park and costs approximately €17.50 per week.
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From Conques you can either take a bus or a taxi to Rodez Airport (this is an unofficial website). This airport has flights on Ryanair from the UK and Air France also fly here from Paris. Â
Baggage transfers are included with your Camino Le Puy trip to make your journey as smooth as possible. Each morning, simply leave your luggage at the reception area of your accommodation, and it will be transported to your next stop.
The luggage transfer service has a weight limit of 13kg per person (one piece of luggage). We recommend packing carefully to stay within this limit. Additionally, soft bags are preferred over hard-shell suitcases, as they are less prone to damage during transport.
If you need to bring extra luggage, an additional charge per transfer applies. This fee is payable locally.
At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person and the weight of your luggage allowed is specific to the destination you will be travelling to. This is why it is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags and/or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable Travel Insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
This tour is suitable for most people that are in good physical condition. It is rated moderate as there are some elevation gains and losses and on a couple of days there is significant mileages to be walked. However Stage 2 is definitely less mileage per day than Stage 1.
The path takes you over plateaus and over volcanic landscapes which may be rocky at times. The areas you walk through are often quite remote although you will pass small hamlets and villages from time to time. As you are following the GR25 there will be waymarkers and also Camino pilgrimage signs from time to time.
We suggest you book as far in advance as possible as the Camino le Puy Way is extremely popular.  We will always try and accommodate late bookings but realistically you need to book at least 6 weeks prior to departure.
The tour operates between May and October although we recommend travelling in May or June when spring wild flowers are at their peak, or in September/October when the autumn colours are stunning. July and August can be very hot if you are not used to walking in the heat.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved to your next nights accommodation. All baggage transfers are included in the package price. We request that you have only one piece of luggage per person and it should weigh only 13kg.
Your detailed information pack will be sent to you after you book. This has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/cycling/trekking gear such as good walking/cycling boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes and a day pack.
Lyon Airport is the closest international airport which is accessible to Le-Puy-en-Velay by train. For train schedules please visit the SNCF website.
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