Camino del Norte Stage 1 - San Sebastián to Bilbao
- Walk from San Sebastian to Bilbao on the first section of the Camino del Norte
- San Sebastian, a gastronomic experience fit for any foodies
- The art and architecture of the Guggenheim in Bilbao
- The green hills of the Basque Country
- The beautiful coastline of Northern Spain
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in San SebastiánSan Sebastián is known for it's beautiful beaches and grand architecture. It is also a great spot for foodies! Before you set off on your Camino adventure head to the Old Town and enjoy pintxos. These delicious bar snacks are the ideal accompaniments to the cites lively atmosphere.

A modern building located on Pio XII square, created by world famous architect Peña Ganchegui, offering excellent access to all major routes in and out of the city, and within walking distance to all major attractions in town.
After a short yet steep ascent out of San Sebastián, you will enjoy relaxed countryside walking along dirt roads and well-marked footpaths. Take advantage of the trailside springs offering cool spring water. You will pass through Zarautz, a small shipping village that gained popularity after the Belgian royal family decided to holiday there in the summer.
Getaria is a fishing and whaling village and due to its location attracted many explorers passing through.
Ascent: 643m (2,109ft) / Descent: 584m (1,916ft)

This family-run hotel is located in the old town of Getaria, with nicely decorated rooms. It has a garden where breakfast is served in summer. The views from the accommodation towards the beach are spectacular. The rooms offer TV, telephone, central heating, hairdryer and internet connection.
This stage of the Northern Route to Santiago offers further beautiful coastal scenery along the Basque coast. You will start the route in the charming coastal town of Getaria before heading towards Zumaia and Itziar, picturesque fishing villages that showcase the rich authenticity of Basque culture. Along the way, the landscape blends rugged coastline with lush green mountains, creating a stunning natural contrast.
The stage ends in Deba, a historic town known for its beautiful beach and deep-rooted maritime heritage.
Ascent: 560m (1,837ft) / Descent: 580m (1,902ft)

Zumardi is a small pension, located in a privileged area, with nine cozy and bright rooms. All rooms have TV, WIFI and private bathroom. The accommodation offers free private parking, terrace and breakfast service.
In a vast contract to yesterdays walk, you will head inland. Leaving the bustling coastal town of Deba, the trail follows the course of the river before crossing a bridge into the surrounding countryside. The path soon climbs, passing through a green, hilly landscape of woods, pastures and small farms. There are wonderful views, such as from the Ermita del Calvario, where you can see as far as the coast. The route continues through quiet valleys such as the idyllic Valle de Olatz, past old chapels, and charming hamlets. The climb to Monte Arno is particularly impressive, with its quiet forest paths offering a sense of seclusion and closeness to nature.
After the highest point, a gentle descent begins into the valley of Markina-Xemein, a small village with a historic atmosphere. The stage ends at the Iglesia de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora in the centre of the village, a fitting end to a varied day's walking.
Ascent: 788m (2,585ft)/ Descent: 714m (2,342ft)

Intxauspe Landetxea is a seventeenth-century Basque farmhouse which was renovated in 2005. It is the ideal place to relax and enjoy the surrounding nature. The property has a dining room, 3 bedrooms each with double bed, private bathroom and TV, and 2 rooms that have twin beds and a shared bathroom.
Enjoy a tranquil walk following the meandering creek shadowed by trees, as you leave Markina. Along the way, charming places such as Bolíbar, with its historical link to Simón Bolívar, and the impressive Zenarruza Monastery, invite you to stop for a break. In the villages of Munitibar and Mendata, you can still feel the authenticity of rural Basque life. The route is varied, sometimes gently uphill, sometimes through fragrant woods, always accompanied by a quiet, peaceful atmosphere.
The town of Gernika is known as the place where Picasso painted one of his most famous works, "Guernica." He painted this political piece in response to the bombing of the town during the Spanish Civil War.
Ascent: 728m (2,388ft)/ Descent: 789m (2,588ft)

Located in the center of Gernika, this property has 40 rooms with bathroom, TV, heating, air conditioning, telephone and WIFI. There is a cafeteria, meeting rooms, WIFI and parking.
The stage from Gernika to Lezama on the Camino del Norte passes through a varied and scenic region of the Basque Country. The route begins in the historic centre of Gernika, known for its importance in Basque history, and follows quiet cobbled streets. Passing the landmark Árbol de Gernika, the route passes through idyllic rural areas that give way to rolling hills and open fields. The path winds past small, picturesque chapels and invites you to stop and rest. A particular highlight is the climb to Alto de Morga, from where you can enjoy magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and green countryside.
Along the way, you will come across the tranquil Morga spring and the quiet village of Erkinko Auzoa, before the trail leads to the charming Larrabetzu. Finally, the stage ends in Lezama, another pretty Basque village, which marks the end of a pleasant day's walking.
Ascent: 519m (1,702ft) / Descent: 472m (1,548ft)

The Hotel Matsa, whose name in Basque mahats means grape, identified the farmhouse in the vineyards surrounding the property, which did txakolí, a type of white wine produced for sale and livelihood of the village during its 400-year history.
After leaving Lezama, the route climbs slightly and climbs over Monte Avril, from where there are magnificent views of the surrounding mountains and Bilbao. The route becomes more urbanised as it approaches Bilbao, but remains quiet and picturesque. It passes through small parks and streets, and idyllic places such as Atxeta Parkea. Finally, you reach the impressive basilica of Nuestra Señora de Begoña, a striking landmark of the city.
The route then descends into the centre of the city, through narrow, lively streets, before arriving at the Catedral de Santiago.
Ascent: 326m (1,069ft) / Descent: 380m (1,246ft)

This elegant hotel offers air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi. Each room is spacious, with a minibar and a safe deposit box. The marble bathrooms include a hairdryer and toiletries.
Unless you are spending more time in Spain, enjoy breakfast and make your way to the airport.
This trip has a carbon score of 15kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 15kg is equivalent to 88.5 candy bars. 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?The Camino del Norte offers a more authentic pilgrim experience than the Camino Frances. Though the walking is considerably tougher the rewards are arguably much greater.
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 to strenuous and includes daily walks of between 14 – 25 km per day. You can expect to walk for between three and eight hours each day and some of it is fairly strenuous walking with some steep ascents/descents.
The Camino Del Norte follows a mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths
The accommodation in San Sebastian, Bilbao and all larger towns, will be in 3 star hotels, the rest will be a mixture of rural hotels and hostels all with private rooms and en-suite. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We do recommend that you book this trip early as the area is always popular and the hotels and inns do fill up early, especially in high season.
Solo Walkers & Single Rooms
The Camino is available to solo walkers at a single supplement.
Meals
A local continental breakfast is included each morning (apart from Bustio), which can sometimes just be coffee, bread and orange juice. Lunch and dinner are not included as standard so you are free to choose from the available options. Every place you stop will have evening meals available, you can get a pilgrims menu for about 10 euros which includes 3 courses, wine and water!
Additional Nights
There is so much to see and do along the route that many of our clients choose to add extra nights along the walk either as a rest day or simply to do some extra sightseeing. If you are walking the route solo try not to add too many extra nights along the way as you will lose touch with those you have met.
The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections. There are sections on the route where you will divert to follow the red and white stripes of the GR routes. There will always be other walkers around in case you are looking for help. You will be supplied with turn by turn route notes and detailed maps so you will have no problem following the route each day.
In addition to the printed route notes, you will receive in your travel pack, you will also have access to our Macs Adventure App, allowing you to follow the route on richly detailed mapping on your smartphone.
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support
- Accommodation in small rural hotels and hostels with en-suite W/C
- Daily Breakfast
- Baggage Transfers
- Pilgrim Passport and shell
- Camino del Norte Guidebook
- Access to daily route information and GPS tracks via the Macs Adventure Smartphone App
- Return travel to Spain.
- Lunches, dinners, snacks or drinks.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal Equipment.
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.
- Additional nights accommodation along the way.
This trip is available to start on any day from the beginning of March to the end of October.
The best time to walk the Camino depends on your personal preference!
Spring (April to June) is a fantastic choice. Expect pleasant temperatures, blooming landscapes, and fewer crowds than summer. Be prepared for the potential of spring showers.
Summer (July and August) brings sweltering heat to much of Spain, but the northern regions remain refreshingly mild thanks to their coastal climates. If you're a social butterfly, this is your season! The trails are buzzing with fellow pilgrims, creating an unbeatable atmosphere for meeting people, local festivals, and sharing stories.
Autumn (September to early November) is another excellent time to go. You'll enjoy milder temperatures, stunning autumn colors, and quieter trails as the summer crowds dwindle. But, much like spring, there's still a chance of rain—because nature loves keeping us on our toes!
Flying into Bilbao is the best airport for this particular tour. Direct flights are available from London Heathrow, Stansted, Bristol and Manchester.
From Bilbao, you can take an ALSA bus back to San Sebastian, which takes around an hour and a half.
If you are traveling from outside Europe Madrid is a good hub to fly into from here you can catch a bus to San Sebastian ALSA (takes around 6.5 hours). A bus back to Madrid from Bilbao takes around 4.5 hours.
Direct flights are available to London Heathrow, Stansted, Bristol and Manchester.
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. 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 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.
Baggage transfers are included (max 20kg per person). Your main bag will be transferred each day between your overnight accommodation so that you only need to walk with a day pack. There is a supplement applicable for solo walkers on baggage transfers due to the fact that the transfer costs are usually shared.
Pilgrim Passport & Compostela
Your Pilgrim Passport (Credencial del Peregrino) and scallop shell will be waiting at your first accommodation. The Passport isn’t just practical—it’s a beautiful record of your Camino journey, officially issued by the Church of St. James. Along the route, you'll collect stamps (sellos) from albergues, churches, cafes, and more. Each stamp is a colorful reminder of your journey. To earn your Compostela Certificate in Santiago, you must walk at least the final 100 km, with your stamps serving as proof of this accomplishment.
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/cycling gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
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.
The average daily distance of our Camino tours are between 20 and 25 kilometers and you can expect to walk for between five and eight hours each day and much of it is rather arduous walking. You should do as much walking as possible prior to your walk as this will simply add to your enjoyment. That said if you are not at peak fitness you will find you will soon walk yourself fit.
A mixture of farm/dirt tracks, minor roads and footpaths. The route is marked with yellow painted arrows but please take care at intersections. There are sections on the route where you will divert to follow the red and white stripes of the GR routes. There will always be other walkers around in-case you are looking for help.
We suggest you book as far in advance as possible as the Camino is extremely popular.Numbers can rise by up to 100, 000 people. We will always try and accommodate late bookings but realistically you need to book at least 6 weeks prior to departure.
Yes, some people prefer to walk carrying their own bags as a true pilgrim would have. You can select the option for removing the baggage transfers in Step 2 of the Booking Engine.
Spring (April to June) is a fantastic choice with pleasant temperatures and fewer crowds for a relaxing experience. The northern regions remain refreshingly mild in July and August thanks to their coastal climates, especially in comparison to central and southern Spain. The trails are buzzing with fellow pilgrims during the summer months. Autumn (September to early November) is another excellent time to go, with stunning autumn colors, and quieter trails. During the spring and autumn, it's more likely to experience a shower here or there. There's really no bad time to travel on the Camino.
Public transport and taxis are available, if you are need of support our local partner in Spain will be more that happy to help.
Unfortunately we are unable to change your accommodation bookings and itinerary once you start walking as alternative accommodation is generally not available at such short notice.
Good news! Your Pilgrim Passport (“Credencial del Peregrino”) and shell will be waiting for you at your first accommodation on Day 1. Think of the Pilgrim Passport as a record of your incredible journey along the Camino, issued by the Church of St. James. The Scallop Shell (or "Concha de Vieira") is an iconic symbol of the Camino and is like a badge of honor. You'll see fellow pilgrims proudly displaying theirs on backpacks or hanging them from walking sticks as a sign of their trek to Santiago.
But here’s where it gets fun—you’ll collect stamps (called "sellos") on your Passport at albergues, churches, cafes, and other stops along the route. To receive your Compostela Certificate at the end of your pilgrimage in Santiago, you need to walk at least the final 100km of the Camino. For other sections of the trail, the Passport serves as a stunning keepsake featuring all the colorful stamps you collect along the way.
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Why Macs
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At Macs, we don’t do tour buses, groups, or guides. Instead, we give you the freedom and confidence to have your own self-guided hiking or biking adventure.
This is active travel led by you.
You choose your departure date and who you travel with, we do the rest.
We sort accommodation and luggage transfers and provide your route in an easy-to-use app.
We give you everything you need to travel independently but we're here 24/7 if you need us.
Getting from A to B under your own steam is intensely rewarding. With Macs, you'll see the world, and yourself, differently.