Day 1: Arrive San Sebastian — Gastronomic Capital
Arrive in San Sebastian, the jewel of the Basque coast and one of the world’s great food cities. Check into your hand-picked hotel in or near the Old Town. San Sebastian deserves at least an afternoon of exploration before your walking begins: stroll the elegant promenade along Playa de la Concha, take the funicular up Monte Igueldo for the postcard view of the bay, and walk the cobbled streets of the Parte Vieja. This is where your Camino begins, and there’s no better sendoff than an evening pintxos crawl — the city boasts 16 Michelin stars, the second highest concentration per square meter in the world after Kyoto. Try the legendary gilda at Bar Txepetxa, the brochetas at Bar Borda Berri, and the txuleta slider at Bar Nestor. Collect your pilgrim documents and prepare for tomorrow’s first stage. Overnight San Sebastian.
Day 2: San Sebastian to Zarautz — 27 km / 17 miles
Your first day on the Camino. Leave San Sebastian as the trail hugs the Bay of Biscay coastline, following the scallop-shell waymarkers west. The route climbs gently out of the city, offering final views of La Concha’s perfect crescent before traversing beautiful pastures and gentle green hills characteristic of the Basque countryside. Pass the Romanesque Church of San Martin de Tours and charming coastal hamlets where fishing boats bob in tiny harbours. The Basque Coast Geopark reveals itself — 60 million years of geological history written in the rock layers. Today’s destination is Zarautz, a lively beach town famous for its 2.5-kilometer surfing beach (the longest in the Basque Country) and its txakoli vineyards. Check into your guesthouse, then explore: visit the photogenic Palace of Narros (where Queen Isabella II summered), walk the beach, and taste the local txakoli — the crisp white wine produced in vineyards just behind the town. Overnight Zarautz.
Day 3: Zarautz to Deba — 18 km / 11 miles
A shorter but spectacular day. The trail leaves Zarautz on a quiet rural road before arriving in Getaria (just 4 km in), a postcard-perfect fishing village built on a narrow peninsula jutting into the Cantabrian Sea. Getaria is famous as the birthplace of Juan Sebastian Elcano (the first man to circumnavigate the globe) and the fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga — his museum here is well worth a stop. The grilled turbot and sea bream at the harbourside restaurants, cooked over open wood fires, are legendary. After Getaria, enter farmlands and vineyards — this is txakoli country, the grapes clinging to terraced hillsides above the sea. Pass through Zumaia, where the flysch rock formations — dramatic strata of sedimentary rock tilted vertically by tectonic forces — create one of the world’s longest continuous rock exposures, a UNESCO Global Geopark. Game of Thrones fans may recognize these otherworldly formations (filmed for Dragonstone’s coast in Season 7). The final stretch leads into Deba, a charming seaside village at the mouth of the Deba River with a handsome beach and a striking 15th-century Gothic church. Overnight Deba.
Day 4: Deba to Markina — 25 km / 15 miles
Today, the Camino del Norte leaves the coastline for the first time (you’ll reach it again in Bilbao) and heads up into the green Basque mountains. This is the day the Camino changes character — from coastal views to lush inland landscapes. The trail crosses a river then climbs quickly into an area of thick vegetation: oak, chestnut, and beech forest with fern-covered slopes that feel almost tropical in their intensity of green. You’ll pass the chapel of El Calvario with its views back towards the coast before joining the GR-121 footpath, which winds through a succession of charming Basque villages — Olatz, with its ancient stone farmhouses, and the cluster of hamlets where sheep and cattle graze the impossibly green hills. The total ascent is approximately 600 meters — a good workout rewarded by the bucolic landscape. Arrive in Markina-Xemein, a historic market town known for its pelota (Basque handball) tradition — the 18th-century fronton court and the Carmelite convent are the main landmarks. Overnight Markina.
Day 5: Markina to Gernika — 26 km / 16 miles
Today’s walk is rich in history. The trail follows a quiet country lane, crossing the river in Bolibar — the hamlet that gave its name to Simon Bolivar, the liberator of South America (his ancestors emigrated from here to Venezuela in the 16th century). A steady climb leads to the medieval monastery at Zenarruza (Colegiata de Ziortza), a striking 14th-century complex that has served pilgrims on the Northern Way for over 600 years. From here, the trail keeps climbing through sheltered woodland of oak, beech, and pine to the top of Gontzegarai, where the views open up across the valley. Pass through the hamlet of Gerrikaitz and the Hermitage of Santiago, then begin the sharp descent to a small river valley. Finally, the historic town of Gernika-Lumo appears in the valley below. Gernika, immortalized by Picasso’s anti-war masterpiece depicting the 1937 bombing, is the spiritual home of the Basque people. Visit the Casa de Juntas (Assembly House) and the sacred Tree of Gernika — an oak under which Basque leaders have sworn oaths since the Middle Ages. The Peace Museum is a moving experience. Overnight Gernika.
Day 6: Gernika to Lezama — 20 km / 12 miles
Leave Gernika and soon pass the hermitage of Santa Luzia Zallo. A gentle climb through rural countryside leads towards a road (PR-173), then a cobbled path continues climbing through typical Basque terrain: green pastures divided by ancient stone walls, farmhouses with the characteristic wide wooden balconies, and the ever-present sound of cow bells. Descend through the hamlet of Goikoletxea and into Larrabetzu, a charming village with a fine 16th-century church. The final stretch enters woodland once more — oak and pine forest — before arriving in Lezama, a quiet rural village that feels a world away from the coastal bustle of San Sebastian just five days ago. Lezama’s main landmark is its handsome Gothic church and the surrounding green hills that characterize the Txorierri Valley. Overnight Lezama.
Day 7: Lezama to Bilbao — 11 km / 7 miles
The final day is a triumph — a short but beautiful walk bringing you into one of Europe’s most exciting cities. The path takes you through farmland to the town of Zamudio, where the Romanesque church of San Martin and the medieval Tower of Malpica (Torre de Malpica) mark centuries of history. From here, a gradual climb leads to the top of Mount Avril (Monte Avril, 395m). As you crest the ridge, the reward appears: a stunning panorama of Bilbao spread across the Nervion Valley, the distinctive titanium curves of the Guggenheim Museum catching the sunlight, the green mountains ringing the city, and the knowledge that you’ve walked here — 127 kilometers of coast, mountain, and valley — under your own power. Descend through Bilbao’s suburbs, pausing to visit the beautiful Basilica of Our Lady of Begona (Bilbao’s patron saint), before your walk reaches its final point at Plaza de Unamuno in the Casco Viejo. Find your hotel, then celebrate: a pintxos crawl through the Siete Calles, a visit to the Guggenheim (Frank Gehry’s masterpiece is even more rewarding when you’ve earned the journey), and the satisfaction of having completed one of the great sections of the Camino de Santiago. Overnight Bilbao.
Day 8: Depart Bilbao
After breakfast, your Camino del Norte journey concludes. You may choose to spend an extra day exploring Bilbao — the Guggenheim, the Fine Arts Museum, and the Mercado de la Ribera are all worth your time — or continue your onward travels. Your Camino credential, stamped along the way, serves as a record of your pilgrimage. Depart Bilbao by air, train, or bus. Buen Camino.
