More and more cities along the Camino de Santiago are introducing a small tourist tax (also called a city tax, tasa turística in Spain or taxa turística in Portugal). If you’re walking the Camino, it’s worth knowing where it applies, how much it costs and how you pay it, so there are no surprises at check-in.
The short version: the tourist tax is a small nightly charge, usually between €1 and €4 per person — and up to €7.50 in a few cities — collected by your accommodation and paid locally. It is not included in your CaminoWays tour price. Here’s how it works in Spain and Portugal, and which cities on our Camino routes currently apply it.
The tourist tax must be paid in person by each traveller directly to the accommodation, usually at check-in or check-out. Unfortunately, it cannot be pre-paid or included in your tour price. This is because the tax is set by the local municipality and must be collected directly by the hotel or guesthouse. As a result, CaminoWays is not legally able to collect or pay this tax on your behalf.
Table of contents
What is the tourist tax and how do you pay it?
A tourist tax is a per-person, per-night charge on overnight stays in registered accommodation such as hotels and guesthouses. A few things are true almost everywhere it applies:
- It’s charged per person, per night.
- It’s paid locally at your accommodation, by card or cash, not through your tour booking.
- Children are usually exempt (the age varies by city, typically under 13 or under 17).
- The amount often depends on the category of accommodation — a five-star hotel pays more than a small guesthouse.
The sums are modest, but on a multi-stage Camino they can add up over a couple of weeks, so it’s a good idea to budget a few extra euros and keep a little cash handy.
Tourist tax in Spain
Spain has no national tourist tax. Instead, it’s set region by region and city by city, which is why most of the Camino Francés is still tax-free. As you walk through Navarre (Pamplona), La Rioja (Logroño) and Castile and León (Burgos, León, Ponferrada), there is currently no tourist tax to pay.
The change is happening in Galicia, where the Camino ends. In 2025, Galician cities began rolling out a municipal tourist tax and this is the part of the Spanish Camino where you’re now most likely to encounter it.
Cities on our routes that apply it:
- Santiago de Compostela — the final destination of every Camino. Since 1 October 2025, Santiago charges roughly €1 to €2.50 per person, per night, depending on the type of accommodation, for the first five nights of your stay. Importantly, pilgrims staying in the public hostels run by the Xunta (Galician government) are exempt.
- A Coruña — the finish of the Camino Inglés route. A Coruña introduced a similar tax (around €1–€2.50 per night) in late September 2025.
- Vigo — a starting point for some Camino Portugués itineraries, has approved its own tourist tax (announced as the lowest rates in Galicia), which is being introduced. Other Galician towns such as Pontevedra were still studying the idea at the time of writing.
The Camino del Norte and Camino Primitivo
If you’re walking the northern coastal routes, the picture is changing quickly in 2026:
- San Sebastián (Donostia) — on the Camino del Norte, has become the first city in the Basque Country to charge a tourist tax, applied from summer 2026. The Basque rate ranges from €0.75 to €7.50 per person, per night depending on the accommodation category, so a standard hotel sits at the lower-to-middle end of that scale. Bilbao and Vitoria-Gasteiz are expected to follow in 2027.
- Asturias — crossed by the Camino del Norte (Llanes, Gijón, Avilés) and the Camino Primitivo (Oviedo) — approved a law in June 2026 allowing its town halls to apply a voluntary tourist tax of €0.50 to €3 per person, per night. Whether you actually pay depends on each individual municipality, so it’s best to check locally.
- Cantabria — on the Camino del Norte (Castro Urdiales, Laredo, Santander, San Vicente de la Barquera) — currently has no tourist tax; the regional government has ruled it out for now.
The other Spanish Camino routes
Good news if you’re taking one of the quieter routes: the Vía de la Plata (which we offer as the final 100km from Ourense), the Camino de Invierno, the Camino Inglés (from Ferrol) and the Camino Finisterre–Muxía are currently free of tourist tax along the way. Ourense does not charge a tourist tax, so on these routes the only charge you’re likely to meet is in Santiago de Compostela at the finish — plus A Coruña, if you start the Camino Inglés there instead of in Ferrol.
Elsewhere on the Spanish Camino, including popular Camino Francés starting points like Sarria — there is no tourist tax for now.
Tourist tax in Portugal
Portugal is where you’re most likely to pay a city tax, because many municipalities have their own taxa turística. It works much like in Spain: a small per-person, per-night charge, collected at your accommodation, capped at a certain number of nights, with younger guests exempt.
Cities on the Camino Português that apply it:
- Lisbon — the historic starting point of the full Camino Português. Lisbon charges €4 per person, per night, capped at 7 nights, for guests aged 13 and over.
- Porto — the most popular starting city for both the Central and Coastal routes. Porto charges €3 per person, per night, capped at 7 nights, for guests aged 13 and over, as set out by the Câmara Municipal do Porto.
- Viana do Castelo — a highlight of the Coastal Camino. It charges €1.50 per night from May to October and €1.00 per night from November to April, capped at 5 nights, for guests aged 17 and over (Câmara Municipal de Viana do Castelo).
Several other towns along the Portuguese routes — including Vila do Conde, Póvoa de Varzim and Caminha on the coast, and cities such as Braga and Coimbra — have also introduced a small municipal tax (typically €1–€2 per night). Rates and start dates vary and new towns are added regularly, so it’s always worth checking with your accommodation when you arrive.
Quick reference: tourist tax on our Camino routes
Tourist Tax on the Camino de Santiago
What pilgrims pay in Spain & Portugal — 2026
| City / Area | Route | Tax per person / night | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago de Compostela | All routes (finish) | €1–€2.50 | First 5 nights; Xunta pilgrim hostels exempt |
| A Coruña | Camino Inglés | €1–€2.50 | Since Sept 2025 |
| Vigo | Camino Portugués | Low rate | Being introduced — approved 2026 |
| San Sebastián (Donostia) | Camino del Norte | €0.75–€7.50 | First Basque city; from summer 2026 |
| Asturias | Norte & Primitivo · Oviedo, Gijón, Llanes… | €0.50–€3 | Where applied — voluntary, per council |
| Cantabria | Camino del Norte · Santander, Laredo… | No tax | Ruled out for now |
| City | Route | Tax per person / night | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | Camino Portugués (full) | €4 | Cap 7 nights; ages 13+ |
| Porto | Camino Portugués (Central & Coastal) | €3 | Cap 7 nights; ages 13+ |
| Viana do Castelo | Camino Portugués Coastal | €1.50 / €1.00 | €1.50 May–Oct · €1.00 Nov–Apr; cap 5 nights; 17+ |
What this means for pilgrims
The tourist tax shouldn’t change your Camino plans — the amounts are small — but a little preparation helps. Budget a few euros per night for the cities that apply it, carry some small change or a card for check-in, and remember that if you stay in a public pilgrim hostel in Galicia you may be exempt in Santiago. As always, the tax is separate from your CaminoWays package and paid directly to your accommodation.
Plan your Camino
If you’re planning your Camino for 2026 and want to know exactly what’s included in your trip, our travel specialists are always happy to help — get in touch with our Camino team or browse our Camino de Santiago tours to start planning. Not sure which route is for you? Compare all the Camino de Santiago routes to find your ideal walk.
Good to know: if you begin the Camino Francés in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France also applies a small nightly taxe de séjour at accommodation there — another modest local charge to be aware of before you set off.
Walking the Via Francigena in Italy? If your pilgrimage takes you along the Via Francigena rather than through Spain or Portugal, Italy applies its own tourist tax (tassa di soggiorno) too, with rates that vary from city to city and are paid locally at your accommodation. We cover the Italian rules and rates in full in our separate guide to the tourist tax in Italy.
Frequently asked questions about tourist tax on the Camino
On most of the Camino, no. In 2026 only a handful of cities charge a tourist tax — mainly Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and San Sebastián in Spain, and Porto, Lisbon and Viana do Castelo in Portugal. It’s a small nightly charge paid at your accommodation, not through your tour.
Santiago de Compostela charges roughly €1 to €2.50 per person, per night, depending on your accommodation category, for the first five nights of your stay. Pilgrims staying in the public hostels run by the Xunta are exempt.
Yes. Porto charges €3 per person, per night, capped at seven nights, for guests aged 13 and over, paid directly at your accommodation.
Sometimes. In Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims staying in the public hostels run by the Xunta are exempt, and children are exempt in most cities. Otherwise, pilgrims pay the same small tax as any other visitor.
No. The tourist tax is set by each town hall and paid locally at your hotel or guesthouse, usually at check-in or check-out, so it is separate from your CaminoWays package.
In Spain: Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and San Sebastián, with Vigo and parts of Asturias being introduced. In Portugal: Lisbon, Porto and Viana do Castelo, among other towns. Most other Camino stages remain tax-free.
The tourist tax rates in this article are provided as a general reference only and were correct at the time of writing (July 2026). These taxes are set by regional and local authorities and can change at any time. CaminoWays.com cannot accept responsibility for rates that are no longer up to date. Please confirm the current tourist tax directly with your accommodation or on the official website of each city or municipality before you travel.
