Pilgrim walks

Pilgrimages are an important and defining feature of all the world's major religions. Many followers of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism will undertake journeys in their lifetime to religious sites in order to connect with god and themselves.  Some of the best-known pilgrimages include the Hajj to Mecca and the Way of St. James to the tomb of St. James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela. Buddhists and Hindus are equally noted for their devotion to journeying by foot to shrines and temples. 

In modern times, pilgrimages are no longer strictly the reserve of the devout.  For many people, a pilgrimage is a way of discovering more about themselves, especially those who are faced with difficulties or a blow of fate, or who need simply to escape the stress of everyday life. The combination of reducing your possessions to the bare essentials, sleeping in basic hostels in the company of other like-minded people, and meditative walking is an empowering way to being able to tackle the fundamental questions of life. 

At Outdooractive, pilgrimages are considered a form of long-distance hiking in as much as they take multiple days to complete and cover distances of sometimes several hundred kilometers. The main difference is that the journey carries far more of a spiritual and/or religious angle than a conventional long-distance hike. 

You can find out more about long-distance hiking here:

The Way of St. James is probably the best-known Christian pilgrimage route - at least in Europe - with over 400,000 people walking at least part of it in 2022 alone. It is important to note that the Way of St. James is not strictly a linear route, but more a collection of several routes leading from different directions in Europe to converge on Santiago de Compostela and the tomb of the Apostle James in the famous cathedral.

To receive a certificate at the end of the pilgrimage, you must have walked at least the last 100 kilometers to Santiago. this extends to 200 kilometers if journeying by bike or horseback. 

This final section of the Way of St. James is particularly popular, but if you prefer to walk through more remote areas, you have the option of taking alternatives, such as via Portugal. 

Of course, Europe has plenty of other pilgrim walks to offer.  For example, there is also the St. Olav's Way that leads through Scandinavia to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

Explore the pilgrimage that suits you best with Outdooractive:

Anyone undertaking their first pilgrimage will likely have lots of questions about what to consider bringing. Thankfully, we're on hand with some useful suggestions!

Now you've packed, it's time to start your adventure, and we're there every step of the way with awesome map and navigation features that have been designed with passion to guide and keep you safe.