In Spring everything is green, the wildflowers are spectacular and the
European stork have babies in their huge nests on towers and steeples.
European stork have babies in their huge nests on towers and steeples.
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Walk shorter stages on the the Camino Frances, the Mystical Meseta,
Camino Ingles - Fisterra - Muxia, the Via Francigena from Siena to Rome or the
Swiss and Italian Alps with our accompanied groups in 2025
People have been choosing amaWalkers Camino since 2010.
Are you drawn to the idea of a pilgrimage but can't spare 5-8 weeks for routes in Spain, France, or Italy? Perhaps you're hesitant about long stages, crowded dormitories, or walking alone, yet you don't want the expense of tour guides, luxury hotels, gourmet meals, or air-conditioned buses.
amaWalkers Camino, founded in 2010 by experienced pilgrims Sylvia Nilsen and Pam Stern, bridges the gap between self-guided tours, solo treks and high-end guided tours by offering accompanied walks that let you:
- Walk shorter stages than those in popular guidebooks
- Set your own pace
- Travel with like-minded people
- Stay in carefully selected private, en-suite rooms in pensions, inns, and rural houses
- Benefit from experienced group leaders who handle the logistics so that all you have to do is walk!
Over the years, our pilgrims have forged lifelong friendships while sharing the wonders, challenges, and beauty of our diverse trails. Many return to explore new routes with us, testament to the transformative power of our journeys.
If this is the kind of pilgrimage you would like to do please send us an email [email protected] or complete the contact form at the end of this page. Experience the Caminos and Via Francigena your way, with amaWalkers Camino.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do." H. Jackson Brown Jnr
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Camino Frances
18 days St Jean to Santiago 4 - 22 June 2025 From €1895 sharing €495 single room supplement 
Camino Ingles ~ 28 May - 6 June
10 days Ferrol to Santiago From €995 sharing - €350 single supplement - or - Ferrol-Santiago-Fisterra-Muxia 28 May - 14 June ~ 18 days From €1890 sharing - €350 sharing 
The Mystical Meseta
11 days - Burgos to Leon 6 - 16 June 2025 From €950 sharing €395 single supplement 
La Via Francigena
17 days from Siena to Rome 7 - 23 May 2025 From €1895 sharing €520 single room supplement 
Via Francigena Alps
10 days La Douay to Pont St Martin in the Swiss & italian Alps 16 - 25 June 2025 From €1495 sharing (€480 single room supplement ) 
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The Camino Frances (click for more info)
We yearned to walk from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago but didn’t want to walk alone and couldn’t spare 5-8 weeks. amaWalkers offered us a tailor-made itinerary where we could experience the most iconic highlights of the Camino Frances in just 18 days! We walked from St. Jean Pied de Port, visiting Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, and Astorga. Hiking in the Montes de Leon and leaving our stones at the Cruz de Ferro, visiting O Cebreiro and walking the last 120km to Santiago to earn a Compostela. Our experienced group leader handled all the logistics, ensuring a seamless and unforgettable experience. We enjoyed breathtaking scenery, historic cities and quaint villages with the camaraderie of like-minded pilgrims staying in ensuite accommodations, private bus transportation between cities, and luggage transfers. Our advice to other Camino dreamers? Don’t miss the opportunity to embark on this life-changing adventure. Join amaWalkers and create cherished memories on the Camino Frances. All you have to do is lace up your shoes and embrace the journey. 
The Camino Ingles (click for more info)
You have a choice - walking the Camino Ingles on our shorter stages for 9 days. Pilgrims from Britain and other countries often sailed to A Coruna in the middle ages and started walking to Santiago de Compostela from there. On the way they met with locals walking from their front doors in Ferrol and other towns in the north. This walk qualifies for the Compostela certificate. Or, you can choose to continue for 5 days to the End of the World at Fisterra and then to Muxia for 2 days. You will qualify for both the Finisterrana and Muxiana certifcates. After breakfast a shuttle will take you back to Santiago de Compostela for a night to celebrate having completed the three routes!
The Mystical Meseta (click for more info)
If you are you one of many pilgrims who regrets having skipped the meseta and have a longing to go back and walk the section you missed - now you can! One often reads that the Camino can be roughly divided into three phases – the beginning being the physical, the vast open plains of the meseta being the emotional, and the final rural stretch to Santiago being the spiritual. Walking the meseta in spring offers a unique dimension to the Camino experience that can't be replicated elsewhere on the route. It's often in these seemingly empty stretches that pilgrims find the most profound meanings in their journey. You’ll walk through endless fields of golden wheat dotted with patches of vibrant wildflowers. Many find the vast horizons to be spiritually intense, as the simplicity of the landscape strips away distractions and encourages inner reflection.
The VF to Rome (click for more info)
Tuscany is located in the heart of Italy and offers the most pleasant temperatures in the months of May and June with very little rain and mild temperatures. Tuscany has many hot water springs, known and used for curative purposes since Etruscan and Roman times. You will visit a few on your way to Rome. In Lazio you will stay at Bolsena, on the shores of the largest volcanic lake in Europe. You'll will walk on ancient Roman Roads, through hazelnut orchards past pre-Roman Etruscan ruins. On the aproach to Rome, you will have a steady climb up one of the 'Seven Hills of Rome' to Mons Gaudi and as you crest the top we should see the Eternal City laid out before you with the huge dome of St Peter's dominating the picture.
VF - SWISS & ITALIAN ALPS (click for more info)
Some of the most spectacular scenery on the historic Via Francigena is in the Swiss and Italian Alps, especially in Spring when the Pass at the Gr St Bernard is open to walkers. We meet at the quaint Le Catogne Gite in La Douay on the slopes of the Swiss Alps. Accessible by train from Geneva, Lausanne, Vevey or Montreux. We'll walk for 9 days on sections of Roman Roads through stunning scenery, staying at the Great St Bernard Pass where you can visit the famous St Bernard rescue dogs. We then descend into the Aosta Valley with amazing landscapes of the surrounding mountains and valleys staying at small towns and villages steeped in history. Our Journey ends in Pont St Martin with easy access to Milan or Turin for your onward journey NB: Although hiking poles are used by some, there is no technical mountaineering scrambling or climbing on this route
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Please read all the pages on this website, including the Booking Conditions, What is Included,
Frequently Asked Questions - many of your questions might already have been answered, Accommodation etc.
Frequently Asked Questions - many of your questions might already have been answered, Accommodation etc.
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What is included
- An experienced Group Leader accompanies the group, making all land arrangements including taxis to train and bus stations, to and from hotels, accommodation, private coaches when required and luggage transfers.
- Orientation get-together: Your group leader will meet you at the hotel in the afternoon when you arrive at your start. She will welcome the group at an orientation get-together where you will receive a Pilgrim Pack containing a credencial (Pilgrim's passport) a Michelin map guide book (for Spain), walking notes with an itinerary, details of all your accommodation, luggage tags and a few other goodies. From time to time she will call for an evening get-together to confirm travel arrangements for the following day
- Luggage Transfers between overnight accommodation.
- Accommodation is provided in small hotels, inns, rural houses and apartments. We can arrange for extra nights at the start and at the end of your walk. We do not stay in pilgrim dormitories, nor do we stay in 5 star hotels. NB: Only a few single rooms can be booked but if the group is large and more than 4 people want single rooms, we might have to split you from the group at occasional places and book rooms in a different establishment. This is not always possible in rural areas or in the Alps, so you might have to share a few nights.
- In Spain, Switzerland and Italy many places have en-suite bathrooms in double rooms while single rooms might share a bathroom, so if you want a single room with en-suite bathroom every night you will need to pay for a single occupancy in a double room. In a couple of villages (mostly on the Via Francigena) we might stay in a rural homes (agriturismo) or apartments where bathrooms are shared by the group
- Meals - some accommodation includes breakfast but they rarely include dinner. Your group leader will arrange for meals to be offered in remote locations if required.
Chateaubriand said, “There never was a pilgrim who did not come back to his village
with one less prejudice and one more idea.”
with one less prejudice and one more idea.”
Disclaimer: amaWalkers Camino (Pty) Ltd is not a travel agency or tour operator. We do not make flight or transport reservations. We don't offer self-guided tours or luggage transfers for individuals or other groups. We only offer accommodation and luggage transfers for our accompanied groups. PLEASE read all the pages on this website, including the Booking Conditions so that you have all the information about the walk
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Reviews:
Last September, I embarked on the Camino Ingles pilgrimage with an amaWalkers group, dedicating this journey to the memory of my late husband despite my apprehensions with air travel. Gail, the group leader, warmly welcomed me upon my late-night arrival, alleviating any concerns about inconveniencing others. Throughout the walk, Gail's unwavering positivity and helpfulness shone through, setting the tone for the entire group. The fellow ladies were kind, empathetic, and supportive. They taught me a dozen South African words and playfully required me to use them in a speech to earn the title of an "Honorary South African" by the end of the trek. The organization was impeccable, with all arrangements running smoothly (aside from my personal airport qualms). We stayed in comfortable, clean lodgings, some remarkably outstanding. The villages and buildings captivated me the most, transporting me to a time when the slap of leather sandals and the swish of cassocks echoed through the streets – a testament to my vivid imagination. Since returning home, I've come to realize the profound healing and magical nature of this pilgrimage. Although my husband, a dedicated fireman for 52 years, may not have been an avid walker, he would have recognized and appreciated the effort and training I undertook in his honour. Would I embark on another pilgrimage? Absolutely. While it may be challenging to surpass the rewarding experience of my first, I would undoubtedly choose to journey with amaWalkers again, whose outstanding service made this trek truly unforgettable. Sheryll - New Zealand 2024 |
We have been meaning to let you know that we both enjoyed our walk very much. It was our fourth walk with amaWalkers so I think you can take it for granted that we are both fans of the way you do things. There was a gap of four years since our previous walk with you in 2019 (probably the Covid pandemic had a lot to do with that) and we were not sure if we would be up to it given our ages. We're not sure now (given our ages) if we'll manage another! However, we were quite pleased with our walking abilities, but found the heat difficult some days, although the temperatures in Italy have been even higher in the three weeks since we completed our walk in beautiful Pont-St-Martin. I would like to thank our unflappable group leader, Connie, a lovely lady who took such good care of us all calmly and efficiently. And thanks to you too Syl for all your hard work making these walks possible for us. (B&M -Scotland) VF Alps 2023
Hi Syl,
We had a wonderful walk and the group was fabulous. Brigitte was a very good group leader- did not try to micro manage but made sure everyone knew where to go and what to do; helped with maps and info and the fact that she was able to speak some of the language helped of course. The only thing we would have changed would be to extend the actual walking days by two or more days as the group really started getting into it close to the end (by then everyone was fitter and settled into the routine). We would spend one less day in Lausanne at the start (which is in any event quite expensive) and rather walk that day (or two) longer. We did consider it when we spoke to you initially and sadly changed our minds. Thanks for another great walk, T & Z - South Africa ( VF Alps - 2023) |
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Good day dearest Syl. The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage was such an amazing experience. Dojema is a jewel and she has the heart to lead your peregrinos to their destination. Your organization of every aspect of the walk and her ability to make sure we are always ready and informed about our next step made every day special and worry free! I truly appreciated the effort Dojema devotes to insure our accommodations, luggage transfer, optional services and of course, meal recommendations were always on point. Dojema is very knowledgeable, kind, a wonderful listener, and knows the Camino and all its nuances so well. I can’t imagine the work that must go on to organize these walks but I would not consider any other group. Thank you again, and see you next year!
Karina, US 2023 The walk was magnificent - and challenging, I loved it. I would definitely walk with Amawalkers again, age and opportunity permitting.
Ann (Ireland) VF Alps 2023 |
A huge "Thank you" to you for all that you do to make these trips so seamless and well-organized. After we saw the standard of the accommodation in Spain (much nicer than was expected!) we realized that your profit margin from doing this has to be quite small, so thank you for doing this as a mission and a passion to support the Camino. I think you really have succeeded in what you set out to do- to create a way for folks to experience the Camino without having to deal with logistics, and with the support and encouragement of like-minded group members and our stellar group leaders. I think you picked the nicest sections to do and I appreciated not having to walk the Meseta or even many of the very urban approaches to the bigger towns. I was able to really enter in to the mental, spiritual and emotional part of the Camino in a much deeper and richer way than I had expected, and that was mostly because I wasn't expending energy looking for accommodations or struggling by myself whenever there was a difficulty or an issue.
I think what you are doing is fabulous! Thanks again, Mary-Sue USA |
amaWalkers Camino (Pty) Limited -2010 Registered in terms of Section 14 of the Companies Act 2008. Registered Company number 2012/073214/07 Reg Address: 35 Broadway Rd, Westville, South Africa.
Protection of Personal Information : amaWalkers Camino adheres to the national legislation and regulations pertaining to the safeguarding of data privacy and shall use information provided by you to perform our services. We undertake not to disclose your personal information unless it is legally or contractually required to do so. We agree to use all reasonable efforts to ensure your personal information in our possession is kept confidential, stored in a secure manner and processed in terms of POPI.
amawalkerscamino.com [email protected]
Protection of Personal Information : amaWalkers Camino adheres to the national legislation and regulations pertaining to the safeguarding of data privacy and shall use information provided by you to perform our services. We undertake not to disclose your personal information unless it is legally or contractually required to do so. We agree to use all reasonable efforts to ensure your personal information in our possession is kept confidential, stored in a secure manner and processed in terms of POPI.
amawalkerscamino.com [email protected]
