Things to do in Santiago de Compostela

Santiago makes more sense on foot than on a map. The old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, is compact: almost everything worth seeing sits within fifteen minutes' walk of the Cathedral, as the map of the old town shows. And a good part of the best of it — the squares, the arcades, the viewpoints, the Cathedral's naves — costs nothing. Below you'll find a table to decide what matters to you, then each stop in order, and finally a one-day and a two-day plan.

The essentials, in walking order

This order saves legwork: start at the Cathedral, head east to the market, up to Bonaval, and back through the central streets to the Alameda for the late afternoon.

Praza do Obradoiro, the centre of everything

Every visit starts here, and not by convention: it's literally where the Camino routes converge as they enter the city. The square is enclosed by four buildings that sum up seven hundred years of power in Galicia.

• The Cathedral, whose baroque facade dominates the eastern side.
• The Pazo de Raxoi, opposite, from the late 18th century: it now houses the city council and the presidency of the Galician regional government.
• The Hostal dos Reis Católicos, on one side: the former Royal Hospital founded in 1499 by the Catholic Monarchs to care for sick pilgrims, now a 5-star Parador and considered by many the oldest continuously operating hotel in the world. The €3 visit to its courtyards and chapel is suspended for restoration work (Santiago tourist office, October 2026); how to see inside without staying the night is in our Parador guide.
• The Colexio de San Xerome, which closes off the square, now the university's rectorate.

Inside the Cathedral: naves, Pórtico, rooftops and botafumeiro

Getting in is free: the naves, the high altar and the crypt with the Apostle's tomb are open 7am to 9pm (8:30pm on summer Saturdays), through the Praterías door. Large backpacks aren't allowed. The paid parts are run by the Cathedral Museum, whose ticket office opens 10am to 8pm:

• The Pórtico de la Gloria is the one to secure first. It comes with the museum-and-Pórtico ticket with audio guide, €15 (€12 reduced), and visits are capped at 25-30 minutes to protect the stone. There are also free unguided passes between 4 and 5:30pm, with an invitation booked on the Cathedral's ticketing site; the Cathedral's two websites disagree on which days these run, so check when you book.
• The rooftops (cubiertas) are a guided tour of about 60 minutes across the stone roofs, 140 steps up, ending on the Torre da Carraca. They cost €15 (€12 reduced), meet at the Pazo de Xelmírez on the Obradoiro itself, and the same ticket gives seven days of free entry to the Cathedral Museum, the Diocesan Museum and the MuSar. Everything is in our rooftops guide.
• The botafumeiro, when it works, swings at the end of the 12 noon mass on major feast days and adds about five minutes to the service. Right now it's grounded (see the note above), so don't plan your day around it.

Every ticket price, the masses and the 2026 works are in our Cathedral guide. The Cathedral's own guided visits are mostly in Spanish (rooftop tours in English exist, sold under a separate button on its ticketing site); if you'd rather have the museum and the church explained in English, an outside guide is the practical option:

Praza das Praterías and the Fonte dos Cabalos

Walk out through the Praterías door and you're in the oldest square in Santiago's layout: it was laid out by archbishop Diego Gelmírez in the 11th century, and its name comes from the silversmith workshops that occupied it for centuries. At its centre stands the Fonte dos Cabalos, a bronze fountain from 1825 by José Pernas, with four sea horses holding up a female figure bearing the star of Compostela; Federico García Lorca immortalised it in his poem Danza da lúa en Santiago. Along with the Pórtico de la Gloria, it's the Cathedral facade with the most sculptural character.

Praza da Quintana: the square that was a cemetery

Up past the east facade is the Quintana, one of the most photographed squares in Spain and, for centuries, far less pleasant than it looks today. It splits into two levels joined by an early-17th-century staircase: the Quintana de Mortos (of the dead), which was Santiago's main cemetery from 1075 until 1833; and the Quintana de Vivos (of the living), above it. On the Cathedral wall facing this square is the Holy Door, which only opens in a Holy Year: the one for Xacobeo 2027 opens on 31 December 2026.

At night, with the stone lit up and the café tables gone, the Quintana is probably the quietest, most striking corner of the old town.

San Martiño Pinario, the Cathedral's great neighbour

Almost touching the Cathedral's north side, on Praza da Inmaculada, stands the Monastery of San Martiño Pinario, one of the largest monastic complexes in Spain after El Escorial. The church and museum open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-2pm and 4-7pm, admission €5, and free if you already hold a Cathedral Museum ticket — a good reason to do the Cathedral and San Martiño on the same day.

The Mercado de Abastos, the city's real pulse

From San Martiño it's a short walk to the Mercado de Abastos, open Monday to Saturday 7am-2pm (closed Sundays). This is where the city's restaurants buy their fish, shellfish and local vegetables every day, and the liveliest hours are 9:30 to 12:30, especially on Thursdays and Saturdays. The market's food-stall area is open 11:30am-5pm. The church of San Agustín, where the pilgrims' masses are now held, is right next to it.

Bonaval: Museo do Pobo Galego and CGAC

A few minutes uphill from the market, Bonaval has the two museums that give the most for what they cost.

• Museo do Pobo Galego, in the former convent of Santo Domingo de Bonaval. It traces Galician material culture — trades, music, architecture — and has a triple spiral staircase worth the visit on its own. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11am-6pm and Sundays 11am-2pm (closed Mondays), admission €5, free on Sundays.
• CGAC (Galician Centre for Contemporary Art), right next door, by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. Always free, open Tuesday to Sunday 11am-8pm.

Behind both, the San Domingos de Bonaval park, set among the old convent walls, has one of the least-known views of the city.

Rúa do Franco, Rúa do Vilar and Rúa Nova

Back in the centre, three parallel streets lead up to the Cathedral from the south. Rúa do Franco — singled out by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the best tapas streets in Spain — runs into the Obradoiro and owes its name to the "francos", the foreign pilgrims and merchants who settled here in the Middle Ages; the Colexio de Fonseca, the university's first building, is on it. Rúa do Vilar, arcaded, with Renaissance and neoclassical facades, is the street for a morning coffee; and Rúa Nova, parallel to it, also arcaded and flatter, is the one that works best in the rain. For food, see where to eat in Santiago.

Viewpoints: the Alameda, Monte do Gozo and Monte Pedroso

The classic postcard view of the Cathedral, framed by chestnut trees, is from the Paseo da Ferradura, in the Alameda park, at the so-called mirador dos Namorados (lovers' viewpoint). It's a public park, free to enter and open all day.

For those arriving on the Camino Francés, Monte do Gozo holds special meaning: it's the point, about 4.6 km from the centre, where the Cathedral's towers come into view for the first time. It's roughly an hour's walk from Praza da Concordia, or reachable by Monbus bus from the San Roque station. Monte Pedroso, about 3 km to the northwest, gives the most complete panorama of the whole city; by car it's about 20 minutes via the Vidán neighbourhood.

With more time: Colegiata de Sar and Cidade da Cultura

• Colegiata de Santa María de Sar, from the 12th century, about fifteen minutes' walk from the centre. Its cloister keeps nine arches with capitals attributed to Master Mateo's workshop. Open Monday to Friday 10am-2pm and 4-6pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm; admission €2, free with a Cathedral Museum ticket or a pilgrim credential. Most people in a hurry skip it.
• Cidade da Cultura de Galicia, on the outskirts: Peter Eisenman's complex on Monte Gaiás. Its exhibitions are free, and on weekends there are free guided tours with no booking needed, at 11:30am and 5:30pm from the information point. What's on there this week is in the exhibitions open right now.

One day in Santiago

Built to be walked, Monday to Saturday (the market is closed on Sundays: swap it for the Museo do Pobo Galego, which is free that day).

1. Early: the Obradoiro before the groups arrive, then inside the Cathedral. If you've booked the Pórtico with the museum ticket, fit it in here.
2. Mid-morning: Praterías, Quintana and Inmaculada, with the facade of San Martiño Pinario.
3. Before 2pm: the Mercado de Abastos, which closes then.
4. Lunch: tapas on Rúa do Franco or at the market itself.
5. Afternoon: Bonaval (Pobo Galego and CGAC) or, if you booked a free pass, the Pórtico between 4 and 5:30pm.
6. Sunset: Rúa do Vilar and Rúa Nova to the Alameda and the Paseo da Ferradura.

If you'd rather not plan it, a free walking tour covers much the same circuit of squares in about two hours, leaves from the Obradoiro in the morning and is paid with a tip. Most run in Spanish, but there are English departures too.

Two days in Santiago

Day 1: the plan above. Day 2: what needs booking or a slower pace.

1. Morning: the Cathedral rooftops (booked ahead) and, on the same ticket, the Cathedral Museum.
2. Midday: San Martiño Pinario, free with that ticket.
3. Afternoon: Bonaval if you missed it on day one, or the Colegiata de Sar, also covered by the museum ticket.
4. Evening: the Quintana after dark, with the stone lit up.

An hour-by-hour plan, with a third day of hills and shopping, is in the 1, 2 and 3-day itineraries; for a wet day, see Santiago in the rain. And if you have a whole day spare, the better return is usually to leave: Padrón is 15 minutes away by train and A Coruña 30-40. The options are in day trips from Santiago.