---
title: "Santiago Cathedral: hours, tickets and visiting"
description: "Opening hours, museum and Pórtico de la Gloria prices, the botafumeiro and pilgrim's mass, and the 2026 works: everything open, except the grounded botafumeiro."
url: https://santiago.es/en/what-to-see/cathedral
locale: en
---

# Santiago Cathedral: hours, tickets and visiting

What to see · Cathedral

Walking in is free; the museum and the Pórtico de la Gloria cost money; and almost everything else needs booking. Here's the order of priorities, with official hours and prices.

**Naves**

Free · 7:00 am–9:00 pm

**Museum**

€9–23 · 10:00 am–8:00 pm

**Pórtico, unguided**

Free with invitation, Tue–Sat 3:30–7:00 pm

![Fachada del Obradoiro de la Catedral de Santiago de Compostela](https://santiago.es/img/obradoiro.jpg)

[© Fernando · CC BY-SA 4.0](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Santiago_cathedral_2021.jpg)

By [Cesar Rodriguez](https://santiago.es/en/author) · updated 11 September 2026

Santiago Cathedral isn't a monument you visit: it's the destination of a journey that, for many people, takes weeks. That shows in how the visit is organised, with free access to the naves alongside a set of paid experiences you need to understand before you arrive, because some of them have limited capacity.

## General hours and free access

The Cathedral's interior — the naves, the high altar, the crypt with the Apostle's tomb — is free to visit every day, **7:00 am to 9:00 pm**, except on summer Saturdays, when it closes at 8:30 pm for the pilgrim's vigil. You enter through the Praterías door; large backpacks aren't allowed inside, and you can't visit as a tourist while mass is being celebrated. That door has steps: in a wheelchair the way in is from Praza da Quintana, and the detail is in our guide to [Santiago in a wheelchair](https://santiago.es/en/accessible).

The 2026 works: everything open except the botafumeiro

The major interior restoration that forced masses out of the Cathedral ran from 2019 to 2021 and is finished. The works underway now — the restoration of the clock tower, the **Berenguela**(2026-2027), and of several chapel roofs — are exterior: they don't affect access to the naves, the Apostle's tomb, the ritual embrace or the masses, which are held as normal at the High Altar. At most you'll see some scaffolding from Praza da Quintana. The one exception is inside: the cimborrio restoration, whose scaffolding has the botafumeiro temporarily grounded. Which piece of the building is under wraps, what it changes and what it doesn't is in [our piece on the 2026 Cathedral works](https://santiago.es/en/news/cathedral-works-2026). For any last-minute doubt, check catedraldesantiago.es or call the sacristy, +34 981 58 35 48, which handles worship. If your question is about visits or tickets, visitor services is +34 981 55 29 85.

## Cathedral Museum prices

The Cathedral Museum manages access to the museum itself, to the Pórtico de la Gloria with audio guide, and to the rooftop (the "cubiertas") separately. The ticket office is open **10:00 am to 8:00 pm** every day, with entry closing half an hour before that.

**Santiago Cathedral Museum prices**

| Ticket | Full price | Reduced |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent collection (museum only) | €9 | €7 |
| Museum + Pórtico de la Gloria (with audio guide) | €15 | €12 |
| Rooftop + Torre da Carraca | €15 | €12 |
| Combined ticket (Pórtico + Tower + Rooftop + Museum) | €23 | €19 |

The reduced rate applies to large families, unemployed visitors, students, accredited pilgrims, people with disabilities, over-65s and under-12s. Admission is free for priests and religious, ICOM members, "Friends of the Cathedral" members, and accompanied children under 12. You can book online at visitas.catedraldesantiago.es or in person at the ticket office in Praza do Obradoiro; in high season it's worth booking ahead, since rooftop slots sell out.

## The Pórtico de la Gloria

Carved by Master Mateo in the 12th century, this is the Cathedral's most important piece of sculpture and one of the high points of Romanesque art in Europe. It's included in the €15/€12 audio-guided ticket, with a maximum visit time of around 25-30 minutes for conservation reasons.

There's also a free, unguided option via invitation: Tuesday to Saturday, **3:30 pm to 7:00 pm** (last entry 6:30 pm); closed Sundays and Mondays. You need to book the free invitation up to 7 days ahead, with a limit of two invitations per person and groups of up to 20. Daily access is capped to protect the stone, so it's worth not leaving it to the last minute.

## The botafumeiro

The giant incense burner that swings from one end of the transept to the other is, for many, the single most anticipated sight of the whole visit. The Cathedral Chapter guarantees it at the noon Mass on the calendar's major liturgical solemnities. Outside those fixed dates, it can be requested privately by writing to botafumeiro@catedraldesantiago.es, at an indicative cost of €450-500 plus advance booking. When it flies, it does so at the end of the eucharist, about 45 minutes after mass begins, and adds around five minutes to its length. Important: right now **the botafumeiro is temporarily out of action**, because the scaffolding for the cimborrio restoration covers the mechanism it hangs from — the Cathedral itself confirmed it to santiago.es in writing on 5 September 2026. Nothing is broken, and **there is no date for its return**. The twelve fixed dates it flies each year, the detail on this stoppage, how to book it for a group, and where to stand for the best view are covered in [the botafumeiro guide](https://santiago.es/en/what-to-see/botafumeiro).

## Pilgrim's mass

The pilgrim's mass is held at the **High Altar** at **7:30 am, 9:30 am, noon and 7:30 pm** every day of the year, lasting roughly 45 to 60 minutes (a little longer if the botafumeiro flies). The noon Mass is the main and busiest one: in high season, arrive a good half hour early. Full times, masses in other languages and the practical details are in [the guide to masses at the Cathedral](https://santiago.es/en/what-to-see/cathedral/mass-times).

## The Holy Door

The Holy Door, on the wall facing Praza da Quintana, only opens during a Holy Year (Xacobeo), which happens when 25 July falls on a Sunday. **2026 is not a Holy Year**, so the door stays closed all year. The next Xacobeo is 2027, and the Holy Door will open solemnly on the evening of 31 December 2026, around 4:30 pm, in a ceremony in Praza da Quintana where the Archbishop strikes the wall three times with a silver hammer. It then stays open for the following 365 days, closing again on 31 December 2027.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is it free to enter Santiago Cathedral?**

Yes, access to the naves and the Apostle's tomb is free, 7:00 am to 9:00 pm (8:30 pm on summer Saturdays). What costs money is the Museum, the Pórtico de la Gloria with audio guide, and the rooftop visit.

**How much does it cost to go up on the Cathedral roof?**

The rooftop and Torre da Carraca ticket costs €15 (€12 reduced). If you also want the museum and the Pórtico de la Gloria, the full combined ticket costs €23 (€19 reduced). Book ahead — slots are limited.

**Does the botafumeiro fly every day?**

No, and right now it isn't flying at all: the botafumeiro is temporarily out of action because the scaffolding for the cimborrio restoration covers its mechanism, as the Cathedral itself confirmed to santiago.es in writing on 5 September 2026, and there is no date for its return. When it does work, it's guaranteed at noon on the calendar's major solemnities, and on other days it depends on whether someone has booked it privately, which costs an indicative €450-500. Write ahead to botafumeiro@catedraldesantiago.es before counting on it.

**Do the 2026 works affect visits or masses?**

No. The interior restoration that moved masses out ran from 2019 to 2021 and is finished. The 2026 works — the Berenguela clock tower and several chapel roofs — are exterior: the naves, the Apostle's tomb and the four daily masses at the High Altar run as normal. The only one felt inside is the cimborrio restoration, and what it affects is the botafumeiro, not the masses.

**Can you visit the Holy Door in 2026?**

No, it stays closed because 2026 isn't a Holy Year. It opens on 31 December 2026 for Xacobeo 2027 and stays open throughout that following year.

**Do you need to book to see the Pórtico de la Gloria?**

For the free, unguided option, yes: you need to book an invitation up to 7 days ahead, available Tuesday to Saturday from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm. If you're happy with the audio guide, it's included directly in the €15/€12 ticket.

## Keep reading

**[The Cathedral roofs](https://santiago.es/en/what-to-see/cathedral/roofs)** — From above — Where the tour really starts, the 140 steps, the pilgrim discount and the five museums the ticket includes. — Read the guide

**[Opening hours and tickets at a glance](https://santiago.es/en/opening-hours)** — Quick reference — A comparison table of hours and prices for every monument in the city. — Read the guide

**[What to do when you reach Santiago](https://santiago.es/en/camino-de-santiago/arriving)** — Arriving on foot — The Compostela, the embrace of the Apostle, and everything around the end of the Camino. — Read the guide