Private tour

Santiago de Compostela: Cathedral & Museum Private Tour

4.6 / 5

19 reviews

Activity provider: Walkin & Eatin Galicia
Private tour

Santiago de Compostela: Cathedral & Museum Private Tour

Activity provider: Walkin & Eatin Galicia

From US$ 81.33 per person

Explore the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and the Cathedral Museum on a private guided tour. View iconography of James the Great, flawless tapestries, the altar, and the tomb of the apostle.

About this activity

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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 2 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Skip the line through a separate entrance
Live tour guide
French, English, Galician, Spanish
Private group

Experience

Highlights
  • Marvel at the location where the apostle Saint James is thought to be buried
  • Enter the library where the ancient Codex Calixtinus manuscript is held
  • Step back in time with unearthed archaeological excavations on the first floor
  • Stroll onto the balcony for stunning views of the Plaza do Obradoiro
  • View depictions of Apostle Santiago and hear about his facinating story
Full description

Uncover the art inside the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on this guided tour. See religious iconography and the reputed burial place of the apostle Saint James. Visit the library where the Codex Calixtinus (the main witness for the Book of Saint James) is held. 

Meet your guide and begin at the ground floor of the Cathedral's Museum which has four rooms where you can see the remains that were found in different archaeological excavations. View a map to determine what was standing on this site before the Cathedral. 

Admire the spectacular stone choir of Master Mateo and various examples of religious iconography such as busts, statues or wooden carvings. See depictions of both of the Apostle Santiago in his three versions (pilgrim, soldier, and saint).

Listen as your guide tells you about each version and hear about different biblical characters. Upon reaching the second floor, will leave the cloister to focus on the library where the famous Codex Calixtinus is kept. 

Arrive at the third a floors which is dedicated to different tapestries from both the Flanders school, as well as the so-called Goya Tapestries made in the Royal Tapestry Factory of Madrid.

Head to the the balcony for views from above the Plaza do Obradoiro. Afterwards go back to the second floor to visit the cloister and access the Cathedral without having to wait in line.

 Enter the temple to enjoy its different chapels. Follow your guide to the main altar, the holy door, and see what is said to be the tomb of the apostle Saint James. 

Includes
  • Official guide authorized by the Cathedral's dean
  • Access to Cathedral's Museum
  • Entrance tickets
  • Tips
Not suitable for
  • People with mobility impairments
  • Wheelchair users

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet your guide at Plaza do Obradoiro in front of the Cathedral's Museum door. Your guide will be carrying a blue umbrella.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Camera
  • Passport or ID card, copy accepted

Not allowed

  • Shorts
  • Short skirts
  • Mobility scooters
  • Sleeveless shirts
  • Non-folding wheelchairs
  • Non-folding strollers
  • Smoking indoors
  • Handcarts
  • Electric wheelchairs

Know before you go

  • There is no elevator inside the museum, so guests will need to take the stairs
  • You maybe unable to enter the Cathedral during special events like a royal visit of the king and queen of Spain
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 19 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.6/5
  • Value for money
    4.4/5

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Star rating:

Historic sites and museums on this scale can be very overwhelming and thus become boring. Our guide really did a great job of focusing on the important and most interesting aspects and constructing an intriguing and memorable narrative. I don't think we would have gotten as much out of it on our own. It was worth every penny.

March 29, 2023

Lucia was a great guide and I learned so much form her. She also used her connections to find out when the next botafumeiro would be used, so because of her, I was able to attend a mass to see it in action! I did this tour in conjunction with a group night tour, but even though some of the tour covered the same ground, the information and focus of each tour was very different, so one really complemented the other. I highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants it to to know the backstories about what you’re looking at.

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March 29, 2023

Such an excellent tour guide! We could not have hoped for a more knowledgeable guide. The pace she set for the tour was perfect....just sufficient time in each location and then moved efficiently throughout the complex. Would highly recommend this tour/guide.

March 29, 2023

Product ID: 412453