The Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela, from Cahors to Lectoure

Easy to moderate. 4 to 7 hours of walking per day, with no technical difficulties, but sometimes very hot weather in summer (plan to set off early in the morning) … The entire trail is waymarked with GR markings (white and red) and/or scallop shell symbols.

No main luggage to carry: you only carry a small backpack with your picnic lunch and what you need for the day. Your luggage awaits you every evening at the end of the day’s walk. Your luggage is transported by vehicle and is limited to one bag per person weighing no more than 10 kg.

From 2 people.

7 days, 6 nights, 6 days of walking.

Start on a date of your choice from April to October.

We will send you a travel pack containing all the documents you need for your walking trip: a trail guide and maps, luggage labels, and an itinerary with contact details for your accommodation.
1 travel pack per booking. An additional travel pack is available as an optional extra (35 € / additional pack)

Accommodation

Half-board accommodation, excluding dinner in Cahors for the walkers' hostel option and 2 dinners (in Cahors and Moissac) for the hotel/guesthouse option.

Two options to choose from:

• In walkers' hostels: these hostels cater exclusively to walkers on multi-day routes. You will sleep in dormitories or, at best, in rooms with 4 to 8 beds; in both cases, you will share with other guests. Blankets are provided, but bed linen and towels are not (these can usually be hired on site at an additional cost, payable locally). Shared bathroom facilities (showers, washbasins and toilets) are located outside the rooms. Meals are served at set times and eaten together for a sociable atmosphere

• In hotels of various categories or in guesthouses, depending on availability (usually with a shower or bath and toilet in the room). You will stay in rooms for 1 to 3 people, according to your request and availability

For practical reasons, including cleaning, stocking supplies and allowing the owners to rest, check-in at walkers' hostels and guesthouses is not possible before 4:30–5:00 pm.

Hotel Ratings

In France, an increasing number of hotels and guesthouses choose not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated a year or two ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms. If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “3* or equivalent”, this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers a level of comfort comparable to a 3* hotel.

Meals

• Dinner: served from 7:00–7:30 pm; this is usually the day’s pilgrim menu (starter, main course and dessert). During your walk, you will discover regional specialities

• Breakfast: served from 7:30 am, at the table or as a buffet. It usually consists of a hot drink, bread and/or pastries, butter and jam, and sometimes fruit juice, yoghurt and sweetened breakfast cereals

• Picnics: most accommodation providers offer packed lunches (at an additional cost, payable locally). The route guide included in your travel pack provides information on where to buy supplies in shops at your overnight stops and/or along the route

Please let us know about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

Precautions / Hygiene

All our accommodation has been selected for its hospitality, comfort and cleanliness. Nevertheless, some accommodation providers have reported a resurgence of bedbugs, which are most often carried by walkers. To help accommodation providers eradicate this problem and reduce the risk of bites, you should spray the inside and outside of your luggage (your daypack and your transferred luggage), as well as all your clothes and shoes. Sprays are available from pharmacies and some accommodation providers; some products are 100% natural and ECOCERT-certified. To reduce the risk of spreading bedbugs, we ask you to follow the accommodation providers' instructions carefully and not regard them as unreasonable restrictions (for example, a ban on taking luggage and backpacks into bedrooms or dormitories). Once you return home, if you have any concerns, we recommend washing all your belongings at 65°C or, alternatively, placing them in a freezer for 2 days (bedbugs cannot survive temperatures below 0°C).

Start

Day 1: late afternoon at your accommodation in Cahors.

Finish

Day 7: late afternoon in Lectoure.

By train

SNCF railway station in Cahors (Paris–Toulouse line via Brive).
At the end of the trip: SNCF railway station in Lectoure. Return to Cahors by train (a journey of 4 to 5 hours). For current timetables, visit the Oui SNCF website or enquire at your nearest railway station.

By car

Via Michelin website.
Private garage parking costs approximately 3 € / car / day (not included in the package, payable locally).
If you choose the gîte accommodation option, you can park in the Ludo Rolès car park near the gîte.
Vehicle return service: contact Transports Claudine, Tel: 05-62-28-67-92 or 06-74-91-90-65.

By taxi/minibus

Return minibus service from Lectoure to Cahors, daily from April to October, departing Lectoure between 07:30 and 11:00. Arrival in Cahors between 09:30 and 13:00 – fare 43 €/person. Given the shuttle times, you can only use this service if you stay an extra night in Lectoure at the end of your trip.
For other departure times, contact Transports Claudine directly, Tel: 0562286792 or 0674919065.

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, either during the day’s route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; any swimming is therefore your own responsibility and at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we work to ensure:

• Transparency in our practices and pricing
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protection of the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and foster rewarding encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has been recognised as a Travelife Partner, an international label that certifies our responsible environmental, ethical and sustainable management practices, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our practical efforts to promote responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in accordance with our sustainable development policy

For hiking

• Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, a sturdy heel counter and a sole with good grip
• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)
• A fleece
• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)
• Shorts, T-shirts and technical underwear (quick-drying fabric)
• A long-sleeved shirt (quick-drying technical fabric)
• Walking poles (telescopic), very important for making walking easier

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool clothing is also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of resisting sweat odours! (Brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.).
As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you feel cold when wet.

For your lunchtime picnic

• A plastic bowl, food container or plate
• Cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)
• A water bottle with a capacity of at least one litre (mandatory); an insulated bottle for winter
• Water purification tablets

For protection from sun and rain

• High-protection sunscreen and sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat
• A rain poncho or Gore-Tex jacket, and optionally Gore-Tex trousers

After your walk

• A pair of trainers for the evening
• A change of clothes and underwear
• A sleeping bag liner
• A small toiletry bag and towel
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, Elastoplast, Biogaze or “2nd skin”, gauze, disinfectant, arnica pellets and aspirin for minor aches and injuries… (quite a list! But rest assured, your first-aid kit often comes home untouched after your week of hiking)
• Remember your swimwear, as there are often opportunities to swim

For carrying your belongings

• A small, comfortable 40 to 50 L backpack with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic lunch during the day
• Luggage for transfer: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition, or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One piece of luggage per person, limited to 10 kg

This list is a guide and should be adapted to your trip and the season in which you are travelling.

The Grand Angle team is here to help your trip run smoothly, so please feel free to contact us: we will do everything we can to make your stay a success.

France.

Travel documents

Travellers, including children under 18, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Cahors / Saint-Cirq Lapopie Tourist Office
Villa Cahors Malbec
Place François Mitterrand
CS 40162
46003 CAHORS Cedex

From photography books and historical essays to travel accounts and novels, the route has inspired many authors.

General works:

• Les Chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle – Bernard BRIAIS, Editions de Borée (October 2013), 240 pages. Through photographs, this beautiful book invites us to discover or rediscover the beautiful places, historic monuments and natural sites along the four historic routes of the Way of St James
• Mille ans vers Compostelle: l’aventure des pèlerins sur les chemins de Saint-Jacques – Patrick HUCHET, Editions Ouest France - Album series (October 2012), 204 pages. This book traces the entire history of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, from its beginnings in the 9th century to its revival in the 20th century
• Le pèlerin de Compostelle – Paulo COELHO, Editions 84 - J’ai Lu series (April 2009), 256 pages. In this novel, the author, who undertook the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela himself, recounts his journey of self-discovery in a simple, flowing style as a universal experience

Cultural and travel guides

• Gallimard SAINT JACQUES guide
• Huchet / Yvon Boelle, Sur les Chemins de Compostelle, Patrick- Rennes, Ouest France - 1999 (covers the French and Spanish sections)
• Guides de poche du randonneur et du pèlerin sur le Chemin de Saint Jacques De Compostelle - F. Lepère. Ed. Lepère – February 2009

Historical essays

• Yves BOTINEAU, Les Chemins de St-Jacques - - Ed. Arthaud. (Being reprinted)
• Xavier Barral, Compostelle, le Grand Chemin, Découverte Gallimard
• Les chemins de St Jacques de Compostelle, In Situ series, Ed MSM
• Jacques de Voragine, La légende dorée -, Point Seuil 1998. This book is less concerned with history than with romanticising the lives of saints: how legends are created

Internet

• Association of Friends of the Way of St James
• Routes to Santiago de Compostela
• The Crossroads
• The pilgrim’s passport, or “credencial” or “créanciale”:
  This document is well known to pilgrims and provides a written record of their journey. This passport is a powerful symbol of belonging to the community of walkers on the Way of St James. It should be stamped at each stage and confirms your status as a pilgrim. It is issued by associations dedicated to the Way of St James – website: you can also obtain one at the start of your journey in Le Puy-en-Velay

Environment
The walks take place within the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park; all activities must therefore comply with its charter, particularly its conservation principles: respect for natural heritage, cultural heritage and local residents; respect for natural resources (water, soil, habitats, wildlife, plants and climate); and efforts to prevent pollution and any damage to the environment. Do not disturb animals in their own habitat, and do not pick flowers, as they will not grow back!

The Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park has remarkably well-preserved and diverse natural habitats that support particularly rich wildlife and plant life. To date, the following have been observed: 198 species of birds, 58 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles, 14 species of amphibians, 102 species of butterflies, 48 species of dragonflies and 51 species of orthopterans (insects). There are more than 1000 plant species, of which 150 are considered noteworthy. Several species are of national or European conservation interest: European pond turtle, yellow-bellied toad, white-clawed crayfish, large copper butterfly, otter, Eurasian eagle-owl, short-toed snake eagle, Eurasian stone-curlew and ocellated lizard. Noteworthy plant species include limestone sandwort and Guillon’s ironwort.