Pope Leo XIV in Santiago de Compostela 2027

Pope Leo XIV is invited to Santiago during the 2027 Holy Year, which starts when the Holy Door opens on 31 December 2026. Whether he will come, when and with what programme is still unknown. Here is where things stand today and what it means if you plan to walk that year.

What has the Pope said?

On 6 November 2026, on the flight to Uruguay, a journalist handed him a Camino de Santiago plaque as an invitation to the Holy Year. His answer, in Spanish: «Querer, quiero. Otra cosa es lo que uno puede hacer». Roughly: “I do want to. What one can actually do is another matter.”

It is a personal wish, not an announced trip.

Who has invited him?

• The Archbishop of Santiago, Francisco José Prieto, at an audience in August 2025.
• Galician mayors, who suggested he walk a section of the Camino.
• The President of the Xunta de Galicia, who has also invited him.

When would he come?

There is no date. The Holy See has published no trip or programme, and it usually announces papal journeys only a few months ahead. His June 2026 trip to Spain did not include Santiago. Summer 2027, around 25 July, has been mentioned, but it is a guess: treat any date you read as one.

What it would mean for accommodation

A papal visit brings hundreds of thousands of people together over one or two days. In practice:

• Beds. Santiago and the last stages would fill up weeks earlier than usual around the date. July is already the busiest month of a Holy Year.
• Prices. Private rooms go up when demand spikes, and more in the city than along the rest of the Camino.
• Access. Expect street closures and security checks in the old town and Praza do Obradoiro. Reaching the cathedral and the Pilgrim’s Office could be harder that day.

If you will sleep in the city, check where to stay in Santiago de Compostela early.

How to plan the Holy Year without waiting for the announcement

1. If you want to coincide with the Pope, book the nights around 25 July with free cancellation. If another date is announced, you switch.
2. If you would rather avoid the crowds, walk in May, June or September. See it week by week in the 2027 crowd calendar.
3. Book consecutive nights before your transport: if one falls through, the whole stage plan shifts.

The basics of the Holy Year, such as the Holy Door being open all through 2027, are in our Holy Year 2027 guide. We will update this article as soon as there is an official announcement.

If you want to lock in your dates without depending on the news, ask for a quote for your 2027 Camino.