Tourist tax in Galicia and the Camino de Santiago

The tourist tax is now charged in A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and, since October 2026, in Vigo. We tell you how much you pay, who is exempt and how it affects pilgrims.

The tourist tax in Galicia is now a reality for anyone spending the night in some of the main Galician cities. A Coruña was the first to charge it, from 29 September 2025; Santiago de Compostela followed on 1 October 2025, and Vigo has applied it since 1 October 2026. If your Camino ends in Santiago or passes through Vigo, we'll tell you how much you pay, who is exempt and how it affects you as a pilgrim.

What is the tourist tax?

The tax applies to nights spent in tourist accommodation: hotels, guesthouses, private hostels, apartments, holiday rentals, campsites and rural tourism lodging. Technically it is a municipal surcharge on the Galician tourist stay tax created by the Xunta de Galicia: each city council decides whether to activate it and at what rates.

It is charged per person and per night and paid directly at the accommodation, usually at check-in or check-out. It is not included in the price of your trip.

How much you pay in Santiago, A Coruña and Vigo

In Santiago de Compostela the amount ranges from 1 to 2.50 € per person per night depending on the type and category of accommodation: 1 € in private hostels, campsites, rural tourism lodging and tourist apartments; 1.50 € in guesthouses and one-star and two-star hotels; 2 € in three-star and four-star hotels, upper two-star hotels and holiday rentals, and 2.50 € in five-star and upper four-star ones. It is charged for a maximum of 5 nights: from the sixth night on, you no longer pay.

In A Coruña the tax ranges from 1 to 2.50 € per person per night, depending on the accommodation.

In Vigo, where the Portuguese Way from Vigo begins, it ranges from 0.80 to 2 € per person per night. In a first phase, until 1 July 2027, only the first two nights of each stay are charged; after that date, up to five can be charged.

Exemptions and how it affects pilgrims

In Santiago, the ordinance includes several exemptions. The following do not pay the tax:

• Minors.
• People with a disability of 65 % or more.
• Those staying for health reasons.
• Participants in official sports competitions and stays under social programmes.
• People affected by situations of force majeure.

For the Camino de Santiago there is one key point: in Santiago, pilgrims who sleep in the Xunta's public hostels (the Plan Xacobeo network) are exempt, as are those staying in youth hostels.

On the other hand, if you sleep in private accommodation at the end of your route, you will pay the tax. The amount per night is small, so the impact on your trip is usually limited.

Appeals and revenue

The arrival of the tax was not without controversy: hoteliers in Santiago and A Coruña challenged it in court. In September 2026, the Tribunal Superior de Xustiza de Galicia (Galicia's High Court) upheld Santiago's ordinance.

Santiago earmarks 80 % of the revenue for improving the city and promoting sustainable tourism. It is a city that welcomed 530,844 pilgrims in 2025 according to the Pilgrim's Office; if you want to see more figures, you will find them in our Camino de Santiago statistics.

Conclusion: what does it mean for pilgrims?

For you as a pilgrim, the impact is modest and depends on where you sleep:

• In October 2026, A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and Vigo are the three Galician cities that charge it.
• You don't pay if you sleep in the Xunta's public hostels in Santiago.
• If you choose private accommodation in those cities, you pay between 0.80 and 2.50 € per night depending on the city, directly at the accommodation (in Vigo, for now, only the first two nights).

And if you are already thinking about your next route, in our price calculator you can pick your Camino and dates and work out the price of your Camino whenever you like.