A full day inland from Santiago, spent on water rather than asphalt. The boat threads the Sil canyon, rock walls on both sides, vineyards terraced onto slopes still worked by hand. Monasteries follow, then Ourense and its thermal springs, with free time before the drive back.
from $68 per person
Check Price & Availability →Every tour links to its live booking page, where seats, dates and today's price are held. Payment happens there, not on this guide.
A full day inland from Santiago, spent on water rather than asphalt. The boat threads the Sil canyon, rock walls on both sides, vineyards terraced onto slopes still worked by hand. Monasteries follow, then Ourense and its thermal springs, with free time before the drive back.
This full-day trip from Santiago de Compostela packs a catamaran cruise through the Sil River canyons, a monastery visit, a scenic photo stop and free time plus a guided walk in Ourense into a single outing. It runs about 10 hours, with the bus ride to the Ribeira Sacra taking roughly an hour before the boat itself. A guide narrates in both Spanish and English throughout the day.
The order of the day is straightforward. After leaving Santiago, the coach stops in Ourense to pick up more participants, then heads into the Ribeira Sacra for the boat ride, a viewpoint stop and the Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas, which is partly carved into the mountain rock. In October the monastery stop switches to Santo Estevo instead. The day ends in Ourense, with free time for lunch followed by a guided tour of the historic center and the thermal springs at As Burgas.
Reviewers repeatedly praise the guides and the organisation of the day. Anyone staying in Ourense can finish the tour there at As Burgas rather than riding back to Santiago.
A few practical things shape the day, from the long coach stretches to the timing of the Ourense walk.
Common issues. The main practical limits are the long total duration and the fact that lunch is at your own expense. One reviewer found the Ourense walking tour came late in the day and skipped it because of the heat, so the schedule can feel stretched by late afternoon. Hotel pickup is not offered, and the monastery visited changes to Santo Estevo in October, which may matter to anyone set on seeing San Pedro de Rocas specifically.
The price covers bus transportation, an official tourism guide and the 1.5-hour boat ride through the Sil River canyons. Food and drinks are not included, so budget for lunch during the free time in Ourense.
In Santiago there are two possible starting points, Capela do Pilar and the Escola Superior de Enxeñería Informática (ESEI), depending on the option booked. There is also an Ourense meeting point for those who choose that option. Hotel pickup is not included.
Yes. If you are staying in Ourense, you can join at the Ourense meeting point and finish the tour there at As Burgas instead of riding back to Santiago. The listing notes this option explicitly.
Yes, the tour is offered in both Spanish and English.
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Inside that window the listing does not state terms, so check the booking page before committing.
The standard stop is the Monastery of San Pedro de Rocas, a monastic site partly carved into the mountain rock. In October the tour visits the Monastery of Santo Estevo instead, so check the listing if the specific monastery matters to you.
Live dates, times and prices are on the booking page.
Check Price & Availability →
· Roman walls of Lugo plus the tidal arches of Cathedrals beach.
Two sides of Galicia in a single day: Lugo's Roman wall, the only complete circuit anywhere, then Praia das Catedrais, where stone arches surface only when the tide drops far enough. The sea sets the schedule, so the beach stop shifts with the tide tables.
from $75per person, full-day excursion Check availability →
· Sil canyon cruise, monastery views and Ourense in a day.
The Ribeira Sacra is where the Sil river has sliced deep canyons into inland Galicia, and this full-day trip goes to see them properly. The centerpiece for most travelers is the boat cruise through the gorge, drifting below canyon walls lined with terraced vineyards. Viewpoints above the water and time in Ourense, a city known for its Roman baths and riverside walks, fill out the day. From $64 per person.
from $64per person, full-day excursion Check availability →