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Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Galicia, Spain

Santiago de Compostela in December

Mixed monthBest time: May – September

Mixed month: December is outside the recommended season (May – September). Nothing in our data flags December as a problem, but it isn't the season the place is best in.

The season opens in May, 5 months away.

2 days in Santiago de Compostela in December · from ₹23,600 for two

Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra

See the day-by-day plan

What’s on in December

Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.

  • Holy Year in Santiago (Xacobeo 2027)

    A Holy Year falls when 25 July is a Sunday, and 2027 is one: the cathedral's Holy Door stays open all year and far more pilgrims walk the Camino. St James' Day on 25 July, with fireworks on the night of the 24th and the botafumeiro swung at the solemn mass, is the peak. Book rooms in Santiago well ahead, especially for the summer.

What it costs

For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.

Budget

₹23,600 for two

  • Room a night₹6,920
  • Food a day, each₹3,458

Mid-range

₹50,944 for two

  • Room a night₹12,250
  • Food a day, each₹7,980

Luxury

₹1,15,679 for two

  • Room a night₹26,630
  • Food a day, each₹18,620

Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Spain yet, so they don't move with the month.

Getting there

Fly into Madrid (MAD), 487 km away

Then: Train · 3h 48m (Alvia / Avril high-speed train from Madrid Chamartín)

Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹23,000

Fly into Barcelona (BCN), 898 km away

Then: Flight · 4h 48m (Vueling, BCN–SCQ (non-stop))

Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹22,000

Plan from Madrid airport (MAD)

Routes compared

Entry rules

Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹11,290

  1. Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a BLS International Spain visa centre in India (Spain uses BLS, not VFS), 4-8 weeks before you fly, and at least 6 weeks ahead for trips from April to July, when appointments are scarce (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Spain if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen, at the centre for the state you live in. The fee is €90 (about ₹9,600; €45 for children 6-11) plus the BLS service charge of about ₹1,500-2,000, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
  2. At the appointment give your fingerprints and photo (skipped if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months). Allow at least 15 working days for a decision, longer in summer or if other Schengen states are consulted.
  3. If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's 2024 cascade rules for Indians you can be given a two-year visa, then a five-year one.
  4. On your first arrival in the Schengen Area your fingerprints and face are scanned at passport control (the EU Entry/Exit System, in full use since April 2026) instead of a stamp. Allow extra time at Madrid and Barcelona airports.

Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages; Completed visa application form and two recent photos (35 x 45 mm); Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip; Return flight booking and a day-by-day itinerary, with the trains or flights between cities; Hotel bookings for every night; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months, income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers).

One Schengen visa covers Spain and every other Schengen country (France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and more) for up to 90 days in any 180, so a tour that adds Paris or Rome needs no second visa. ETIAS is only for visa-free travellers, so it does not affect you. Appointment waits and BLS charges vary by centre and season: check india.blsspainvisa.com for your city before you book flights.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Elsewhere in Spain in December

Instead in season this month.

Want this as a real plan?

Santiago de Compostela in December, day by day, priced for your group.

Plan Santiago de Compostela in December