Santiago de Compostela: guided urban tours Santiago de Compostela: guided city tours

You're not just walking through Santiago, you're interpreting it Through rigorous and enjoyable guided tours, you'll dive into the urban and heritage history of the historic center like never before.
Ars et Urbs Santiago offers you three guided tours through the historic center of Santiago de Compostela, each designed to help you discover the city from a heritage and urban perspective.
The first route, perfect for your first time in Santiago, takes you to the most iconic spots: the Cathedral, Pazo de Raxoi, Monastery of San Martín Pinario, and other key spots. Along the way, you'll explore the layout of the historic center and learn to read the different historical layers that have shaped the city: from its medieval roots to the Baroque and contemporary transformations.

The other two routes - more themed and specialized - dive into specific aspects of Santiago's urban planning: one focuses on 'property marks' and the other on the 19th-century Alameda.
The second route offers a critical look at the urban space through its monuments and houses. During the walk, you'll spot lintels with property marks - shields, inscriptions, emblems - that reveal the buildings' ties to different institutions of power: the Cathedral, the University, the ecclesiastical orders, and more. The itinerary mixes checking out big monuments with looking at houses from different social classes, giving you a full view of Santiago's material and symbolic heritage.

The second one shows the living history of the Alameda de Santiago, an iconic space that's evolved over the centuries to become the city's green lung. On this tour, we dive into the 19th century, a key era when a well-planned promenade was designed for the enjoyment of Santiago's residents.
Through different urban interventions, the Alameda was transformed, adapting its forms and functions to the new times, without losing its original essence. This itinerary invites you to explore its development as a modern urban typology, from its roots to the elements that define it today.

In all of them, you don't just walk: you interpret, reflect, and discover how the urban heritage reveals Santiago's deep identity.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.