Your entry slot with a guide

About this experience

This is the tour most people book, and it is sold by GetYourGuide itself. You get an entry slot and a guide for about two hours on the boardwalk, with a radio headset so you can hear the guide over the wind and the river. The guide meets the group at the control booth of the north access, near Ardales. Getting there is your job. The listing tells drivers to park at the Visitor Reception Centre at least an hour before, take the shuttle bus to its last stop and walk about 1.5 km through the access path to the booth. Train travellers ride the same shuttle up from El Chorro station.

The Caminito is a one-way walk. You enter in the north and come out at El Chorro in the south, 7.7 km later, of which 2.9 km is boardwalk (the official FAQ). The listing says the guide then takes the group back to the Visitor Reception Centre on the shuttle bus. That shuttle is paid separately, in cash to the driver. The listing contradicts itself on this point, so treat the shuttle as not included and carry a little cash.

Who should skip it? If you're driving, have no interest in the hydroelectric story and like to set your own pace, the plain entry ticket does the job: same boardwalk, same helmets, same safety staff. And if you'd rather not deal with parking and shuttles at all, the coach trip from Málaga picks you up on the coast and waits at the exit.

• A live guide in English or Spanish for about two hours on the boardwalk
• Radio headsets, so you hear the guide in the narrow sections
• The story of the old 1900s path, the railway and the hydroelectric dams
• The Guadalhorce river, the Gaitanes gorge and the Valle del Hoyo
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before

How the day runs

1. At least 1 h beforePark and catch the shuttle

   Leave the car at the Visitor Reception Centre and take the shuttle bus to its last stop. Pay the driver in cash. From El Chorro station, take the same shuttle up.

2. About 20 minWalk to the control booth

   From the stop, follow the signs through the lit pedestrian tunnel to the control booth at the north access, about 1.5 km on foot. Aim to be there 30 minutes before your slot, as the official rules ask.

3. At the boothHelmets, headsets and ID

   Show your booking and ID, collect your helmet and radio headset, and meet the guide. Children aged 8 and over need their own ID.

4. About 2 hoursThe guided walk

   Downhill through the Gaitanejo gorge, the Valle del Hoyo and the Gaitanes straits, with stops to explain the old path below your feet, the railway and the dams.

5. At El ChorroHand in the helmet

   You come out at the south access in El Chorro and return your helmet. Toilets are back here, not on the route.

6. AfterwardsShuttle back to the start

   The listing says the guide rides back with the group on the shuttle bus to the Visitor Reception Centre.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Carry cash for the shuttle driver, who doesn't take cards.
• Bring at least 1.5 litres of water each. There is no water and there are no toilets along the route (the official recommendations).
• Wear closed shoes that grip at the heel. Flip-flops, heels and open-toed shoes are turned away.
• Leave the selfie stick, walking poles and big bag in the car: they are on the official list of prohibitions.
• Spring dates go fast. Book as soon as your dates are firm, and read how Caminito tickets work first.

Read next:

• With or without a guide
• Getting there
• Tickets

Frequently asked questions

Compare with

Caminito del Rey Entry TicketEntry without a guide: walk the boardwalk at your own speed. You reach the north access and pay the shuttle yourself.★ 4.8 · 3 to 4 hoursTour with Official Guide and DrinkOfficial Caminito guides trained in first aid, groups split by language, and a bottle of water. Meets at El Kiosko.★ 4.7 · 3 hoursTickets, Guided Tour, Shuttle & WaterMeets by El Chorro station. Shuttle to the north gate included, guide in your language, and you finish where you began.★ 4.7 · 4 to 7 hours