Caminito del Rey Without Tickets
During our family trip around the world, we spent 13 days in Malaga, Spain. This is the home of Caminito del Rey, one of the top-rated hikes in the world. Because we ended up in Malaga on short notice, we didn’t plan and book a reservation. We checked the official website in early September 2021, which showed the ability to reserve tickets 2 months in advance, but zero actual ticket availability. Therefore, we decided to go ahead and drive to Caminito del Rey without tickets.
Preliminary research showed a few options for getting onto the Caminito del Rey hike without tickets. The first two options we found to be expensive. First, you can book a fully guided trip with transportation from a tour company. For our family of 4, with last-minute dates, the only available option cost nearly $800. However, it can be much cheaper to use a guided service if you plan further ahead. We did find options for around $250 total, but no availability. Second, it appears that hotels near the entrance might get access to tickets. Look into that option if you need lodging, but confirm regarding tickets directly with the hotel before booking. Third, you can show up and MAYBE buy a ticket at the gate.
Here’s what happened when we tried option 3:
We had a rental car to drive from Mijas Costa to Ardales, where the hike starts. We intended to leave at 7:15 a.m., but you know what they say about good intentions. Fatigued from our amazing time with Tuur Adventures the day before, we didn’t leave until 8:15 a.m. and arrived at the parking area about 9:15 a.m. There are 2 options for getting to the actual trail entrance, and both require a nice walk. We took the shorter 20-minute route, passing through the tunnel next to the El Kiosko restaurant. Therefore, it was approaching 10 a.m. by the time we got to the actual gate, and the day was fully sold out. We did have to hike in from the parking area to check for ticket availability.
The lady working the entrance gave us this updated information on September 9th, 2021 :
- Only 50 total standby tickets are being sold per day.
- During the week, the line has been exceeding 50 people by 8:30 a.m. The ticket office doesn’t open until 9 a.m.
- She recommended arriving on a weekday between 7:30-8:00 a.m. at the latest, but there is still no guarantee.
- Weekend tickets have even more demand.
For years, our family travel mantra has been “be flexible”, and this gave us an opportunity for practice! Instead of ruining our day, we took advantage of the longer hike back to the parking area. We had the path to ourselves, took a few detours, and enjoyed an amazing hike! It wasn’t what we planned, but we still decided it was worth the beautiful drive through the mountains. Hiking through the tunnel and then back around was very cool. We enjoyed a little time there before jumping in the car and heading to find another hike.
We ended up climbing on a combination of trails in the Sierra de Mjias (mostly the Cantera del Barrio Trail) and had some spectacular views of the mountains, the Mediterranean, and the beautiful Spanish coast. Again, we mostly had the trail to ourselves. It was a MUCH more strenuous climb than we expected, but made this hike a lifelong family memory!
We hope that the updated information directly from the gate helps you to plan a trip to Caminito del Rey without tickets in September 2021. It appears that, if you arrive early enough (remember to plan at least 30 minutes for parking and the hike through the tunnel to the gate), you have a good chance at a ticket. If you don’t get a ticket, don’t let it ruin your day. Be flexible, and enjoy the mountains all around you!
Spain was one of our first stops during a year-long trip around the world! To see all our travel adventures, head over to our Instagram page.
If you have questions or tips for traveling to Spain with kids, let us know!
