Four stages to learn your own pace
The official site proposes Santhià –Roppolo, Roppolo–Sala Biellese, Sala Biellese–Santuario di Graglia and Graglia–Santuario di Oropa. The distances indicated are respectively 16.5, 17.4, 15.7 and 14.8 km. The published total is about 65 km: use the individual stage pages and updated tracks to build the itinerary, also considering transfers to accommodation.
The first day is predominantly flat; the middle ones cross the Serra, while the last requires more attention to effort. The manager reserves the three-day version for those who are trained and experienced. For a first experience, four days allow you to understand how your pace changes when you set off again after walking the previous day.
Before booking, test two consecutive outings with the backpack you will carry. Note the actual time, including breaks, and how you feel the second morning. Use this test to evaluate the itinerary: a pace achieved on a short walk is not enough to estimate four days of travel.
The last stage: choosing the variant after the rain
The official FAQs describe two options: the Tramvia, easier, and the D1 path, steeper and more tiring. The D1 includes fords and is not recommended in case of heavy rain. The Tramvia instead has a final stretch of about one kilometer on the provincial road to Oropa, reported as very busy on holidays.
The choice must therefore be made based on the day's conditions. Ask for updated information before leaving Graglia, check any notices and give up the variant if conditions do not allow attempting it. If you need to stop, consider the stop as part of the plan: arriving at all costs does not improve the journey.
In October also prepare for hours of stopping
Check the forecasts and the ARPA Piemonte bulletins for the areas crossed, verifying date of issue and validity. Here you will find general guidance to organize yourself, not a weather forecast for the days of your departure.
For the evening, pack a dry change of clothes in your backpack to use as soon as you arrive. Protect phone, documents and spare clothing from water with inner bags; test the closure before the trip. Keep the rain protection easily accessible: having to empty the whole backpack under a downpour complicates a break that might be short.
Set a prudent arrival time and leave margin for stops. A headlamp is useful as equipment, but it should not become the reason to schedule a stage longer than what can be managed with the available light.
Credential: collection should not be taken for granted
The Oropa credential collects stamps and allows you to request the Testimonium at the end of the route; it is not mandatory for walking. On the official page consulted on October 1, 2026, the point indicated for the Serra is the Casa del Movimento Lento in Roppolo. Those without the SlowCard are required to fill the reservation form; for those who have it the kit is reserved with activation.
Read the instructions before leaving: the same page specifies that the Serra credentials are already stamped by Santhià and Cavaglià . Protect the document and check the modalities for requesting the certificate, without assuming they are the same as those of Santiago.
Accommodation and return: close the plan before departure
For each overnight stay ask for a contact usable on the day of arrival, the reception hours and how to arrange dinner and breakfast. Save the responses together with the precise point on the map: the name of a town and the entrance of the facility can be two different references.
The walk starts from Santhià station. For the return the official site describes the bus connection from Oropa to Biella and the continuation by train. Check the timetables for the chosen day, leaving space between arrival on foot and the departure of the vehicle. The FAQs also warn that buses do not offer an easy connection between all stages: avoid basing an alternative plan on uncontrolled connections.
A page to keep available offline
Gather tracks, accommodations, contacts and return information into a folder downloaded to your phone. Add a short note about the planned variant for the last stage and about the conditions that would make you change plans. The route sheet and the catalog of SantiagoLand PDF guides, linked below, help collect references; double-check on the official website those that depend on dates.