Explore-Share logo and link to home

Trekking Tour in the Verdon Gorge in France

Verdon Gorge in France
Verdon Gorge excursion
Verdon Gorge France
Verdon Gorge trek

Trek the UNESCO-listed Verdon Gorge in France, with UIMLA-certified leader Emma taking you through breathtaking landscapes and medieval villages.

Not specified

Alps

7 Days

May - Sep

Fit

Beginner


Highlights

Hike through Verdon Gorge, the largest canyon in Europe

Discover hidden tunnels carved into the rock.

Enjoy some of the best food and wine in the world.

Description

Join me among the spectacular mixture of sparkling rivers, rugged rock formations and stunning hiking trails. The Verdon Gorge is a stunning area packed with medieval history.

Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Europe, the gorge is in its own national park. This UNESCO site is also the largest geological reserve in Europe.

The trek takes us through medieval villages scattered across the valley, where we’ll be resting along the way.

Highlights include a spectacular river, nestled between the two ancient towns of Castellane and Moustiers Sainte-Marie, that has cut a ravine into the limestone rock. Other wonders along the way include hidden tunnels carved into the rock, and beautiful lavender fields stretching into the distance.

And of course, the stunning scenery is accompanied by some of the most fabulous food and wine in the world.

This 7-day trip includes 6 nights in hotels and 5 days of trekking through breathtaking scenery.

Although moderately paced, each day consists of around 7-8 hours of hiking, so be sure you have a good level of fitness to join me in Verdon Gorge.

Reserve your place now at this UNESCO site and tread along the trails past lavender fields, dramatic cliff edges, and medieval villages.

I also propose embarking on a famous hiking route in the Alps. If you're interested, consider joining a group on**** the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt.

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Breakfast

- Dinner

- Transport during the trip

- Luggage transfer

- Guiding fee

- Mountain guide expenses

Price details

Included

6 nights' accommodation on twin-share basis

All dinners and breakfasts

All transport mentioned in the itinerary

Fully qualified & experienced International Mountain Leader

Luggage access on all 6 nights

Not Included

Insurance (mandatory for every participant)

Flights

Arrival & departure transfers

Travel insurance including Mountain Rescue Insurance (compulsory)

Lunches

Personal drinks & snacks

Tips


Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Saint André les Alpes

Our group meets at the hotel in a village resting on a 12th-century castle. I will brief you about the days to come and answer any questions.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included Luggage access

Day 2: Saint André les Alpes to Castellane

We begin with a steady ascent through beautiful woodland, enjoying views of Lac de Castillon. Climbing the limestone plateau (1,412m) we then descend and join the Voie Impériale. This trail was used by Napoleon on his return from Elba in 1815. Then we reach the village of Castellane.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included Luggage access Walking: approx 6 hours Distance: 24km Altitude gain / loss: +750m / -950m

Day 3: Castellane to Point Sublime

We join the famous GR4, which follows the route used by the Romans to reach Lyon. We continue along the Verdon valley, stopping for lunch at the beautiful Chasteuil, where we can buy soaps, balms and oils, all made with locally-grown lavender. A further ascent takes us to the village of Rougon. From here we have a short descent to the village of Point Sublime, and our base for the night.

Accommodation : Hotel, dinner included Luggage access Walking: approx 6-7 hours Distance: 23km Altitude gain / loss: +700m / -650m

Day 4: Point Sublime to La Palud

Today is more challenging as we enter the gorge! We drop towards the river, along the steep walls of the gorge, and join the ‘Martel Trail’. Our trail leads us along the gorge, past stunning limestone walls and dramatic cliffs. Highlights today include a 650 metre tunnel through the rock, and an impressive stairway. A final ascent takes us out of the gorge. Further on, we may stop at the Chalet de la Maline bar, and enjoy its breathtaking panoramic view. Then we take a short transfer to our hotel in the village of La Palud.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included Luggage access Walking: approx 7 hours Distance: 16km Altitude gain / loss: +550m / -600m

Day 5: La Palud to Moustiers Sainte-Marie

Hiking through the pine tree forest of Col de Plein Voir gives us spectacular views over the turquoise lake of Sainte-Croix. We continue past huge limestone crags and rock towers, reaching 1,213 metres. A fairly steep descent takes us down to the pretty village of Moustiers Sainte-Marie, a gem steeped in the history of the Knights Templar. It has an authentic Provençal character, with lovely cafes, art workshops and galleries.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included Luggage access Walking: approx 6-7 hours Distance: 19km Altitude gain / loss: +750m / -1000m

Day 6: Les Basses Gorges hike then transfer to Gréoux-les-Bains

Today's our last day of trekking. After a 35-minute transfer, we’ll arrive in the old village of Quinson to begin our exploration of the Basses Gorges du Verdon, the lower gorges of the Verdon River. In prehistoric times, humans settled in the caves here and the town’s museum (which claims to be Europe’s largest prehistoric museum) details their history. We’ll also trek some of the routes of the Verdon Canal path, made in 1865 and used until recently to channel water to Aix-en-Provence. The oak trees en route are used in the region’s charcoal industry. Back in the valley, expect dreamy pools with aquamarine water and peaceful little coves before we head up to the day’s high point, the ancient chapel of St Maxime. In the evening, we’ll transfer from Quinson to the picturesque village of Gréoux-les-Bains. Brimming with shops, cafes, and life, this is the perfect place to end our memorable traverse of the Verdon Gorge.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included Luggage access Walking: approx 5 hours Distance: 12km Altitude gain / loss: +300m / -420m

Day 7: Departure day

Our trip finishes after breakfast.

 

Details

More info

Insurance

It is compulsory that you take out adequate travel insurance, and it is a condition of booking with us that your insurance covers the following as a minimum: medical expenses, injury, illness, death, repatriation, personal accident, mountain rescue including helicopter evacuation, along with cancellation and curtailment. Your insurance must be valid for the duration of your tour.

Meeting point

Our hotel in Saint André Les Alpes.

FAQs

What experience and how fit do I need to be for this Verdon Gorge tour?

Each day includes around 7-8 hours of hiking, so please be prepared for a moderate physical challenge.

How will accommodation in the Verdon Gorge be handled?

This 7-day trip includes 6 nights of lodging in hotels.

Where will we meet at the start of the trip?

Our group will meet at the hotel in the Saint André les Alpes village.

What's included in the price?

The price includes:

*Accommodation

*Transport during the trip

*Luggage transfer

*Breakfast

*Dinner

What is the best time of the year to venture into the Verdon Gorge?

The best time to take this trip is during the months of May through September.

Can I join a group?

Yes, you're welcome to join on one of our open group dates.

What is the guide-to-client ratio?

We will have a 1:10 guide-to-participant ratio.

About the guide

Guide profile image

-Emma & Guides' team

4.40

(13)

Mountain Leader

I'm a qualified International Mountain Leader (IML) and I have been leading expeditions for the last 15 years. I have led the Tour du Mont Blanc over 40 times, the Everest Base Camp trek 27 times, Kilimanjaro 10 times, and I have also led trips in Nepal, Peru, Cuba, India, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Russia, Uzbekistan and Madagascar, amongst others. I work together with qualified mountain leaders like me, If I'm not available to guide you, one of my colleagues will take care of you.

I'm a passionate skier, in 2009 I made the first ski descent of Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world (8156m).

Fluent in French, Russian and Spanish, I also work as an interpreter and love to chat.

Languages

Russian | French | English

Certificates

UIMLA

Request more information

What people are saying about -Emma & Guides' team

Paul

5.00

Emma was very easy to communicate with (once we we able e in the same time zone, of course!). Our guide Phil was fabulous. Thanks to all.

5.00

Emma was a very sweet and knowledgeable guide. She was adaptive to the different personalities and skill level of our group. Easygoing, talkative, friendly and pleasant to be around! Couldn't be happier with our guide!

jeanne

4.00

We were Very pleased With Emma guiding us through the hikes. We really enjoyed the entire trip:) As we were just our family we would have loved a little more flexibility hiking in our own pace - felt we were rushed a bit too much. We should have informed Emma about this but we were too compliant:) The explore-share platform was a bit rigid/ formel - it was not clear that exploreshare hired another firm to do the job. Also quite a High fee to explore share We were first told to have an (expensive) extended travel insurance (with mountain rescue) up to departure / after we had plaid. We should have been told this before signing up. Another mistake were that explore share had told us last payment were due closer to departure - so in a rush we had to pay up 60 days before as this is cloud9advenures policy. This made us uncertain if it was fraud. But it wasn’t:) overall pleased with our trip

Fausto

4.00

Bruno our guide was very helpful and profesional

Jill

5.00

AMAZING! This was a last minute decision and my first multi day trekking tour and it far exceeded my expectations. The communication and preparation was comprehensive and accurate. Our guide (Lindsay) was phenomenal. The route was the perfect mix of challenge and comfort. I will definitely be booking my next hiking trek thru Emma.


You may also like

Join our newsletter!

Stay up-to-date on the best adventures.