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Hiking in the Vanoise National Park in the French Alps
Hiking in the Vanoise National Park, in the French Alps
Hiking in the Vanoise National Park, in the French Alps
Hiking in the Vanoise National Park, in the French Alps
Hiking in the Vanoise National Park, in the French Alps

Hiking in the Vanoise National Park in the French Alps, 3 days

Discover the amazing alpine landscapes and best hiking routes of the Vanoise National Park in Savoie, in the French Alps, along UIMLA-certified Mountain Leader Fabrice.


TRIP TYPE

Private

MOUNTAIN RANGES

Alps

DURATION

3 Days

OFFER PERIOD

Jul - Sep

FITNESS LEVEL

Occasional

SKILL LEVEL

All Levels

PAYMENT METHODS

Credit Card, Wire Transfer and more!

  • Discover some of the most impressive landscapes in the Alps
  • This program offers a selection of the best hikes in the area
  • Enjoy spectacular views of peaks and glaciers along the trails

Description

I invite you to join me on a 3-day hiking tour in the Vanoise National Park, the biggest in the northern French Alps. There we find some of the most famous and popular hiking routes in the French Alps.

The Vanoise National Park boasts some of the most impressive alpine landscapes, with many glaciers and peaks that reach 4000 meters (14000 feet). We will hike at a lower altitude, between 1000 and 2500 meters, in the alpine forest and alpine meadows, but always looking up to the peaks covered by glaciers.

Around the Vanoise park we find some of the biggest ski resorts in the world, like Courchevel, Tignes and Val Thorens, located right next to it. Although the creation of the park was aimed to preserve the landscapes, the park also has a unique flora and fauna,  with species like chamois or ibex (mountains goats) that we can meet anytime during the hike.

The Vanoise park is part of the Savoie department, with a lot of alpine history and traditions. We find here the beaufort, a famous traditional cheese, made sometimes directly here in the high mountain pasture (great for your pic nic time!).

Pralognan-la-Vanoise alpine resort is one of the main gates to access the heart of the park and where we will start our hikes from. One of the highlihts of the program will be the  Vanoise Pass hike. It is possible to do many more hikes driving from there.

This program is suitable to intermediate level or sporty hikers, but if you are a beginner this program can be modified to be easier. Every day you will come back to the same hotel and carry a light bag every day for the hike. Also, if you wish to stay longer, many other hikes are possible, so please just ask us about longer programs if you are interested.

If you want to join me on this 3-day hike in the Vanoise National Park, just send me a request and book your trip!

You can also check out other programs I guide in the Alps, like Mont Blanc-Chamonix 3-day tour or a hike in the Mercantour National Park, like this 1-day hike, a 2-day hike in the Valley of Marvels,  or a hike in the Fenestre Lake and Pass.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Price details

Price per person for groups of 8 to 10 people: 210 EUR / Price per person for groups from 11 to 12 people: 195 EUR. // The price does not include lodging and meals. Picnic with local food and specialities may be provided with an extra charge of 12 €/pers. Cabin cars and lift can be used on this program (about 15 € for day 2).

Secure your spot with just 25% payment

48-hour free cancellation with 30-day advance booking


Itinerary

Day 1: Pralognan - Views of Vanoise glaciers and massif

We start our hike from Pralognan, progressing in alpine fir and pine trees forest. Then we get to alpine chalets and meadows where we will enjoy great views of the big Vanoise glaciers and mountain range.

Elevation: 600 meters ascent.  Duration: 4 to 5 or 6 hours  (depending on your level).

Day 2: Vanoise high pass and five lakes

Today we will enjoy definitely one the most famous hikes in French Alps ! This is a famous area in the Alps, as we will visit many big lakes and reach and historical high pass that was already used in ancient times, at more than 2500 meters high (8000 feet). From the pass, we can admire the highest peak, culminating at 3855 meters (almost 14000 feet). We will need to take a cable car if we want to make the ascent easier and shorter. Or we can start from Pralognan (sportier option).

Elevation: +/ – 630 meters ascent (or -1100m).

Duration: 5 to 6 hours hike.

Day 3: The white lake and Peclet Polset cabin

The trail is reaching a high altitude lake in a very mineral atmosphere. And we get the the large white lake. Views to the peaks and glaciers are always very impressive. On our way we will probably meet many cows and a nice old alpine chalet, where the shephards have been producing cheese for centuries. We can taste it and buy it as well.
Elevation: +750 meters ascent. Duration: 5 hours hike.

FAQs

What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?

We understand that finding the perfect place to stay is an essential part of your adventure experience. To help you with this, we’ve curated a list of three highly recommended hotels that offer comfort, convenience, and a touch of local charm. These accommodations are well-suited for adventurers looking to relax and rejuvenate after an exciting day of exploration
Hôtel Les Suites Maison Vivienne Courchevel France
See rooms
Le K2 Altitude Courchevel France
See rooms
Le Strato Courchevel France
See rooms

About the guide: Fabrice

Guide profile image

Fabrice

4.90

(42)

Mountain Leader

I am a hiking guide (International Mountain Leader) who has been working all over France (including Provence and the Alps), Italy and Portugal since 2001. I speak fluent English due to my frequent trips to Taos Ski Valley (in New Mexico, USA where my family runs a great hotel and ski school), and my hiking trips in the American Southwest.

I live mainly in Nice (French Riviera), but I also move all over the Alps working in different alpine valleys. I often visit Martinique (French Caribbean island), where I enjoy rainforest and tropical hikes.

When I´m not guiding, I also work as a photographer, and like to climb, ski, play tennis, or kitesurf in my spare time. Additionally, I really enjoy botany and history.

I can guide you for a half day or for as many days as you like. I´ll take you to discover my favourite French Riviera alpine region, and the wild and large Mercantour National Park (counting 8 different valleys) near Nice, Monte Carlo and Cannes.

In my region we can enjoy the Mediterranean landscape at sea level. As we move into higher altitudes, we will discover alpine lakes, larch or pine forests, orchids and alpine flowers, open meadows, spectacular medieval perched villages and old baroque chapels and churches, with great historic value.

We can also discover the hiking hotspots in Provence such as Calanques National Park, Verdon gorges, Sainte Victoire and the Var region, with Saint Tropez a particular highlight.

I also love to hike in Italy in the very famous world heritage Cinque Terre (the amazing national park of the "Five Lands"), or in Liguria near San Remo.

And finally, I always enjoy taking my guests to the northern Alps: to Chamonix and Mont Blanc´s amazingly large panoramas or to the great Vanoise National Park, the largest in the heart of French Alps.

Languages

French | English

Certificates

UIMLA

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What people are saying about Fabrice

Mark

5.00

Highly recommend hiring Fabrice as your guide for exploring southern France. As someone unfamiliar with the region, I wasn't up to the task of planning a hike on my own. Particularly a hike in the winter. Fabrice made it all easy. He is incredibly knowledgeable of the region's geography and weather and so was able to tailor a hike just based on the next day's weather forecast. A critical skill for hiking in December. I learned about the natural landscape, vegetation and even how to hike with less stress on my knees. He also taught me about Nordic hiking which is something I definitely want to try again. For sure, I'll be hiring Fabrice again on my next trip to France.

Sue

5.00

Fabrice is a first-class guide! Taking into account last-minute weather changes and after assessing our fitness, he quickly customised an exciting itinerary that led us from the Préalpes to the beautiful hilltop villages of Gourdon, Tourettes-sur-Loup and Saint-Paul-de-Vence. He pointed out great photo opportunities, so we managed to take plenty of nicely-framed photos on our smartphones. Fabrice also introduced us to the game of pétanque and thanks to him, we were able to understand and appreciate the games as they were being played by the locals during our trip.

Daniel

5.00

Fabrice was a wonderful guide with a wide knowledge of not only the history of the area but the flora and fauna of the French Mediterranean coast. The hike provided beautiful views of the cities along the coast as well as the mountains behind them. Highly recommend both the hike and the guide.

matthew

4.00

Fabrice is an adept guide. He took us on some amazing hikes. We were happy to have him guide us to get the most out of our 3 days in Chamonix.

Elias

5.00

Had a wonderful hike with Fabrice as our hiking guide. Highly recommend! If you are from the East Coast of the U.S., recommend going one skill level down from what you think is the right fit for you, since the elevation/altitude of the Alps makes the hike harder than you are likely used to (less oxygen in the air). I did the "moderate plus" thinking it would be easy for me--it was a serious workout! :)

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