Valley of Marvels 2-day hiking trip, Mercantour National Park

Valley of Wonders hiking tour, Mercantour National Park

vValley of Wonders hiking tour, Mercantour National Park

Explore the beautiful Valley of Marvels (Vallée des Merveilles), in the Mercantour National Park, along UIMLA Mountain Leader Fabrice. Discover stunning alpine scenery and one of the most famous archaelogical sites in the Alps.

Private

Alps

2 Days

Jun - Oct

Intermediate

Highlights

* Discover amazing alpine landscapes next to the French Riviera

* Visit one of the most famous archeological areas in the Alps

* Enjoy the view of beautiful alpine wildlife and flowers

Description

Next to Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo and the French Riviera, you can find the unique Valley of Marvels, located in the the Mercantour National Park, in the southern French Alps.

The Valley of Marvels –Vallée des Merveilles, in French- is a famous alpine area to visit in the southern Alps, as it gathers some of the most beautiful landscapes and it is a very important archelogical site at the same time. We find here one of the largest amount of open-air Copper and Bronze Age petroglyphs in Europe, a great evidence of the earliest human presence in the Alps.

Many great lakes, colorful rocks, and high peaks create an impressive alpine landscape you will enjoy, located at an altitude of 1300 to 2500 meters above sea level (4200 to 8500 feet).

Morever, as the Valley of Marvels is a highly protected area, there is a great chance to enjoy some wildlife encounters, with chamois (or shammy), ibex, marmotts or other alpine animals. On this Valley of Marvels 2-day excursion, we will be staying at the Vallée des Merveilles alpine refuge (cabin).

If you are interested on this great hiking tour, just send me a request. Book your trip and get ready to discover the unique Valley of Marvels.

Also note it is also possible to do an easier 1-day hiking excursion in the Valley of Marvels, from Fontanalbe. We can also propose a 3 to 5-day tour in the Valley of Marvels, as there are many interesting spots for great hikes in this area.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Price details

Price does not include meals and accommodation. Consider about 55EUR per person for 1 full board night. Picnic can be provided by additional 10 EUR per person.

Details

More info

PRICE PER PERSON Group of 9: 80 EUR Group of 10 to 12 people: 70 EUR

CHECK LIST. Good walking boots-Breathable Jacket and rain vest (It can be hot and cold in the same day in the high altitude mountains)- Micro fleece and mountain tee shirts (if possible avoid cotton tee-shirts)- Cap- Water bottle (1 liter/pers)- Sun protection- Sunglasses -Walking sticks if you need (for the petroglyph area)- 2 pairs of walking sticks can be provided.

Meeting point

We usually meet in Saint Dalmas de Tende. Our hiking tour starts in Casterino. HOW TO GET THERE: -You can drive from Nice and from the French Riviera to Saint Dalmas de Tende. In the Roya Valley through Nice and Vintimiglia (Italy). -Train is available from Nice to Saint Dalmas de Tende. Then, we have a 30 min. drive to Casterino. -Nice is the closest airport. *If you wish, I can pick you up from a number of different places, from Nice or other places on the French Riviera. In this case, 40 to 60 EUR will be asked for transportation cost.

About the guide

Fabrice

4.90

(39)

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! :)