Start: Modane, France
End: Modane, France
Season Dates: 14 July to 18 Sept 2025
Length: 11 days' walking, 12 nights
Typical walk: 16km, 800m ascent, 700m descent
Total distance: 160km or 100 miles
Highest altitude: 2,796m
Grade: Purple (Walking grades)
Group size: A minimum of 2 people
Our Tour of the Vanoise trip is a spectacular high-level route in the French Alps, encompassing the main valleys and mountain passes of the Vanoise National Park. Our 11-stage trip follows the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise route in the South, as well as our additional Northern sections. The trail runs along sections of the GR5 and the GR55 long distance routes to create its own circuit. Located between the Mont Blanc and the Ecrin Massifs, the Vanoise national park is home to 107 peaks over 3,000m, providing the mountain back-drop to this trip.
Our 11-stage tour will take you on an immersive journey through Alpine meadows, past glistening lakes and over the rocky terrain of high mountain passes surrounded by snow-capped peaks and glaciers. This combination of environments, cosy huts, delicious food and varying stage lengths makes for a great walking holiday. Our 11-stage tour stays in 7 traditional mountain huts, adding a remote mountain feel to your trip.
Our routecards follow the known Tour of the Vanoise route and describe the trail in detail, allowing you to relax and enjoy the walking. Although we don't include a rest day as standard, we offer the option to add in a rest day in Val d'Isere.
If your group would like to hike with a guide, we can also arrange a privately guided trip. We welcome you to get in touch to ask for more details on this option.
Map
Alternative trips
Something a little bit different? Tour of the Vanoise South A 7-stage circuit also known as the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise Julian Alps - a shorter 5-stage hut-to-hut experience in Slovenia Via Alpina - 7-stage hike staying in hotels on all nights
Arrival day: Arrive in Modane
Your trip starts on arrival at your hotel in Modane. Easily reached by road and rail, Modane is also well placed on the trail for a practical start to the hike. There are supermarkets to stock up on supplies before an evening meal in a local restaurant. Hotel in Modane (breakfast)
Stage 1: Modane to Refuge de l'Orgere Blue 2 (grade) 5.7km with 890m ascent, 0m descent
Find your mountain legs with a sustained climb out of the valley and into the mountains proper. The day is short so you have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the walking. Most of the ascent is in trees; however, your hard work is rewarded by the views which open up as you ascend. Once at the top, there is a real mountain feel and a fantastic taste of what’s to come! Mountain hut (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner)
Stage 2: Refuge de l’Orgère to Refuge de Plan Sec Red 2 (grade) 12km with 770m ascent, 395m descent
A climb through trees leads to a traverse across open hillsides, and the best distant views so far. Having sighted the day’s destination across the valley, the second half of the day involves a circuit high above two lakes to reach the hut. Enjoy the views from the cosy Refuge de Plan Sec at the end of the day, perched high on the hillside. Mountain hut (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner)
Stage 3: Refuge de Plan Sec to Refuge de l’Arpont Red 3 (grade) 16km with 670m ascent, 540m descent
A day of gentle ups and downs and long traverses across the hillsides. Today’s stage makes significant progress around the National Park with views ahead, behind, above, below and out across the valley. The second half of the day sees rougher country, until the final combe with the Refuge at the far side. Mountain hut (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner)
Stage 4: Refuge de l’Arpont to Refuge du Plan de Lac Red 2 (grade) 13.4km with 740m ascent, 690m descent
Another day of stupendous views, possibly better than the previous stage. Rough and rocky terrain gives way to grassier combes and glacial valleys. The day’s destination can be seen for much of the first half, but the route takes a long loop around the head of the Doron gorge.
Mountain hut (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner)
Stage 5: Refuge du Plan de Lac to Refuge du Vallonbrun Red 3 (grade) 18.1km with 700m ascent, 810m descent
A day of two halves. Firstly, the route completes the foray into the mountains around the Doron gorge, with fantastic views back to the previous stages. After Crête de la Turra, we rejoin the l’Arc valley and continue East on a high-level traverse across the hillside. Another day of good tracks and paths, and ever-changing vistas. Mountain hut (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner)
Stage 6: Refuge du Vallonbrun to Bonneval-sur-Arc Blue 2 (grade) 15.5km with 110m ascent, 600m descent
This stage gives a change of scene, as the route quickly drops to the River Arc for the first time since Modane. There follows an easy stroll along the valley bottom to the accompaniment of birdsong, waterfalls and just the occasional traffic. A day to encounter a bit more of the Alpine civilization than on the previous stages. Auberge in Bonneval-sur-Arc (breakfast)
Stage 7: Bonneval-sur-Arc to Val d’Isère Red 3 (grade) 14.3km with 980m ascent, 960m descent
A day of up and down begins, going from the valley of the Arc, over the highest paved col in the Alps (Col de l'Iseran) down into the valley of the Isère: a change of valley and a change of character. The climb up is steep in places, but the descent is mostly well-graded. Enjoy the variety, and a night in the largest town to be visited by the Tour of the Vanoise, the famous ski resort of Val d'Isere. Hotel in Val d'Isère (breakfast)
Stage 8: Val d’Isère to Refuge de la Leisse Purple 4 (grade) 19.9km with 1160m ascent, 480m descent
A day of stark contrasts. This stage starts with the modern architecture of the ski centres of Val d’Isère, Tignes and Val Claret, and finishes in the wild beauty of the Vallon de la Leisse where the Refuge’s buildings are the only ones within sight. Along the way are two places from which it is possible to see the Mont Blanc massif. Mountain Hut (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner)
Stage 9: Refuge de la Leisse to Pralognan-la-Vanoise Red 3 (grade) 18.1km with 420m ascent, 1490m descent
A day spent going from wild mountain scenery to a traditional small town typical of the Vanoise. The mountain views around the Col de la Vanoise are superb, and the long descent passes quickly with the help of the Lac des Vaches. Arrive at the lively village of Pralognan which has all that's required without the modern architecture of the previous stage. We love Pralognan! Hotel in Pralognan-la-Vanoise (breakfast)
Stage 10: Pralognan-la-Vanoise to Refuge de Péclet-Polset Blue 3 (grade) 13.6km with 1070m ascent, 10m descent
A relatively relaxed day today, despite the height gain, as most of the day is spent on good tracks and paths. The route traverses pretty countryside before climbing steadily up-valley and into the mountains with Pointe de l’Echelle in view ahead. The route feels wilder as you continue to climb to your home for the night; the futuristic refuge of Péclet-Polset. Mountain hut (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner)
Stage 11: Refuge de Péclet-Polset to Modane Purple 3 (grade) 14.4km with 320m ascent, 1750m descent
This stage traverses the Col de Chavière, the last and highest col on the Tour of the Vanoise, and also the highest col crossed by any of the GR routes. And a grand setting it is. Once beyond, it is downhill almost all the way to Modane. Enjoy this final stage. Hotel in Modane (breakfast)
Departure day: Depart from Modane
Relax over breakfast and maybe visit the l'Entree Monumentale - a monument with a life-sized steam train recording the history of the first tunnel through the Alps. Depart for the airport or your further travels.
Trip Options
Our normal 11-stage trip completes the Tour de Vanoise without unduly long days and with plenty of time to relax. The nice mix of long and short days allows for a relaxed holiday. We provide some of the options below and welcome you to ask if you would like more details!
Make the trip shorter
Our normal 11-stage hike can be made quicker, for strong walkers, taking 9 or 10 stages. This must involve at least one longer stage. This is achieved by merging the first two or final two stages into a single long day, in or out of Modane. (It's hard to recommend 8 stages or fewer for a full Vanoise circuit due to the length of the days and spacing of accommodation.) Another way to shorten your trek is to skip the first short stage to Refuge de l'Orgere by taking the shuttle bus or a taxi Refuge de l'Orgere. Please let us know and we'll discuss options that might suit.
Make the trip longer
Please ask us about adding nights at intermediate huts, for a 12- or 13-stage trip. Generally we would suggest rest days instead of extra stages but a mix is possible.
Walk the Southern circuit
For shorter trips, we recommend our Tour of the Vanoise South trip. This Southern circuit starts and ends in Modane, passing via the Col de la Vanoise along the Entre Deux Eaux route. This 7 stage hiking holiday, also known as the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise, is very popular with French hikers. Please ask us for more details.
Rest Days
As standard, we don't include a rest day. However, if you would like to add one in, we recommend Val d'Isere which is a larger resort about half-way round (and a great hotel). Alternatively for 2 rest days, we can break the trip at Bonneval-sur-Arc and at Pralognan-la-Vanoise, both pretty alpine villages. Please ask us for details.
Hike with a guide
Hike with confidence in the company of our fully qualified International Mountain Leaders (IMLs), with the navigation, accommodation and arrangements taken care of. If your group would like a guide for your trip, please get in touch for more details.
2025 Prices
Tour of the Vanoise
14 July to 18 Sept 2025
Classic
Self-guided
10 stages
(11 nights)
GBP 1,280
Singles 125
11 stages
(12 nights)
GBP 1,340
Singles 125 Main Trip
11 stages
1 rest day
(13 nights)
GBP 1,410
Singles 155
Options
Baggage transfer
Not available on this route
Accommodation
Where we stay
Our classic mix of accommodation aims to give the best of both worlds; rustic huts in the mountains and friendly hotels and 1 guesthouse in the towns. As standard our classic trip includes 7 nights in huts, 4 nights in 2* and 3* hotels, and 1 night in a lovely guesthouse in Bonneval-sur-Arc. Please note that Modane is more of a practical place to start the trip, rather than a quaint Alpine town.
Huts
Dormitory are standard on this trip and as such you will be sleeping in shared rooms on 7 nights of the trip. Dorm rooms vary from 4-person to 12-person rooms depending on the hut. Refuge Plan Sec has a limited number of private rooms available which you can request upon check-in. These rooms cost an extra 12 euros payable to the hut warden. It is not possible to book these rooms in advance.
This is predominently a hut-to-hut trip, and we find the refuges contribute to the overall Alpine experience. They are the natural stopping points along the route and they offer a wonderful communal spirit as you get to share the hiking experience with others in some fantastic locations.
Hutty
Our trip is already quite 'hutty', meaning we do not have a dedicated hutty option for the Vanoise. It might be possible in the towns and villages to swap hotels for auberges or to book a more basic hotel. Please ask us if you'd like to explore the more basic accommodation options and we can take a look for you.
Single Supplement
The single supplement covers the higher cost of single rooms at the hotels (4 on our normal trip). The huts do not offer single rooms, or dorms for single occupancy.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
Rest days
In terms of rest days, we suggest Bonneval-sur-Arc as a quiet resting spot. Enjoy an rest day from the trail resting up in the quaint village of Bonneval-Sur-Arc or hike to nearby villages and lakes. We recommend a visit to the Le Lac du Grand Mean and its glacier, or the traditional mountain village of L’Ecot. Your hosts in Bonneval will have plenty of suggestions for local trips. For a more lively rest-day, the resort town of Val d'Isere works well too if you'd prefer to enjoy the many restaurants and cafes on offer during your day-off from hiking.
The futuristic hut of Refuge de Péclet-Polset
Route
A short narrower section of path, with chains before Pont de la Neige, Stage 7Our approach to the Tour of the Vanoise
The most popular trek in the Vanoise National Park is the 7-stage Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise. While this is a fantastic trip in its own right, we like to add the Northern sections of the National Park to make our complete Tour of the Vanoise. Our routecards stick to the generally accepted Tour of the Vanoise route. We don't include a rest day as standard, but you are welcome to add some in the towns if you wish.
Latest research on the Tour of the Vanoise South by Alpine Exploratory's Claire.
The Terrain
The Tour of the Vanoise is a popular trail in Summer, more so with French people than international hikers. The trail is made up of sections of the GR5 and GR55 long distance trails; the result is solid conditions underfoot for the most part. The terrain on the higher sections of the trail is sometimes steep and rocky, such as the rocky ascent to the Col de Chaviere on the final stage. This is complemented by the more relaxing sections of contouring hillside paths and tracks with some rockier sections to keep you entertained.
There are some small sections of steep, loose ground requiring care and also short sections of exposed ground with chains to hold. These should not present a problem to most mountain walkers, and there are no via ferrata or climbing sections. In early or late Summer, there is a good chance of snow patches lying on the higher paths which will require care, but the lower paths are likely to be snow-free. We provide as much information as we can in our Season Update each July.
Is it for me?
The Tour of the Vanoise is a wonderful trail and often cited as one of the best multi-day hiking trails in the Alps. It provides outstanding views throughout and is less busy than the neighbouring trails of the Tour du Mont Blanc to the North and the Tour de l'Oisans (Ecrins) to the South. The trail is a mix of challenging days on rough mountain paths and easier days on solid tracks and valley paths. The route also includes a great mix of accommodation with 7 characterful mountain huts giving a remote mountain feel to the trail and 5 comfy hotels in the towns allowing for rest and relaxation.
This route suits those with good overall fitness and experience of multi-day hikes in the mountains. You will also need the ability to walk for up to 8 hours per day over rocky ground. If you are very fit and active day-to-day, then the Vanoise can also be suitable for those relatively new to multi-day trekking, although previous mountain walking experience is still necessary. The main challenge of the Vanoise, aside from the daily distance, is the amount of ascent and descent with around 7,000m of ascent over 11-stages.
The route is generally well signposted and waymarked, aiding navigation, although a map and compass is needed for navigation in case of bad weather such as low cloud. This is particularly important on the higher rockier sections such the Col de Chavière on Stage 11. It is important that at least 1 person in each group can navigate with a map and compass. We provide you with our routecards, providing detailed descriptions of each days’ walk, along with the topographical maps for the full route.
The route passes through a number of key mountain towns and villages: Val d'Isere, Tignes and Pralognan-la-Vanoise. These three are well-known as ski resorts and come with good hotels and shopping.
Difficulty
We grade the Tour of the Vanoise as a Purple. This trail is first and foremost a walk and there are no glacier crossings, via ferrata or rock climbing. There are however a few sections of steep and rocky ground which require steady foot placement and, at times, an ability to cope with narrow and exposed paths. In a few sections the path is a little exposed and chains are provided to aid progress, such as sections approaching Pont de la Neige on Stage 7. There are also a number of sections such as the Col de Chavière on Stage 11 where the route becomes rocky and crosses a number of scree slopes requiring steady foot placement.
Your holiday starts and ends in Modane, which is a medium-size working town in a major valley linking France and Italy. It has solid road and rail links. The most convenient airports are Lyon and Turin; Geneva has many more Summer flights but is a longer rail or coach journey. Be prepared to travel 2-4 hours to reach Modane depending on the route. Train and bus connections are also possible from Chambery, Grenoble and Paris. We describe the various options in our Trip Notes and please ask if you'd like earlier advice.
Travel to and from the trip is not included in the holiday price, and we leave you to arrange your transfers individually. We do however take care to give the most useful notes possible about all travel options. We supply these both on booking in your Trip Notes, and in your info pack which we send out prior to your trip. We also offer personalised tips based on our extensive travels across Europe; please ask us for advice and we'll be happy to help!
Included
Bespoke accommodation itinerary - tailored to suit your preferences
Breakfast on every morning
Dinner and a packed lunch at the huts (7 nights on our normal trip)
Detailed Routecards TVA1-11 of the Exploratory system, printed on waterproof paper
The 2 French topographical maps (1:25,000)
Downloadable GPX Tracks covering the route
Expert advice and local information
A comprehensive Season Update following our pre-season recce
Full support during your trip from the Alpine Exploratory team (9am until 9pm in the Alps)
Not included
Travel to and from Modane
Local transport during the trip
Travel insurance
Snacks and drinks, and lunches and evening meals in the towns (5 nights on our normal trip)
Baggage transfer
We cannot offer bag transfer on this trip due to the remoteness of the huts. It is also possible leave your luggage at the hotel in Modane whilst you hike.
Got questions about the Tour of the Vanoise?
Feel free to ask us any questions you have about any aspects of your planning and preparations! Lucy, Steph, Nicky, Rob, Evie, Ben and Amy will reply with expert advice. We spend a lot of time walking our routes and more broadly exploring ski and hiking trails around the world so do feel free to ask anything at all.
Enquiry Form Tour of the Vanoise Self-guided
If you prefer, please feel welcome to email or call us. Thanks!
Open to the world
Since Alpine Exploratory started in 2005 we have loved getting to know our clients from around the world. Along with the UK, our best-represented countries are the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Please use our national-rate numbers for a cheaper call to contact our office in Edinburgh.
The Alpine Exploratory team in Edinburgh
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Alpine Exploratory
Alpine Exploratory is a system of knowledge on the best mountain trekking in our areas, giving clients superb holidays based on this exploration.
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Tour of the Vanoise
Walking Guide to the Tour of the Vanoise - our detailed guide
Lac des Vaches, Stage 9
Alpine Exploratory
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