Tour of the Vanoise Self-guided

Choose your Tour of the Vanoise Itinerary

Local Treasure

Circular Trek

Authentic Mountain Huts

Glacier Views

Solitude

Gentle Terrain

Nestled in a dramatic corner of the French Alps, snug against the Italian border and just a few hours away from the hustle and bustle of the Mont Blanc region, the self-guided Tour of the Vanoise is a classic hut-to-hut hike in France that delivers all the beauty, nature, and charm your heart may desire. Comfortable trails, friendly hut staff, and marmots seen along the way all add to the experience in France’s Vanoise National Park. Unlike many other hut hiking tours, this circular route remains relatively high, rarely dropping down into a valley, so you enjoy nearly continuous Alpine views.

This circular tour is perfect for those wanting minimal exposure and more mellow grades than can be found elsewhere in the Western Alps, without skipping on authentic Alpine views and experience. Overall, there is less daily elevation gain and loss, making it our best option for hikers struggling with knee pain or anyone who prefers steady, manageable days. Tour of the Vanoise is also a quieter alternative to the classic Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided treks.

Alpenventures Unguided handles the logistics - route design, accommodations, your custom eGuidebook, and an offline navigation app - and you can also upgrade with optional add-ons like our Airport-to-Airport package or an extra rest day (at an additional fee).

Location

Vanoise National Park, France

Airport

Geneva, Switzerland

Season

late-June to early-September

Responsible Travel Score
14/15 Responsible Travel Hero

GO Hike the Tour of the Vanoise

Step 1: Select your itinerary

Choose an itinerary that is suitable for your fitness level and experience. Look first for an itinerary with the right number of days. Once you click through to the itinerary, read the description and select the Itinerary tab to assess if the difficulty level of that itinerary is right for you. We also recommend viewing the photos and video to ensure the terrain and difficulty of the trail is suitable for you.

Feel free to reach out to our team of Experts if you need assistance selecting your itinerary.

Pro tip: If you aren't sure how much daily distance and elevation gain you are capable of doing, reach out to a more experienced friend who knows your capabilities for help.

Step 2: Select your price point and accommodation style

Once on the itinerary page, select the Pricing tab to view which of our Packages are available for this itinerary, what is included in each of those Packages and how much they cost. This is where you can see how many private rooms are possible for each package.

The packages available for each itinerary depend on the types of accommodation that are located along the route and at the designated stops. Most itineraries will not have all packages available. Here is a quick summary of our packages. More details is available when you click through to the Pricing tab for the itinerary you choose.

Ultralight Package: Budget-friendly accommodation options, which could be basic hotels or dormitory rooms in mountain huts or hostels.

Classic Package: Mid-level accommodation, usually in 3-star hotels or in private rooms*at mountain huts when possible.

Comfort Package: Upscale accommodation when available, such as 4-star hotels and private rooms* at mountain huts.

*Private rooms are extremely limited in mountain huts, and are very high demand. Unfortunately, we are not able to promise private rooms. Each package lists the maximum number of private rooms available for that package. When private rooms are not available, we will book a dormitory and adjust the invoice down accordingly.

Step 3: Review optional Add-ons

Step 4: Finalize your decision and book the tour

First, review all the information on the webpage about your itinerary of choice, and follow any links to resourceful information. Review the Current Avilability section to see if it will be feasible to book the tour on your preferred dates. Once your decision is made, Follow the green button, "GO Book the Tour" to submit your booking.

Enter your preferred start date first. There will be fields to enter in a flexible date range if you have one later in the process. Please be ready with the date of birth for any travel partners included in your booking.

Pay your deposit and leave the planning, reservations, and details to us.