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Trekking in the Vanoise

Tour of the Vanoise and the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise

A guide to the Tour of the Vanoise, a 150km hut-to-hut trek in the French mountains between Mont Blanc and the Ecrins, described in 11 day stages from Modane. Also included are the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise together with suggestions for other multi-day treks in the national park.

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Quick facts

  • Location: Vanoise National Park, Savoie, French Alps, between Mont Blanc and the Massif des Écrins, near the Italian border
  • Number of routes: 5 multi-day hut-to-hut treks
  • Distance: 45–163 km per trek; stages range from 6–20 km per day
  • Duration: 5–12 days per trek; daily walking typically 4–8 hours
  • Areas covered: Tour of the Vanoise, Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise (TdGV), Tour of the Eastern Vanoise, Tour of the Western Vanoise, Vanoise traverse via GR5 and GR55
  • Route type: Well-marked high mountain trails, classic hut-to-hut circuits, figure-of-eight and oval-shaped routes; optional easy 3000m summit (Pointe de l’Observatoire)
  • Stages: Tour of the Vanoise (11 stages), TdGV (5), shorter tours (4–7)
  • Difficulty: Moderate to demanding; suitable for fairly experienced hikers with good fitness. No technical mountaineering skills required, but some short exposed sections
  • Terrain: Alpine meadows, rocky paths, high passes (>2500m), wild glacial landscapes, panoramic mountain views
  • Navigation: 1:50,000 mapping, detailed stage descriptions, downloadable GPX files, route profiles
  • Best season: Mid-June to late September (when huts are open); alpine flowers best in early July, stable weather in September
  • Highlights: Views of Mont Blanc, Dent Parrachée, Grande Casse, Grande Motte; welcoming mountain refuges; abundant wildlife and wildflowers
  • Equipment: Full trekking kit including sturdy boots, weatherproof clothing, and standard alpine gear
  • Accommodation: Numerous mountain huts and refuges (mid-June to late September); comprehensive accommodation listings included

Detailed overview

Discover the wild beauty of France’s Vanoise National Park, where soaring peaks, glacial vistas, and alpine meadows offer some of the Alps’ finest hut-to-hut trekking. Enjoy dramatic high passes, sweeping views of Mont Blanc and Grande Casse, and the warm hospitality of mountain refuges. With its well-marked trails and classic routes, the Vanoise is a top destination for walkers seeking unspoilt alpine scenery.

Perfect for fairly experienced hikers with good fitness, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook presents two iconic multi-day treks: the 163km Tour of the Vanoise and the 72km Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise. Three additional one-week treks, Tour of the Eastern Vanoise, Tour of the Western Vanoise, and a traverse of the Vanoise via the GR5 and GR55, are also outlined, offering a summer’s worth of adventure in this magnificent region.

Includes five classic hut-to-hut treks in the Vanoise Alps, with routes ranging from 45km to 163km, suitable for walkers able to cover 6–19km (4–12 miles) per day.
The Tour of the Vanoise is presented in 11 stages plus variants, and the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise in 5 stages, each with daily distance, ascent/descent, and time estimates.
Alternative itineraries, rolling times, and stage-by-stage accommodation listings enable you to tailor your Vanoise trek to your own pace and interests.
Explore highlights such as the wild central massif, high cols over 2500m, and the option to summit the Pointe de l’Observatoire (3000m) during the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise
Each Vanoise trek is accompanied by clear 1:50,000 mapping, downloadable GPX files, elevation profiles, and concise route summaries.
Comprehensive listings of mountain huts and facilities along the routes (mid-June to late September), ensuring you make the most of the Vanoise’s legendary refuge network.
Practical guidance on planning and preparation, travel logistics, equipment, safety, wildlife, alpine flora, and advice for making the most of summer trekking in the protected Vanoise National Park.


Whether you’re planning your first Alpine hut-to-hut trek or seeking a classic multi-day circuit in a spectacular setting, this definitive Cicerone guidebook will help you plan an unforgettable journey through one of France’s most celebrated mountain regions.

Where and when to go

Seasons

The summer trekking season - mid-June to the end of September

Centres

Modane, Termignon, Bonneval-sur-Arc, Val d'Isère, Tignes, Pralognan-la-Vanoise

Difficulty

Mostly easy trekking at fairly high altitude. A few optional route variants cross high and remote cols, whilst a very small number of stages have short sections aided by steps or cables. A great - often overlooked - place to start a trekking lifestyle.

Must See

The Grande Casse and Grande Motte, views north to Mont Blanc and south to the Écrins massif, lakes at Plan du Lac and Lozières, the Dent Parrachée, the beautiful Leisse and Rocheure valleys, the wild landscapes of the high passes of the eastern and western Vanoise

Table of contents

Map key

Overview map

Route summary tables

Introduction

Tour of the Vanoise

Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise

Short tours in the Vanoise

When to go

How to get there

Accommodation

Notes for walkers

Recommended maps

Equipment

Safety in the mountains

The Vanoise National Park

Wildlife and Alpine flowers

Using this guide

Tour of the Vanoise

Stage 1 Modane to Refuge de l'Org&##xe8;re

Stage 2 Refuge de l'Org&##xe8;re to Refuge de Plan Sec

Stage 3 Refuge de Plan Sec to Refuge de l'Arpont

Stage 4 Refuge de l'Arpont to Refuge du Plan du Lac

Stage 5 Refuge du Plan du Lac to Refuge du Vallonbrun

Stage 6 Refuge du Vallonbrun to Bonneval-sur-Arc

Stage 7 Bonneval-sur-Arc to Val d'Is&##xe8;re

Stage 7A Bonneval-sur-Arc to Refuge de la Femma

Stage 8 Val d'Is&##xe8;re to Refuge de la Leisse

Stage 8A Val d'Is&##xe8;re to Refuge de la Femma

Stage 9 Refuge de la Leisse to Pralognan-la-Vanoise

Stage 9A Refuge de la Femma to Pralognan-la-Vanoise

Stage 10 Pralognan-la-Vanoise to Refuge de P&##xe9;clet-Polset

Stage 11 Refuge de P&##xe9;clet-Polset to Modane

Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise

Stage 1 Pralognan-la-Vanoise to Refuge de la Valette

Stage 2 Refuge de la Valette to Refuge du Fond d'Aussois

Stage 3 Refuge du Fond d'Aussois to Refuge de l'Arpont

Stage 4 Refuge de l'Arpont to Refuge de la Col de la Vanoise

Stage 5 Refuge de la Col de la Vanoise to Pralognan-la-Vanoise

Short tours in the Vanoise

1 Tour of the Eastern Vanoise

2 Tour of the Western Vanoise

3 Traverse of the Vanoise via the GR5 and GR55

Appendix A Useful contacts

Appendix B Accommodation

Appendix C French-English glossary

Appendix D Bibliography

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN9781852848637
AvailabilityPublished
Published15 November 2021
Reprinted13 March 2023
Pages192
Weight 230g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

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Meet the authors

A lifelong passion for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, drove Kev's desire to share his sense of wonder and delight in the natural world through his writing, guiding, photography and lecturing. Spending several months every year in various high-mountain regions researching guidebooks made him The Man with the World's Best Job.

Kev enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Cicerone from the 1970s, producing 50 books, including guides to five major trekking regions of Nepal and to numerous routes in the European Alps and Pyrenees, as well as walking guides for Kent, Sussex and the Cotswolds. 'A Walk in the Clouds' is a collection of autobiographical short stories recording 50 years of mountain travel and adventures. He was also the contributing editor of the collaborative guide 'Trekking in the Himalaya' and Cicerone's celebratory anniversary compilation 'Fifty Years of Adventure'.

A frequent contributor to outdoor magazines, Kev also wrote and illustrated brochures for national tourist authorities and travel companies. When not away in the mountains, Kev lived with his wife in a small cottage among what he called 'the Kentish Alps', with unrestricted walking country on the doorstep. But he also travelled throughout Britain during the winter months to share his love of the places he wrote about through a series of lectures.

Sadly, Kev passed away in 2021. He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him and by many more he inspired through his writing and talks.

Jonathan Williams

Jonathan Williams

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A proud Yorkshireman, Jonathan first climbed a mountain before he was born. Although he first met Lesley at sea, they have spent many years exploring mountains and trails in Britain and Europe. After nearly 25 years as Cicerone's publisher and managing director, he now supports the team whilst exploring, updating and writing guides. He has developed UK guides and walked throughout Europe, but his special subject is the Alps and Switzerland. He has worked on guidebooks including Chamonix to Zermatt: the Walker's Haute Route, Trekking in the Vanoise, the Swiss Via Alpina and the Tour du Mont Blanc, as well as walking guides to Zermatt and Saas Fee, Arolla and Zinal and the Bernese Oberland.