Discover the stunning landscapes of the Écrins National Park on a self-guided walking holiday staying in charming Alpine accommodations with delicious local cuisine.
Location: Champsaur & Valgaudemar Ecrins National Park
Months available: May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Please note, the guide prices are based on 4 night (low price) or 7 night (high price) stay for 4 people and this holiday page lists the 7 night option as default. To get a tailored price for your dates, party details and duration click the button, "Get Prices for my Party" and follow the instructions.
A self-guided walking holiday like no other. Choose from a selection of carefully curated walks and hikes for all levels to explore the most beautiful views and hidden corners of the stunning Écrins National Park and the charming Champsaur and Valgaudemar Valleys. With our local expertise, you can create your ideal walking holiday for the duration you want, at a pace and style that suits you. This holiday is fully flexible, designed around your needs and preferences.
We have personally explored all the trails we recommend on this tour and will provide you with expert advice on the best walks each day, tailored to your energy, the weather, and local conditions. Venture into the edges of the Écrins National Park to enjoy its breathtaking views, discover fascinating snippets of local history and culture, spot Alpine wildlife and flowers, and round off each day with a delicious home-cooked meal by your hosts. This is a walking paradise like no other!
Each day, you can choose from half-day walks or full-day hikes. Your hosts, experts in the area, will handle all logistics, dropping you off at your starting point and picking you up at the end of your hike. All you have to do is enjoy the walk!
You’ll be provided with a paper map, GPX tracks, weather updates, and route information on a smartphone app, along with guidance on how to use them if needed.
The Écrins National Park, offers walkers a pristine wilderness of dramatic peaks, glacial valleys, and untouched alpine beauty. With over 100 summits exceeding 3,000 metres and countless trails and spanning 918 square km it is one of the largest national parks in France and is a haven for nature lovers seeking adventure and solitude.
Home to iconic wildlife like chamois, ibex, wolves, golden eagles and more and adorned with vibrant alpine flowers, every step reveals something extraordinary. From gentle valley strolls to challenging high-altitude hikes with breathtaking views, the Écrins provides an unforgettable experience for walkers of all levels, all while staying off the beaten path.
The Écrins National Park is a protected wilderness area where human activity such as permanent settlements or large-scale infrastructure is not permitted to preserve its pristine beauty and biodiversity. This makes it an exceptional place to explore but not one where visitors can stay within the park itself.
Instead, we base our holiday in the stunning Champsaur and Valgaudemar valleys, which border the park. These valleys offer charming villages, boutique accommodations, and access to some of the best walking trails leading into the park. From these locations, you can venture into the Écrins on foot each day to experience its breathtaking landscapes, dramatic peaks, and rich alpine wildlife, returning to comfort and warm hospitality in the evenings. This approach allows us to respect the park’s protected status while still providing an immersive and unforgettable walking experience.
This holiday is perfect for walkers and hikers who are passionate about mountains and enjoy exploring at their own pace. The variety of trails means there’s something for everyone, from easy forest walks to challenging hikes requiring navigation skills and a high level of fitness. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just love immersing yourself in nature, this trip can be tailored to suit you.
As a Travelife-certified tour operator, we prioritise sustainable tourism to ensure your trip supports the local community, economy, and environment. By staying in locally owned boutique accommodation, using local produce from the valley and grouping transport with other walkers where possible we make sure your holiday leaves a positive impact.
Your accommodation is committed to sustainability, using eco-friendly cleaning products, installing water-saving devices, and offering water refill stations to reduce plastic waste.
We encourage arriving by train to Gap and provide all the guidance you need to make this an easy and sustainable option. To further offset your carbon footprint, we’ll plant a tree on your behalf, and you can view the full carbon report for your trip using our Carmacal tool.
You need to get to the town of Gap for the start of this holiday which is served by an SNCF train station with links to the major TGV train stations and airports.
From Gap train station, we will collect you and take you to your accommodation.
WE OFFER A 3% DISCOUNT TO ANYONE TRAVELLING BY TRAIN INSTEAD OF PLANE TO GAP FROM OUTSIDE OF FRANCE. To claim your 3% discount, you will need to show us proof of train travel for routes of over 3 hours that could have been taken by plane. Please ask when you book.
BY TRAIN / BUS:
There is a regular coach service which operates from Aix-en-Provence TGV directly to Gap. Plan your journey here
There are also direct train links to Gap from Grenoble TGV station, Marseille and Valance TGV stations and there is also an overnight sleeper train from Paris to Gap.
You can plan your train journey using the Oui SNCF website. This works from all major European cities.
BY PLANE:
The nearest airports are Marseille and Grenoble. From Marseille airport there is a regular coach service directly to Gap every two and a half hours.Plan your journey here. From Grenoble you would need to get the airport shuttle to the train station and then a train from Grenoble to Gap - this is a bit more faffy than the links from Marseille which are direct and regular..
Please ask us about transport options when you enquire as we have become pros on getting people to this beautiful region!
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