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Here’s a rundown of the top eight hiking regions in France, each offering their personal flair, challenges, and rewards. 

 1. Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), The Alps

One of Europe’s most iconic long-distance hikes, the Tour du Mont Blanc covers approximately 105 miles and takes most trekkers an average of 10-12 days to complete. Spanning three countries–France, Italy, and Switzerland–the TMB provides hikers with unparalleled views of prominent glaciers, alpine meadows, and high mountain passes. Arriving at the trailhead is relatively easy, with routine public transport connections from Geneva, including shuttles specifically for hikers. 

The trail is well marked, but requires a strong level of fitness, as hikers will ascend and descend several thousand feet, multiple times throughout the trek. No special permits are required to hike the trail but booking accommodations ahead of time is essential during peak season. If you aren’t ready for the entire trek, there are plenty of smaller yet worthy sections of the trail to complete..

Need to know

• Nearest City: Chamonix, France
• Nearest Airport: Geneva International Airport (Switzerland)
• Language: French
• Lodging: Mountain huts, authorized campsites, bivouac areas, 
• Best time to hike: Late June through September 

 Hike the Tour du Mont Blanc

2. Grande Traversee des Alpes (GR5), The Alps

The Grand Traverse of the Alps stretches from the Netherlands to the Mediterranean, with its most popular sections running from Lake Geneva to Nice. Spanning about 1,429 miles, this trail can take 4-5 months to complete in one push, but many hikers choose to tackle it in sections. Highlights include Mont Blanc, Vanoise National Park, Queyras Regional Park, and bragging rights! 

Hikers pass through small villages and towns that have kept their local customs and are rich in culture and cuisine. Witness the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the lush valleys, alpine meadows, pristine alpine lakes, and majestic mountains. 

Need to Know

• Nearest City: Geneva, Switzerland (northern start) or Nice, France (southern start)
• Nearest Airport: Geneva International Airport (Switzerland), or Nice Cote d’Azur Airport
• Language: French, Swiss-German
• Lodging: “Wild camping” is allowed above the tree line along the trail, mountain huts, chalets, hotels are plentiful near the villages
• Best time to hike: Late June through September 

3. The Pyrenees Way, GR10, The Pyrenees

The Pyrenees mountain range stretches 270 miles, separating the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe and forming the natural border between France and Spain. Ranging from 6 miles wide at its ends to 80 miles wide at the center, the imposing mountain range boasts three peaks over 11,000 feet tall including the highest, Aneto peak, at 11,168. The trans-Pyrenean hike, the GR10, covers 593 miles from the Atlantic Ocean in the west, to the Mediterranean Sea in the east.

Hikers will be met with challenging terrain, jagged peaks, and breathtaking vistas. For very fit trekkers, the GR10 can take about two months. It is also popular to do it in sections. Highlights include the stunning Cirque de Gavarnie, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Pyrenees National Park that features a spectacular natural amphitheater and massive waterfall.

Need to Know

• Nearest City: Hendaye (west), Banyuls-sur-Mer (east)
• Nearest Airport: San Sebastian Airport (west), Perpignan Airport (east)
• Language: French
• Lodging: Free dispersed camping along the trail, hostels, hotels and huts are widely available in the villages along the route. Book in advance!
• Best time to hike: April-May or September-October

 Guided Trek in the Pyrenees

4. The Grand Randonnee, The GR20, Corsica

This Mediterranean island is famous for many things, one being the GR20, known to many as one of the most challenging hikes in Europe. It stretches 112 miles across Corsica’s mountainous spine from north to south, taking an average of 15 days, while tackling steep ascents and descents, as well as rocky and unstable terrain. In return, hikers are blessed with panoramic views of the island’s stony interior, brilliantly blue Mediterranean Sea vistas, and a wild Corsican landscape of untamed wilderness, dense forest, and natural wildlife. 

Anyone who tackles this trek should be prepared for very technical terrain, unpredictable weather, long days, and limited options to resupply due to its remoteness. This option is best for experienced hikers only.

Need to Know

• Nearest City: Calenzana (north), Conza (south)
• Nearest Airport: Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte airport 
• Language: French
• Lodging: Wild camping is prohibited, but you can pitch a tent near the mountain huts/refugios which are common along the trail
• Best time to hike: Early June to late October

5. The Sentier Blanc-Martel, Gorges du Verdon, Provence & Cote d’Azur

Known as the “Grand Canyon of Europe,” the Verdon Gorge in the south of France features towering cliffs, bright turquoise waters, and remarkable landscapes. The Sentier Blanc-Martel is a popular 9.3 mile hike from Point Sublime de Rougon to the Chalet de la Maline. The trail is a fusion of tunnels, aerial ladders, steep vertical cliffs and spectacular viewpoints. Along the trail hikers can take in the lake of Sainte Croix and Imbert Breach. Though short, this route is considered difficult due to its high danger potential. 

Need to Know

• Nearest City: Castellane Village
• Nearest Airport: Marseille Airport
• Language: French
• Lodging: Hotels, Airbnbs, and campgrounds in Castellane and nearby villages abound
• Best time to hike: May to October

6. Puy de Dome, Massif Central

The Puy de Dome is a dormant volcano located in Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Park. These extinct volcanoes are surrounded by beautiful lakes and lush greenery. Hikers can choose from two short but steep hikes to the summit of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, at 4,806 feet. At the summit hikers have the option to explore the Clermont Observatory of Terrestrial Physics. One of 30 observatories around the world taking note of climate change and evolution. 

Need to Know

• Nearest City: Clermont-Ferrand
• Nearest Airport: Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne serves domestic airports, the main train system connects to Paris and other major cities
• Language: French
• Lodging: Les Volcans campground offers campsites with trials leaving directly from sites. Clermont-Ferrand offers numerous hotels and accommodations.
• Best time to hike: March to October

7. The Pink Granite Coast, Cotes-d’Amor, Bretagne (Brittany)

Famous for its coastal trails along the washed up sea cliffs and its gorgeous beaches, Brittany offers rugged Atlantic coastline hiking. The Pink Granite Coast hike is a 19.8 mile loop that follows along the Cote de Granite Rose and crosses the countryside traveling around the island of Renote. Not to be missed are its large pink granite rocks, white sandy beaches, and pastel colored waters. It is home to a large bird sanctuary and is known to captivate bird watchers. It is also one of only three pink granite coastlines in the world!

Need to Know

• Nearest City: Bretagne
• Nearest Airport: Lorient Airport
• Language: French
• Lodging: Numerous hotels and inns, and huts (this trail is part of the GR34)
• Best time to hike: May to October. Aim for fall when wonderful changes in color occur!

8. The Juar Trail, The Jura Mountains

Demarcating the border between France and Switzerland lies the Jura Mountain Range. This subalpine mountain range hosts the Jura Trail, GR5/GR9 (depending on the country), a 596 mile hike from the mountains in the north to the Mediterranean in the south. Full of dense forestation, gentle hills, and pastoral scenery, this hike usually takes 6 weeks to complete in total. Along the way hikers can explore its highest peak, Le Crêt de la Neige at 5,643 feet.

Need to Know

• Nearest City: Lons-leSaunier in the north, Port-Grimaud in the south
• Nearest Airport: Geneva International in the north, Toulon/Hyeres Airport in the south
• Language: French
• Lodging: hotels, refugios (huts), campgrounds and wild camping
• Best time to hike: May to October

Cultural Insight

While it’s always a good idea to learn a few basic French phrases, you’ll notice many people are welcoming and friendly, especially in rural areas where hikers are a common sight. A few key phrases like ‘bonjour’ (hello), ‘merci (thank you), and ‘ou est le sentier?’ (where is the trail?) can be very helpful. Engaging with the local communities can add depth and richness to your experience, and maybe opportunities you didn’t see coming. 

If you’re seeking a day or multi-day adventure, France’s varied landscape offers something for everyone. Start practicing your French and packing your bags for unforgettable outdoor adventures!

 Alps hiking Tours

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Because of all of the uncertainty around COVID, we actually didn’t pay much attention to the trip itinerary, focusing instead on making sure we had all our paperwork in order. Our Grand Canyon trip was a “Level 3” difficulty and was very doable after following Wildland’s training guide, so we followed a similar routine to train for this leveled up tour. 

After a missed connection in Frankfurt and over 7 hours spent on the train into Geneva—we opted to take the train rather than wait for a new connecting flight that wouldn’t take place until the next day…looking back, we should have just stayed at the airport—we made it to Les Houches, crossing the Switzerland/France border by taxi.  

I was expecting charming mountain towns with shutters on the windows and big views of the mountains from every vantage point. And frankly, the trip did not disappoint. It took our group a half hour to walk a few blocks on the first day because there were so many photo ops to be had.

There are luggage transfers throughout the trip, which means most nights we were packing up our bags and bringing them to a drop zone at our hotel, or when available, directly to the vans. What I didn’t realize about the itinerary though, is that most often we were hiking directly to the next village or town, and our luggage would meet us at our chalet for the evening. 

It was empowering to walk from village to village, being able to cover that kind of distance in a single day.

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I was just two days into a trek of the Alta Via 1 – a historic point-to-point trail through the heart of the Italian Dolomites. My brother and I were hiking as an ode to reconnect with our Italian heritage, as well as wanting to experience an international hiking trip with an extensive network of rifugios (mountain huts) and the conveniences they brought. 

With light packs carrying just the essentials, we were able to traverse the 120km route through the mountains in 6 days. We felt nimble and free with light packs, able to travel more freely from rifugio to rifugio without the burden of backpacking gear to hinder us. 

During that time, we fell into a wonderful rhythm that permeates the Dolomites. We would wake up in the mountains to a steaming hot cappuccino – bones and joints aching slightly but loosening after the first steps on the trail. A few hours of hiking, following a meandering trail through vast green valleys that felt like we were in the Sound of Music brought us to the next rifugio for lunch – a time to rest our legs and bask in the midday sun. 

The afternoons were usually punctuated by gradual climbs into the alpine, through passes in the mountain that looked intimidating from afar. Passage through narrow rock canyons offered panoramic views of the valley we had been a few hours previously. A plume of smoke in the distance indicated the next small rifugio and we’d soon find ourselves in a warm dining room sharing conversations with other hikers from around the world who came to experience the majesty of the Dolomites.

WHY HIKE IN THE DOLOMITES:

Located in Northeastern Italy, the Dolomites are one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the world with scenery unlike anywhere else. The stunning limestone cliffs are geologically unique, with dramatic towers stretching thousands of feet above lush, alpine valleys. 

Across the landscape, towns nestle in the green valleys, and at higher elevations, rifugios offer warm and convenient refuge for hikers and travelers. With a rich history of Tyrolean mountain culture, breathtaking scenery, and regional cuisine, the Dolomites make for an unforgettable hiking or traveling experience.

7 Day Tour in the Dolomites 

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The Tour du Mont Blanc is a popular hiking trail in Europe that stretches 170 kilometers (106 miles), through France, Italy, and Switzerland. The Mont Blanc Trail traverses through one of the most impressive and beautiful ranges in the world, and it’s a relatively accessible trail for anyone in good shape. The hike is also a dream for foodies, as it allows you to explore new foods in different villages and hamlets throughout three countries. Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc is a bucket list item for many backpackers, and for good reason.

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