Treks / Countries
Hikes and treks in France
We cover 7 routes in France: 1 day hike and 6 multi-day treks. The gentlest is Les 25 Bosses (Fontainebleau) (demanding); the toughest is GR20 (very hard, 12,000 m of climbing). The highest point is 2,965 m on Walker's Haute Route.
Compare the routes
| Route | Type | Distance | Days | Highest point | Difficulty | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les 25 Bosses (Fontainebleau) | Day hike | 16 km | 1 | 144 m | Demanding | All year |
| Calanques: Marseille to Cassis | Multi-day | 28 km | 1–2 | varies | Demanding | October to June |
| Camino de Santiago: Camino Francés | Multi-day | 780 km | 30–35 | 1,505 m | Demanding | April to October |
| Tour du Mont Blanc | Multi-day | 165 km | 9–14 | 2,665 m | Hard | Mid-June to mid-September |
| GR20 | Multi-day | 180 km | 12–16 | 2,607 m | Very hard | June to September |
| Walker's Haute Route | Multi-day | 180 km | 12–14 | 2,965 m | Very hard | July to mid-September |
| GR 10 (Pyrenees) | Multi-day | 866 km | 50–60 | 2,734 m | Very hard | Late June to September |
The routes in detail
Day hike
France · near Paris
Les 25 Bosses (Fontainebleau)
A famous training loop in Fontainebleau Forest near Paris: 25 sandy, rocky 'bumps' that add up to a surprisingly hard day.
≈ 16 km
144 m high
1–2 days
France · near Marseille
Calanques: Marseille to Cassis
A rugged coastal walk through the white limestone inlets of the Calanques National Park, with turquoise coves for swimming.
≈ 28 km
30–35 days
France · Spain · near Pamplona
Camino de Santiago: Camino Francés
The world's most famous pilgrimage walk, from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela.
≈ 780 km
1,505 m high
9–14 days
France · Italy · Switzerland · near Geneva
Tour du Mont Blanc
A hut-to-hut loop around Europe's highest massif. The trails are rarely technical, but you climb and descend around 1,000 m almost every day for over a week.
≈ 165 km
2,665 m high
12–16 days
France (Corsica) · near Ajaccio
GR20
Often called Europe's toughest long-distance trail. Steep granite scrambling, chains in places and big days back to back. Not a first multi-day trek.
≈ 180 km
2,607 m high
12–14 days
France · Switzerland · near Geneva
Walker's Haute Route
The classic walking route from Chamonix to Zermatt, from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn. It crosses eleven passes and ends with some of the finest views in the Alps.
≈ 180 km
2,965 m high
50–60 days
France · near Biarritz
GR 10 (Pyrenees)
The great coast-to-coast walk across the French Pyrenees, from the Atlantic at Hendaye to the Mediterranean at Banyuls. Most people walk it in sections.
≈ 866 km
2,734 m high
Before you go
- Check if you're fit enough with the two-minute readiness quiz.
- Travel insurance for trekking: altitude limits and what rescue really costs.
- Packing list and the gear budget calculator.
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