Walks in France – Harder

Walks in France – harder – are colour-coded in red. They are quite challenging or challenging walking tours that require higher levels of endurance and stamina that comes from regular physical exercise, especially longer walks. They are not, however, for ‘sporty types’ who wish to push themselves to the limit. We do not in fact cater for that type of individual and all of our walks in France are aimed at normal, healthy people who, in this case, appreciate that the harder the challenge, the more stunning the scenery and the more memorable the trip!

  • walk for most of the day
  • significant climbs, descents &/or distances
  • inn-to-inn or multi-centre
  • from 4 to 7 nights
  • we transfer your luggage to the next hotel.
  • personalise the trip and simplify the challenge via rest days – please ask our advice.

Please scroll down to discover our range of harder walks in France. Key details of each tour are listed and you can click the photo or tour title to visit the full tour page or simply download the relevant pdf. We use a tripartite classification system, rating our tours as either light, moderate or [quite] challenging. Nevertheless, this is based on our judgment as professional walkers.

Challenging walks require just that little bit extra effort, but are hugely rewarding. We all walk at a different tempos; might find climbs tougher than descents or vice versa; consider some sections more challenging than others; and the ground underfoot can add to the test, most notably when climatic conditions are at their least propitious.

These trips are by no means uniform, and may comprise a day that some would consider as moderate. Rest days can bring challenging tours into the reach of moderate hikers. We advise you to carefully read the tour itinerary, distances and daily elevation gain/loss details where available.

These harder walks in France may be either inn-to-inn or multi-centre. Either way, we move your luggage along from one hotel to the next. If you require any further information, please just ask via Livechat or email.

Would you like to see photos of every day of our harder tours? To do so, click on the Instagram logo below and select from the list of red tours according to tour name and the respective day – simple!. 

Walks in France - harder - with The Enlightened Traveller Walks in France - harder - with The Enlightened TravellerWalks in France - harder: our instagram page

Walking in Cantal

W

alking in Cantal

Get to the heart of one of France’s unsung regions, Auvergne which, for the French cognoscenti, belongs in the top ten of France’s ‘plus beaux trekkings’ .”

- This tour is available from mid-May to mid-October. Click the photo (above) for further details.

Walking Mont Blanc

W

alking Mont Blanc [mini-TMB tour]

No healthy and relatively-fit person should feel that the TMB is beyond them – it most certainly isn’t. So long as your detailed arrangements are made by experts, and you’re not having to worry about where to eat and sleep, nor navigational issues, the day’s walking becomes sheer enjoyment – including the ascents and descents, which you have plenty of time to negotiate at your own pace.”

- This tour is available from 15th June to 15th September. Click the photo (above) for further details.

Walking Tour du Mont Blanc in Comfort

W

alking Tour du Mont Blanc in Comfort

The entire and mythical Mont Blanc route in one single trip and under the best possible conditions.”

- This tour is available from 15th June to 15th September, when luggage transfers finish. Click the photo (above) for further details.

Mont Blanc hiking tour

M

ont Blanc hiking tour – Part Two

The southern half of our TMB extravaganza in the best of comfort from Chamonix, France, to Courmayeur in Italy, with options on one day.”

- This tour is available from 15th June to 15th September inclusive, when luggage transfers officially finish. Click the photo (above) for further details.

best of walking Auvergne

B

est of walking Auvergne

A superb opportunity to enjoy the best of Cantal’s volcanic uplands with some complementary and convivial accommodation.”

- This tour is available from mid-May to mid-October. Click the photo (above) for further details.

Hiking the Upper Cèze

H

iking the Upper Cèze

Few walking holidays will give you such a sense of escape from modernity, into a world of forgotten valleys, lost hamlets and alternative farming and lifestyles.”

- This tour is available from Mid-March to mid-November. Click the photo (above) for further details.

Very best of Stevenson

V

ery Best of Stevenson Trail

The three best days’ walking along the Robert Louis Stevenson trail.”

- This tour is available from 15th April to 15th October inclusive, when luggage transfers officially finish. Click the photo (above) for further details.

Great Taste of Mont Blanc: Switzerland to France

G

reat Taste of Mont Blanc: Switzerland to France

Demystify the mythical Tour du Mont Blanc by sampling a section of it for yourself. See what all the fuss is about, realise it’s well within your own capabilities and then come back next year for some more.”

- This harder tour is available from mid-June to mid-September.
Click the photo (left) for further details.

Walks in the Alps - hiker in Switzerland

F

ine walks in the Alps

Three days of fine walks in the Alps along the Mont Blanc trail from Courmayeur in Italy to the banks of Lake Champex in Switzerland. The easiest introduction to the mythical TMB.”

- This harder tour is available from mid-June to mid-September.
Click the photo (left) for further details.

French Mont Blanc - alpage

F

rench Mont Blanc

Three of the finest days’ walking anywhere in Europe and certainly in the Alps, along the Mont Blanc trail from Argentiere to Les Contamines with options on two days to suit your preferences in situ.”

- This harder tour is available from mid-June to mid-September.
Click the photo (left) for further details.

Click to see our full range of moderate walks in France

For articles, ideas and help in choosing where to go walking in France, consult walking in France – holiday suggestions

For comprehensive information on hiking in France, incl. customs, advice, choosing tours, dangers, preparation, best practice, law & our guarantee, see hiking in France

To see our full range of walking holidays in France, visit self-guided walking tours in France