From $1,760 USD per person, twin share

Tucked into Italy's Aosta Valley, right on the border with France, lies Gran Paradiso National Park — the country's first national park, declared in 1922 by King Victor Emmanuel III to protect the ibex and chamois that still roam its slopes today. It's a landscape built for walking: rugged valleys carpeted in wildflowers, glacial lakes, and passes that stay snow-covered well into summer.

Seven days among glaciers, passes and mountain refuges

This guided walking itinerary spends seven days crossing from France into Italy on foot, much of it above 2,000 metres, with views along the way to Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn. Each night is spent in a mountain refuge, where hearty regional cooking and a warm dining room wait at the end of the day's walk. Wildlife sightings are part of daily life on this trail — ibex and chamois are common companions on the higher passes.

Built for experienced walkers

This is a moderate to challenging itinerary, with daily hikes of up to six hours and ascents of up to 1,200 metres in a day. The route includes a glacier crossing and some permanently snow-covered passes, so it's best suited to travellers who already walk regularly and are comfortable on uneven alpine terrain. Good hiking boots with ankle support are essential.

What's included

The tour covers six nights in mountain refuges, six breakfasts, seven lunches and six dinners, a transfer at the end of the walk, and an experienced certified mountain guide throughout. Travel insurance is required, and we can talk you through the right level of cover for an alpine walking itinerary like this one.

Let's start planning

Whether Gran Paradiso is the main event or one leg of a longer European adventure, we can help build the travel around it — flights, extra nights, and anything else that makes the trip feel like yours from start to finish. Let's meet and start planning your next holiday or cruise together!