France and the Maritime Alps
Over the Alps from Provence to Piedmont
Tour Dates
As we are only a very small team, we cannot run every tour each year. The next departure for this tour will be 2026.
Tour Cost
€3,195 per person
Single supplement: €300
This fabulous itinerary takes us from the South of France to the North of Italy. The tour starts in Nice with a visit to the opulent Belle Epoque Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its magnificent gardens at Cap Ferrat. We then head inland to explore the stunning Mercantour National Park, a short distance from the Cote d’Azur. We cross the border between France and Italy to hike in the Maritime Alps, and stay in the beautiful Stura Valley in the fortified town of Vinadio. We finish in the elegant Piedmontese city of Cuneo, where we try our hand at cooking local specialities. The mountain hiking has dramatic and spectacular views of snow-capped peaks, lakes and streams. There are carpets of wild flowers in June and we encounter many animals along the way from ibex to marmots, chamois to golden eagles. We discover the rich history of this region on foot, with its remote churches, imposing castles and attractive historic villages.
The tour starts in Nice and our meeting point is the Hotel NH Nice at 2-4 Parvis de l’Europe. We finish in Turin and drop guests at Hotel Concord, Via Lagrange, near Porta Nuova train station. Many people choose to extend their walking holiday by visiting other parts of Italy or taking time to explore Nice and Provence. For more details visit our City Guide page.
What’s Included?
- 8 nights accommodation in three different hotels
- 2 experienced and knowledgeable guides to look after your every need and bring this stunning area to life
- All meals with wines, with the exception of dinner of Night 6 which is at your leisure
- Gourmet picnics each day with snacks en route
- Cooking class in the regional capital of Cuneo
- Support vehicle, so you can walk as much or as little of the trail as you please
- Transport in two air conditioned minibuses
- Comprehensive pre-trip information
- Museum visits and tastings as per the itinerary
Our tours are genuinely all-inclusive – learn more about what we offer.
Tour Highlights
- Fascinating cross-border culture of France and Italy
- Visit Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and Vicoforte, both architectural masterpieces
- Fun cooking class in Cuneo
Walking/Terrain
Terrain: Mountain hiking on well graded alpine trails, rocky in places. Although daily distances are relatively short, there is a significant amount of ascent and descent on most days (500m to 800m) so a very sound level of fitness is required. We hike at altitudes between 1,400m and 2,500m.
Shortest/Longest Day: 8km/5 miles – 13km/8 miles
We have graded this hike a Level 5. Some of our tours are more challenging than others, so see how we grade our hikes to make sure you choose the right one for you. If you are interested in this tour then you might also like to take a look at Austria and the Dolomites, The Best of the Italian Alps or Southern Italy
Accommodation
La Bonne Auberge: A charming hotel, recently renovated, in a lively village in the Mercantour National Park
Hotel Ligure: A welcoming family-run hotel with a wonderful restaurant in a small town in the Val Stura
Palazzo Lovera: A four star Renaissance palazzo in the historic centre of Cuneo.
Itinerary
LEAVE BLANK
Day 1
We meet in the centre of Nice at 9:30 am at the Hotel NH Nice, 2-4 Parvis de L’Europe. A short drive takes us to Cap Ferrat where we enjoy a guided visit of the stunning Belle Epoque palace and gardens of Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. After a leisurely lunch, overlooking the sea, we drive about 1 hr 30 mins north into the Mercantour National Park. We stay in the charming Hotel La Bonne Auberge in the centre of the lively town of Saint Martin Vesubie, which will be our base for the next three nights. Dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 2
We drive to the Sanctuary of La Madone de Fenestre at 1904 m in the Mercantour National Park where our hike starts. We follow a trail walked through the centuries by traders, pilgrims, soldiers, and migrants as they crossed from the French coast over to the Po Valley. It climbs up past a beautiful mountain lake before reaching a high pass leading into Italy. We descend by a different trail via a mountain pass, used by smugglers, affording magnificent views of the Boreon Valley, to return to the Sanctuary. Dinner in a local restaurant.
(10 km/6.2 miles)
Day 3
We drive up a wide valley, carved by glaciers, passing a pretty village to the starting point of our walk. We hike up the Gordolasque valley, following a path alongside the banks of a cascading river. We cross the water a couple of times on wooden bridges and have spectacular views of a small waterfall. We picnic by the edge of Lac de Fous, dwarfed by the surrounding mountain ridges at 3000 m, before descending back to the start.
(11 km/6.8 miles)
Day 4
We depart Saint Martin Vesubie after breakfast and drive over the mountains into Italy via the Col de la Lombarde at 2350 m. We start our hike mid-morning, departing from Santa Anna di Vinadio, the highest sanctuary in Europe situated just over 2000 m. A circular trail climbs on small tracks and former military roads to a mountain pass at 2460 m. We pass several pristine alpine lakes before descending to arrive back at the sanctuary. There is no road access today so we picnic en route. From here, a short drive brings us to the Val Stura where we stay in a delightful family-run hotel in the village of Vinadio for two nights. Dinner in the hotel this evening.
(12 km/8 miles)
Day 5
We head out from the hotel on foot, passing through the formidable fortress walls to climb high up above the town. We pass remote hamlets and enjoy wonderful open views of the Stura valley and the fortified town of Vinadio below. After our picnic, we descend back to the town. Later in the day, we enjoy a guided visit of the fort which protected the town from the 1800s to the Second World War. Dinner tonight in a local restaurant.
(11.5 km/7.2 miles)
Day 6
We depart Vinadio after breakfast and a leisurely drive, stopping to visit a couple of important sites, brings us to Cuneo, one of the most important regional cities in Piedmont. It enjoys a stunning location in the valley, at the confluence of the Stura di Demonte and Gesso rivers, and has spectacular views to the Alps. We enjoy a fun cooking class of local specialties, followed by a relaxed lunch, where we dine on the fruits of our labour matched to some excellent local wines. After lunch, we check in to our hotel, the Palazzo Lovera, in the centre of the city. There is time in the afternoon for shopping. Later in the day, we follow the tradition of an apéritif in an elegant bar with delicious local nibbles, whilst watching the daily passeggiata. The rest of the evening is at leisure.
Day 7
We drive out of the city and head up the Valle Maudagna. Our hike sets out from a charming mountain refuge – to which we return for our lunch. We climb up Monte Mondolè at 2382 m. On a clear day, the views take in Monviso, the Ligurian coast, and even Monte Bianco and Monte Rosa. After lunch, we drive to Vicoforte to visit the impressive Santuario di Vicoforte, built by Duke Carlo Emanuele of Savoy in the 16th century, which boasts the largest elliptical dome in the world. Dinner in a fabulous restaurant in Cuneo.
(8 km/5 miles)
Day 8
For our final hike, we head to one of the less visited areas of the Maritime Alps National Park, starting out from a quaint village with pretty stone houses. Our trail touches on the Grande Traversata delle Alpi, a high mountain trail that unites the whole Alpine arc of Piemonte. We picnic by a beautiful alpine lake and pass by another on our descent. On this day, there is no vehicle access at lunch so your guides will hike the picnic in for you. Wonderful final dinner in a renowned restaurant in Cuneo.
(13 km/8 miles)
Day 9
We return to central Turin for 11:00 am. The drop-off point is Hotel Concord, Via Lagrange, near Porta Nuova train station, and then on to Turin airport for 12:00 pm.
