Tour of the Bauges

For walkers of moderate ability. Mostly on marked trails, with 5 hours of walking per day and an average elevation gain of 700m. (Excluding the suggested alternative routes.)

With the alternative routes, suitable for walkers of moderate to good ability.

Luggage transfers are included. You carry only what you need for the day, including your picnic, in a small backpack or shoulder bag. Your luggage will be waiting for you at the hotel each evening.

A minimum of 2 people.

5 days, 4 nights, 5 days of walking.

Choose your departure date within the currently listed May-to-September 2027 window.

We arrange your hotel bookings and luggage transfers. We provide a detailed route map and step-by-step directions.

Accommodation

In hotels and guesthouses, some of which are fairly rustic, with shared bathrooms. Single rooms can be booked for a supplement.
If you would like to arrive the day before Day 1, we recommend “La Compagnie du Bourg” https://compagnie-du-bourg.com/, the accommodation at our partner’s office, at the starting point of the walk.
This fairly simple guesthouse allows you to be on site the day before your holiday, for example. Dinners are served at the restaurant “Les Clarines”.

In France, more and more hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that still held a rating a year or two ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming accommodation.
If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “3* or equivalent”, this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers comfort comparable to a 3* hotel.

Your stay is on a half-board basis, from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 5.

Some accommodation providers can prepare picnics if booked in advance (not included). Please note that you must request these 24 hours before arriving at the hotel or guesthouse.

Please let us know about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

On Day 1, meet at our local partner’s office at 9am for a briefing and transfer to the starting point of the walk.

On Day 5, after the day’s walk, transfer back to Le Châtelard at around 4pm.

You can add an extra night in Le Châtelard before or after your holiday.

Take the train to Aix-les-Bains or Chambéry, then a Francony coach to Le Châtelard. For timetables, visit https://www.francony.com/lignes-regulieres_1012596.html or call 0479691188.

From Aix-les-Bains (25 km), take the Aix Nord exit on the A41 motorway and follow signs for the Massif des Bauges via Grésy-sur-Aix, Cusy, Lescheraines and then Le Châtelard. Park your vehicle at the meeting point for the duration of the walking holiday (the car park is unattended but safe!), and we will take you back to your car at the end of the holiday.

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, either along the day’s route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; you therefore swim under your own responsibility and at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – walking, cycling and snow-based – to encourage everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As a member of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector move towards more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and prices
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and foster rewarding encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has held Travelife Partner status, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our concrete actions in support of responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in accordance with our sustainability policy

In this section, you will find links to products from our partner Alpinstore, a French online retailer specialising in outdoor equipment, based in Annecy.

To carry your belongings

• A comfortable 30 to 50 L backpack with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic lunch during the day
• A bag for luggage transfers: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One bag per person, weighing no more than 15 kg

Read how to pack your hiking backpack in our magazine.

For walking

• Hiking boots with ankle support, a well-treaded sole, a supportive heel counter and good waterproofing
• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)
• A fleece
• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)
• Comfortable technical shorts for
• T-shirts or technical base layers (quick-drying fabric) for
• A long-sleeved shirt
• Walking poles (telescopic), very important for making walking easier. Discover all the benefits of hiking poles in our dedicated article or how to choose your hiking poles

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. Merino wool clothing is also now available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of resisting sweat odours! As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you feel cold when wet.

For your lunchtime picnic

• Your “kitchen” kit: a plastic bowl, container or plate, and cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)
• 1 or 2 water bottles (a total capacity of at least 1,5 L) – essential –; an insulated flask for winter

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection)
• Sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat
• A rain poncho or a waterproof jacket such as a softshell or Gore-Tex jacket, and possibly waterproof trousers

After your walk

• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening
• A change of clothes and underwear
• A toiletry bag and a small towel
• Swimwear and a towel for the wellness facilities
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, surgical masks, hand sanitiser, plasters, sterile dressings and a bandage, gauze, disinfectant, arnica granules and aspirin, etc. (Please note that this list is not exhaustive and should be adapted to your own medical needs.)

You can also find this advice in our article #“what to take on a hike”.

France

Travellers, including minors, must have a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Le Châtelard Tourist Office

Tel:0479548428

France: +33.

There may be no mobile reception on some sections of your hike.

France uses Central European Time (CET) in winter and Central European Summer Time (CEST) in summer. Check the local time for your travel dates.

The Bauges massif is a mountain range whose highest peak rises above 2200m, so it has a mountain climate. The region experiences oceanic influences that bring unsettled weather, continental influences that bring cold weather in winter and hot weather in summer, and Mediterranean influences that bring summer heatwaves.

Our favourite: “Glanes Baujues” by Jacques Chaize, published by La Fontaine de Siloé - “The Valleys of the Bauges” by Abbé Gex, Bauges Diffusion - “The Valley of Cyclamens” by Anne‑Marie Dubois. - “The Wolf Has Never Eaten Winter” by André Gallice. Available at the Bauges Tourist Office ‑ 73630 Le Châtelard ‑ Tel: 0479548428 - Countries, Landscapes, Farmers. A magnificent photography book by Philippe Mazure with “lively” text by Christian Combaz. Published by Fontaine de Siloé.

3432 OT and 3332 OT 1/25000 Blue Series maps, which you receive at the start along with the route guide. We also provide discovery booklets, offering real insight into the Massif des Bauges Natural Park!