The GR10 from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Etsaut

Level 4/ 5

For fit, experienced walkers in good physical condition with substantial mountain hiking experience. An average of 7–8 hours of walking per day, with average elevation changes of 1000m–1300m, on accessible trails as well as rough terrain (scree, boulder fields, etc.), with occasional minor technical challenges.

No main luggage to carry: you carry only what you need for the day in a small backpack. Your luggage will be waiting for you every evening at the end of the day’s walk.

Your luggage must be left at your accommodation’s reception by 9 am at the latest. It will be delivered to your next accommodation before 5 pm. Only 1 bag per person is included in the luggage transfer service. For logistical reasons, please limit the weight of your transferred bag to a maximum of 15 kg and avoid hard-shell suitcases.

If you choose the option without luggage transfers, you carry everything you need for your stay yourself.

Available for 2 people or more. (Solo walkers: please contact us.)

7 days, 6 nights, 7 days of walking.

Self-guided trip, without a guide; we provide a digital travel pack that includes access to our smartphone navigation app, a list of your accommodation, any vouchers required and all the information you need for your trip to run smoothly.
If you wish, we can send a printed version of the travel pack to your home, with maps, a route guide and a travel document wallet, for a supplement of 35 € per pack. For printed travel pack requests made fewer than 45 days before departure, and for residents abroad, the pack will be available at the first hotel of your stay.

Accommodation

Standard option: accommodation in walkers' hostels in shared dormitories. Bring a sleeping bag liner (blankets provided).
Comfort option (see supplement): 2 nights in rooms at a two-star hotel** on days 1 and 2, 1 night in a guesthouse room on day 6, 1 night in a room in a mountain chalet on day 3, 2 nights in walkers' hostels in shared dormitories on days 4 and 5.

Single rooms may be available, subject to availability and at an additional charge.

Hotel classification

In France, more and more hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated just one or two years ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms.
If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “2* or equivalent”: this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers a level of comfort equivalent to a 2* hotel.

Meals

Half board, except in St Jean Pied de Port, where accommodation includes breakfast only (there are plenty of pleasant small restaurants).
Dinner and breakfast are served hot. Dinners are an opportunity to sample local specialities. Breakfasts are traditional (sometimes served as a buffet);

Picnic lunches: most accommodation providers offer packed lunches (not included, payable locally).

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

Start

On day 1 at your accommodation in St Jean Pied de Port, depending on your arrival time.

Finish

On day 7 in Etsaut, after your walk.

Daily from mid-May to late September (subject to availability). Bookings for 2 people or more (solo walkers, please contact us).

Nearest airports:

• Biarritz Airport
• Pau Airport
• Tarbes-Lourdes Airport
• Toulouse-Blagnac Airport

How to reach Saint Jean Pied de Port by public transport: frequent trains from major cities to Saint Jean Pied de Port (with connections): https://www.sncf-connect.com
How to leave Etsaut by public transport: bus from Etsaut to Bedous (route 550 Bedous > Canfranc): https://www.citrampyrenees.fr/horaires-tarifs/
From Bedous, trains to major cities (with connections): https://www.sncf-connect.com
How to reach Saint Jean Pied de Port from Etsaut by public transport: bus from Etsaut to Bedous (route 550 Bedous > Canfranc): https://www.citrampyrenees.fr/horaires-tarifs/
Train from Bedous to Saint Jean Pied de Port (with connections in Pau and Bayonne): https://www.sncf-connect.com

Plan your route on www.viamichelin.fr A 63 motorway: Paris - Madrid; take the Bayonne exit, then 50km (D 932) / A 64 motorway: Mediterranean coast, Toulouse; take the Salies de Béarn exit, then 60km (D 933) / A15 and A63 motorways: Pamplona; take the Bayonne exit, then 50km (D 932)

Parking in St Jean Pied de Port: all paid and free car parks are shown on this page: https://www.st-jean-pied-de-port.fr/decouvrir/ou-stationner/

Parking in Etsaut: car park on Place de l’Eglise, opposite the town hall (free and unattended, with no surveillance)

If you leave your vehicle parked for the entire duration of your stay, please check with the tourist office whether any events (festivals, markets, etc.) will be held where you are parking.

We strongly recommend travelling by train to your trip to avoid having to return to the starting point to collect your vehicle, as these journeys can be very long, poorly served by public transport, or expensive if you choose to return by taxi. However, if you choose to come by car, we recommend leaving your vehicle at the finishing point on the first day and travelling to the starting point of your trip, as you will have time to make the journey and will not be tired after your week of hiking.

Bus from Etsaut to Bedous (Canfranc – Bedous route). TER regional train from Bedous to Pau. TER regional train from Pau to Bayonne. TER regional train from Bayonne to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

We strongly recommend travelling by train to your trip to avoid having to return to the starting point to collect your vehicle, as these journeys can be very long, poorly served by public transport, or expensive if you choose to return by taxi. However, if you choose to come by car, we recommend leaving your vehicle at the finishing point on the first day and travelling to the starting point of your trip, as you will have time to make the journey and will not be tired after your week of hiking.

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 – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the industry adopt 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 make meaningful connections with others.

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 demanding international certification programme, recognises our practical actions to support responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainable development policy

Equipment

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

For carrying your belongings

• A comfortable 30 to 50 L backpack with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic lunch during the day
• One bag for luggage transfers: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One bag per person, with a maximum weight of 15 kg

Discover how to pack your hiking backpack properly in our magazine.

For hiking

For maximum comfort, choose a layered clothing system: warm base layers (leggings + top) such as “Carline” or “Capilene” (hollow fibres that wick away perspiration) + sweatshirt or fleece jacket + mountain jacket and overtrousers with a waterproof, breathable membrane (such as Gore-Tex or equivalent) for bad weather. In general, except in hot climates and countries, avoid cotton, which traps moisture close to the body (and takes a long time to dry), and choose suitable synthetic fabrics instead.

• 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
• Technical T-shirts or base layers (quick-drying fabric)
• A long-sleeved shirt
• Walking poles (telescopic), which are 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. New merino wool clothing is also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of resisting perspiration odours!

For your lunchtime picnic

• Your eating 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) – compulsory –; an insulated flask for winter

For protection from sun and rain

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

After your hike

• 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 wellness facilities (where specified) or swimming
• 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.)

Find these tips in our article #“What to take with you on a hike”.

This list is intended as a guide and should be adapted to your trip and the season in which you are travelling.

France

Travel documents

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

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Tourist Office
Address: 14 Place Charles de Gaulle, 64220 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Website: https://www.en-pays-basque.fr/territoires-et-destinations/le-pays-de-saint-jean-pied-de-port/

Pyrenees National Park Visitor Centre

Address: 64490 Etsaut
Website: 0559348830

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

The climate of the Basque Country is varied and strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The coast benefits from the influence of the Gulf Stream, which brings a temperate oceanic climate and mild temperatures. The average annual temperature is 13 °C. The prevailing winds blow from west to east and bring regular rainfall in winter. Summers remain mild thanks to the ocean. Rainfall is fairly abundant and can fall very quickly during thunderstorms, keeping the vegetation lush and green even in summer.