The Camino de Santiago Routes FROM VÉZELAY TO CLUNY

3/5: 6 to 8 hours of walking and 400 to 800m of ascent per day, on trails with little technical difficulty. Hiking experience is recommended, but not essential.

No main luggage to carry: you only carry 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 is transported by vehicle and is limited to one bag per person.

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

We can book a transfer from Cluny to Vézelay at the end of your trip; please contact us.

From 2 people.

11 days, 10 nights, 9 days of hiking.

Depart on a date of your choice from March to October.

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

Accommodation in 1* and 2* hotels, guesthouses and gîtes, in rooms for two with a bathroom. Single rooms can be booked for a supplement.

In France, more and more hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated 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 comfort comparable to a 2* hotel.

Half-board arrangement: breakfasts and hot dinners (except on Day 8, when breakfast only is included).

Some accommodation providers can prepare picnic lunches if booked in advance. Your travel booklet includes a list of accommodation offering this service (not included). Please note that you must request this at least 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 in the afternoon in Vézelay.

On Day 11 after breakfast in Cluny.

You can extend your trip by starting in Avallon:

Day 1 Avallon - Vézelay 18km (approximately 5 hours of walking): The town of Avallon stands on a rocky spur marking the boundary between the granite of the Morvan and the limestone plateau of the Tonnerrois. It overlooks the picturesque Cousin valley, a haven of greenery and cool shade.

SNCF railway stations at Vézelay for your arrival and Cluny for your departure. Direct TER train from Paris to “Sermizelles-Vézelay”, then a TER shuttle to Vézelay or a taxi.

See Oui SNCF

From the A6 motorway, take exit 21.

Please use the two car parks at the bottom of the village (Clos car park and Ruesses car park).

Ruesses car park may seem a little far away when driving there, but it has a quick, direct pedestrian route to Place du Champ de Foire at the foot of the hill.

From April to October, a free electric shuttle operates (ask at the town hall or tourist office for details), taking you up to the basilica… but walking is the best way to discover the village.

If you wish to park for several days, the town hall issues a long-stay parking permit valid for one week. 10€ / 7 days (rate subject to change). Available from Vézelay Town Hall - rue Saint Pierre – tel. 0386332462.

Please note that the village car parks are unattended!

Take the coach towards Mâcon. Then take the TER train towards Dijon, followed by the TER train towards Montbard. Finally, take a TER bus to Vézelay. (Journey time: 3 hours 50 minutes).

A number of our trips offer opportunities for swimming, either during the day’s route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we stress that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; any swimming is therefore your responsibility and undertaken 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 – on foot, by bike and on snow – to encourage everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop 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 practical efforts towards responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainable development policy

For hiking

• Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, a supportive heel counter and well-treaded soles

• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)

• A fleece

• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)

• Shorts, T-shirts and technical underwear (quick-drying fabric)

• A long-sleeved shirt (quick-drying technical fabric)

• Walking poles (telescopic), very important for making walking easier

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 odours from perspiration! (Brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.).

As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you feel cold when wet

For protection from sun and rain

• High-protection sunscreen and sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat
• A windproof jacket
• A rain poncho or a Gore-Tex jacket

For your lunchtime picnic

• A plastic bowl, food container or plate

• Cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)

• A water bottle with a capacity of at least 1.5 litre (required); an insulated flask for winter

After the day’s activities

• A pair of trainers for the evening

• Changes of clothes and personal underwear

• Toiletry bag and small towel

• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, Elastoplast, Biogaze or “2nd skin”, gauze, disinfectant, arnica pellets and aspirin for minor aches and injuries… (quite a list! But rest assured, the first-aid kit often comes home untouched after your week of hiking)

• A comfortable small backpack with a capacity of 40 to 50 L and a hip belt, for carrying 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, limited to 10 kg.

France

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

Vézelay Tourist Office, 12 Rue Saint-Etienne, 89450 Vézelay, 0386332369.

Autun Tourist Office, 13 Rue du Général Andre Demetz, 71400 Autun, 0385868038.

Cluny Tourist Office, 6 Rue Mercière, 71250 Cluny, 0385590534.

France: +33.

Mobile reception may be unavailable on some sections of your hike.

No time difference: GMT +1.

The oceanic influence brings frequent rain in every season (with the most rainfall in autumn and the least in summer) and changeable weather. The semi-continental influence produces one of the widest monthly temperature ranges in France (18 °C compared with 15 °C in Paris), cold winters with relatively frequent snowfall, and summers that are warmer than on the coast, with occasional severe thunderstorms.

This semi-continental influence makes it possible to grow vines in Burgundy.