Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour: Self-Guided in the Italian Alps
More ibex than hikers, a glacial lake most days, and some of the highest non-glacier passes in Italy. Six or nine days, four valleys, and you hike it at your own pace.
New for 2027: two Gran Paradiso itineraries, six days or nine
We’ve rebuilt Gran Paradiso from scratch for 2027, and there are now two ways to hike it. The 9-day tour runs Cogne to Bien with 8 hiking days, 6 nights in mountain huts and 2 in a guesthouse or hotel. The 6-day Gran Paradiso in Comfort crosses from Cogne to the Valgrisenche in 5 hiking days, with a private room every night but one, in a shared room with a total of 4 hikers.
9-day: July 1st to August 26th, 2027, €1195 per person. 6-day in Comfort: July 1st to August 29th, 2027, €1649 per person.
What it is: a self-guided Gran Paradiso hiking tour in the Italian Alps, through Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy’s first national park, on and around the Alta Via 2. There are two of them.
The 9-day: Cogne to Bien, 8 hiking days, 94 km (58 miles) and 7,165 m (23,510 ft) of ascent. 6 nights in mountain huts and 2 in a guesthouse or hotel. €1195 per person.
The 6-day in Comfort: Cogne to the Valgrisenche, 5 hiking days, 69 km (43 miles) and 4,840 m (15,880 ft) of ascent, with a private room every night but one, in a shared room with a total of 4 hikers. €1649 per person.
Why hikers choose it: four valleys, a pass almost every day, glacial lakes you can stop at for as long as you like, and ibex and chamois close enough to watch from the trail. Day 2 crosses the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft), one of the highest non-glacier mountain passes in all of Italy. Europeans have been hiking here for years and almost nobody outside Europe has heard of it, which is exactly why it’s still so quiet. Let’s keep that between us.
Included with every booking: a free custom training plan (valued at €300), route notes, a map and GPX tracks, and we’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour.
Season: July 1st to August 26th, 2027 for the 9-day, and July 1st to August 29th, 2027 for the 6-day in Comfort. That’s when the passes are clear of snow and the regular public buses are running.
Hiking the Gran Paradiso Trek: Tour at a Glance
| 9-DAY GRAN PARADISO | 6-DAY IN COMFORT | |
| Length | 9 days, 8 nights, 8 hiking days | 6 days, 5 nights, 5 hiking days |
| Start and finish | Starts in Cogne, 1,534 m (5,030 ft). Finishes in Bien, in the Valsavarenche | Starts in Cogne, 1,534 m (5,030 ft). Finishes in Bonne, in the Valgrisenche |
| Total distance | 94 km (58 miles) | 69 km (43 miles) |
| Total ascent and descent | 7,165 m (23,510 ft) up, 7,166 m (23,510 ft) down | 4,840 m (15,880 ft) up, 4,620 m (15,160 ft) down |
| Highest point | Col du Lauson, 3,296 m (10,814 ft) | Col du Lauson, 3,296 m (10,814 ft) |
| Difficulty | Challenging | Challenging |
| Accommodation | 8 nights half board: 6 in mountain huts, 2 in a guesthouse or hotel in Bien | 5 nights half board: 4 private rooms, 1 four-person room in a mountain hut |
| Season | July 1st to August 26th, 2027 | July 1st to August 29th, 2027 |
| Price | €1195 per person, no single supplement | €1649 per person, €269 single supplement |
| Group size | No minimum, so solo hikers can book | No minimum, so solo hikers can book |
Swipe left to compare both tours →
Two tours, one mountain. Which one’s yours?
- Take the 9-day if you want the whole traverse: four valleys, eight hiking days, and six nights in mountain huts where dinner is communal and the sunrise costs nothing.
- Take the 6-day in Comfort if you want a private room. You get one every night but one, and that one is at Rifugio Vittorio Sella, a former royal hunting palace, where you share with a total of 4 hikers. Plus your bag moved from Cogne to Bonne, so you hike with a daypack.
- The trade: the 6-day is the shorter trip but the bigger days, around 970 m (3,180 ft) of climbing each hiking day against the 9-day’s 900 m (2,950 ft). The private room has to be paid for somewhere, and it turns out the currency is uphill.
- What’s the same: both start in Cogne, both cross the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft), both are graded Challenging, and both include your free training plan.
- The price: €1195 per person for the 9-day, €1649 for the 6-day in Comfort.
Gran Paradiso Trekking Overview: What 6 or 9 Days in Gran Paradiso National Park Look Like
On a Monkeys and Mountains self-guided Gran Paradiso hiking tour you hike between the two giants of the Italian Alps, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa, in the shadow of Gran Paradiso itself at 4,061 m (13,323 ft), the only 4,000 m peak that lies entirely inside Italy.
This is Italy’s first national park, protected since 1922 to save the Alpine ibex from disappearing altogether. A century on, they’re relaxed enough to look up from the scree, size up your pace, and go back to lunch visibly unimpressed.
There are two ways to hike it. The 9-day tour crosses four valleys from Cogne to Bien, sleeping mostly in mountain huts. The 6-day Gran Paradiso in Comfort takes a shorter line from Cogne to Bonne, with a private room every night but one, in a shared room with a total of 4 hikers. Both cross the Col du Lauson.
Our 2027 Gran Paradiso Hiking Tours link four valleys, the Valnontey, the Valsavarenche, the Val di Rhêmes and the Valgrisenche, with a pass almost every hiking day.
Most of the way follows parts of the Alta Via 2, the high route that threads one deep valley into the next. The days are short in distance but honest in elevation.
In between you hike through larch forest, alpine pasture and lake basins, and eat Valdotain mountain food rather than anything generically Italian.
The high point of both tours is the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft), one of the highest non-glacier mountain passes in all of Italy. You climb to Rifugio Vittorio Sella at 2,584 m (8,480 ft) first, then cross the Lauson the following morning while your legs are still fresh.
It’s also one of the quietest of the big Alpine routes. Accommodations on the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites sell out 9 to 12 months in advance.
Gran Paradiso is a great alternative, with the same scale of mountain and a trail you can have largely to yourself.
You make your own way to Cogne, where both tours start. There are multiple buses running each day from Aosta, so it’s easy to get there.
At the end, a public bus runs from Bien down to Villeneuve on the 9-day, or from the Valgrisenche via Arvier on the 6-day. Both reach Aosta, where trains and buses carry on to Turin, Milan and Geneva.
Highlights of Our Self-Guided Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour
- Cross the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft) on Day 2, one of the highest non-glacier mountain passes in all of Italy, and the highest point of the tour. One side has a short roped section: no via ferrata gear needed, but you do need a head for heights.
- Link four Aosta Valley valleys in one trip, the Valnontey, the Valsavarenche, the Val di Rhêmes and the Valgrisenche, over a pass almost every hiking day.
- Reach the Plan del Nivolet on Day 3, a vast high plateau of lakes and grass on the Piedmont border, and sleep right on it.
- Hike parts of the Alta Via 2 under the Ruitor glaciers, the Granta Parei at 3,386 m (11,110 ft) and the Gran Paradiso massif itself, with Mont Blanc on the skyline from the high cols.
- Watch ibex and chamois at close range, and marmots and golden eagles in the Valsavarenche, in the Italian Alps park that was created to protect them.
- Choose your nights: the 9-day sleeps 6 of them in mountain huts high in the park, and the 6-day in Comfort gives you a private room every night but one, in a shared room with a total of 4 hikers. Both are half board, so dinner and breakfast are included throughout.
- Send the bags you won’t need on the trail straight from Cogne to Bien with our optional transfer, and hike with what you actually want on your back.
- Have the high Alps largely to yourself, which also makes this a real alternative to the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alta Via 1 for hikers who want quiet trails.
Your Free Personalized Gran Paradiso Fitness Plan (€300 Value)
Every Gran Paradiso hiking tour booking includes a training plan built for this route, your current fitness level and where you live, even if it’s flat as a table. Put the work in now and the Col du Lauson becomes the best morning of your year.
Gran Paradiso Fitness Level: How Hard Is This Hiking Tour?
Difficulty: Challenging
Most days are 8 to 17 km (5 to 10.6 miles), but it’s the climbing that sets the pace: around 1,000 m (3,280 ft) of ascent or more on several days in a row, and a high pass most days. That’s what makes both tours Challenging rather than Moderate, and it’s also why your free training plan is built around exactly those numbers. The 6-day in Comfort is 3.5 to 6.5 hours of hiking a day.
This tour suits you if:
- You’re in good hiking shape and can handle roughly 1,000 m (3,280 ft) of ascent several days running.
- You’ve hiked multi-day mountain routes before, mountain hut to mountain hut ideally.
- You’re comfortable on steep trails and rocky ground when crossing the passes, and you have a head for heights for the short roped section on the Col du Lauson.
- You’re happy hiking independently with route notes, a map and GPX tracks, with us available via WhatsApp if you need us.
Newer to multi-day hiking? Our Cinque Terre hiking tour and our Costa Brava hiking tour are gentler places to start, and you can work up to Gran Paradiso from there.
You show up and hike. We handle the Gran Paradiso logistics.
Pick your start date
Any date from July 1st to August 26th, 2027 on the 9-day, or to August 29th on the 6-day in Comfort. Complete our booking form, and a 30% deposit holds your dates with the balance due 40 days before you hike.
We book every night of your trip
Every night on half board, whichever tour you pick. There’s no central booking system for mountain huts, so we contact each one individually. The more possible start dates you can give us, the better our chances.
Your route pack arrives
Detailed route notes for every hiking day, a map, and GPX tracks, plus your free personalized fitness plan (€300 value) and unlimited email support before you go.
You hike
Start when you want, stop at the lake as long as you want, and hike with the people you chose rather than a group of strangers. We’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour.
We’re a small company, so we actually remember your name and genuinely care about your trip. That’s why we created the free custom training plan in the first place.
Self-Guided Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour With Us vs. Planning It Yourself vs. a Guided Group Tour
| DIY / Self-Planned | Guided Group Tour | Monkeys and Mountains Self-Guided Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour | |
| Accommodation reserved for all 8 nights | No, you chase 8 nights yourself, including mountain huts that answer the phone in Italian | Yes | Yes, every night on half board, on either tour |
| Route planning and navigation | You plan all 5 or 8 hiking days on and around the Alta Via 2 | The group leader navigates | Detailed route notes for every hiking day, a map, and GPX tracks |
| Freedom to hike your own pace | Yes | No, you move with the group | Yes |
| Choose your own start date | Yes | No, you take the group’s fixed departures | Yes, any date in the season, on either tour |
| Luggage transfer | No, you carry everything | Rarely on a mountain hut route | Optional on the 9-day, Cogne to Bien. Included on the 6-day in Comfort |
| Personalized fitness plan | No | Rarely | Yes, free, €300 value |
| Support if something goes wrong | You’re on your own | Someone is with you at all times | Available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour |
| Best value for money | Cheapest, but time consuming | Most expensive | ⭐ Best value |
Swipe left to see the full comparison →
Planning Gran Paradiso yourself is the cheapest option, and it’s genuinely time consuming, because far less of this route is written up in English. A guided group tour removes the planning, but it’s the most expensive option and you hike at the group’s pace on a route whose whole appeal is the quiet. Our self-guided Gran Paradiso hiking tour sits in between: we book every night, hand you the route and the GPX tracks, and you hike your own nine days with your own people.
9-Day Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour Itinerary
8 hiking days, from Cogne to Bien. 94 km (58 miles), 7,165 m (23,510 ft) of ascent and 7,166 m (23,510 ft) of descent, with a pass almost every day. You make your own way to Cogne where you start. There are multiple buses running each day from Aosta, so it’s easy to get there. All distances, times and elevations are approximate.
A short first day, straight up the valley the ibex made famous, with the glaciers of the Gran Paradiso massif waiting at the top.
You start in Cogne at 1,534 m (5,030 ft), a handsome stone village on the eastern edge of the park, and hike up through the Valnontey. This is ibex country, and the Valnontey is still one of the best places in Europe to see them. Keep looking up at the scree.
The trail climbs steadily to Rifugio Vittorio Sella at 2,584 m (8,480 ft), a converted royal hunting lodge belonging to King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, from the days when all of this was his private reserve. You’ll have the afternoon to sit outside with a drink and watch the ibex graze below the glaciers, which is a good way to spend a first day.
- Hiking details: around 8 km (5 miles), 1,050 m (3,445 ft) ascent, 50 m (165 ft) descent
- Night: Rifugio Vittorio Sella, dormitory
- Included: Dinner
The big one, and it’s on Day 2 while your legs are still fresh. This is the day people talk about afterwards.
The Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft) is one of the highest non-glacier mountain passes in all of Italy, and the highest point of your tour. You climb 765 m (2,510 ft) from the mountain hut to get there, past the Lauson pond, on ground that ibex genuinely love, so this is prime spotting territory.
One side of the pass has a short section with a fixed rope. You don’t need via ferrata gear for it, but you do need a head for heights. From the top you’re looking down two valleys at once, with the Gran Paradiso massif at 4,061 m (13,323 ft) off to one side.
From there you drop 1,744 m (5,720 ft) into the Valsavarenche, through alpine meadows where the chamois graze, down to the village of Bien, where you spend the night in a guesthouse or hotel.
- Hiking details: around 16 km (9.9 miles), 765 m (2,510 ft) ascent, 1,744 m (5,720 ft) descent
- Night: Bien, guesthouse or hotel
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
You end the day on the Plan del Nivolet, a huge high plateau of lakes and grass on the Piedmont border. Most people see photos of it. You get to sleep on it.
From Bien the trail climbs out of the Valsavarenche through the Meyes Damon pastures, staying below the Colle del Manteau, then turns south and keeps climbing to the Plan del Nivolet.
The Nivolet is one of those places that doesn’t quite look real: a wide, flat basin of lakes and grazing at the head of the valley, ringed by peaks, right on the boundary between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont. The Laghi del Nivolet sit right below Rifugio Savoia, where you spend the night, so you’ll have the evening light up there with the lakes going pink.
- Hiking details: around 17 km (10.6 miles), 1,170 m (3,840 ft) ascent, 300 m (985 ft) descent
- Night: Rifugio Savoia, dormitory
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
One of the best views-to-effort days of the whole tour, and then you hike into a dead-end valley with a glacier at the end of it.
You leave the Nivolet and climb to the Col Rosset at 3,025 m (9,925 ft), one of the high points of the route. It’s a gradual climb for almost all of it, on an easy trail, right up until the last stretch below the col, which turns rocky and steep. It’s nothing technical and it’s short, and by then you can feel the view waiting for you.
It delivers. From the top the park’s summits open up in every direction, and it’s one of those rare days when the views go far beyond the effort you’ve put in.
The descent takes you over into the Val di Rhêmes, past lake basins, to Rifugio Benevolo at the head of the valley. You’re sitting right under the glaciers here, with the vertical wall of the Granta Parei at 3,386 m (11,110 ft) filling the end of the valley in front of you.
- Hiking details: around 10.3 km (6.4 miles), 660 m (2,165 ft) ascent, 910 m (2,985 ft) descent
- Night: Rifugio Benevolo, dormitory (or Rifugio des Fonds, depending on availability)
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
The wildest day of the tour. Rock, ice and moraine, and a mountain hut at the head of the valley with nothing beyond it.
Today you cross from the Val di Rhêmes into the Valgrisenche over the Col Bassac Déré at 3,082 m (10,110 ft), and the landscape changes character completely. This is the mineral end of the park: slabs, scree and moraine, with the glaciers of the Granta Parei group right there beside the trail. Bring your sunglasses and your sense of scale.
On the far side you come down to Rifugio Bezzi, tucked in at the very head of the Valgrisenche with the Ruitor massif ahead of you. It’s the kind of mountain hut that exists because somebody (understandably) fell in love with the view.
- Hiking details: around 10.3 km (6.4 miles), 880 m (2,885 ft) ascent, 900 m (2,955 ft) descent
- Night: Rifugio Bezzi, dormitory
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
A balcony day. The trail contours high along the side of the valley with the Ruitor glaciers hanging opposite you the whole way, which is a fairly spectacular way to spend a morning.
This stage follows parts of the Alta Via 2 along the flank of the Valgrisenche, in and out of alpine pasture and across mountain streams, with the valley dropping away below and the ice across from you at eye level. The 770 m (2,525 ft) of gain is spread gently across the whole day, so this is the one where you can take your time and just look.
You finish at Rifugio de l’Épée, the “Sword” refuge, which earns its name from the peak above it. It’s a favorite stop on this route and a good place to compare notes with whoever else is hiking the Alta Via 2.
- Hiking details: around 10 km (6.2 miles), 770 m (2,525 ft) ascent, 660 m (2,165 ft) descent
- Night: Rifugio de l’Épée, dormitory
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
The Ruitor glaciers hang over you for the whole climb, and the view from the pass is the one you’ll put on your wall.
From Rifugio de l’Épée you climb through alpine views to the scree of the Col Fenêtre at 2,840 m (9,315 ft). The “window” is well named: the Valgrisenche sits behind you, dominated by the Ruitor glaciers, and the Val di Rhêmes opens up in front. It’s the kind of view that makes the climb feel like a bargain.
From the pass you drop 1,120 m (3,675 ft) to the valley floor and Rifugio delle Marmotte, named after the animals you’ll hear whistling at you on the way down. Take your time on this descent and enjoy watching the glaciers at the head of the valley come into view.
- Hiking details: around 9.9 km (6.2 miles), 900 m (2,950 ft) ascent, 1,120 m (3,675 ft) descent
- Night: Rifugio delle Marmotte, dormitory
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
The last pass, and from the top the entire main chain of the Gran Paradiso lines up in front of you. Worth every one of the 970 m (3,180 ft).
You carry on along the Alta Via 2 for one more pass. The path climbs through forest, joins the Entrelor mountain pastures and keeps going up the Entrelor valley to the col at 3,007 m (9,865 ft), where the main chain of the Gran Paradiso opens up ahead of you. Stay a while. It’s your last high pass of the trip.
The way down into the Valsavarenche is broken up by a handful of lakes that make excellent rest stops, and by the Djouan mountain pastures where marmots and chamois are regulars and golden eagles are not unusual overhead. You finish back in Bien for your last night, in a guesthouse or hotel.
Congratulations, your Gran Paradiso trek is complete.
- Hiking details: around 12.5 km (7.8 miles), 970 m (3,180 ft) ascent, 1,482 m (4,860 ft) descent
- Night: Bien, guesthouse or hotel
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
Breakfast, then a bus down the valley with eight days of mountains behind you.
After breakfast a public bus takes you from Bien down to Villeneuve, near Aosta. From Villeneuve, buses and trains run on to Aosta, Turin and Milan, or Geneva.
Cogne is a cute little town. If you have time, consider arriving a day early to explore it. You only need a few hours as it’s small, but it’s worth spending a night there if time allows.
- Included: Breakfast
- Night: Not included. If you’d like an extra night at the end, book it yourself or ask us for suggestions
NOTE:
All times, distances and elevations are approximate and don’t include breaks, so allow more time than you think you need. The itinerary may change slightly depending on mountain hut availability, weather and trail conditions. On a self-guided tour you’re responsible for the choices you make on the trail: we give you the route notes, the map and the GPX tracks, and you hike each day independently.
How Much Does the Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour Cost?
9-DAY GRAN PARADISO
HIKING TOUR
PRICE:
€1195 per person
SEASON:
July 1st to August 26th, 2027
A 30% deposit of €358.50 holds your dates. The balance is due 40 days before you hike.
- Price per person: €1195, including 8 nights of half-board accommodation, 6 of them in mountain huts.
- Minimum group size: none. The mountain hut nights are dormitory accommodation, so solo hikers can book and there’s no single supplement.
- Start dates: any date from July 1st to August 26th, 2027. That’s when the mountain huts are open and the high passes are clear of snow.
- Choosing your dates: there’s no central booking system for mountain huts, so we contact each one individually and we start the moment your booking comes in. The more possible start dates you can give us, the better our chances of securing every night.
- Optional luggage transfer: €219 for 1 bag or €279 for 2, Cogne to Bien, start to finish with no stops in between. It’s there for the bags you won’t need on the trail.
Book with confidence
A 30% deposit holds your dates, balance due 40 days before you hike
We book every night of your trip, and if we can’t secure your accommodation, you get a full refund
We’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour
Rated 4.9/5 from 187 hiker reviews
What’s Included on the 9-Day Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour
WHAT’S INCLUDED
✔ 8 nights of accommodation on half board
✔ 6 nights in mountain hut dormitories
✔ 2 nights in a guesthouse or hotel in Bien
✔ 8 breakfasts
✔ 8 dinners
✔ Detailed route notes for every hiking day
✔ A map of the route
✔ GPX tracks
✔ Unlimited email support before your tour
✔ We’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour
✔ Personalized training plan for Gran Paradiso (valued at €300), free with your booking
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Travel insurance. Repatriation and search and rescue cover is mandatory, and cancellation cover is strongly recommended. Our free Adventure Travel Insurance Finder compares policies.
- Flights.
- Getting to Cogne on Day 1 and home from Bien on Day 9. Multiple buses run each day from Aosta to Cogne, and a public bus runs from Bien to Villeneuve at the end.
- Breakfast on Day 1, before you set off from Cogne.
- Accommodation the night before your tour and on the last night.
- Optional luggage transfer, Cogne to Bien, €219 for 1 bag or €279 for 2.
- Lunches, snacks, drinks and personal expenses.
- Personal hiking equipment, including the sleeping bag liner that mountain huts require.
- Anything not listed above.
6-Day Gran Paradiso in Comfort: Private Rooms, Cogne to the Valgrisenche
Our second Gran Paradiso hiking tour covers the same mountains in a shorter week, with a private room every night but one. That one is at Rifugio Vittorio Sella, a former royal hunting palace, so it’s a very nice mountain hut to share.
It’s 6 days and 5 nights with 5 hiking days, from Cogne across to the Valgrisenche, linking the Cogne, Valsavarenche, Val di Rhêmes and Valgrisenche valleys on parts of the Alta Via 2. You still cross the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft), one of the highest non-glacier mountain passes in all of Italy, and two more passes above 2,800 m (9,185 ft).
The difference is where you sleep. Four nights are private rooms in hotels and guesthouses, with a shower and your own bathroom, and the fifth is at Rifugio Vittorio Sella in a small 4-person room rather than an open dormitory.
69 km (43 miles), 4,840 m (15,880 ft) of ascent, and 3.5 to 6.5 hours of hiking a day.
6-Day Gran Paradiso in Comfort Itinerary
5 hiking days, from Cogne to the Valgrisenche. 69 km (43 miles), 4,840 m (15,880 ft) of ascent and 4,620 m (15,160 ft) of descent. You make your own way to Cogne where you start. There are multiple buses running each day from Aosta, so it’s easy to get there. All distances, times and elevations are approximate.
A gentle first day that still gets you one of the Aosta Valley’s great waterfalls before dinner.
You start in Cogne, a handsome stone village on the eastern edge of the park, and hike out to Lillaz, where the waterfall drops through the rock in three tiers. It’s one of the highest in the Aosta Valley and you can stand close enough to feel it.
From there the trail turns up into the Valnontey, the valley where the Alpine ibex have been protected the longest, and you sleep at its mouth with the glaciers of the Gran Paradiso massif at the far end. Easy underfoot, and a good way to find your legs.
- Hiking details: around 15 km (9.3 miles), 550 m (1,805 ft) ascent, 450 m (1,475 ft) descent, about 3.5 hours
- Night: Hotel in Valnontey, private room
- Included: Dinner
Short in distance, generous in altitude, and the ibex may even greet you right outside the mountain hut when you arrive.
Only 8 km (5 miles) today, but all of it upward. The trail follows the old hunting track built for King Victor Emmanuel II, back when this whole massif was his private reserve, which means it climbs 1,050 m (3,445 ft) on a graded path rather than a scramble.
Rifugio Vittorio Sella at 2,584 m (8,480 ft) is the converted royal lodge itself. You arrive with the afternoon still ahead of you, which is exactly the point: this is ibex country, and they come down to the meadows around the mountain hut to graze. Sit outside with a drink and watch.
- Hiking details: around 8 km (5 miles), 1,050 m (3,445 ft) ascent, 50 m (165 ft) descent, about 4 hours
- Night: Rifugio Vittorio Sella, 4-person room
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
The day everyone remembers. One of the highest non-glacier mountain passes in all of Italy, crossed before lunch.
You climb 765 m (2,510 ft) from the mountain hut to the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft), past the Lauson pond, on ground that ibex genuinely love. One side of the pass has a short section with a fixed rope. You don’t need via ferrata gear for it, but you do need a head for heights.
From the top you’re looking down two valleys at once. Then you drop 1,744 m (5,720 ft) into the Valsavarenche, through the Levionaz pastures where the chamois graze, to the hamlet of Eaux-Rousses, where alpine water runs past old stone streets and you have a private room for the night.
- Hiking details: around 16 km (9.9 miles), 765 m (2,510 ft) ascent, 1,744 m (5,720 ft) descent, about 6 hours
- Night: Hostellerie du Paradis (3-star) or similar, private room
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
From the pass the entire main chain of the Gran Paradiso lines up in front of you.
The path climbs out of the Valsavarenche through conifer forest and opens onto the Entrelor mountain pastures, then keeps going up the valley to the col at 3,007 m (9,865 ft). Stay a while at the top. This is the widest view of the week after the Lauson.
The way down passes the Djouan lakes, which make excellent rest stops, with the vertical wall of the Granta Parei filling the end of the valley ahead of you. You finish in Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, a quiet village tucked in among towering peaks. The ground is steep and stony in places, so poles earn their keep today.
- Hiking details: around 15.3 km (9.5 miles), 1,325 m (4,350 ft) ascent, 1,280 m (4,200 ft) descent, about 6.5 hours
- Night: Hotel in Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, private room
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
The Ruitor glaciers hang opposite you for most of the way down, and there’s a mountain hut terrace with your name on it halfway.
Your last pass. The climb to the Col Fenêtre at 2,840 m (9,315 ft), the “window”, takes you up through alpine views to open scree, and the name earns itself at the top: the Val di Rhêmes behind you, the Valgrisenche ahead, framed between the rock. Waymarking thins out on the upper section, so this is the day to keep the GPX track handy.
On the way down you pass the Chalet de l’Épée, the “Sword” refuge, which is the right place to stop for a drink with the Ruitor glaciers across the valley. Then on down into the Valgrisenche for your last night.
- Hiking details: around 15 km (9.3 miles), 1,150 m (3,775 ft) ascent, 1,100 m (3,610 ft) descent, about 6.5 hours
- Night: Hotel in the Valgrisenche or Bonne, private room
- Included: Dinner and breakfast
One more turquoise lake before the bus, if you want it.
There’s an optional loop around Lake Beauregard, a long ribbon of turquoise water under the Ruitor peaks with larch forest down to the shore. Hardly any climbing, and a good last hour in the mountains before you head down the valley.
Then a bus takes you from the Valgrisenche via Arvier to Aosta, where trains and buses run on to Turin, Milan and Geneva.
Congratulations, your Gran Paradiso in Comfort trek is complete.
- Included: Breakfast
- Night: Not included. If you’d like an extra night at the end, book it yourself or ask us for suggestions
How Much Does the 6-Day Gran Paradiso in Comfort Cost?
6-DAY GRAN PARADISO
IN COMFORT
PRICE:
€1649 per person
SEASON:
July 1st to August 29th, 2027
A 30% deposit of €494.70 holds your dates. The balance is due 40 days before you hike.
- Price per person: €1649, based on two people sharing, including 5 nights of half-board accommodation.
- Hiking solo? You can book on your own. The single supplement is €269 per person.
- Optional luggage transfer: Cogne to Bonne, start to finish with no stops in between, for the bags you won’t need on the trail.
- Start dates: any date from July 1st to August 29th, 2027. We book every night individually, so the more possible start dates you can give us, the better our chances of securing them all.
Book with confidence
A 30% deposit holds your dates, balance due 40 days before you hike
We book every night of your trip, and if we can’t secure your accommodation, you get a full refund
We’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour
Rated 4.9/5 from 187 hiker reviews
What’s Included on the 6-Day Gran Paradiso in Comfort
WHAT’S INCLUDED
✔ 5 nights of accommodation on half board
✔ 4 nights in private rooms in hotels and guesthouses
✔ 1 night at Rifugio Vittorio Sella in a 4-person room
✔ 5 breakfasts
✔ 5 dinners
✔ Luggage transfer from Cogne to Bonne
✔ Detailed route notes for every hiking day
✔ A map of the route
✔ GPX tracks
✔ Unlimited email support before your tour
✔ We’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour
✔ Personalized training plan for Gran Paradiso (valued at €300), free with your booking
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Travel insurance. Repatriation and search and rescue cover is mandatory, and cancellation cover is strongly recommended. Our free Adventure Travel Insurance Finder compares policies.
- Flights.
- Breakfast on Day 1, before you set off from Cogne.
- Getting to Cogne on Day 1 and home from the Valgrisenche on Day 6. Multiple buses run each day from Aosta to Cogne, and a bus runs from the Valgrisenche via Arvier to Aosta at the end.
- Accommodation the night before your tour and on the last night.
- The single supplement, if you’re hiking on your own.
- Lunches, snacks, drinks and personal expenses.
- Tourist taxes, which are payable at each accommodation.
- Personal hiking equipment.
- Anything not listed above.
What Hikers Say About Our Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour
We’d never heard of Gran Paradiso and only chose it because the TMB was fully booked and because Monkeys and Mountains recommended it to us. Turns out it was the best happy accident ever. Way less crowded and totally blew us away! Highly recommend it!
– Michael
Wildlife is a real highlight
“The best part of hiking in Gran Paradiso was seeing ibex, chamois and marmots along the trails. Sometimes they were so close you could stop and watch them for ages!”
– Sean S., Florida
Spectacular scenery and a wild feel
“The scenery was absolutely incredible. Huge mountains, glaciers, beautiful alpine lakes and wild valleys everywhere you looked. It felt much more remote and untouched than some of the more popular hiking areas in the Alps.”
– Katie M., Colorado
Rewarding hikes without climbing the main summit
“The hike up to Rifugio Vittorio Sella was challenging but so worth it. The views were amazing, and you get that real high-mountain experience without having to tackle a technical summit.”
– Jen R., Rhode Island
Quieter trails and fewer crowds
“One of my favorite things about hiking in Gran Paradiso was how peaceful it felt. We spent hours walking through incredible mountain scenery without seeing many other hikers. It was exactly the kind of escape I was looking for.”
– Greg G., Illinois
Average rating 4.9/5 based on 187 reviews.
Why Book Your Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour With Monkeys and Mountains
We’re one of the very few hiking companies that include a free personalized fitness plan (worth €300) with every self-guided tour. That means you train properly, even if you live somewhere flat, and arrive at the Col du Lauson feeling strong rather than hopeful.
- We do the booking. Mountain huts high in Gran Paradiso National Park and a guesthouse or hotel in Bien, all reserved for your dates, with none of the time-consuming calls and emails in Italian.
- Designed by hikers, for hikers. This itinerary was rebuilt from scratch for 2027 by people who know Gran Paradiso in detail, not lifted off a map.
- Hike on your own schedule. Your own pace, with the people you chose, not a group of strangers on someone else’s schedule. Start any date in the season.
- We know the mountain huts. Which ones are worth the night, which ones serve the best dinner, and which ones fill up first.
- Self-guided value. All the freedom of hiking independently, without the price tag of a guided group tour.
- We’re a message away. We’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour, for anything from a closed trail to a missed bus.
Gran Paradiso Self-Guided Hiking Tour FAQs
How long is the Gran Paradiso hiking tour?
The Monkeys and Mountains Gran Paradiso hiking tour comes in 6 or 9 days. The 9-day version is 8 nights with 8 hiking days, covering 94 km (58 miles) with 7,165 m (23,510 ft) of ascent and 7,166 m (23,510 ft) of descent, starting in Cogne and finishing in Bien, in the Valsavarenche; Day 9 is your departure day, so you hike on days 1 through 8. The 6-day Gran Paradiso in Comfort is 5 nights with 5 hiking days, around 69 km (43 miles) with 4,840 m (15,880 ft) of ascent, starting in Cogne and finishing in the Valgrisenche, and every night is a private room.
How hard is the Gran Paradiso hiking tour in Italy?
The Gran Paradiso hiking tour in Italy is graded Challenging by Monkeys and Mountains. Most days are 8 to 17 km (5 to 10.6 miles), and they climb around 1,000 m (3,280 ft) or more on several days in a row, with a high pass most days: the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft), the Col Bassac Dere at 3,082 m (10,110 ft), the Col de l’Entrelor at 3,007 m (9,865 ft) and the Col Rosset at 3,025 m (9,925 ft) and plenty of rocky, uneven ground. You want to be in good hiking shape, to have hiked multi-day mountain routes before, and to have a head for heights for the short roped section on the Col du Lauson. Your free personalized training plan (valued at €300) is built to get you ready.
How high is the Col du Lauson and what is it like to cross?
The Col du Lauson is 3,296 m (10,814 ft) and it is one of the highest non-glacier mountain passes in all of Italy. On the Monkeys and Mountains Gran Paradiso hiking tour you cross it on Day 2, climbing 765 m (2,510 ft) from Rifugio Vittorio Sella at 2,584 m (8,480 ft), then descending 1,744 m (5,720 ft) into the Valsavarenche. One side of the pass has a short section with a fixed rope: you don’t need via ferrata gear for it, but you do need a head for heights. It’s the highest point of the tour and the day hikers talk about afterwards.
How much does the Gran Paradiso hiking tour cost?
The Monkeys and Mountains self-guided Gran Paradiso hiking tour costs €1195 per person for the 9-day version, 9 days and 8 nights, or €1649 per person for the 6-day Gran Paradiso in Comfort, where every night is a private room and luggage transfer is included. The 9-day price includes all 8 nights of accommodation on half board, 6 of them in mountain huts and 2 in a guesthouse or hotel in Bien, 8 breakfasts and 8 dinners, detailed route notes, a map, GPX tracks, email support before you go, WhatsApp availability while you’re on tour, and a personalized training plan valued at €300. A 30% deposit holds your dates and the balance is due 40 days before you hike.
When can you hike the Gran Paradiso trek?
You can hike the Gran Paradiso trek with Monkeys and Mountains from July 1st to August 26th, 2027. That’s the window when the mountain huts are open, the high passes are clear of snow and the local transportation you need at either end is running. The route crosses passes above 3,000 m (9,840 ft), including the Col du Lauson at 3,296 m (10,814 ft), so the season is short.
How do you get to the start of the Gran Paradiso hiking tour in Cogne?
You make your own way to Cogne, where the Monkeys and Mountains Gran Paradiso hiking tour starts. There are multiple buses running each day from Aosta, so it’s easy to get there. Cogne sits at 1,534 m (5,030 ft) on the eastern edge of Gran Paradiso National Park. Accommodation the night before your tour isn’t included, so book that night yourself, and arriving a day early is a good idea if you’re coming from overseas.
How do you get home at the end of the Gran Paradiso trek?
At the end of the Monkeys and Mountains Gran Paradiso trek, a public bus takes you from Bien down to Villeneuve, near Aosta, on the morning of Day 9 after breakfast. From Villeneuve, buses and trains run on to Aosta, Turin and Milan, or Geneva. Accommodation on the last night isn’t included, so if you’d like an extra night at the end, book it yourself or ask us for suggestions.
Where do you sleep on the Gran Paradiso hiking tour?
On the Monkeys and Mountains Gran Paradiso hiking tour you sleep 6 nights in mountain hut dormitories high in Gran Paradiso National Park and 2 nights in a guesthouse or hotel in the village of Bien, in the Valsavarenche. All 8 nights are on half board, so dinner and breakfast are included every night. The mountain huts require a sleeping bag liner, which you bring yourself, and dormitory nights mean shared rooms and shared bathrooms.
Is luggage transfer available on the Gran Paradiso hiking tour?
Yes. Monkeys and Mountains offers an optional luggage transfer on the Gran Paradiso hiking tour, moving the bags you won’t need on the trail from Cogne straight to Bien, so start to finish with no stops in between. It’s €219 for 1 bag or €279 for 2, and you add it when you book. There is no luggage transfer between the mountain huts along the way, because they aren’t reachable by road, so you carry what you need on the trail.
How does a self-guided Gran Paradiso hiking tour with Monkeys and Mountains work?
A self-guided Gran Paradiso hiking tour with Monkeys and Mountains works like this: you pick a start date, we book all 8 nights of accommodation on half board, and you hike each day independently. You get detailed route notes for every hiking day, a map, and GPX tracks, plus unlimited email support before you go and a free personalized training plan valued at €300. We’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour. You hike at your own pace, with the people you chose, rather than in a guided group on fixed departure dates.
Will you see ibex on the Gran Paradiso hiking tour?
You have a very good chance of seeing ibex on the Gran Paradiso hiking tour. Gran Paradiso National Park was created in 1922 specifically to protect the Alpine ibex, which had been hunted close to extinction everywhere else in the Alps, and the Valnontey on Day 1 is one of the best places in Europe to see them. Chamois, marmots and golden eagles are regulars too, especially in the Valsavarenche. A century of protection means the ibex are relaxed about hikers, so bring a camera.
Is the Gran Paradiso trek a good alternative to the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alta Via 1?
Yes, the Gran Paradiso trek is a very good alternative to the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alta Via 1 if you want quieter trails in the Alps. Accommodations on the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites sell out 9 to 12 months in advance. Gran Paradiso is a great alternative, with the same scale of mountain, mountain hut nights, and passes above 3,000 m (9,840 ft) in Italy’s first national park, at a fraction of the foot traffic. The Monkeys and Mountains Gran Paradiso hiking tour is graded Challenging, so it suits fit hikers with multi-day experience rather than first timers.
Is the Gran Paradiso hiking tour a good first multi-day hike?
The Gran Paradiso hiking tour is a big step for a first multi-day hike, because Monkeys and Mountains grades it Challenging and it climbs around 1,000 m (3,280 ft) or more on several days in a row, with 6 nights in mountain hut dormitories. It suits hikers who already have multi-day mountain experience. If this would be your first multi-day trip, our Cinque Terre hiking tour or our Costa Brava hiking tour are gentler places to start, and Gran Paradiso is a great second or third trip.
Can you hike the Gran Paradiso tour solo, and is there a single supplement?
Yes, you can hike the Monkeys and Mountains Gran Paradiso tour solo. There’s no minimum group size, because 6 of the 8 nights are dormitory accommodation in mountain huts, and there’s no single supplement to pay. The 2 nights in Bien are in a guesthouse or hotel. You hike independently each day with route notes, a map and GPX tracks, and we’re available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour.
What do you need to bring on the Gran Paradiso hiking tour?
For the Gran Paradiso hiking tour you need mid or high-cut hiking boots, a 30 to 40 liter pack, warm layers, a waterproof jacket, gloves and a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, a 2 liter water bottle, your passport or ID, and a sleeping bag liner, which is mandatory in the mountain huts. Trekking poles are a good idea on the descents. Monkeys and Mountains sends you the full packing list with your route pack once you’ve booked, so there’s nothing to work out on your own.
What happens if something goes wrong on a self-guided Gran Paradiso hike?
If something goes wrong on a self-guided Gran Paradiso hike, Monkeys and Mountains is available via WhatsApp while you’re on tour, so big or small, you always have someone to contact. You also carry detailed route notes, a map and GPX tracks, so you can find your way on your own. Repatriation and search and rescue insurance is mandatory and cancellation insurance is strongly recommended, and neither is included in the tour. Our free Adventure Travel Insurance Finder compares policies.
Photos of Gran Paradiso Trekking
