A great circular trail far from the crowds
Rugged Ardeche with spectacular ridges offering vast panoramic views
Historic villages clinging to terraced valleys
Beautiful rivers where you can bathe
Rustic guest houses & great hospitality
Welcome at your first guest house in the town of Aubenas
A fairly long first days walking passing through a number of rustic hamlets before crossing the Sandron Valley and climbing to the Volcan de Craux and its historic chateau. You’ll end the day at Antraigues sur Volane, a pretty historic village perched on a ridge between two valleys.
Overnight: Antraigues sur Volane - Walk: 18.5km, +600m
Today your walking trail heads west through pretty forest to reach the tiny hamlet of Juvinas before turning south. You’ll then climb over open hilltops with great expansive views before descending through forest to reach Chirols overlooking the Fontauliere River.
Overnight: Chirols - Walk: 17km, +900m
A great day's walking which first crosses a hillside to reach the Ardeche River which has cut an erratic course between steep slopes and rocky bluffs. On the far side of the valley is the thermal spa of Neyrac les Bains. Then climb to wild mountain summits including Rocher de Ladenne, at over 1000m with fabulous panoramic views before descending to the village of Thuyets, passing a historic bridge and dramatic cliffs along the valley formed of cooled basalt.
Overnight: Thuyets - Walk: 20km, +620m
Transfer to La Souche. You walk starts by climbing steeply through a wild landscape of ravines to reach an open ridgeline where you have the chance to climb Mont Aigu at 1316m with vast panoramic views towards the Alps and of the surrounding Tanargue mountains. You’ll then follow a trail along the ridgeline following the Tour of Tanargue. You'll reach over 1,400m before it’s time to descend rapidly to Valgorge in the narrow Baume Valley.
Overnight: Valgorge - Walk: 16km, +900m
From Valgorge climb through mixed forest to reach another beautiful heather-clad ridgeline and cross several summits above 1000m. Follow the tour of Tanargue on a good trail before descending to La Roche, perched above the Baume River. Your guest house has a patio with great views and a sauna & pool to help you unwind tired muscles.
Overnight: La Roche - Walk: 12km, +600m
Today’s walking trail crosses the Baume Valley and climbs to the isolated summit of Tour de Brison for great panoramic views. Afterwards a mix of chestnut forests and terraced valley slopes bring you to the hill-top village of Montreal and then the medieval village of Largentiere clinging to the valley's slopes with its remarkable chateau.
Overnight: Tauriers - Walk: 16km, +850m
Your walking trail returns to a less rugged and more tamed landscape. Small transfer to the hamlet of Chassiers with its remarkable gothic church and medieval chapel. A lower level walk over smaller hills through forest, vines, terraced orchards & historic hamlets brings you to the hamlet of Ailhon. Transfer back to the medieval hill-top town of Aubenas.
Overnight: Aubenas - Walk: 16-21km, +570m
Walking holiday ends after breakfast.
Self-Guided
Distance: 16-21km per day
Ascent: 570-900m per day
Small guest houses, hotels and B&Bs
B&B plus 4 evening meals & 6 lunches
Other self-guided walking holidays in the Massif Central
Summits of Auvergne - Tour of Sancy
Cantal Mountains - The Rugged Heart of France
The Ardeche is an amazingly diverse region making up the eastern extremity of the Massif Central in southern France. With wild, rugged mountains and picturesque historic villages clinging to terraced hillsides it makes an ideal location for an independent walking holiday away from the beaten track. This walking tour is located in the picturesque central Ardeche mountains in the heart of its Regional Natural Park.
You’ll start and finish your self guided walking tour in the historic hilltop town of Aubenas before following a dramatic circular tour which becomes higher and more remote with each passing day as you head into the Tanargue with ridges offering vast panoramic views. The valleys are as magical as the mountains are wild with historic bridges and chateaux, cliff-lined rivers and terraces of orchards and vines.
Your walking holiday in the Ardeche includes wonderful heather-clad ridges with great panoramic views; pretty chestnut forests; beautiful rivers where it's possible to bathe; and sun parched, olive and vine covered slopes. The Ardeche landscape is rugged and sometimes wild but wherever you look man's interaction with these mountains is evident with rustic stone-built villages, old terraces with stone walls and beautiful medieval bridges spanning the steep valley slopes.
8 nights/9 days: 7 days independent walking moving between guest houses
Everday of week subject to availability during April, May, June, September & October
7 days independent walking moving between guest houses. The days average 6 hours walking with an average of 17km and +700m per day. Maximum altitude gain in one day is +950m. The Ardeche is rugged and mountainous - the paths are generally good, although some sections can be rocky and quite steep. You should be reasonably fit, be able to navigate in the mountains and be comfortable walking on paths in mountainous areas.
+This walking holiday is graded moderate to challenging plus. You should have experience of multi-day walking in the hills and be in reasonable health. See more information about walking grades.
8 nights in very comfortable small guest houses & hotels with charm & character. Warm welcome and great local cuisine.
Our self-guided walking tour of the vineyards of Alsace and the Vosges hills is available from during April, May, June, September and October. The Ardeche is influenced by Mediterranean, Atlantic and mountainous climate zones. Winters can be cold due to altitude, with snow on the summits, whilst the height of summer can be very hot and dry.
April can be cool and there is still a risk of snow on the higher hills early in the month. May is one of the best times of year for walking with average maximum temperatures of 22°C during the day at low altitudes, reducing as you head higher into the hills. It is also a time when the wild flowers are blooming on the hills and the vines will have their spring foliage. There are a number of species associated with high altitude such as the giant yellow Gentian. Night time temeratures are also less cold than in April when frost is still common. May is, however the wettest period of the spring with almost 100mm. For sunny, warm and relatively dry conditions June is an excellent month. There is a risk of storms however and there is also a risk of hot weather. Average day time temperatures reach 26°C at low altitude in June. This walking holiday is not available in July and August due to the heat and the difficulty in obtaining our first choice accommodation.
As you progress into September so the average rainfall total jump from dry conditions to relatively high totals. Most of this rain however falls in the form of a few very unsettled or stormy days. The risk of storms is greater in the afternoon. This is associated to low pressure forming in the Mediterranean. Despite the high rainfall totals, sunny, dry conditions are more common than rainy days. The risk of unsettled weather is greatest after mid October. Temperatures remain pleasant with day time averages of 23°C in September and 18°C in October at low altitudes. The days are relatively short in October and therefore the sunshine levels are low. In October he leaves on the vines and the chestnut forests are starting to turn shades of orange and red adding a new dimension to the Ardeche landscapes.
Much of this walking holiday follows local walking trails waymarked by yellow paint markings. Some sections follow GR (Grande Randonnee) long distance trails which are well way-marked with red and white markings. There are also a large number signposts indicating directions. The walk follows paths, tracks and small roads for its entire duration. There are some small sections where the paths are narrow or less well defined. Our walking notes are very detailed (more information here) and include intermediate distances for sections of the trail. They also include information about the sites which can be explored along the route. We supply one walking guide per person on this holiday. As well as the detailed walking notes we supply official walking maps produce by IGN at a scale of 1:25,000. Your trail is highlighted on the maps.
On this walking holiday your main luggage is transferred between guest houses so you only have to carry a day rucksack with picnic lunch, water and spare clothes, waterproofs, camera etc. On this holiday your bags are transferred to the next accommodation by a mixture of the guest houses and a local taxi company. Contact details are included in your walking notes in case you require a transfer. Please limit the weight of your bags where possible to 20kg.
You'll need to make your own way to your first accommodation in Aubenas.
Eurostar trains from London St Pancras to Paris or Lille. Change for TGV trains to Valence direct or via Lyon.
On this independent walking tour in the Ardeche you'll be staying 8 nights in very comfortable small guest houses & hotels with charm & character. The guest houses vary in their style, character and quality, ranging from rustic auberges to luxury B&B's. They all have comfortable en-suite rooms. Some have swimming pools and beautiful outside patios with great views. Warm welcome and great local cuisine.
Elisabeth and Bernard welcome you to their boutique hotel near the centre of Aubenas built in the 1930s. The house has been beautifully renovated with passion to create a quality hotel with charm where each of its 8 guest rooms is different. The hotel provides modern day comforts mixed with a traditional and historic Ardèche experience. The rooms are large and sunny, whilst the garden provides a lovely space to relax and unwind.
La Calade is a unique guest house located in an old stone farm, high in the Ardeche hills with fabulous views from the terrace over the surrounding mountains. The house dates from the 15th century. The rooms have lots of character. Dinners at a local restaurant. You’ll receive a short transfer by your hosts.
Extra nights are possible at any of the stopovers including at your fist and last location in Aubenas. However, if you would like an extra night in the middle of our Ardeche walking holiday thenwe would recommend an extra night in Valgorge. This is a pretty remote valley and from here it's possible to undertake a walk around the Valgorge Valley. There is a medium and more challenging option with 16 or 22km in distance and between 500m and 900m in height gain.
Please contact us for a quote.
There are several other wlaking holidays which are accessed from the Rhone Valley and could be easily combined with this walking tour. They include:
Hill-top Villages of the Drome Provencale
Secret Provence: Tour of the Baronnies
Panoramas of Provence: Grand Tour of Luberon
In addition, travel to Lyon is quick by train and from there we provide transfers to all our walking holidays in the Beaujolais region
If you want to learn more about the region's culture through tailor-made activities and visits, check out those trips that include a few days nearby Ardèche. Contact us to add them to your hike.
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We have both enjoyed a terrific week! Many thanks for organising and booking such a tremendous walking holiday. We had a really delightful time. All of our hosts were so friendly and welcoming. We very much enjoyed all of our days of walking, and the variations in landscapes and changing flora in the forests. I really loved walking along the ridges with views of the valleys and peaks in dappled light. The green and yellow fauna was also really stunning. The notes were excellent and made everything very, very easy... Many thanks for such detailed instructions. Many thanks again for all of your efforts. We very much appreciate the knowledge, organisation and care that you have put into providing a holiday package such as this.
Michelle M.
Thanks again for a great holiday - your walking notes are far and away the best we have ever had on our many such trips.
Paul & Ruth W.