Secret France: Walking in the Ardeche - 8 Days
- Best price guaranteed
- No booking fees
- COVID-19protected
- Trekking and Hiking
- Walking tour
- Adventure
- Young Adults
- Customizable
- duration 8 days
- tour type Group Request as private
- age requirement 18-99 yrs
- max group size 20
- guiding method Fully guided
- Tour Code BM-16468
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Footprint
Carbonneutral
CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
- Operated in English
- A Walking Holiday Off The Beaten Track!
- Hiking on the Massif Central
- Historic Towns and Villages
- Extensive Views Across the Rhone Valley
- Chateau de Rochebonne
A charming walk off the beaten track in the Massif Central in France. Facing the Alps across the broad valley of the Rhone lies a walker’s paradise of hills where the Ardeche, Loire and Haute Loire regions meet. This is a watershed for some of France’s great rivers, a land of steeply terraced slopes, half-hidden valleys and tumbling streams, largely absent from the guidebooks. Massive ruined farmhouses seem to have grown from the landscape and the bleat of goats and call of a wild bird are often the only sounds you will hear.
From the first walk at Le Crestet take an ancient drove road, partly through orchards, to the market town of Lamastre, set amongst hills covered with ancient chestnut trees of enormous girth. Turn north now and climb to the old spa-town of Lalouvesc, perched at 1100m above the Rhone valley, with views East as far as the snow-covered Alps on a clear day. Skirting the Haut-Vivarais, looking down on tiny red-roofed hamlets clinging to steep grassy slopes, continue to the hill-village of St. Bonnet le Froid; then south through fields yellow with wild daffodils in late spring and orchids in early summer, skirting the Lac de Devesset (good for a possible dip on a warm day) to St Agreve. Set against the backdrop of Mt. Mezenc & Mt. Gerbier de Jonc, the source of the mighty Loire River, this small market town is a centre for cross-country skiing in winter. Its narrow main street is crammed with old-fashioned shops, selling Le Puy lentils and Rhone wine from the barrel. This 8-day circular walk then goes south past the mighty, ruined Chateau de Rochebonne overlooking the River Eyrieux. Continue to the narrow valley town of St. Martin de Valamas and then back to St. Agreve. On the way back to Lamaster, the circuit then takes you west along an ancient mule-road, the “Voie des Marchands”, with breathtaking views of the meticulously terraced slopes of the Haut Vivarais to the north.
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Day 1 : Arrive Lamastre
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Day 2 : Le Crestet to Lamastre 14 km/8.6 miles, 4h, +567m/-64m
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Day 3 : Lamastre to Lalouvesc 23 km/14 miles, 7h, +1230m/-519m
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Day 4 : Lalouvesc to St Bonnet le Froid 18 km/11 miles, 4.5h, +750m/-717m
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Day 5 : St Bonnet-le-Froid to St Agreve 22 km/13.5 miles, 6h, +559m/-630m
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Day 6 : St Agrève to St Martin de Valamas taxi back to St Agrève 12 km/7.4 miles, 5h, +600m/-105m
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Day 7 : St. Agrève to Lamastre 23 km/14 miles, 6h, +350m/-1015m
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Day 8 : Arrangements end after breakfast
- 7 nights accommodation in country hotels on a twin share with ensuite facilities where possible
- 7 breakfasts, 7 dinners
- Transfer start of day 2 to Le Crestet
- Transfer day 6 St Martin to St Agrève
- Information pack including route notes & maps
- Emergency hotline
- One piece of luggage per person transferred between your accommodation, not exceeding 20kg
- Lunches & beverages
- Entrance fees
- Travel insurance
- Travel to the start and from the end point of the trip
- Personal expenses such as laundry and phone calls
- Unscheduled transfers required during the trip
- Excess Luggage
- A supplement will apply if you are travelling solo or book a single room
- Guide - this is a self guided holiday
- Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
- Protected Travel within your own bubble.
- Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
- Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.
- Earn USD 65+ in travel credits.
- Best price guaranteed.
- No credit card or booking fees.
- 100% financial protection.
- Carbon neutral tours.
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No additional cancellation fees apply for this Secret France: Walking in the Ardeche - 8 Days tour. You can cancel the tour up to 70 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 69 days of departure.
PaymentFor any tour departures within 12 October 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 12 October 2024, a deposit of 192 USD is required to confirm the tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 69 days before trip departure.
Travel InsuranceSecret France: Walking in the Ardeche - 8 Days tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.
VisaFor this Secret France: Walking in the Ardeche - 8 Days tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.
For Solo TravelersA twin share room may not always be available for solo travelers as it depends on the final number of people on the tour. If you have picked twin share room while booking, and that option is not available, we will get back to you after booking. A single room might then be available against an additional fee.
COVID-19 Safety MeasuresThis trip incorporates the following COVID-19 measures:
- This tour has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that COVID-19 health and hygiene global standardised protocols have been adopted.
- Rigorous hygiene safety measures will be followed in transportation, accommodation and meal venues.
- All travellers 18 years and older will be required to be fully vaccinated atleast 14 days prior to departure.