Alpine Mercantour Lakes hiking French Riviera | La Vacanza Travel

Alpine Mercantour Lakes hiking French Riviera

Duration: 8 hours
Destination: France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Provence
from
659.82

Check Availability

  • 8 hours
  • Provence
  • E-Voucher
  • Lowest Price
  • Not-Cancellable

Overview

Explore one of the most popular hiking spots in the southern French Alps

Discover unique wildlife and nature next to the French Riviera

Enjoy a great hike with breathtaking views and a beautiful blue lake

What Can You Expect?

Itinerary

You discover some of the nicest alpine lakes in the Mercantour National Park nearby the French Riviera.

Staring through or above alpine forest, you hike to cristal clear blue lake after (about 2 hours ascent). You discover impressive alpine landscapes with the highest peaks. In low season we may see wildlife such as mountain goats, ibex, or marmots.

Pastorale life and historical heritage are also present everywhere. We can make some quick photo stops on the road to see some famous medieval villages.
This hiking program is a great refreshing gateway in summertime, from June to October.

This tour includes guide fee (UIMLA guide), and pick up from Nice with my van for 5 pers maximum. If you are more, you may need an extra car. You need good hiking boots and equipment (clothes, sunscreen, hat) and your picnic (+water)

The time duration is about 9 hours : 4 hours hiking + pic nic or resting moments, + 3 hours drive on a scenic road also through ol medieval villages. The hike can be adapted to your level. For an easier hike, we may change the hike departure and area.
My name is Fabrice, a 22 years experienced guide. Born in Nice but also lived in USA so i speak fluent english !



Stop At:

• Saint Martin-Vesubie, Saint Martin-Vesubie, Alpes Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
• Mercantour National Park, Mercantour National Park, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
• French Alps, French Alps

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions
  • Guide fee
  • Bottled water

Exclusions
  • Lunch

Additional Info

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Good hiking boots are necessary as well as a good mountain equipement. Good walking boots - Breathable Jacket and light rain Jacket.- Micro fleece and mountain tee shirts (avoid cotton ) – Cap - Water bottle (1.5 liter/pers) - Sun protection - Sunglasses - Walking poles if you need
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability

Departure Point

Departure Point

2 Bd Lazare Raiberti, 06450 Saint-Martin-Vésubie, France
Traveler pickup is offered
Car transfer is possible from Nice or close city near Nice (St Laurent, Villefranche) for 5 pers. The trip is about 1h30 to reach departure of the hike, so 3 hours roundtrip.
From Monaco, an extra charge as a participation for gas and highway fees will be needed (+60 € to the guide)

Airports

  • Cote D'Azur Airport, Rue Costes et Bellonte, 6206 Nice France


Ports

  • Port Lympia, 7 Quai des Deux Emmanuels, 06300 Nice, France


Return Details

Returns to original departure point

Duration & Voucher Info

Voucher info

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Duration

8 hours

Cancellation Policy

User's Reviews

garyrY2352BU

10 Jul, 2023

Our family did a recent 3 day hike with Fabrice. He was a superb guide in every way. Extremely knowledgable about the flora, fauna, geology and history of the area, and shared his knowledge enthusiastically. Friendly and helpful at every step of the way, making the arrangements at the refuges, transporting our group at beginning and end of the trip. An overall fantastic experience!

jaccog230

08 Jul, 2023

After setting up the booking, I was able to get in touch with Fabrice through WhatsApp. He was very responsive and considerate and after carefully considering our abilities and our gear, he picked out a fantastic hike near the Col de l'Authion, above the Torini pass. We were picked up from the Nice Riquier train station by Fabrice and were expertly driven up into the mountains. Along the way, Fabrice told us about local history and ecosystems and pointed out many points of interest. Once we got to the trail head, Fabrice took very good care of us - he brought hiking poles and water and offered suggestions for clothing as we headed out. During the hike, he regaled us with more history and cultural information and pointed out alpine flowers and wildlife. When the hike got more difficult, he made sure we took our time, used the proper breathing techniques, and paced ourselves. As a result, the hike was very enjoyable for all four of us, regardless of our varying levels of fitness. His knowledge of the area allowed us to have stunning views of several chamois, as well as some Griffon Vultures and a female Black Grouse. All the while, Fabrice kept an eye on the weather which ensured we returned to the car without incident, tired but thrilled with a wonderful hike. Merci, Fabrice! If you ever journey to the French Riviera and are looking for a guide to take you out into the Alps, Fabrice should be at the top of the list.

balatraveler

02 Jul, 2023

Our group of 5 family members hiked Mercantour Park with Fabrice for 3 days, staying in refuges along the way. It was a truly special trip for us. Beautiful vistas and scenery, challenging trails that Fabrice helped us navigate with no problem, fascinating ancient petroglyphs, and wonderful company. Fabrice spent a good deal of time communicating with me before our trip to make sure he organized a hike that met our every desire - just the right amount of challenging hiking and interesting sights. He is super knowledgeable about so many subjects - the history of the region, the flora and fauna, the little detours to more interesting paths and scenery, etc. I highly recommend exploring this corner of the Alps with Fabrice!

288charlesr

19 May, 2023

We booked this trip for mid-May. I touched base with Fabrice 2 days prior and he informed me that a late season snow storm had hit Mercantour and that it was not possible to hike to the lake. He gave me an option of canceling or doing a different hike. We chose to do another hike. Since some rain was forecast for Naples area Fabrice wanted to study the weather patterns for the next day to find the best hike for us. In the mean time he asked about the level of exertion we wanted (6 point scale) and our technical skill (3 point scale). The evening before he'd narrowed to two options (based upon the weather and our answers) and then based upon the final weather forecast the morning of the hike he selected a hike from the village of Peille to a mountain peak, cime de Baudon. Fabrice picked us up in Nice and drove us to the hike. Bottom line: it was a fabulous hike that led to stunning views. During the day we learned that Fabrice is a native of Nice and has been a professional hiking guide for 20 years. He hikes an average of 150 days per year. He has 25+ different hikes that he can take people on in the area. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. At the end of the hike Fabrice took us into the village and gave us a tour of the ancient architecture. This was one of our best hiking experiences ever, Thank you Fabrice!

CarissaKM

20 Feb, 2023

If you are looking for a guided hike while you are in the French Riviera, look no further! Just book this trip. Fabrice is the best possible guide, ever. He truly made our trip in France exceptionally better. He is so hospitable, considerate, friendly and kind, incredibly knowledgeable and you will have an amazing time. We learned way more than we expected. The hike was beautiful, we saw fall colors and the mountain views were better than we expected. Fabrice made sure to ask ahead of time about our hiking ability and what to expect. He made minor adjustments to the hike to match our ability and made sure it was the perfect fit for us. His communication was great and he made everything so easy. And he even had some great restaurant recommendations for us when we got back into town! It was so nice to get into the mountains and have a change of scenery during our trip. We are honestly so glad that we had this experience and if we were to return, we would absolutely do another hike with Fabrice! Can’t recommend this enough.

User's Picture Gallery

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Hiking with Fabrice.

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A wonderful alpine hike

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An all around great experience

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10/10 experience!

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Fantastic hike in the Alpes

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Hike

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Fantastic family hiking in the Maritime Alps

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Fab Adventures with Fabrice

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Best Hiking Guide Ever!

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Hiking with Fabrice is Fab!

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