1-day Hiking in Provence, Montagne Sainte-Victoire

Join UIMLA-certified Mountain Leader Fabrice on this great hike to the Montagne Sainte-Victoire, one of the most famous mountains in France and a symbol of Provence.

Private

1 Day

Apr - Jun, Sep - Nov

Intermediate

Highlights

Climb one of the most emblematic mountains in Provence
Enjoy a spectacular view over the region from the top
Discover the special atmosphere of the famous Provence region

Description

The Montagne Sainte-Victoire is an impressive limestone mountain with an imposing ridge in the south of France, which extends over 18 km right next to the city of Aix-en-Provence.

The Montagne Sainte-Victoire is one of the most famous mountains in France. Its unique shape is well known in Provence and it is a symbol of the region. That is why it is also on the list of “The Grand Sites de France“, which gathers emblematic landscapes and monuments in France such as Rocamadour or Pont du Gard.

The highest point of the Montagne Sainte-Victoire is the Pic des Mouches, at 1011 metres. Another notable feature of the mountain is the Croix de Provence. From the top, the views are breathtaking.

The mountain is celebrated for its many appearances in a series of paintings by Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), who could see it from near his home-town in Aix-en-Provence.

Many different hikes may be proposed to discover this unique region. On this hiking day, we propose to reach the Pic des Mouches, which is Sainte Victoire’s highest point. It is not difficult to reach, either climbing by the south or the north side.

If you choose to climb by the south side, it will take us about 4 hours, with an ascent of 680 meters. The easy option is the north side, that takes about 2 hours and includes a 240 meters ascent.

If you find this proposal interesting, just send me a request. Book your trip and climb this iconic mountain in Provence. You could also check other hikes I guide in Provence, like the Martel Verdon Gorges hike, the Calern Plateau hike, the beautiful perched village of Saorge in the French Riviera, or a great hiking tour in Vence country, also in the French Riviera.

Price includes

Guiding fee

Price details

Price per person: Group of 8 to 10 people: 30 EUR/ Group of 11: 28 EUR / Group of 12: 25 EUR

Details

More info

Price per person: Group of 8 to 10 people: 30 EUR Group of 11: 28 EUR Group of 12: 25 EUR For bigger groups, please contact me for conditions and prices.

EQUIPMENT: Light walking boots. Micro fleece mountain tee shirts (if possible, avoid cotton tee-shirts). Cap. Water bottle (1 liter/pers). Sun protection, sunglasses.

Meeting point

Puyloubier. It's located 30 min. from Aix en Provence, 1h40 min. from Nice, 1h from Marseille. We can arrange transportation from from Nice, Monte Carlo or any other French Riviera cities. Contact me for more information and pick-up rates, starting from 60 €.

FAQs

What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?

We understand that finding the perfect place to stay is an essential part of your adventure experience. To help you with this, we’ve curated a list of three highly recommended hotels that offer comfort, convenience, and a touch of local charm. These accommodations are well-suited for adventurers looking to relax and rejuvenate after an exciting day of exploration

Golden Tulip Marseille Airport Vitrolles France

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Best Western Marseille Aeroport Vitrolles France

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Ibis Styles Marseille Provence Aéroport Vitrolles France

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About the guide

Fabrice

5.0

(21)

Mountain Leader

I am a hiking guide (International Mountain Leader) who has been working all over France (including Provence and the Alps), Italy and Portugal since 2001. I speak fluent English due to my frequent trips to Taos Ski Valley (in New Mexico, USA where my family runs a great hotel and ski school), and my hiking trips in the American Southwest.

I live mainly in Nice (French Riviera), but I also move all over the Alps working in different alpine valleys. I often visit Martinique (French Caribbean island), where I enjoy rainforest and tropical hikes.

When I´m not guiding, I also work as a photographer, and like to climb, ski, play tennis, or kitesurf in my spare time. Additionally, I really enjoy botany and history.

I can guide you for a half day or for as many days as you like. I´ll take you to discover my favourite French Riviera alpine region, and the wild and large Mercantour National Park (counting 8 different valleys) near Nice, Monte Carlo and Cannes.

In my region we can enjoy the Mediterranean landscape at sea level. As we move into higher altitudes, we will discover alpine lakes, larch or pine forests, orchids and alpine flowers, open meadows, spectacular medieval perched villages and old baroque chapels and churches, with great historic value.

We can also discover the hiking hotspots in Provence such as Calanques National Park, Verdon gorges, Sainte Victoire and the Var region, with Saint Tropez a particular highlight.

I also love to hike in Italy in the very famous world heritage Cinque Terre (the amazing national park of the "Five Lands"), or in Liguria near San Remo.

And finally, I always enjoy taking my guests to the northern Alps: to Chamonix and Mont Blanc´s amazingly large panoramas or to the great Vanoise National Park, the largest in the heart of French Alps.

Languages

French | English

Certificates

UIMLA

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

Cami

Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

4.8