Valley of Marvels 2-day hiking trip, Mercantour National Park

Explore the beautiful Valley of Marvels (Vallée des Merveilles), in the Mercantour National Park, along UIMLA Mountain Leader Fabrice. Discover stunning alpine scenery and one of the most famous archaelogical sites in the Alps.

Private

Alpes

2 Days

Jun - Oct

Intermediate

Highlights

* Discover amazing alpine landscapes next to the French Riviera

* Visit one of the most famous archeological areas in the Alps

* Enjoy the view of beautiful alpine wildlife and flowers

Description

Next to Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo and the French Riviera, you can find the unique Valley of Marvels, located in the the Mercantour National Park, in the southern French Alps.

The Valley of Marvels –Vallée des Merveilles, in French- is a famous alpine area to visit in the southern Alps, as it gathers some of the most beautiful landscapes and it is a very important archelogical site at the same time. We find here one of the largest amount of open-air Copper and Bronze Age petroglyphs in Europe, a great evidence of the earliest human presence in the Alps.

Many great lakes, colorful rocks, and high peaks create an impressive alpine landscape you will enjoy, located at an altitude of 1300 to 2500 meters above sea level (4200 to 8500 feet).

Morever, as the Valley of Marvels is a highly protected area, there is a great chance to enjoy some wildlife encounters, with chamois (or shammy), ibex, marmotts or other alpine animals. On this Valley of Marvels 2-day excursion, we will be staying at the Vallée des Merveilles alpine refuge (cabin).

If you are interested on this great hiking tour, just send me a request. Book your trip and get ready to discover the unique Valley of Marvels.

Also note it is also possible to do an easier 1-day hiking excursion in the Valley of Marvels, from Fontanalbe. We can also propose a 3 to 5-day tour in the Valley of Marvels, as there are many interesting spots for great hikes in this area.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Price details

Price does not include meals and accommodation. Consider about 55EUR per person for 1 full board night. Picnic can be provided by additional 10 EUR per person.

Details

More info

PRICE PER PERSON Group of 9: 80 EUR Group of 10 to 12 people: 70 EUR

CHECK LIST. Good walking boots-Breathable Jacket and rain vest (It can be hot and cold in the same day in the high altitude mountains)- Micro fleece and mountain tee shirts (if possible avoid cotton tee-shirts)- Cap- Water bottle (1 liter/pers)- Sun protection- Sunglasses -Walking sticks if you need (for the petroglyph area)- 2 pairs of walking sticks can be provided.

Meeting point

We usually meet in Saint Dalmas de Tende. Our hiking tour starts in Casterino. HOW TO GET THERE: -You can drive from Nice and from the French Riviera to Saint Dalmas de Tende. In the Roya Valley through Nice and Vintimiglia (Italy). -Train is available from Nice to Saint Dalmas de Tende. Then, we have a 30 min. drive to Casterino. -Nice is the closest airport. *If you wish, I can pick you up from a number of different places, from Nice or other places on the French Riviera. In this case, 40 to 60 EUR will be asked for transportation cost.

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!

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