Hiking in the Aosta Valley with Gran Paradiso

Arrival by car to the hotel in Valgrisenche (1600 m) during the afternoon. This small valley, hidden between some of the Alps' most magnificent peaks, is perfect for settling into tranquility. If you arrive early, you can take a shorter walk in the village or up towards the valley's pastures. Rooms are ready from 5:00 PM. You'll stay here for three nights and receive a warm welcome from the hosts, who serve a homemade Italian dinner every evening.

Today you choose between two beautiful hikes that both offer a taste of the Grand Paradis massif's magnificent nature.

Option 1: Lac de Fond (2442 m)
A hike that begins among larch trees and continues up into a glacial valley surrounded by dramatic cliffs. Here you're met by a palette of green, gray and blue – alpine forest, stone and ice. From the lake you have views towards Grande Sassière (3767 m) and its glaciers.

Option 2: Lac San Grato (2499 m)
The trail winds in gentle serpentines through verdant alps above the valley, with constant views over Valgrisenche. At the end, the landscape opens towards a high-altitude valley, beneath the mighty south face of Ruitor (3486 m).

A classic alpine day that offers contrasts: intimate larch and spruce forest at the beginning, then open alpine slopes where a glittering watercourse winds its way forward. The final stretch to the pass becomes more rocky and challenging, but the reward is a breathtaking view over Val di Rhêmes on the other side and the snow-covered Gran Paradiso on the horizon.

Today you leave the more well-known trails and set out on hikes that few others find their way to.

Option 1: Refuge Bezzi via Forciaz (2781 m)
A long but incredibly beautiful stage that follows an old shepherd's path along mountain ridges and over small mountain streams. The view towards Grande Sassière and the border ridge towards France is magnificent. Once you reach Refugio Bezzi, perhaps an espresso with a view over the valley awaits.

Option 2: Les Quatre Dents (2697 m)
A wilder and shorter loop where you climb up through the forest and reach an open height with four distinctive rock formations – the "teeth" that gave the hike its name. You return through another valley, equally beautiful but more tranquil.

After today's hike, you drive to the next valley, Valsavarenche (about 45 min), where you check into a new hotel.

Today's stage goes up towards a group of lakes at 2500–2800 meters altitude, in the heart of the national park. It's a flexible day with several possible loops. You cross blooming meadows, pass crystal-clear lakes and get magnificent views towards Gran Paradiso (4061 m). With some luck you'll see ibex or marmots on the slopes.

One of the trip's most spectacular days. After a forest trail up towards Rifugio Chabod, you continue along the foot of the Gran Paradiso glacier, where you can sometimes hear the ice cracking. Between stone fields and alpine grass, the trail leads towards Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele – the starting point for many summit climbers. Up here, with views over the glaciers and the carved-out moraines, the feeling is of standing on the border between heaven and earth.

A gentler conclusion to the hiking week. You walk through terraces formed by generations of mountain farmers, continuing up through forest and open alps where stone huts lie scattered like from a fairy tale. The descent follows a babbling watercourse with small waterfalls – a perfect last day in Gran Paradiso.

The trip ends after breakfast. If you want to crown the experience with an authentic alpine ascent of a 4000-meter peak, you can add the Summit Tour Gran Paradiso. The ascent takes place over two days and is led by a local mountain guide. Read more about the summit tour's requirements further down.