Castles, Forests & Wines of Alsace

Rewarding routes & remarkable views
 
From ruined castles to rolling vineyards, and the prettiest villages to some very fine views, explore beautiful Alsace on this self-guided short walking break, with luggage transfers included. Along the way, sample the region’s superb wines and savour the excellent local gastronomy.
Price from
£820pp
Castles, Forests & Wines of Alsace. 4 nights
Price from
£820pp
Castles, Forests & Wines of Alsace. 4 nights
Price from
£820pp
 

Holiday information

 

A short walking break near Colmar

Home to exquisite villages, glorious countryside and some of the world’s very best wines, Alsace is one of France’s most appealing regions.

On this short walking break, you stay in two of its prettiest destinations: Turckheim and Kaysersberg, where ancient, timber-framed houses are adorned with flowers and enfolded by inviting cobbled streets.
From here, our walking routes lead up high to inspiring viewpoints, passing through beautiful varied woodland and rolling vineyards. Thanks to the area’s unique climate and environment, the wines produced in these vineyards are world-famous – from the crisp and elegant Riesling to the deliciously rich Gewürztraminer.
 
Gallery

 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 6 7 11 15 19 22 24 25 21 17 10 7
    mm 66 68 68 58 62 68 70 63 62 65 75 90
  • Arrival in Turckheim
    Night 1: at Hotel des Deux Clefs or Hotel Les Portes de la Vallée (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Circular walk from Turckheim: 12km, 4hrs; ascent /descent 310m
    A lovely introduction to Alsace, this circuit leaves Turckheim via the picturesque Grand Rue and Munster Gate to climb steadily on ancient paths through mixed forest. You reach a chapel set in a peaceful glade, from where you descend the Zimmerbach valley to a pretty village of the same name, before returning to Turckheim through panoramic vineyards – look forward to views that stretch across the Rhine Valley and to the mountains of the Black Forest beyond.

    Alternatively, you could take a bus or train direct to the centre of the small but exceptional city of Colmar. Once here, follow our self-guided walking tour to explore the cobbled lanes of colourful half-timbered houses, canals of ‘Little Venice’, the market hall and excellent Unterlinden museum, housed in a former convent.
    Explore the countryside near Turckheim
    Circular walk from Turckheim: 12km
    Visit nearby Colmar
  • Turckheim to Kaysersberg: 13.5km, 5.5hrs; ascent 620m / descent 600m
    Leaving Turckheim, your walk begins once again by heading uphill through vineyards, then climbing through shady forest to the impressive memorial of Le Galtz – whose tower and huge statue command a superb panorama. From here, you descend gently on forest paths, passing further viewpoints, before skirting the village of Ammerschwihr to reach Kaysersberg and the Hotel Les Remparts, where you spend your last two nights.
    Ammerschwihr
    Turckheim to Kaysersberg: 13.5km
  • Circular walk from Kaysersberg: 11km, 4hrs; ascent / descent 500m
    This final circuit begins with a gradual ascent of forested slopes to emerge in a delightful pasture clearing. Here you will find an ancient chapel and Auberge St Alexis, whose terrace overlooking a flower garden makes a fine stop for lunch. Your descent to Kaysersberg takes in a magnificent viewpoint, a formidable oak tree in a charming forest clearing, an impressive rocky outcrop and the ruins of Kaysersberg Castle, resplendent on its hilltop above the village.
    Kaysersberg
    Circular walk from Kaysersberg: 11km
 

Accommodation

Each of our chosen hotels is a perfect place to relax after a day spent exploring Alsace on foot.
 
In some places, we work with more than one hotel, as shown below. All are hand-picked by us and, unless there is a price implication (in which case we will contact you to discuss your options), we will tell you which one we have booked for you on your booking confirmation.

Wherever you stay in Turckheim, we recommend adding an extra night so that you can visit nearby Colmar. 
 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 4 nights: 01 April 2025 - 31 October 2025

    Start Any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 Apr - 19 May 2025 £820 £160
    20 May - 30 Sep 2025 £850 £165
    1 - 27 Oct 2025 £820 £160
    3rd & 4th person discount -£165
    Single traveller supplement £170

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Included travel: return taxi transfers from Basel airport (1h), or transfer Kaysersberg-Turckheim (if driving)

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Hotel des Deux Clefs, Turckheim
    Comfort: 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2025 £34

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Hotel des Deux Clefs, Turckheim (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 31 Oct 2025 £86 £141
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Basel or Paris CDG
    As an alternative to flying, we can arrange rail travel from London

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Paris CDG. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Paris CDG Air France,  KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Paris CDG Air France,  KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Basel easyJet 
    Bristol - Paris CDG Air France,  easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Basel easyJet 
    Edinburgh - Paris CDG Air France,  easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Humberside - Basel (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Paris CDG jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Basel easyJet 
    Gatwick - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Basel British Airways 
    Heathrow - Paris CDG British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Basel easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London Southend - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Basel easyJet 
    Manchester - Paris CDG Air France,  easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Paris CDG Air France,  KLM 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Paris CDG. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Unless otherwise stated, connecting travel by rail or bus tends to be from the city centre station, rather than from its airport, and connections between the two should be paid for locally.

    Where a price range is given, the price you pay depends on your date of travel.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Basel

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    direct taxi Basel airport to hotel (1h) included flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    direct taxi hotel to Basel airport (1h) included flexible

    Connecting travel options - flying via Paris CDG

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Paris CDG airport to Colmar SNCF (3h30), taxi Colmar SNCF to hotel (0h20) £21 1500 (1400 Sat)
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Colmar SNCF (0h30), rail Colmar SNCF to Paris CDG (3h30) £26 1430
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • transfers from Basel
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • Yes, prior to going on holiday you will be able to download GPX tracks so that you can follow your route on your smartphone or dedicated GPS device if you wish. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you use them – our detailed, step-by-step route notes remain the principal means of guiding you from A to B – but we provide them as a secondary means of navigation for additional reassurance when walking.
  • We can book a wide range of routes from the UK with a variety of airlines. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. The fee for this service is £35 per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted to book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can incur a five or six-figure bill.

    Many insurers offer travel insurance (you can find details on our insurance page of a policy that you may like to consider if you are a UK resident), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    When you purchase a policy, be sure to check that it covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to France, but not a visa (please note, however, that a new travel authorisation system is being introduced). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through the Travel Health Pro website. You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). You should also apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) if your EHIC has expired (if you have a still-valid EHIC, you can use this until it expires).
  • The official language is French. The currency is the Euro. French time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • For information on the practicalities of travel now that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, visit www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein.
  • The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.

    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
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