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The French Alps & Lake Annecy

Haute Savoie’s lesser-known mountains
Hidden mountains | Journey through the little-known Aravis range to Lake Annecy.
‘Venice of the Alps’ | Canals and cobbled streets add to Annecy’s allure.
Authentic French Alps | Unspoiled villages with proud traditions.
Tasty Savoyard fare | Reblochon cheese, tartiflette, fondue, and classic French cuisine.
Alpine lodges | Stay in chalet-style hotels blending style and comfort.
What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 3 dinners
    7 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation
  • The French Alps & Lake Annecy
    Haute Savoie’s lesser-known mountains
  • Exhilarating circuit from Chinaillon
  • Far-reaching mountain views
  • Finish in Annecy
  • From Grand Bornand to Annecy
  • From Grand Bornand to Annecy
  • High mountain walking
  • Lakeside Talloires
  • Lake views
  • Pretty mountain chalets
  • Take a boat to access your walk
  • Tasty local cuisine
  • Views over Talloires
What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 3 dinners
    7 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • GPS navigation

Holiday information

A walking holiday in the French Alps

Combining glorious mountain scenery, charming chalet-style hotels in traditional villages, and Annecy – the ‘Venice of the Alps’ – this self-guided, hotel-to-hotel walking holiday promises rewarding walking, comfort, and culture.

The mountains in question are those of the little-known Aravis range south-east of Geneva. Starting in La Clusaz, you traverse classic Alpine scenery that is home to chamois, marmots, ibex, golden eagles, and bearded vultures. Wildflowers in June and early July and the mellow colours of September make the start and end of the season particularly special times. This being Haute Savoie, you can expect hearty mountain fare each evening, with the local cheese, Reblochon, featuring widely in dishes such as tartiflette (potatoes, bacon, and onions topped with cheese).
Your ultimate destination is Annecy and its eponymous glacial lake, one of the purest in Europe, but it’s not until after several days of walking through lush meadows and over high passes surrounded by craggy peaks that you catch sight of its crystal-clear turquoise waters for the first time. You arrive in Annecy via the lakeshore, where you’ll feel a mounting sense of satisfaction as you stroll past swimming pontoons and along a promenade into the heart of the medieval town, famed for its canals, castle and cobbled streets.


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 8 13 16 21 25 26 26 21 17 10 5
    mm 98 69 74 60 84 83 79 79 74 69 77 119
  • Arrival in La Clusaz
    Night 1: at Hotel les Sapins (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 La Clusaz: 11km, 4hrs; ascent/descent 600m
    From the bustling town of La Clusaz ascend through quiet forest to the Beauregard Plateau, a lush alpine pasture where scattered dairy farms produce the famous Reblochon cheese. Enjoy wonderful views of the Aravis range, and of the walking to come.
    La Clusaz loop
  • La Clusaz to Chinaillon: 16km, 6hrs; ascent 710m/descent 795m
    Catch the free bus up to the chapel at Les Confins to follow the upper Borne valley beneath the jagged limestone peaks of the Aravis range whose highest peak is the 2,753-metre Pointe Percée. From a hamlet at the Col des Annes your route descends to the pretty village of Chinaillon, where you spend two nights at Hotel l’Alpage.
    La Clusaz to Chinaillon
  • Circular walk from Chinaillon: 10.5km, 4.5hrs; ascent/descent 680m
    The lush slopes above Chinaillon afford grand views across to the Aravis range and the Mont Blanc massif beyond. The higher you go, the more you see; our route takes you towards a minor col (with the option to continue to a lake) before traversing beneath the region’s iconic Pic de Jalouvre whose immense south-facing cliff face is a nesting ground for bearded vultures.
    Chinaillon loop
  • Chinaillon to Le Grand Bornand: 9km, 3hrs; ascent 260m/descent 610m
    Leaving Chinaillon, you follow lanes then tracks along a low balcony that boasts views towards jagged Pointe Percée. After traversing meadows and forest, passing old chalets and farms along the way, your route ends with a descent into the church square of Le Grand Bornand, for a night at Hotel La Croix Saint Maurice.
    Le Grand Bornand
  • Le Grand Bornand to Annecy: 15km, 5hrs; ascent 625m/descent 800m
    After a short transfer (included), you cross over the dramatic ridge of Mont Veyrier. Take your time to admire the views down to the lake, before descending to the shore and walking past swimming pontoons to join a promenade that leads into Annecy’s Old Town. You spend your final two nights at the Hotel Carlton.
    Le Grand Bornand to Annecy
  • Walk or explore from Annecy: 9km, 3.5hrs: ascent/descent 435m
    You could simply spend the day exploring Annecy’s medieval cobbled streets and soaking up its charm. Alternatively, take a boat to the picturesque village of Talloires for a walk that passes the Angon waterfall and continues through hamlets and meadows to a hermitage with commanding views. Head back to Talloires through a nature reserve, where you can reflect on your week in the Savoyard mountains while you pause by the lake for a swim and a drink at a lakeside restaurant, before returning by boat or bus to Annecy.
    Talloires

Accommodation

In the mountains you stay in charming, chalet-style hotels before finishing at a well-placed hotel in Annecy.

To make your holiday all the more special, we offer an upgrade option in most places, including Annecy. Please state your preference at the time of booking.

Wherever you stay in Annecy, we recommend an extra night to give you time to explore the town and enjoy a final walk and boat ride.
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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  • 7 nights: 07 June 2026 - 15 September 2026

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

    Starting Price *
    7 - 30 Jun 2026 from £1690
    1 - 31 Jul 2026 from £1790
    1 - 31 Aug 2026 from £1650
    1 - 8 Sep 2026 from £1690

    * Final price is subject to change due to the customisable nature of our holidays and is dependent on accommodation availability for the dates selected. We will contact you to confirm the final price. Single supplements are applicable on many of our holidays. Please contact us for full details.

    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.

    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.

  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Geneva

    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 Geneva. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Bournemouth - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Geneva easyJet 
    Bristol - Geneva (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Geneva (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Geneva British Airways,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Geneva British Airways,  easyJet,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Geneva British Airways,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Geneva easyJet 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Geneva. 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 Geneva

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    direct taxi Geneva airport to hotel (1h10) TBA flexible
    direct taxi Geneva railway station to hotel (1h10) TBA flexible
    rail Geneva airport to Annecy (1h50), taxi Annecy railway station to hotel (0h50) TBA flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    direct taxi from hotel to Geneva airport (1h10) - £ TBA flexible
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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.
  • For higher routes, we recommend going later into August to make sure they are clear of snow, cable cars are running, and mountain huts are open. The higher up you go, the later the wildflowers bloom, too.
  • 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 >
  • Due to the challenging and remote nature of some routes on this holiday, solo travel is not possible. However, we are able to accommodate requests for single rooms, if you are travelling with others but would prefer your own bedroom – please see the price panel for further details.
  • 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.
  • The principal official language is Italian, though some regions have a second official language, such as South Tyrol, where German is widely spoken. The currency is the Euro. Italian time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • 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 Italy, 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 languages are German, spoken in the majority of the country; French, spoken in the south-west; Italian, spoken in the south-east; and Romansch, mostly limited to the Engadine valley. The currency is the Franc. Swiss time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • 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 Switzerland, 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).
  • 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.
  • Since this holiday explores the high mountains, you should be prepared for all weather conditions. We recommend that you pack walking boots that are well broken in; specialist fitted and cushioned walking socks; a good-quality, wind-resistant waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers; a fleece plus a variety of thin layers (preferably made from fast-wicking synthetic fibres) to put on or peel off as required; specialist walking trousers (those which convert into shorts offer good flexibility if the weather is changeable); walking poles; high-energy snacks; a refillable water bottle with enough capacity for a full day of walking; a waterproof map holder; a basic first-aid kit; a whistle, torch, compass and mobile phone; and a rucksack to carry your essentials for each day. We will provide you with more detailed information once you've made a booking.
  • This holiday passes through three countries. Italy and France both use the Euro, but you might also want to bring some Swiss Francs for the days that you spend in Switzerland.
Price from
£1,650pp | 7 nights
The French Alps & Lake Annecy. 7 nights
Price from
£1,650pp
Last fetch time is : 10/28/2025 12:25:38 AM

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