Seven Day Pyrenees Itinerary: Epic Hikes & Scenic Drives

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How to see the best of the Pyrenees mountains in one week + Spain Pyrenees bonus!

If you love nature travel and activity, then head to the Pyrenees for amazing hiking routes and some of the most beautiful places in France.

The combination of clean air, spectacular views, and well-maintained trails, often with minimal elevation, makes Pyrenees hiking an absolute pleasure. And because of their compact nature, these mountains offer the perfect opportunity for a week’s vacation, where you can see all the best bits in one trip!

We spent a month touring and hiking in the French Pyrenees and put together this Pyrenees mountains France guide. It includes our favorite hikes, the self-driving best route, recommendations for places to stay, and lots of France travel tips to help you plan your perfect trip.

How to Get To the Pyrenees France

The Pyrenees stretch 430km from the mighty Atlantic to the rolling Mediterranean coasts between France and Spain, rising to a majestic 3,400m above sea level. Getting there in a car or motorhome is relatively straightforward; you have a few options to choose from:

Driving from the UK

Take a ferry from Calais to Dover or, for preference, Portsmouth to Caen or Cherbourg. Head down towards Bordeaux and then on to Tarbes in the Hautes-Pyrénées, from where the French Pyrenees are easily accessible. The latter ferry crossing will shave off around five hours of your driving time in France, as well as saving on fuel and toll costs.

Alternatively, take the boat from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao, and then head east and cross the border to Bayonne in the Basque Country, followed by Tarbes. It may seem expensive, but it generally works out to be around the same cost by the time you factor in fuel and toll savings. Although it is a boring 24 hours…

You can, of course, take a slow meander down or across using the backroads and not incurring any tolls. It will take you five times as long and cost twice as much in fuel, but it will be breathtakingly beautiful and make for a pretty epic French road trip.

Driving from the Rest of Europe

Make your way to Tarbes in southwestern France, gateway to the high mountains. From there, it’s an hour’s drive to Cauterets, the start point of our first hike. You’ll be passing through Lourdes en route, a major Catholic pilgrimage site famous for the Marian apparitions reported by a young girl in 1858.

Since then, millions of pilgrims visit annually to pray at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, bathe in its reputedly healing waters, and attend mass at the grotto where the visions occurred.

If you decide to stop in Lourdes, allow a day, and remember that it will be absolutely heaving with tourists and pilgrims, especially in June, July, and August. August 15th is Assumption Day and is especially busy – perhaps best avoided if you’re travelling in summer!

Flying to France

There are several options to explore, especially if you want to tag on other European destinations:

Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS): Best overall access to the central Pyrenees; major international flights, rental cars available, 1.5–2 hours drive to places like Lourdes, Tarbes, and the heart of the mountains.

Pau-Pyrénées Airport (PUF): Smaller regional airport; great for the western Pyrenees; less traffic, 45 minutes to an hour to Tarbess.

Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport (LDE): Located closest to Tarbes, it offers limited flights, often via Paris or low-cost airlines, making it ideal for direct access to the Pyrenees.

Getting Around the Pyrenees

This Pyrenees hiking tour is designed to be self-driven, in either a car, motorhome or camper, or even on a motorbike!

We have provided both hotel and campsite accommodation. In this region, camping grounds often offer small sleeping pods or huts, ideal for budget travellers or those who prefer to stay close to nature.

The Best Time for Hiking in the Pyrenees

The best time to visit the Pyrenees for hiking is between May and October. Much earlier or later, and there will be snow above 2000m (6562ft) which will hinder some of the hiking opportunities, and may require you to fit snow chains to your car or camper.

July and August will be very busy with families hiking the easier trails. Accommodation and campsites will need to be booked in advance.

The perfect months for a Pyrenees hiking tour are May, June, September, and October. You’ll have perfect warm, but not hot weather, although it will be cool in the evenings, so make sure you have some warmer clothing with you.

What Kit Do You Need for Pyrenees Hiking?

Personal Kit

You will need the following for day hiking in the Pyrenees mountains between May and October:

How Fit Do You Need to Be for Pyrenees Hiking?

The day hikes detailed here are all of easy to moderate difficulty level and none involve significant altitude gain. Some are quite long in distance so a degree of walking fitness is required.

Some have steep and more challenging sections, but you don’t need any technical ability, just stamina and determination. Poles may be helpful, particularly if you struggle with balance as I do. If it can be fallen off, I will fall off it!

The extra Spanish Pyrenees hike at the Circo de Soaso is more challenging if you take the high route, as you will encounter a steep 800m (2625ft) switch-back before you do anything else, which can sap your energy. However, it is possible to hike the valley floor and hardly gain any elevation at all if you don’t fancy the switchbacks.

All the hikes can really be as long or as short as you want, and if you find yourself struggling, turn back or stop for a break. As always, check the weather before setting out and make sure you have warm and waterproof spare clothing, water and food, and ideally a GPS app to help you with the route. If you are new to hiking, these hiking tips for beginners will help you enjoy the perfect hike.

Pyrenees Hiking Tour Map

When using this interactive map, be aware that some routes through the Pyrenees, particularly the route from Gavarnie to Port de Bales may show as being closed if you are viewing the map in the winter.

How to use this map – Use your fingers (or computer mouse) to zoom in and out. Click or touch the icons to get more info about a place, and click the arrow in the box top left to open the index. To add to your own Google Maps account, click the star next to the title of the map.

Pyrenees Hiking Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Lourdes to Cauterets

Make your way to the pretty spa town of Cauterets. This is a typical Pyrenees hiking town, full of bars, hot chocolate, and mountain equipment shops.

Where to Stay

Hôtel Le Bois Joli is a charming 3-star boutique hotel known for its warm hospitality and prime location. Situated just a short walk from the Cirque du Lys gondola and the town’s thermal baths, it serves as an ideal base for hikers.

Camping Cabaliros, located just before the town, is reasonably priced and offers good facilities, with Wi-Fi available in the communal barn. They also provide a free bus service to thermal spas, shops, and cable cars. Just before this site is a Carrefour Montagne where you can stock up, but it is expensive.

Day 2: Hiking Vallée de Gaube

Drive up through Cauterets on the D920 to the car park at the Pont d’Espagne. The car park is vast and offers dedicated motorhome parking, as well as the Lac de Gaube cable car, which travels from the visitor centre to a spot approximately 2km (1 mile) from the lake. The walk from the cable car station to the lake takes around 30 minutes, following mainly flat paths and is well signposted. 

If you’re hiking up to the spectacular lake, pass the visitor centre and follow the main track that leads uphill. You will soon arrive at the Hotel du Pont d’Espagne, located in front of an amazing series of waterfalls, where two rushing streams meet. Follow the signs for here to the actual Pont d’Espagne stone bridge, which used to be a trading route between France and Spain, before heading back to pick up the main path again.

From the waterfalls, cross the main bridge and follow the path, which is part of the GR10 (marked with red and white markings), a long-distance route that winds its way through the Pyrenees from the mighty Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean. 

The track is quite steep at the beginning, but the path is well-maintained. You will cross a shady forest, with lush vegetation and large rocks and boulders, and pass close to one of the main waterfalls.

The path levels and you are rewarded with stunning views towards the end of the valley, with the distinctive Vignemale summit at 3298m and its glaciers dominating the view. Soon you will reach the beautiful Lac Gaube, which may surprise you as you don’t see it until you’re almost in it. The lake is a great spot for wild swimming, but be warned, it’s cold even in summer, at 1725m (5659ft) above sea level!

For an extra 2.9 km (1.8 miles) and 250m (820ft) of elevation gain, take the route south around the lake and up to the Cascade Esplumouse along a fairly easy and well-marked path. The additional elevation gain is spread along quite a distance, so there are no especially steep places, although you may have to scramble over a few large boulders, but the waterfall is a lovely spot for lunch!

Good to Know

Full details of the Vallee de Gaube hike can be found here.

Day 3: Cirque de Gavarnie

Make an early start – it’s an hour’s drive to Gavernie for your next hike. The Cirque de Gavarnie really is one of the must-do Pyrenees hikes – it’s easy on the legs (unless you want to get to the waterfall) and is truly beautiful, especially in spring.

The Cirque itself is full of wild flowers and littered with sheep, goats, and incredible waterfalls rushing down the sheer vertical walls of this behemoth of nature. At 422m (1385ft), the Cirque de Gavarnie waterfall is the highest in mainland France and the fifth highest in Europe, and you can stand right underneath it!

To start the Gavarnie trail, head downhill from the main car park to the crossroads in the centre of Gavarnie village. Follow the main street south, and after the bend, take the left fork. The Cirque is visible from here, even from a distanc,e you can see how it dominates the skyline and landscape.  

Follow the road along the pretty river until the bridge (it’s obvious!), which you cross to join the gravel track. Keep on this path until you pass the UNESCO World Heritage sign. The views start to become really stunning, with the Cirque ahead in all its glory. 

The track descends to open ground and then rises gently to around 1400m (4593ft). From here, it becomes quite steep for a few hundred meters, the most difficult part of this hike. You’ll soon spot the Hotel du Cirque in the distance, with the Cirque and waterfalls providing breathtaking views.

The huge, glistening grande cascade de Gavarnie waterfall can be approached by continuing on the track until you start to ascend the 150m of shale required to feel the mist on your face. Getting to the tallest waterfall in France can be a tricky ascent and descent, as the shale is loose and steep. If you’re not sure-footed, poles may help.

Literally on the other side of the Cirque de Gavarnie, Monte Perdido (which means ‘hidden mountain’ in Spanish, as it cannot be seen from France) is the Circo de Soaso in the Ordesa National Park in Spain – our final hike at the end of this tour.

Good to Know

Read all about the Cirque de Gavarnie hike here.

Where to Stay

Hotel Le Taillon is a lovely 2-star hotel in the picturesque village of Gavarnie-Gedre. The hotel offers stunning mountain views and the restaurant serves hearty regional cuisine, making it an ideal base for hikers and nature enthusiasts.

Motorhomers can stay at Camping les Tilleuls (where there are also cabins) in Gavarnie, or at the local motorhome aire about 2 km (1.24 miles) outside the village on the D923. Or, find one of the many spots between the aire and the Col de Tentes where it’s possible to wild camp for the night.

Day 4: Port de Boucharo & Pic de la Pahule

After a hearty local breakfast, drive through Gavarnie and up the D923. This will take you past all the ski stations and lifts until you reach the car park at the top of the D923, the Col de Tentes, where the road stops. Both cars and campers can use the car park here.

From here, you can hike all the way across to Spain, via La Brèche de Roland and Monte Perdido. For this off-day though, we’re taking the easy hike out to the stunning Port de Boucharo (the image at the top of the post) literally at the Spanish border, where the views of the valleys and mountains to the north towards Luz Saint Sauveur are far-reaching and dramatic, perfect for a photo opportunity!

Then it’s back to the car park for a short but steep ascent up the Pic de la Pahule. From here, you can watch the local vulture population and admire a 360° view of the Pyrenees with a handy orientation table to help. Remember what I said about a cuppa? This is the perfect place!

Good to Know

Read more details about the Port de Boucharo and Pic de la Pahule hikes here.  

Day 5: Col de Tourmalet

Prepare for a breathtaking drive on the next leg of your Pyrenees hiking tour! You’re heading to Port Balès and Mont Né to the east and need to drive back the way you came, north on the D921 until Luz-Saint-Sauveur.

Here you will pick up the D918. Your sat nav may want you to continue along the D921 back to Lourdes, but this route will take you over five hours to get to Port Balès, and you will miss the jaw-dropping Col de Tourmalet and the incredible views of the Pic du Midi, the highest peak in the Pyrenees. 

We saw lots of other cars and motorhomes on the road as well as hundreds of cyclists; it’s one of those days that will stick with me for a long time for the sheer beauty of the drive and the view of the Pic du Midi as we ate our lunch at the top of the Col in the motorhome.

Good to Know

Where to Stay

The nearest hotel to Port de Balès at the trail head is the Hôtel Le Sapin Fleuri in Bourg dʼOueil, a ten-minute drive away.

If you’re camping, stop when you drop down into Arreau for supplies, as Mont Né really is in the middle of nowhere! You are heading for this wild camping spot on the D51D at Port de Balès, right on the regional borders between the Haute-Pyrenees and the Haute-Garonne.  

This is one of our top all-time favorite motorhome wild camping spots, peaceful and with stunning views and zero light pollution.

Day 6: Mont Né and Lac de Bareille

This hike has all the ingredients to make it one of the best in the Pyrenees National Park – spectacular views, great trails, interesting flora and fauna, and a lake to swim in!

From the car park, pick up the path between the two signposts. You’ll climb a grassy slope, and after 600m (1968ft) or so, you will reach a flat ridge. There are a number of tracks from here; pick the best one on your right. Stay on this track to ascend around a number of bends. At 1180m, after the last hairpin, leave the track to head west along a small path which rises straight up the mountain.  

Follow this well-trodden path up the steep slope. The grass gives way to a rocky surface, and the path steepens as you ascend to the ridge. From here, turn left for the final push to the top of Mont Ne at 2147m (7044ft).

The summit will reward you with breathtaking panoramic views of the Pyrenees in every direction, with many of the Pyrenees’ famous 3000m+ (984t+ ft) peaks visible. The large cairn makes a great place to stop for a few moments and enjoy the peace of this beautiful spot. 

To the south-west, you can see Lac de Bareilles, and to the west, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and its observatory are visible. You may also see Griffon vultures, which are very common in the area.

From the summit, continue along the trail that follows the ridge. The grassy descent is quite steep and will take you down to the Port de Pierrefitte at 1855m, where you will find a standing stone surrounded by a stone circle.

Take the signed path to Lac de Bareilles. The path is clear but uneven underfoot as you descend. The lake is good for swimming in summer and makes a grand lunch spot.  

When you’re ready to return, follow the path back to the standing stone and then take the main track to the left. This was a paved road some time ago, which has deteriorated and makes a perfect return route with fantastic views across the Vallée d’Oueil.

Good to Know

Find out more about the beautiful Mont Ne hike here.

Day 7: Bagnères-de-Luchon

After all that walking in the Pyrenees, we wanted a soak, so we headed for Bagnères-de-Luchon, better known as just Luchon. Just a 30-40 minute drive from Port de Balès, Luchon is famous for its thermal waters. We took a dip and it was amazing!

The website for Les Thermes du Luchon is in French, but if you pop in, they are very helpful. You can just take a swim or have all kinds of different treatments to ease your aching muscles.

Where to Stay

Le Castel d’Alti is a 4-star spa hotel located in the heart of the town. Housed in an 18th-century U-shaped mansion, the hotel blends historic charm with modern amenities, and its prime location on the bustling Allées d’Etigny offers guests easy access to local attractions, shops, and restaurants.

We stayed at Camping Au fil de l’Oô, where we did some washing and spent a lovely afternoon wandering the town, enjoying our ‘bath’ and having dinner at one of the many restaurants along Main Street.

Day 8: Pyrenees Mountains Spain Hike – Circo de Soaso

If you have time and juice left in your legs, then hop across the border to Spain a few miles south and make for the Ordesa National Park.

Look on the map and see that this Pyrenees national park is literally on the other side of the Cirque de Gavarnie – if anything, Ordesa y Monte Perdido is even more breathtaking, and the Circo de Soaso has to be one of our all-time favourite hikes in Spain. 

The start of the hike takes you high above the valley floor along an initially steep, then undulating path that clings to the sheer walls of the valley. You drop down into the Circo de Soaso before reaching the welcome and refreshing Cola de Caballo (horsetail waterfall), before following the Arazes river back along the incredibly picturesque Ordesa valley, part of the Parque Nacional Ordesa y Monte Perdido.

Near the information centre in the Pradera de Ordesa car park, you’ll find a sign for the ‘Sendero de los Cazadores’. Take the path south, across the river, and continue straight on at the crossroads. You’ll see a sign telling you this path is dangerous – unless you have vertigo, the path is passable and not dangerous. However, the 800m (2625ft) high switchback path is quite steep in places, and the surface can be unstable with small rocks and organic matter; poles may be helpful for this section of the hike. 

At an altitude of 1875m (6151ft), take the left fork and continue. This path has amazing views of the sheer walls of the Ordesa canyon and takes you to the Calcilarruego Mirador (lookout) at 1950m (6398ft). It will take around an hour and a half to get there from the car park. 

The mirador is a perfect spot for pictures of the impressive valley with its gravity-defying walls and dramatic peaks.  From here, the rest of the hike is a pretty easy amble with little further elevation gain… you’ve done most of the hard work!

From the mirador, head east along the clearly defined path – this is the Faja de Pelay. The path has a level surface and the most incredible views across to Monte Perdido, the third highest peak in the Pyrenees at 3355m (11007ft). You’ll also spot the iconic Brecha de Rolando or Rolan’s Breach, a very distinctive notch on the skyline. Many of the 3000+ (984t+ ft) peaks in the area are also visible from points along the Faja de Pelay. 

The Circo de Soaso is a feast for the eyes from your vantage point. As you leave the high path, the Cola de Caballo is in front of you, feeding the Rio Arazes, which in turn creates more waterfalls and crystal clear pools along the valley floor. Stop at the waterfall for lunch where there are lots of convenient flat rocks which make perfect seats to admire the view or dip your toes into the cool water.

From the waterfall, take the clearly marked path into the valley and make your way along the river back to the car park. There are lots of stunning waterfalls, cascades, and pools to stop by, with the Estrecho waterfall and the Gradas de Soaso being the most impressive.

Halfway back you can cross the river and continue the hike on the south bank of the river. Whichever you choose, all routes from here lead back to the car park and the end of your hike.

Good to Know

Where to Stay

Stay at Hotel Bujaruelo in Torla-Ordesa, the nearest village to the Pradera de Ordesa car park. You can catch the regular shuttle Ordesabus, which leaves from the car park in the village to the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park every 15-20 minutes.

It is possible to stay in the large village car park overnight in a camper, although you may be moved on in high season. There is also Camping Rio Ara and Camping Valle de Bujaruelo on the road out of town towards the national park. Many of the campsites in the area also offer B&B-style accommodation.

Read all about excursionismo (hiking in Spanish!), the famous Circo de Soaso here.

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