Get some fresh air in the mountains by discovering the most beautiful hikes in Haute-Savoie!
Welcome to Haute-Savoie! This mountainous département adjacent toItaly and Switzerland is one of the jewels in our natural heritage. Co-located with the roof of Europe, the 4,810-metre Mont Blanc offers visitors a wide variety of landscapes!
Here, there’s something for everyone: sparkling lakes, verdant mountain pastures, majestic forests, mineral peaks and deep valleys dot the Haute-Savoie region.
To find out for yourself, Generation Voyage has put together a selection of the best walks in Haute-Savoie. Family-friendly, aerial, sporty or bucolic: which one will convince you to put on your boots?
1. Angon waterfall loop
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: less than an hour
Distance: 3.7 km
Difference in altitude: 299 m
Difficulty: Medium
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To kick off this selection, we’ve chosen a sure-fire winner among Haute-Savoie hikes! This hiking trail starts from the shores of Lake Annecy. It passes through shady undergrowth, meadows and picturesque villages.
Your itinerary begins with a forest climb… Great, that’s the only one! You’ll enjoy superb views of the lake and the Dents de Lanfon. In summer, the shade will soothe the heat of the sun. This is helped by the coolness of the Angon waterfall, the star of the walk. A path leads to this spectacular waterfall.
Beware, summer weekends can be very busy. Our advice? Prefer autumn to enjoy the sublime colors of the surrounding forests.
2. La Tournette via the Col de l’Aulp path
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 5 hours
Distance: 10.1 km
Difference in altitude: 1,180 m
Difficulty: Difficult
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The Bornes massif is bursting with natural wonders. Why not take a trip to Montmin? It’s the perfect place for a sublime Haute-Savoie hike. The route starts at Les Prés Ronds and climbs to the summit of La Tournette. Nicknamed Annecy’s throne, it’s the highest mountain adjacent to the city!
To get there, you’ll have to cross some rocky areas requiring good climbing shoes. A few vertiginous sections promise great aerial thrills all the way to the summit. The view from here is spectacular: the glow of sunny Lake Annecy almost makes the Mont Blanc in the distance to the east jealous…
3. Lac Vert loop from Plaine Joux
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 2 hours
Distance: 6.6 km
Difference in altitude: 347 m
Difficulty: Medium
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This Haute-Savoie hike is aimed at a wide audience because of its ease of use. Its aim is to take you to Lac Vert (which, incidentally, is one of the settings for the TV series Kaamelott). The trail is located in the foothills of the Fiz rocks, above the commune of Passy.
In any season, but especially in spring, you’ll have the chance to contemplate the Mont Blanc massif, some twenty kilometers away. This listed natural site (swimming in the lake is prohibited) is perfect for an invigorating picnic. Try a local reblochon fermier, a pure delight!
4. Aiguillette d’Argentière
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 2 hours
Distance: 4.7 km
Difference in altitude: 466 m
Difficulty: Difficult
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Argentière is a commune near Chamonix. The Aiguilles rouges nature reserve is one of the area’s jewels, and this Haute-Savoie hike takes you right through it.
The route merges with the Tour du Mont-Blanc GR. L’Aiguillette d’Argentière is a remarkable mountain site… but an airy one. Delicate passages, scrambled sections and vertiginous paths make it unsuitable for the faint-hearted.
For the others, what a spectacle this mineral route offers! As you go along, take in the narrow Chamonix valley that stretches out on either side of the majestic Mont Blanc. We encourage you to discover this cradle of mountaineering if you’ve enjoyed this experience!
5. The Fer-à-Cheval circus
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 2h45
Distance: 10.6 km
Difference in altitude: 616 m
Difficulty: Medium
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This Haute-Savoie hike takes place in the Giffre valley near the commune of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval. The route begins beneath the cliffs of the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval (named for their semi-circular shape). Some are almost 700 metres high!
The well-marked, physically demanding trail runs alongside the bubbling Giffre torrent. Cross it at the Giffrenant footbridge and reach the « Bout du monde ».
This locality refers to the place where the waterfalls that form the torrent gush out. In spring, when the snow melts, there are around thirty of them. In summer, some of them are ideal for a refreshing swim!
6. La Croix de Tête Noire
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 1h50
Distance: 6.3 km
Difference in altitude: 515 m
Difficulty: Difficult
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Cordon is known as the balcony of Mont Blanc. Facing the latter, the village offers a steep yet short Haute-Savoie hike. Your journey begins on trails winding through coniferous forest.
You’ll emerge to discover superb alpine pastures that, in summer, belong only to the cows. Turn around: the view is breathtaking! Backed by the Aravis mountain range, the rocks of Les Fiz pierce the sky on your left. Below, the Arve valley spreads out in all its length.
And in front of you, the Mont-Blanc massif looms large…
7. From Jettaz wood to Mont Veyrier
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 2h20
Distance: 8.5 km
Difference in altitude: 874 m
Difficulty: Difficult
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We’ve chosen the most bucolic of forest routes: you’ll have to follow the ridges of Mont Veyrier all the way to the summit. What’s the point? To enjoy one of the best views in the region, of course!
You’ll cross the Col du Pré Vernet and then climb the Col des Sauts along a path winding through the forest. Its relative ease (the descent can be slippery, so don’t forget the water in summer!) attracts many walkers. The summit isn’t far off, you emerge from the forest path and… Lake Annecy suddenly unfolds.
You can also contemplate the majesty of nearby Mont Baron. Considered the balcony of the Haute-Savoie prefecture, Mont Veyrier is most inviting in spring.
8. The Lac Bénit loop
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Distance: 6.4 km
Difference in altitude: 442 m
Difficulty: Difficult
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This family-friendly trail takes you through the Mont-Saxonnex area. The first step is to reach the lake, at the foot of the Bargy mountain range, along wide paths. In fact, you’re skirting the ski slopes!
The climb continues through pastures and then leads fairly quickly to the lake, which you’ll overlook on arrival. Once there, dominated by impressive limestone cliffs, hikers need only turn around to admire an incredible panorama of the valley!
9. Lac de Gers from Samoëns
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 2h40
Distance: 12.1 km
Difference in altitude: 500 m
Difficulty: Medium
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Samoëns is famous for its family-friendly ski resort in the heart of the Giffre massif. The Lac de Gers, which starts in the village, is a very pleasant Haute-Savoie hike in summer. On hot summer days, you can enjoy the coolness of the forest path leading to the lake.
Following your arrival at the combe de Gers, a bucolic alpine meadow, you can bask in the grass in the middle of a mountain setting that has remained completely wild. The water is particularly cool at an altitude of 1,537 metres, but bathing in such an environment is well worth the thrill!
10. The Chère rock path
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Distance: 6.8 km
Difference in altitude: 294 m
Difficulty: Medium
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Located in Charvines between Menthon-Saint-Bernard and Talloires, the Roc de Chère trail overlooks Lake Annecy. Classified as a nature reserve in the 1990s, the site boasts some attractive undergrowth.
Richly signposted and well shaded, it will appeal to walkers wishing to avoid the biting summer sun… The route crosses the forest and then skirts a golf course. You’ll have the chance to stretch your legs while admiring beautiful views of the lake. That’s what the two belvederes at the halfway point are for! This Haute-Savoie hike proves to be very pleasant and easy, even in rainy weather.
11. Mont Charvin via Col des Porthets
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 4 hours
Distance: 13.4 km
Difference in altitude: 1,333 m
Difficulty: Difficult
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This is a sporty, vertiginous hike in Haute-Savoie for experienced hikers. After parking in the parking lot just outside the hamlet of Tournance, hikers will tackle the ascent of Mont Charvin.
The path zigzags through steep mountain pastures to the Lac du Mont Charvin. You can reach the lake before reaching the Col des Porthets and then the summit of Mont Charvin. From up there, what a splendid view of Mont Blanc, the Pointe d’Orsière and the Tête de l’Aulp!
12. Lac Blanc via La Flégère
Photo credit : Alltrails
Duration: 2h50
Distance: 9.3 km
Difference in altitude: 651 m
Difficulty: Medium
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This Haute-Savoie hike crosses the Aiguilles Rouges de Chamonix Nature Reserve. The route starts at La Flègère from the Praz cable car. It traverses scree slopes and cliffs to Lac Blanc, passes over Tête Aubuy to Index de la Glière and finally descends to La Flégère.
Ibex, chamois and marmots are part of the summer scene! This hike has to be earned, but offers panoramic views that are unique in the Alps. Good shoes, plenty of water and walking sticks are recommended!