Tour of Ardeche: Rustic Trails

Historic villages, clear-water rivers and terraced valleys are the highlights of this 7-day hike in Ardèche, a beautiful area far from the crowds

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking tour of the vineyards of Alsace and the Vosges hills is available from during April, May, June, September and October. The Ardeche is influenced by Mediterranean, Atlantic and mountainous climate zones. Winters can be cold due to altitude, with snow on the summits, whilst the height of summer can be very hot and dry.

April can be cool and there is still a risk of snow on the higher hills early in the month. May is one of the best times of year for walking with average maximum temperatures of 22°C during the day at low altitudes, reducing as you head higher into the hills. It is also a time when the wild flowers are blooming on the hills and the vines will have their spring foliage. There are a number of species associated with high altitude such as the giant yellow Gentian. Night time temeratures are also less cold than in April when frost is still common. May is, however the wettest period of the spring with almost 100mm. For sunny, warm and relatively dry conditions June is an excellent month. There is a risk of storms however and there is also a risk of hot weather. Average day time temperatures reach 26°C at low altitude in June. This walking holiday is not available in July and August due to the heat and the difficulty in obtaining our first choice accommodation.

As you progress into September so the average rainfall total jump from dry conditions to relatively high totals. Most of this rain however falls in the form of a few very unsettled or stormy days. The risk of storms is greater in the afternoon. This is associated to low pressure forming in the Mediterranean. Despite the high rainfall totals, sunny, dry conditions are more common than rainy days. The risk of unsettled weather is greatest after mid October. Temperatures remain pleasant with day time averages of 23°C in September and 18°C in October at low altitudes. The days are relatively short in October and therefore the sunshine levels are low. In October he leaves on the vines and the chestnut forests are starting to turn shades of orange and red adding a new dimension to the Ardeche landscapes.

Extra Nights

Extra nights are possible at any of the stopovers including at your fist and last location in Aubenas. However, if you would like an extra night in the middle of our Ardeche walking holiday thenwe would recommend an extra night in Valgorge. This is a pretty remote valley and from here it’s possible to undertake a walk around the Valgorge Valley. There is a medium and more challenging option with 16 or 22km in distance and between 500m and 900m in height gain.

Please contact us for a quote.

Combing with other walking holidays:

There are several other wlaking holidays which are accessed from the Rhone Valley and could be easily combined with this walking tour. They include:

Hill-top Villages of the Drome Provencale

Cote du Rhone Wine Trail

Secret Provence: Tour of the Baronnies

Grand Tour of Les Alpilles

Panoramas of Provence: Grand Tour of Luberon

In addition, travel to Lyon is quick by train and from there we provide transfers to all our walking holidays in the Beaujolais region

Tailor-made trips

If you want to learn more about the region’s culture through tailor-made activities and visits, check out those trips that include a few days nearby Ardèche. Contact us to add them to your hike.

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