Destination

Vanoise National Park, France

Vanoise National Park, France

France's first national park is hut-to-hut heaven: the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise circles a shining plateau of ice over four to five days on unambiguous paths, with refuges spaced a comfortable half-day apart so you carry almost nothing. Ibex are the park's pride and pose obligingly at dawn. Pralognan-la-Vanoise is the classic trailhead, and the route stays below 2,800 metres — big scenery without altitude drama. Reserve refuges online from March for July beds.

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