
Hut-to-Hut Trekking in the Gran Paradiso
- Italy
- 3 nights
A long-weekender among the wilderness of the Italian Alps featuring remote trails, high passes and glittering glaciers
What's Included?
- Activities & Certified GuidesAll itinerary activities with an expert, local, English-speaking mountain guide
- Hotel & Mountain hut1 night in a hotel and 2 nights in mountain huts
- Meals3 breakfasts and 3 dinners
- TransfersAirport transfers and everything in between
- EquipmentPillows and blankets are provided at the mountain huts
- Small Like-minded GroupsSolo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 12 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people
From…excluding flights
Highlights
Hike spectacular paths in Italy’s first National Park, traversing the Valsavarenche Valley to the base of Gran Paradiso peak
Tackle Col Rosset (3025m) and Col Bassac Derè (3082m), some of the highest walkable passes in the Alps with breathtaking glacier views
Bunk down in iconic, welcoming mountain huts surrounded by idyllic scenery, soaring peaks and Alpine wildlife
Itinerary
Day 1
Welcome to Aosta, in the heart of the Italian Alps
Driving2.5hrs · 185kmHotelTwin shareDinner includedShow Day 1 detailHide detail
Touch down in Milan Malpensa Airport and meet your group for the transfer up to the mountain town of Aosta, the principal city at the heart of the Aosta Valley and an ideal starting point to access the Italian Alps. This overnight stay is a chance to break your journey to the Gran Paradiso National Park. Enjoy the evening getting to know your fellow group members over dinner in a local restaurant, then get some rest ready for your epic weekend of hiking.
Day 2
Valsavarenche and the Gran Paradiso Balcony Trail
Driving50mins · 35kmHiking7hrs · 18km · 1100m up · 1100m downMountain hutMixed dormBreakfast and dinner includedShow Day 2 detailHide detail
Fuel up on breakfast before meeting your guide at the hotel, who'll do a welcome briefing with the group. Then you'll drive to Pravieux in the Valsavarenche Valley of Gran Paradiso National Park, where you'll kickstart your adventure by hiking through forests, open meadows and past shepherds' huts. The trail leads up the eastern side of the valley, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains all the way to Rifugio Chabod, with the north face of Gran Paradiso peak visible behind it. Continue below Moncorvè peak until you reach the impressive Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II (2719m), built in 1884 and still used by climbers summiting Gran Paradiso. Enjoy a well-deserved break surrounded by majestic peaks and glaciers, then power through the last leg of the trail down to Rifugio Tetras Lyre (1996m), where you’ll spend the night.
Day 3
Nivolet Plateau, Col Rosset Pass and Val di Rhêmes
Hiking10hrs · 21km · 1250m up · 800m downMountain hutMixed dormBreakfast and dinner includedShow Day 3 detailHide detail
Following the Savara River, hike across beautiful pastures before arriving at the stunning lakes of the Col Nivolet Plateau. In early summer the landscape blooms with a colourful carpet of wildflowers, and it won't be hard to spot wild mountain ibex or chamois along the way. Continue on to Col Rosset (3025m), a great adventure along one of the highest walkable passes in the Alps – there are some steep sections and loose, rocky paths to tackle as you approach the Col. A very steep descent on rocky trails leads you into Val di Rhêmes and eventually to the Rifugio Benevolo (2287m), surrounded by impressive peaks, where you’ll stop for the night.
Day 4
The Col Bassac Derè pass to Valgrisenche
Hiking8hrs · 17km · 870m up · 1300m downDriving3hrs · 215kmBreakfast includedShow Day 4 detailHide detail
Set off early from Rifugio Benevolo and hike towards Goletta Lake, at the foot of the Goletta Glacier. The glacial waters range in colour from greyish to pale blue due to the retreating ice. Continue with a steep ascent and a touch of scrambling to Col Bassac Derè – the highest point of the trek at 3082m – and enjoy some of the wildest scenery so far, with imposing peaks and glaciers. Descend via vertiginous rocky trails with the spectacular glacier below to reach Valgrisenche, before finally reaching the small hamlet of Surrier, where your trek ends. There may be just time for a quick celebratory drink with your group before your transfer departs for Milan Malpensa Airport. The hike usually finishes around 16:00 and you should reach the airport around 19:00.
Getting There
- Nearest airport
- Malpensa International Airport (MXP)
- Pick up
- Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP)
14:00 on Day 1 - Drop off
- Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP)
19:00 on Day 4
What is and isn't Included?
What's included
- Guided hike along the Gran Paradiso Balcony Trail in Valsavarenche
- Guided hike to the Val di Rhêmes, via the Col Nivolet Plateau and the Col Rosset (3025m)
- Guided hike over th Col Bassac Derè (3082m) to Valgrisenche
- Expert, local, English-speaking mountain guides
- 1 night in a central hotel in Aosta
- 2 nights in cosy Alpine mountain huts
- 3 tasty breakfasts
- 3 hearty Alpine dinners
- Group arrival transfer from Milan Malpensa Airport on Day 1
- Group departure transfer to Milan Malpensa Airport on Day 4
- All transfers during the trip
- Pillows and blankets are provided at the mountain huts
What's not included
Our trips do not include flights, trains or other travel to the start point and back from the end point.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip your leader for good service.
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness. Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine (opens in new tab), as their insurance offers all of the above.
Visa requirements often change, and you are responsible for obtaining any required visas for this trip. Please check with your nearest embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice.
Where You'll Stay
Looking for a private room? See Optional Extras for details and pricing.
What You'll Eat
Breakfasts and dinners during the trek will be served at the mountain huts. Breakfasts always include coffee, bread, jam and butter, and may also include orange juice, cereal, yogurt, fruit and a selection of cheese and cured meats. Dinners at the hu…
Optional Extras
Equipment / Kit Hire
- Hiking Poles Hire
- …/per person
Pre/Post Trip Accommodation
- Additional Night in Aosta Double/Twin Room
- …/per night
- Additional Night in Aosta Single Room
- …/per person, per night
Upgrades
- Optional Private Room Upgrade (1st night in Aosta only)
- …/per person
Due to the style and limited capacity of the accommodation used on this trip, single rooms are limited and only possible for the first night of the trip in Aosta. See Optional Extras for the price and request this upon booking.
Transfers
- Private Arrival Transfer Milan Malpensa Airport to Aosta (1-8 pax)
- …
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Ratings & Reviews
- 3 stars (0)
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- 1 star (0)
Category rating
- Food
- 5.0
- Guides & crew
- 5.0
- Accommodation
- 5.0
- Itinerary
- 5.0
Latest Reviews
Customer Photos
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Departure dates
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What to Pack

Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
FAQs
Who at Much Better Adventures designed this trip?
Marta Marinelli, raised in Italy’s serene Prosecco Hills, dreamt of global adventures, inspired by her father's travel stories. Her passion evolved into a career, backed by a decade of studies including degrees in international tourism and destination management. She’s worked in the adventure travel sector since 2012, living in Italy, the UK, and now sunny Portugal.
Over twenty years, Marta has explored over 55 countries, visiting remote areas like Ghana, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Haiti and Nepal’s Upper Mustang region. As a Senior Adventure Expansion Manager at Much Better Adventures, she focuses on creating life-changing experiences, ranging from multi-activity adventures, challenging treks, to ultimate adventures in iconic places. She loves the challenge of finding the best local adventure hosts around the world, collaborating on adventures that offer genuine immersion, pushing beyond the beaten path and working on exclusive itineraries that challenge your comfort zone.
What makes her tick? Enabling people to live adventure-rich lives while positively impacting and empowering local communities around the world, generating sustainable opportunities for both the host, guides, community, and the environment.
How much should I tip?
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip your leader for good service.
What do I do about drinking water?
The local tap water is safe to drink. Please bring along your own reusable water bottles (at least 2L) to fill up at the mountain huts to avoid buying single-use plastic bottles.
Can I leave my excess luggage somewhere?
Yes. The Omama Hotel offers free luggage storage for guests, should you need to leave a main bag there during the hike, but note you'll need to arrange this with the host in advance, as it will require organising an additional stop in Aosta on the way back to Milan at the end of the trip.
Can I book on my own?
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Who is running the trip?
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
What is the official travel advice?
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
What vaccinations do I need?
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
How are the trips priced?
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
Why are your adventures only for adults?
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
Who else will be on my trip?
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
What's the weather like?
Summer in the Gran Paradiso National Park is, without doubt, the best season for hiking: chilly air, warm sun and amazing mountain landscapes. All trekking paths are usually open during the summer season, so you can enjoy the highest peaks and passes. Glaciers are visible again after they have been covered by snow in the winter months and it's easy to spot wildlife including ibex, chamois, eagles, marmots, vultures and many others. Temperatures are generally warm and fair with plenty of sunny days – however, be aware that the weather in the mountains can change very quickly, with rain and wind possible throughout the year. Average temperatures range from 8 to 24°C. In the case of adverse weather, your local mountain guide may decide to alter any of the routes included in the itinerary for safety reasons. At an altitude of over 3000m, the high passes in particular can be cold and windy, even on sunny days.
What's the carbon footprint for this trip?
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 90kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000 miles/1609km would be approximately 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person, if there were two of you in it).
- A return economy class flight between London and New York would be approximately 1619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approximately 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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