Tackle the GR20 South’s wild terrain—steep climbs, alpine ridges, and remote forests—on a self-guided trek with lighter packs.
Full board from Day 1 dinner to Day 7 lunch, with hearty Corsican dishes.
Basic huts, gîtes, and campsites in stunning mountain locations.
Luggage is transferred to select stops. You hike with a daypack. Sunday departures only for luggage-supported option.
Experience the southern section of Europe’s toughest trek without carrying a full pack. This itinerary covers high granite ridges, ancient shepherd trails, and Corsica’s most dramatic scenery. Your nights are spent in rustic mountain refuges and gîtes. Luggage transfer on key stages adds comfort to the challenge, making this route a perfect intro to the GR20.
Details
ItineraryThis holiday starts on a Sunday in Ajaccio, a grouped transfer will take you up to Bavella. The region is known as the Alta Rocca and Bavella is one of the most famous peaks of the island, known for its high mountain pass and mystical summits. Time to settle into the gite before the evening meal.
Hotel: Auberge du Col de Bavella
From the high mountain pass, the Col de Bavella you take the GR20 trail -Alpine variant. It leads steeply uphill before passing at the base of several granite pinnacles. The trail is rough under foot and equipped over a few metres with a chain that helps stability across the rocks. The trail plunges down into the valley before passing through the woods. After a river crossing the GR20 pulls up to Asinau, and Bergerie Chez Aline.
The GR20 trail heads up to the magniˡ cent ridge line of Alcudina, the highest summit in the South at 2134m altitude. There are fantastic views and on a clear day you can pick out your route and see where you are heading. You leave the high ground and head down towards the famous Cuscione plateau, a wild open area that is grazing land in the summer months. Your night stop is at Croci shepherd’s cabin situated on the edge of the plateau.
The GR20 crosses the grassy plateau. The trail then heads uphill through aforest of dwarf oak trees to the Col de l’Agnone. From here, starts one of the best ridge walks on the GR20, it is very exposed. The rock has been wonderfully sculpted by the elements and the granite decor is sublime. The GR20 trail topples back and forth over the ridge, to one side then the other. Camp at Usciolu Refuge.
This walk has some really special scenery with great views. From the refuge the GR20 continues along the ridge. The trail plunges down towards the Col de Laparo and passes the refuge at Prati (1820m) it is worth stopping to enjoy the airy rooftop views of the island and enjoy the lush, spongy fresh ground. The GR20 drops rapidly down in and out of the forest to your destination at the Col de Verde. (1289m). Night in Gite.
This is the last stage of the GR20 southern section, the walk makes for a leisurely day. The GR20 leaves Capanelle (1568m) taking a path on more or less easy terrain. The GR20 trail then climbs to Bocca Palmente 1640m, from where on a clear day the views are exceptional, the massifs of the Monte d’Oro and the Rotondu tower above. The trail drops down into the thick Vizzavona forest to Vizzavona (920m) the midway point of the GR20. End of the tour upon arrival in Vizzavona. Possibility to take trains leave from Vizzavona to Ajaccio and Bastia.
Breakfast and departure
Location And Getting ThereLocation and Getting There
Corsica is accessible via the main airports in Ajaccio (AJA), Bastia (BIA), and Figari (FSC), with direct flights from mainland France and major European cities. This tour begins in Ajaccio, where a group transfer takes you to Bavella on Day 1. The trek ends in Vizzavona, a mountain village with a railway station offering direct trains to both Ajaccio and Bastia. No rental car is needed. For those flying in, Ajaccio is the most convenient arrival airport.
AccommodationExamples of accommodation on this tour:
Accommodation
This tour is designed for two participants sharing a double, twin, or family room. Solo travelers should anticipate an additional surcharge for single occupancy in double rooms. On certain routes, particularly those involving high alpine huts, private rooms may not be available due to limited capacity or late bookings. In such cases, shared accommodations will be required and will be clearly indicated in your itinerary.
Linen & Towels
Most huts and hotels provide linen and towels. In rare instances where you need to bring your own towel and sleeping bag liner, this requirement will be clearly outlined in your itinerary.
Luggage Transfer
Luggage transfer is included on most stages of our tours. However, some remote huts are inaccessible by car. In these cases, you’ll need to carry a few extra essentials in your daypack, and your luggage will be delivered to your next hotel the following day. This will be clearly specified in your itinerary.
Included Services
Add to this tourWhen booking this tour online, you will get the option to add the following services:
GuaranteeThis tour is fully covered by the Danish Travel Guarantee Fund (Rejsegarantifonden), ensuring financial protection and security for all participants. The guarantee covers situations such as company insolvency, securing refunds for canceled trips or necessary repatriation. Importantly, this protection applies to travelers of all nationalities, not just Danish citizens. By booking with a company registered under the Danish Travel Guarantee, you can embark on your adventure with confidence, knowing your investment is secure and your travel experience is safeguarded, regardless of your country of residence. Learn more here.
WeatherMountain weather in Corsica can vary widely. June to September offers the most stable hiking conditions, with daytime temperatures from 15–25°C. Mornings and high passes can be cold and windy. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible.
Difficulty
This tour is categorized Experienced
Trails with longer, technical passages and sometimes only marked sparingly. Participants have hiked in the Alps or similar environment multiple times and will be familiar with map reading, gps and changeable weather conditions.
FAQIf you cancel your tour 60 days or more before the departure date, you will lose your deposit. If you cancel your tour between 60 and 45 days before the departure date, you will lose 50 per cent of the total tour price. If you cancel your tour within 45 days of the departure date, you will lose the full amount. If you fail to turn up on the first day of your tour, Outdoor Europe may not be able to make arrangements for you to join the rest of the tour, and you will lose the full payment. If, for any reason, Outdoor Europe has to cancel your tour, you will be offered an alternative tour or a full refund.
You can book your tour directly on the Outdoor Europe website. Choose the tour from the dropdown menu, select the date you would like to start, and the number of participants in your group. You can either pay a deposit (60 days or more from the start of your tour) or pay the full amount. Click ‘book’ and follow the instructions. Once we have confirmed your payment, you’ll receive your confirmed tour itinerary within 10 days. There may be seasonal variations in the time it takes us to arrange everything. Please note that programmes on the tour pages are only examples — there may be several differences in the final programme you receive.
When booking your tour, you can choose to pay by credit/debit card or direct bank transfer. Direct bank transfers will generally take longer to process, while credit and debit card payments are processed instantly. You are, by default, asked to pay a deposit of 25% of the total cost of the tour. If you choose this option, you will be asked to pay the remaining 75% one month before your tour. Please be sure to follow the payment links you receive in your invoice or reminder email, which we will send you when the second payment is due.
This depends on the individual tour and when you book it. When hiking in the Alps, most people stay in dorms or shared rooms as the availability of single, double and family rooms are limited. We can only guarantee your own room on certain tours such as in the Lys and Ayas Valleys — but only if you book in time. If this is your preference, we will do our best to ensure you get your own room, but please expect to spend some nights in shared accommodation if there is limited availability.
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer this service with all our packages. Often, the huts or hotels we work with are in locations that can only be reached by foot or helicopter. Indeed, when choosing a tour that includes baggage transport, there may be one or two exceptions depending on the route. This will appear clearly on the tour page and in the program you receive when your booking has been confirmed.
All our tours include the day of arrival and the day of departure. This means that a six-day tour will include five nights of accommodation, a seven-day tour will include six nights, and so on. On the first day, guests are usually expected to arrive in the afternoon. And the program does not include any activities except for a briefing by our representative on the first evening. On the day of departure, guests are free to decide if they want to leave directly after breakfast or go on a shorter tour before their journey home.
Most of our tours will include Half Board (HB) services, which means breakfast, a three-course dinner, and a light-packed lunch. Please check the individual tour page for details, however, as variations occur with certain tours.
We specialize in self-guided tours. These tours are designed for travelers who love the independence of hiking, skiing, or running on their own but want to know that everything else is taken care of. In some cases, we are able to offer luggage transport to lighten your load as you enjoy the Great Outdoors.
Whether you’re already a group of friends, business colleagues or a sports club looking for an active mountain adventure, we can design and organize your Alpine tour for you. We also offer guided group tours for individual participants on fixed dates.
Yes, absolutely! Outdoor Europe can design the perfect mountain adventure for you and your friends or colleagues. Whether you want to hike, ski, run, cycle or climb, we have the expertise and experience needed to create a bespoke package for any level of experience or physicality. Please contact us if you would like us to create a customized package for your group.
There are few better ways to spend time with your children than with an active holiday in the mountains. Sharing a mountain adventure with your child is a memory that will last a lifetime. We try to design child-friendly variations (marked ‘family’) of all our Alpine tours. Children can hike, ski or bike a lot longer than you might expect, as long as you make it entertaining for them. However, they will respond instantly to the way you behave, so please consider whether you are able to create a safe environment for your children when faced with the many different challenges of an alpine environment.
Yes, we are able to offer a discount for children on most of our tours, provided they are not yet 13 years of age on the first day of the tour. Please see the individual tour page for our child discounts.
Many single travellers chose Outdoor Europe due to our high level of service and our expertise in self-guided mountain tours. And the safety of one of our representatives will only ever be just a phone call away. However, please expect additional costs, as our prices are based on two persons — the industry standard for outdoor tours of this nature. Private rooms and other services are often more expensive for individual travellers. You can find information about any additional costs for individual travellers on the tour page.
We are all different. Some of our clients are 70+ and have lived an active lifestyle all their life. Others may be twenty years younger and have barely left their office chair. It is very difficult to judge the physical and mental ability of a person on the basis of a phone conversation. If you are in doubt, each tour is rated for level of physicality, which you can learn more about here. You are of course welcome to call us and we will do our best to advice you. Find your level of physicality here (link to Find your level page).
Our local partners know every square inch of this beautiful Alpine region. During the introductory briefing, you will receive an app, physical maps and a phone number to call if you need advice. In some cases, you’ll be able to forward your location to a local guide with the press of a button. This may prove helpful if you become lost.
We recommend that you speak to your insurance provider to ensure your existing policy covers mountain-based activities such as hiking, skiing, and mountain biking. Please note that any costs relating to emergency situations and the potential need for evacuation are the sole responsibility of the client.
We are all different. Some of our clients are more than 70 years old and have lived an active lifestyle all their life. Others are twenty years younger and have barely left their office chair. It is very difficult to judge the physical and mental capabilities of a person on the basis of a phone conversation. If you are in doubt, each tour is rated for the level of physicality involved, which you can learn more about on our Find Your Level page. You are, of course, welcome to call us, and we will do our best to advise you.
Enjoying the mountains with your best friend can be a joyful experience, which is why we try to make our tours dog friendly wherever possible. Unfortunately, it is not always possible due to local rules. Selected tours are marked ‘Dog Friendly’ on the tour page. This means that your dog can stay with you in your private room or, in a few cases, the hut will have a separate or external room for dogs. Please refer to the individual tour page for more information.
Whether you're a large family, a work team or a sports club, we will help you create a perfect group adventure.
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