France - The Vercors (by air)

Tour Code: FRA16

An 8-day holiday in search of birds, plants, mammals and butterflies in the Vercors massif, a spectacular area in the heart of France's Dauphiné region on the doorstep of the Alps.

8 days from
£1,995
Land only price from
£1,795
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

Heading south from Lyon in south-eastern France, an awe-inspiring massif of jagged limestone looms into view. Framed perfectly by the resplendent snow-capped Alps in the distance, and the deep Isere Valley in the foreground, the Vercors Regional Nature Park is an area of exceptional beauty. It cries out for exploration, and that's exactly what we do on this varied 8-day wildlife holiday, making full use of the region's trails and back-roads as we search for the birds, plants, mammals and butterflies which inhabit the limestone gorges, high summits, and extensive forests and flower-filled meadows of the Vercors.

  • Wonderful wildlife amidst truly magnificent scenery
  • Friendly, family-run hotel serving good home cooking based on local produce
  • One of the three principal Orchid hotspots in mainland Europe
  • Stunning alpine plants with abundant Gentians, Saxifrages & many more specialities
  • Wallcreeper, lekking Black Grouse, & numerous birds of prey
  • July highlights include the mysterious Ghost Orchid & the elusive European Beaver

Grading

Grade A. Easy walks only.

Heading south from Lyon in southeastern France, an awe-inspiring massif of jagged limestone looms into view. Framed perfectly by the resplendent snow-capped Alps in the distance, and the deep Isère Valley in the foreground, the Vercors Regional Nature Park is an area of exceptional beauty. Incorporating France’s largest nature reserve — the splendid Hauts Plateaux — this is one of the oldest ‘Nature Parks’ in France and a most interesting region for the visiting naturalist. We will explore its thousands of hectares of unspoiled countryside on this holiday, focusing on the rich and varied fauna and flora of the massif’s deep limestone gorges, high summits (dominated by the Grand Veymont at 2,341 metres) and vast expanses of forest. From our base in La Chapelle, a delightful village in the heart of the massif, we are within easy striking distance of the many rich habitats which, after centuries of glacial and then fluvial erosion, form a harmonious limestone landscape of damp, flower-filled meadows alternating with majestic vertical cliffs and high wooded plateaux.

One of the highlights of our week will be a day spent in the Hauts Plateaux nature reserve in the company of a local guide. This wild area, in many respects unique in Europe, consists of a patchwork of meadows, moorlands, forests and high mountain ridges, shaped by savage winters and centuries of forestry and grazing. A small, pioneering population of Wolves, presumed to have recently recolonised this part of France from the Italian Alps, hides in the vast Silver Fir (Abies alba) and Mountain Pine (Pinus uncinata) forest, their presence betrayed only by tracks left in the extensive winter snows. Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Black Grouse, Ring Ouzel, Firecrest, Crossbill, Citril Finch and perhaps even a Tengmalm’s Owl or Black Woodpecker are amongst the avian possibilities here, whilst the alpine flora is at its dazzling best at this time of year.

The pretty winter ski station of Font d’Urle provides an unusual backdrop to beautiful alpine meadows carpeted with wild pansies, gentians, wild tulips and snowbells. The path to Font d’Urle leads us through an unspoiled alpine habitat with stunning views south across the Forêt de Quint. We must keep our eyes open here for Chough, Alpine Chough, Golden Eagle, Rock Thrush, Water Pipit and Alpine Marmot. The numerous limestone cliffs in the Vercors attract resident Wallcreepers, and one or two of our picnic spots make ideal points from which to scan for this sought-after species. On the drier, sunnier southern slopes, Rock Sparrows breed, while Short-toed Eagles glide and hover overhead hunting for snakes. Orphean and Subalpine Warblers and the attractive Ortolan Bunting, too, will also be amongst our targets during this part of our holiday.

The Vercors is one of the very few regions in western Europe harbouring six species of wild ungulates — Ibex, Chamois, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Mouflon and Wild Boar all occuring here. Whilst these animals invariably remain elusive in the wooded areas, they may sometimes be seen on the higher, rocky slopes. Smaller carnivores such as Fox, Badger and Pine Marten are well represented, while Mountain Hare, a relict from the Ice Age, is confined to the high mountain ridges. We will look for some of these smaller mammals in the freshly cut hay meadows at dusk.

It is perhaps the stunning flora, however, with several rare orchids present in an overall list of 64 species, for which the Vercors massif is best known. The spectacular Lady’s Slipper Orchid is relatively common in the fir and beech forests, and we will look for the endemic Ophrys bertolonii ssp. drumana in the drier Mediterranean climate of the Gervannes. Orchis spitzelii, Toothed Orchid (Orchis tridentata) and, on our later tour, Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum) will all provide excitement during our walks and picnic lunches, throughout what promises to be a varied and enjoyable week in this, one of the most beautiful regions of France.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Lyon
Day 2/7
Natural history excursions in the Vercors
Day 8
Fly London
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What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    A delightful family-run hotel; all rooms have private facilities.

  • Food:

    All included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Mon 19th May – Mon 26th May 4 £1,995
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Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Room sharing options:
If a customer on this departure has already expressed an interest in sharing a room it will be flagged here. We will identify if there are sharing options for male, female or both.
Female sharing available
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£250
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Peter Stevens
Peter-Naturetrek-Website-Photo.jpg

Tour Leader: Peter Stevens

Pete has had a life-long interest in birds and other wildlife. Brought up on the edge of countryside and within walking distance of the River Teign Estuary in South Devon, he is still based in that attractive area of England. Passionate about travel, Pete's search for wildlife and particularly birds has lead him to travel extensively in Europe, North and South America, several countries in Africa, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Syria, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Eastern Australia and New Zealand. A professional ecologist, Pete specialised in land management and particularly heath and grassland habitats. He has worked for industry, local authorities and for sixteen years as an ecologist in government agencies. Writing management plans for nature reserves and other sensitive wildlife areas broadened his interests to include butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. Crucial to much of his work has been botanical knowledge and Pete has carried out numerous botanical surveys including surveying and assessing the condition of several thousand hectares of the Dartmoor National Park Site of Special Scientific Interest during 2013. Pete enjoys passing on his knowledge and he has been the guide on numerous wildlife walks around his home county plus conducting many professional training courses, before joining Naturetrek in 2015.

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!