The Italian & French Alps

Tour Code: ITA07

An 8-day holiday focusing on the alpine plants, birds, mammals and butterflies of Italy's Gran Paradiso National Park and the adjoining Vanoise National Park in France.

8 days from
£1,995 (Inc flights)

Land only price from
£1,795

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Highlights

Summary

Italy’s Gran Paradiso National Park and the adjoining Vanoise National Park in France together form the largest protected area in Western Europe. On this 2-centre holiday we’ll enjoy daily natural history walks amongst the beautiful Alpine valleys, forests and high peaks of these two spectacular national parks, focusing on their flora, birdlife, butterflies and mammals. We will be based first in the small Italian town of Cogne, surrounded by green meadows and glacier-covered mountains high above the Aosta Valley, and then in France for our last four nights, close to one of the finest sites for Alpine flowers, Mount Cenis.

A perfect Alpine destination for the all-round naturalist
Birds, flowers & butterflies galore
Enjoy glorious Alpine scenery & delicious picnics in flower-filled meadows
Alpine flowers in profusion
Mountain walks on good trails
Look out for Ibex, Marmots & Chamois
Birds of prey including Lammergeiers
A wealth of butterfly species, including Alpine specialities

Grading

Day walks only, some on steep ground. All walks are optional.

As early as 1856 the Gran Paradiso mountains in the Italian Alps were afforded protection as a wildlife reserve by Italy’s King Vittorio Emmanuel II to protect their herds of Ibex. By 1922 the reserve had become Italy’s first national park, and today it covers 720 square kilometres. On the creation of the adjoining Vanoise National Park by the French in 1963, the largest protected area in Western Europe was formed. On this 2- centre holiday we aim to enjoy daily natural history walks amongst the beautiful Alpine valleys, forests and high peaks of this spectacular region, focusing on their alpine flora, birdlife, butterflies and, of course, such mammals as Ibex, Chamois and Alpine Marmots. The area’s geology is also very varied, one of the reasons for the outstanding flora which includes such special ‘alpines’ as the pink-flowered Aethionema thomasianum, an endemic of the Aosta Alps growing on calcareous screes; Astragalus alepocurus, the central Alpine milk vetch found in the high alpine meadows; Campanula alpestris (Largeflowered Bellflower), to be found on limestone rocks and screes, and Saxifraga biflora, a compact saxifrage with red flowers favouring acid rocks. Many other alpine species of saxifrages, sedums, vetches, composites, campanulas and of course various gentians and orchids also occur here.

We will be based for our first three nights in Cogne, a small and friendly Italian town in the Val di Cogne, high above the Aosta Valley and surrounded by gentle green meadows and towering, glacier-covered mountains. The region is both Italian and French speaking, though each valley tends to have its own dialect, and the area is noted for its Valdostane cuisine, which includes plenty of Chamois, venison, excellent local cheeses and Valle d’Aosta wines. We will then cross the border to spend our last four nights at Lanslevillard, a French village near Mount Cenis, one of the finest sites for Alpine flowers. From both these bases we will explore the trails of the Gran Paradiso and Vanoise National Parks, and enjoy the exceptional variety of birds, plants and butterflies of the region.

On one day we will walk from Valnontey, a small village in the Gran Paradiso, along the beautiful valley of the Torrent Valnontey, towards the impressive glaciers that cap the park. A wayside botanical garden introduces us to many of the alpine plants that we hope to find during the week. In the delightful forests of beech, larch, spruce and Arolla Pine above, we will look for Firecrests, Coal Tits, Serins, Citril Finches, Crossbills and, with luck, Bonelli’s Warblers and the elusive Black Woodpecker, before we reach the alpine meadows above the treeline where Choughs, Alpine Choughs, Lammergeiers, Golden Eagles and other birds of prey may all be seen overhead, and Wheatears, Ring Ouzels, Dippers, Black Redstarts, Rock Buntings and Water Pipits all breed. On other days we will explore further valleys and also the meadows and screes of the Col de Petit St. Bernard where we look for Alpine and Small White Orchid, the various prostrate willows such as Salix breviserrata, S. reticulata, S. serpyllifolia and S. herbacea, Alpenrose and Creeping Azalea. Typically, at the high point of each day’s walk, we will break the day with a leisurely and delicious picnic lunch; a time to appreciate the abundance of alpine flowers and the clouds of attendant butterflies, and scan the slopes around us for views of Ibex and Chamois … and noisy Alpine Marmots. We will also look out for Peregrine, Golden Eagle and Lammergeier, as well as two specialities of the highest slopes, Snowfinch and Alpine Accentor.

Next we cross into France to spend our last four nights in the Vanoise National Park. France’s first national park lies in the Haute Savoie, just to the south of lordly Mont Blanc, and also holds an impressive diversity of wildlife. Chamois, Alpine Ibex and Alpine Marmots are all found here, whilst amongst 125 species of breeding birds are Lammergeier and the enigmatic Wallcreeper. It is, however, the flora that is most spectacular and, in the alpine meadows, we will look for such plant specialities as Mount Cenis Restharrow (Ononis cristata), Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), Erigeron uniflorus, and both Primula pedemontana and Primula hirsuta. Alpine specialities of the screes and rocks include Blunt-leaved Rock Jasmine (Androsace obtusifolia), Hairy Rock Jasmine (Androsace pubescens), Androsace helvetica, Phyteuma globulariifolium, the Glacier Buttercup (Ranunculus glacialis), Petrocallis pyrenaica and Mount Cenis Bellflower (Campanula cenisia).

To complete our week we will visit the area of Mount Cenis, renowned for its alpine flora. Amongst the species we will look for here are the two mountain pansies, Viola calcarata and Viola cenisi; the yellowflowered Erysimum rhaeticum and pinkflowered Androsace adfinis subsp. puberula are found in the rocky crevices, whilst the screes hold Mount Baldo Anemone (Anemone baldensis). Other plants we will look for are Alpine Pasque Flower (Pulsatillas alpina), many species of gentian, including the diminutive Snow Gentian (G. nivalis), various campanulas and rampions, the handsome False White Helleborine (Veratrum album), and Frog and Alpine Orchids.

DETAILED INFORMATION

Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1

Fly Turin and transfer to Cogne

Day 2/3

Botanical and birdwatching walks in the Gran Paradiso National Park, from Cogne

Day 4/7

Botanical and birdwatching walks in the Vanoise National Park, from Lanslevillard

Day 8

Transfer to Turin and fly London

Download Full Itinerary

What's Included

What's Included?

Flights
Accommodation: A two-centre holiday based in comfortable, family-run hotels; all rooms have private facilities.
Food:
All food included in the price.

Reviews

An 8 day holiday in the Alps based at two centres, one in France, one in Italy. Visiting the Alps is something that I have always wanted to do and this trip was everything I hoped it would be; I would have been happy with the trip even if it had only lasted for the first day. The tour operator was Naturetrek. I am not a very confident traveller and haven't been abroad for well over a decade, hence I chose to go on a guided holiday. The guides did an excellent job of making all the arrangements and organising the visits, as well as providing their expertise in identifying the local wildlife.
I.B. Co. Durham, June 22
This was a Naturetrek group tour to discover the alpine plants and wildlife of the French and Italian Alps. The scenery and nature we experienced were spectacular. The guides were extremely knowledgeable. The accommodation was very good and we were well fed!
S.C. Oxfordshire, June 22
What I enjoyed most about this holiday was my introduction to, and close examination of the Alps, covering all aspects of flora and fauna as well as the general scenery, and the joy of sharing all these things with others. Our guide, Philip, had an amazing ability to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with the group. I couldn't have asked for a more amazing trip.
JN, West Sussex, June 19

Excellent holiday made all the better by the attention and enthusiasm of the leaders. In particular I must mention the superb quality of the picnics provided, whether it was the magnificent surroundings or the sheer quality of the food but they were splendid.
J.O. Oxfordshire

Visiting an area I didn’t know, this was a wonderful holiday. Scenery, birds, butterflies and flowers were stunning, made even more special because of the expertise and enthusiasm of our leaders and the group in general. I learnt such a lot.
S.O. Oxfordshire

I thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and learnt a great deal. Jenny and John Willsher were excellent leaders - approachable, encouraging, patient, careful drivers and very responsible.
P.M. Buckinghamshire

An extremely enjoyable and educational week, for which the secrets were: a) the leader: humorous, relaxed and very knowledgeable. b) The hotels and villages. The eight of us had the good luck to 'gel', and we all enjoyed each others company, the more so as ages ranged from 15 to 75.
A.E. Middlesex

Phil was an excellent leader; knowledgeable, calm, and a very good provider of packed lunches. He took great care when driving the minibus to ensure that we were all comfortable. Although we all had different levels of knowledge (mine being the lowest), he answered questions appropriately to us all as individuals.
Mrs R. Dorset

When asked if the holiday was good value for the cost: "In view of the sheer abundance of wild flowers and the magnificence of the mountain scenery, plus Phil's skilled leadership - yes!"
H.M. London

Everything about the trip was excellent - the tour leader made every effort to ensure our needs were catered for, and his knowledge on flora and fauna was first class.
Mr & Mrs L. Dorset

This was my fifth holiday with Naturetrek and I was more than satisfied this time. The tour description, while accurate in itself, could not do justice to the grandeur of the scenery and we were blessed with a wide spectrum of wildlife, both flora and fauna, with a profusion of butterflies, the like of which I have never seen before. Our two leaders were excellent in their knowledge of their subjects but deserve special mention for their safe driving whilst encountering the multitude of hairpin bends, dare-devil Italian and French drivers and numerous intrepid cyclists. It just remains to thank Naturetrek for another excellent holiday, from the first delve into the brochure, planning, execution and completion.
J.S. Highlands

I am not an expert naturalist but I was most impressed by the leaders’ knowledge and the easy manner in which they put it across. Quite apart from their biological expertise they drove us safely over mountain roads and prepared excellent lunches!
D.J. Surrey

Very happy with the leaders again. They made a good team: while Phillip focused on flowers, Sharon scanned the skies and slopes and alerted us to birds and mammals. They handled the challenging driving circumstances calmly and professionally as they did the flight problems! I liked both hotels and thought the food was very good and ample. We went to some wonderful spots and they made me realise there isn’t just one ‘alpine flora’ but a whole range, suited to different heights, soils and aspects.
I.J. Surrey

The holiday was very enjoyable. The hotel staff were very helpful. The leaders looked after us very well and were very knowledgeable.
S.S. Gloucestershire

The holiday was fantastic and, as a first timer to group holidays and Naturetrek, I would definitely want to go on this type of holiday again. The scenery and wildlife were stunning - probably the word I said most all trip! The sheer abundance and variety of flower and butterfly species was breathtaking. We had good sightings of Golden Eagle and Lammergeier which were the icing on the cake. I was a relative beginner in terms of botany and butterflies but that did not matter. Phil had excellent knowledge and there were others in the group with knowledge to match, but I felt included and soaked it all up. If I remember a tenth of what I learnt I will have learnt a bit - there was so much to see. Phil and Sharon were terrific leaders. They worked very hard to give us a good experience - driving the minibuses and organising great picnics on top of being naturalists and tour guides. They were top class!
F.U. Oxfordshire

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Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost

Thu 26th Jun – Thu 3rd Jul SPACES £1,995

Book Tour Show Details

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

Single Room Supplement:

Single Room Supplement.

£195

2026

Departures Availability Cost

Thu 25th Jun – Thu 2nd Jul SPACES £1,995

Book Tour Show Details

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

Single Room Supplement:

Single Room Supplement.

£195

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            [description] => Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides
There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.  
Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.
Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?

All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife

What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?

Travel with a group of like-minded people
Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora

In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.  

Our specialist recommends...


"I'd recommend 'Wengen – Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps', 'Crete' and 'The French Pyrenees', which all offer some fascinating European botany, along with plenty of wider natural history and some stunning scenery. If you’re keen to travel a little further afield, I’d suggest joining us in South Africa for our 'Wild Flowers of the Cape & Namaqualand' tour” 

David Tattersfield - Tour Leader

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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.

Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:

Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar

Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
 

Our specialist recommends...


"Try Coto Doñana & Extremadura for an excellent introduction to Europe's wetland and steppe birds. I would recommend our bargain holiday, 'Nepal – A Birdwatching Tour' for those interested in Siberian rarities and Ibisbill, while Costa Rica offers a chance to search for arguably the world's most beautiful bird, the Resplendent Quetzal."

Byron Palacios - Tour Leader

  
 
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            [description] => Butterfly Watching Holidays Led by Expert Naturalists
Who can fail to be delighted by butterflies – the intensity and variety of their colours, their delicate beauty and fascinating life cycles? Our tours allow butterfly-watching enthusiasts to observe marvellous species all around the world. Sadly, butterflies are in decline in many regions. To help prevent the loss of these beautiful creatures, our butterfly holidays make a direct contribution to their conservation.

Naturetrek Butterfly Tours

We offer an excellent range of dedicated butterfly holidays
All tours are led by a Naturetrek butterfly-watching expert
Although butterflies are the main focus of our butterfly tours, we also take time to observe other wildlife
By booking one of our dedicated butterfly holidays you will automatically be making a contribution to their conservation.

Here’s a selection of our dedicated butterfly tours:
Although we include butterfly-watching in many of our holidays, we offer a wide selection of dedicated butterfly tours, including:

The Cevennes – we look for butterflies in the Massif Central
Butterflies in Normandy – we go in search of some of Normandy’s 160 species of butterfly
Sweden's Butterflies & Dragonflies – Sweden is home to Large Blue, Apollo, Scarce Copper and many more species
Butterflies of the Dolomites – we explore sheltered valleys and butterfly hot-spots in the Italian Dolomites
Sri Lanka - A Butterfly Tour – seeking Sri Lanka’s dazzling tropical species
Butterflies of Morocco's High Atlas Mountains – a search for the butterflies of the High Atlas Mountains, with a wealth of other wildlife and mountain walks in spectacular scenery.

Naturetrek & Butterfly Conservation 
As a top category ‘Gold’ corporate sponsor of Butterfly Conservation (BC), we donate around £1,500 annually to the charity. As well as this, since 2002 we have donated 10% of all income generated by our annual programme of butterfly tours that we run in partnership with BC, and give BC membership to all non-members joining the tours.

Our specialist recommends...




"I'd recommend Naturetrek's Butterflies of South Africa holiday. On this butterfly holiday we look for butterflies in the Wajkkerstrom (montane grassland), which supports a wonderful diversity of species. Closer to home I'd suggest our Butterflies of Hungary tour, or Butterflies of Croatia for unspoilt landscapes and a density of butterfly-life rarely seen in western Europe now." 

Tom Brereton - Operations Manager

 
All Butterfly Watching Tours

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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.

Enquire

Tour Reports

Tour report - June 2016

Tour report - June 2015

Tour report - July 2014

Tour report - June 2012

Tour report - June 2011

Tour report - June 2010

Tour report - July 2009

Tour report - July 2007

Tour report - July 2006

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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!