Alps to Provence Along the Durance Cycle Touring Holiday

The beauty of this cycle tour is that it is entirely flexible with various different activities and options available at each stop. We invite you to read through each of the official sections detailed below with the various activities and options available and contact us with your ideal route. We will then get back to you with a tailored itinerary including the visits and activities you want to include. You can stay several nights in one location to make the most of the surrounding area and its activities and attractions, join two sections together for a longer ride or even skip a section or split one in two.

It is also possible to hire bikes and book baggage transfers for all or part of your tour so please specify if you would like these added on when you contact us.

Once your trip is finalised, we'll put it onto a smartphone app for you so you have everything all in one place from your GPX tracks to your activity vouchers and restaurant suggestions!

The route follows the valleys in and around the famous Durance river. The Durance is the second longest (after the Saône) of the tributaries of the Rhône and the third largest in terms of its flow (after the Saône and Isère). The river starts in the high valleys above Briançon and joins the Rhône near Avignon 323km later. This cycle tour follows the valleys of the Durance up to Sisteron about half way along the full route of the river.

Your cycle tour starts in Briançon which is accessible by the night train from Paris or by TGV and local train and we can help you with your route planning to get there. Depending on what time you arrive, you can either start your cycle tour and skip staying a night in Briancon or spend a bit of time visiting this beautiful town, pick up your hire bike if hiring, and get prepared to start your cycling tomorrow.

Suggested Visit:

Occupying a strategic position at an altitude of 1326 metres, the upper town of Briançon, perched on a rocky outcrop, is a unique mountain fortification. Encircled by ramparts designed by Vauban, it is crowned by high-altitude forts, making it impregnable. This majestic and imposing site provides an insight into the genius of the adaptations made by Louis XIV's famous military engineer. The Vauban fortifications were included in the prestigious list of World Heritage Sites in July 2008.

We can arrange for you to join a guided visit of the Vauban fortifications.

Enjoy the high mountain ambiance of your first day as you set off from the historic town of Briançon with it's famous Vauban fortifications against a backdrop of high mountains and glaciers with the torrents and rivers gushing down the valley and the caresses of the southern Alpine sun. You leave Briançon via the Route des Espagnols and Villard-Saint-Pancrace. You first cross the Durance to reach its right bank and gradually climb towards Vallouise, first on a balcony over the terraces, then in the gorges carved out by the river between Saint-Martin de Queyrières and l'Argentière, in the cordite that neither the ancient glacier nor the river have managed to erode .It's at Les Vigneaux that we find another lively torrent: the Gyronde, which we follow all the way to l'Argentière and enjoy a well-earned descent. 

Cycling Profile:

Distance: 22km  Ascent: 241m   Descent: 497m 

Suggested Activities & Visits:

From Argentière La Bessée there are a wealth of walks you can do, the silver mine to visit as well as a range of outdoor sports so think about spending a second night here to fit in everything!

• Try a via ferrata. The Gorges de la Durance via ferrata is accessible from Argentière La Bessée and is a fantastic challenge for rock lovers and adventurers with a head for heights. Please note that via ferratas requires specialist equipment and it is recommended to do this with a guide. We can organise this for you as part of your trip.

• Visit the silver mine - The Fournel mineral deposit in the Hautes-Alpes is one of the main silver lead deposits in the Alps. It is an alpine ore, hosted in sedimentary rocks and strongly dislocated by the late tectonic pressures. You can easily book a visit on the silver mine website.

The first few gentle kilometres of this cycle route come to an end as you leave Argentière and the route moves away from the Durance to tackle a short but steep climb! The climb to Freissinière is the first opportunity to settle into your rhythm, discovering pedal after pedal as the valley takes shape, open and wide: an orientation table awaits you at the top, a nice reward.

Why not take a break and explore the sides or summits of the Freissinière valley, on the edge of the Écrins, on foot? Alternatively, take the plunge downhill under the gaze of Mont-Dauphin, another Vauban fortification. Behind, the Queyras mountains come into view before the final stretch to the Serre-Ponçon lake.

On the right bank is Eygliers and its lake for a quick dip. Or why not take a small detour and visit the town of Guillestre with its pink marble rich in ammonites. 

After Guillestre on the left bank of the river the road winds its way above the turbulant Durance through Saint-André before re-crossing the Durance at the Pont Neuf, to Emrun where the river becomes a lake!  

Cycling profile:

Distance: 36km  Ascent: 529m  Descent: 697m

Suggested Activities and Visits:

It is definitely worth spending an extra night in Embrun to try out some of these activities and making the most of the spectacular Serre Ponçon lake.

• Go rafting: The section of the Durance just above Embrun is world famous for its rafting and white water sensations. Depending on timings there are different bases to set off for rafting from, either along the route meaning you could make a stop before arriving at Embrun or on arrival in Embrun (in this case the instructors take you up to the top of the river and you end up back in Embrun at the end of the rafting). We can organise this for you as part of your holiday.

• Visit the Mont Dauphin fort. Part way on your route is the Mont Dauphin, another Vauban fortification steeped in history and worth a visit for history enthusiasts.

• Visit the petrified waterfall. Geologists will love this phenomenon situated en route in the commune of Réotier just after Mont Dauphin.

• Day on the lake. The magnificent Serre Ponçon lake (22km long) and the Plan d'eau d'Embrun are on your doorstep. Relax on the lake beaches, go for a dip in the lake, hire a paddle board or kayak and go for a tour of the creeks and coves.

• Visit the town of Embrun - a beautiful town perched on a rock with plenty of small lanes for shopping and browsing.

This spectacular stage is also the toughest with a steep start and then more gradual gradients heading up through the villages overlooking the Serre Ponçon lake - a steely chalenge for even the most accomplished of cyclists. After discovering the narrow valley carved out by the river of Réallon you traverse around the mountainside before a wonderful rewarding descent all the way to the pretty village of Chorges.

If a steep challenge is not for you, then this may be the stage you opt out of and take the train journey instead!

Cycling profile:

Distance: 27km  Ascent: 614m  Descent: 558m

Suggested Activities and Visits:

If you didn't manage a stop off a Embrun, then Chorges is your last possibility for a lake stopover. 

• If you happen to stop in Chorges on a Sunday during the summer months, you will appreciate the Sunday market, one of the best markets in the Hautes Alpes.

• Paragliding - Chorges is a fabulous spot for paragliding and seeing the lake in all its glory from the sky. We can organise a paragliding tandem for you as part of your holiday.

• Visit the Baie de Chanteloube, just a few minutes ride from Chorges, wild and unspoilt beach with easy access for a swim in the lake. Possible to stop at the sailing school where there is a great little snack bar, kayaks, pedalos, paddle boards and sailing boats to hire.

• Visit the Baie de St Michel, 15 minutes ride from Chorges (but along a busy main road so not for everyone) with it's iconic church on an island, bouncy water obstacle course, high ropes adventure, guided e-bike rides and kayak and pedalo hire

Leaving the lake behind the horizon opens up and we wind our way along small country roads to discover the rural and agricultural Hautes-Alpes.

At La Bâtie-Neuve, there is a gentle climb to La Bâtie-Vieille along quiet roads with a stunning backdrop of mountains looking north to the Ecrins national park with the peaks of the Champsaur and emblematic Pic de Bure and Céuse rock to admire along your ride.

In Gap, it is worth a stop to wander around the historic centre with its pedestrianised squares and beautiful cathedral before you head off towards Tallard with a small climb up to Chateauvieux and then a gentle descent to Tallard.

Cycling profile:

Distance: 31.6km  Ascent: 521m  Descent: 791m

Suggested Activities and Visits:

Tallard is home to a world famous aerodrome worth a visit to watch the parachutes descend and light aircraft and gliders taking off and landing. Tallard also houses a medieval chateau which historians will love. It is also where the river Durance traverses once again as a river after escaping the dam at the head of the Serre Ponçon lake. This is another great place to spend a few days doing different activities which we can organise for you.

• River kayak - there is a wonderful self guided river kayaking option where you get dropped off at the top of this section of the Durance and have all day to kayak back down. 

• Parachute jump - the brave may wish to add a parachute jump to their itinerary!

• Indoor skydiving - if the thought of jumping out of a plane is too scary but you like the idea of the sensations, then you can have a go at skydiving in the simulator at Tallard.

• Visit the Chateau of Tallard. During the summer, there are guided visits including nocturnal options with jousting and other entertainment.

• Visit the aerodrome - a relaxing visit to watch the skydivers land and the various planes taking off and landing.

The Durance river soon gives up much of its flow to the EDF canal which is the main feature of this stage, a mirror of water reflecting the Monges massif. The route follows the canal and the endless orchards dotting the hillsides overlooked by hilltop villages. 

After leaving the canal to wander through the fields and peek over the ridge into the Buëch valley, a whole new landscape opens up. Take your time to enjoy the scenery as the Alps become Provence with erratic rocks and formations and lavender fields.

The final destination, Sisteron, is impossible to miss as it clings on the side of inverted rock layers, verticalised by the Alpine orogeny. 

Cycling profile:

Distance: 45.6km  Ascent: 452m  Descent: 537m

Suggested Activities and Visits:

Sisteron, is the gateway to the Alps or the gateway to Provence, depending on which direction you arrive from. As the only penetrable way through the mountains, it is also steeped in history and has a famous citadel.

• Visit the citadel - you can't go to Sisteron and not visit the citadel, a hilltop fortress spread out over 10 hectares with parts dating back to the 12th century.

This is the sad day we say goodbye but hope you are going home with lots of amazing memories.

If you have hired bikes from Briançon, you can get the train back to there to drop them back off and then head back either taking the night train directly from Briançon to Paris or use the local transport links to get to Turin airport or Oulx TGV. If you are heading straight back from Sisteron, there is a train to Gap and then the same night train back to Paris or you can use local transport to get to Aix-en-Provence TGV or Marseille airport.