Seven days, seven stages, the biggest climbs in the French Alps. The Haute Route Alps is the closest an amateur gets to riding a Grand Tour: timed climbs every day, daily stage winners, an overall GC at the end of the week, motorbike outriders and feed stations. In 2027 it runs from Megève to Chambéry, 17 to 23 August, and your entry is included in this package.
Your job is to ride. Ours is everything else. We book the hotels, help you through registration, move your luggage from town to town, feed you morning, noon and night, and make sure your bike is ready every morning. Your ESC Ride Leaders are with you all week: helping you pace each stage, fuel properly and recover for the next one.
We’ve picked the hotels to match the effort: the Relais & Châteaux Hôtel Saint-Georges in Megève, Hôtel La Chaudanne in Méribel, the all-suite Hôtel Les Suites – Maison Bouvier in Tignes, Hôtel Garrigae Caserne de Briançon in Briançon and two final nights at Petit Hôtel Confidentiel in Chambéry. Eight nights, nine days, around 844 km and 22,600 m of climbing.
A taste of what’s coming: the official Haute Route Alps 2027 route hasn’t been announced yet. The stages below are our best guess, built from each day’s start and finish towns, and they read like a who’s who of the Alps: the Colombière, the Col de la Loze, the Iseran, the Lautaret and the Chartreuse. We’ll update every stage as soon as the official route is published.
Only 10 places. We’re keeping the group to ten riders so the team can look after every one of you properly, and we expect it to fill fast. If you want in, don’t wait.
Rated 4 out of 4 our Epic tours are designed for people who train 3 or 4 times a week and are looking to push themselves on back to back challenging days on the bike. Riders should be confident riding in a small group, comfortable on extended climbs (at your own pace) and have good bike handling skills on corners and descents. E-bikes are available on all of our tours.
Welcome to the Haute Route. Make your way to Megève, the elegant ski village on the shoulder of Mont Blanc. Geneva Airport is around 1 hour 10 minutes away; arrival transfers aren’t included, but we’re happy to recommend options. Home for the first two nights is Hôtel Saint-Georges, a 5-star Relais & Châteaux hotel in a historic chalet right in the heart of the village.
We meet you at the hotel and hand over your ESC ride bag: a tote bag, your ESC jersey and two bidons. Then it’s down to the Haute Route race village to register and collect your rider pack, while our team gives your bike a full check.
In the evening we sit down together for a welcome dinner and the first briefing of the week: how the stages work, how we’ll support you on the road and how to get the most out of seven days of racing. The adventure starts tomorrow.
The racing begins on classic Tour de France roads. Today’s provisional loop heads out of Megève through Flumet to the Col des Aravis, with Mont Blanc filling the horizon behind you, then drops to Le Grand-Bornand and climbs straight back up the Col de la Colombière, a Tour regular with a tough, sustained final few kilometres.
After a fast descent to the Arve valley we climb back up to Megève for the finish. It’s a perfect first stage: big enough to feel like the Haute Route, short enough to settle into the rhythm of the week.
Back at the hotel there’s time to recover before dinner together. One down, six to go.
The first big point-to-point stage, and the first monster climb. We roll out of Megève and climb to the Col des Saisies through the wide summer pastures of the Beaufortain, then descend to Albertville and follow the Isère up the Tarentaise to Moûtiers.
The day finishes on the Col de la Loze (2,304 m), the brutally irregular climb above Méribel that proved decisive in the 2020 and 2023 Tours de France, with its steepest ramps near the top. This is where your Ride Leaders’ pacing advice really pays off.
From the summit it’s a short descent to Méribel, where our van has already delivered your luggage to Hôtel La Chaudanne, with its NUXE Spa and indoor pool. Sauna, dinner, bed. The hardest finish of the week, ticked off.
A shorter, sharper day in the heart of the 3 Vallées. We descend from Méribel to Brides-les-Bains and Moûtiers, roll up the valley to Bozel and then take on the long climb through Courchevel to meet the Col de la Loze from the other side.
At 63 km it’s the shortest stage of the week, but don’t be fooled: almost all the climbing comes in one long effort. The reward is a descent straight back to the hotel and a long afternoon to recover.
Make the most of the spa and the terrace. The biggest days are still to come.
Higher and higher. Today’s provisional stage drops to Moûtiers and climbs the full length of the Tarentaise: through Aime and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, past Sainte-Foy and up the dam road to Tignes, finishing beside the lake at around 2,100 m.
It’s a steady stage on paper, but the altitude starts to count up here. Keep eating, keep drinking and save something for tomorrow.
Tonight you’re staying at the 5-star Hôtel Les Suites – Maison Bouvier, an all-suite hotel in Val Claret with an indoor pool and spa. Get to bed early: tomorrow is the queen stage.
The longest climbing day of the week. We start with the Col de l’Iseran (2,764 m), the highest paved pass in the Alps, then drop into the Maurienne and climb the Col du Mont Cenis into Italy.
From the Susa valley our provisional route takes on the legendary Colle delle Finestre, with its famous gravel final kilometres, before Sestriere and the climb to Montgenèvre back into France. The descent finishes in Briançon, the highest city in France.
Your luggage will be waiting at Hôtel Garrigae Caserne de Briançon, a 4-star spa hotel in a beautifully restored former military barracks, a few minutes from the old town. Pool, sauna, dinner. Whatever happens next, you’ve done the queen stage.
The long road out of the high mountains. We climb out of Briançon to the Col du Lautaret, beneath the glaciers of La Meije, then descend the Romanche valley towards Grenoble.
The second half of the provisional route is a tour of Grenoble’s mountains: up to Chamrousse, then into the limestone cliffs and beech forests of the Chartreuse over the Col de Porte, Col du Cucheron and Col du Granier, before the final drop into Chambéry.
At just over 200 km this is the longest stage of the week, so ride as a group and share the work. Home for the last two nights is Petit Hôtel Confidentiel, a 5-star boutique hotel with just ten suites in the heart of Chambéry’s old town. One stage left.
The final stage. Our provisional loop heads straight back into the Chartreuse: the Col du Granier beneath its giant limestone cliff, then the Col du Cucheron and the Col du Coq, on some of the quietest and greenest roads of the whole week.
Then it’s the run back into Chambéry and the Haute Route finish line, with seven days, around 844 km and 22,600 m of climbing behind you.
We finish the week with a celebration dinner together in Chambéry. You earned it.
Time to head home. After breakfast, check out and make your way onwards. Chambéry has direct trains across France, and the airports in Lyon and Geneva are each around an hour away. Departure transfers aren’t included, but we’re happy to help you plan.
À bientôt, and thank you for riding with us.
FULL SUPPORT, EVERY STAGE
Our ESC Ride Leaders look after a small group of riders all week, alongside the Haute Route’s own race support. Every day we brief you on the stage, help with pacing and fuelling, and make sure your bike is ready to go.
The ESC van moves your luggage from hotel to hotel, so it’s waiting in your room when you finish. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and ride nutrition are included every day.
All guests get access to our digital Road Book and the Ride with GPS routes for every stage, updated to the official route once it’s published.
Hotels shown are examples and are subject to change
A 5-star Relais & Châteaux hotel in a historic chalet right in the heart of Megève, a few steps from the pedestrian streets. Its 29 rooms are dressed by designer Luke Edward Hall, and La Table du Trappeur serves a fresh take on Savoyard cooking. A stylish base for the Haute Route race village and the opening stage.
A 4-star hotel in the centre of Méribel, in the heart of the 3 Vallées and at the foot of the Col de la Loze. After the stage, recover in the NUXE Spa with its indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna and hammam before another big day in the mountains.
A 5-star, all-suite hotel in the heart of Val Claret, Tignes, surrounded by the peaks of the Vanoise. Its 24 spacious suites, indoor pool, spa and fireside lounge make it a comfortable place to recover the night before the queen stage.
A 4-star spa hotel in a beautifully restored former military barracks, a few minutes from the old town of Briançon, the highest city in France. After the queen stage, the Cinq Mondes spa, with its indoor pool, sauna, hammam and outdoor Nordic baths, is just what tired legs need.
A 5-star boutique hotel with just ten suites, tucked away on a pedestrian street in the old town of Chambéry, a few steps from the Château des Ducs de Savoie. Quiet, soundproofed suites, and highly personal service for the final two nights of the race.
Bike rental is not included. Most Haute Route riders bring their own bike, and our team will help keep it running all week. Prefer to travel light? Rent a premium race bike from our Nice hub fleet: the Colnago Y1Rs or V5Rs and the Wilier Filante SLR ID2 (all Shimano Ultegra Di2), or the ENVE Fray (SRAM Force AXS), set up to your measurements and waiting for you in Megève.
Originally from Cardiff, Gethyn is a well-balanced guide who loves the social side of cycling. Whether he’s talking endlessly about the world or enjoying a “marriage made in heaven” (cold beer and pork scratchings), he finds his peace on the road between Tossa and Sant Feliu or swimming in a forest river.
Hailing from Reus, Josep is a guide who finds beauty in the quiet details, from silent bike components to unknown mountain climbs. A lover of history and Led Zeppelin, he enjoys sharing the culture of his hometown. For Josep, a perfect day involves the Pyrenees, a glass of wine, and the Tour de France.
The soaring peaks and deep green valleys of the Alps stretch north from the French coast through northern Italy and beyond. Best experienced in summer, these dramatic landscapes are home to legendary climbs such as the Passo Stelvio, The Passo Mortirolo and the Passo Gavia in Italy, and the Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier, Col de la Madeleine and the Alpe d’Huez in France, many of which are commonly featured in the Tour de France.
Discover NowIf you have any questions about our tours, dates, or anything else, contact us here
We have a flexible cancellation policy: please read our cancellation policy at the time of booking, and if you have any doubts, get in touch and we'll help. Your Haute Route entry is booked in your name, so transfers or refunds of the race entry follow Haute Route's own rules.
This is a Level 4 (Epic) tour: seven consecutive stages with timed climbs, around 844 km and 22,600 m of climbing on our provisional route, with a queen stage of more than 5,000 m. The good news is you won't be taking it on alone: this is a fully supported tour, with ESC Ride Leaders, our support van, all your meals and your luggage moved for you, so all your energy goes into the riding. That's one of the biggest benefits of riding it with us. If you have any doubts, call us and we'll talk it through.
Most Haute Route riders bring their own bike, and we'll help keep it running all week. If you'd rather travel light, rent a premium race bike from our Nice fleet (Colnago Y1Rs or V5Rs, Wilier Filante SLR ID2, ENVE Fray), set up to your measurements and waiting in Megève.
No. We strongly recommend travel insurance taken out when you book. Health insurance that covers cycling (including racing) in France is mandatory, and we'll ask for your insurer's details before you travel.
Yes. Your entry to the Haute Route Alps 2027 is part of the package price. We handle the booking, and you register with us at the race village in Megève on Day 1.
The entry gets you onto the start line. We take care of everything else: eight nights in hand-picked 4- and 5-star hotels, all your meals, luggage moved from hotel to hotel, ESC Ride Leaders to help with pacing and fuelling, and a team that solves problems so you can focus on racing.
It will. Our stages are a preview built from each day's start and finish towns. When Haute Route publishes the official route, we update every stage, and your hotels, dates and support stay the same.
You should be comfortable riding 100–200 km days in the mountains, several days in a row. If you can ride a hard Alpine sportive and recover to go again the next day, you're in the right place. We're happy to look at your recent rides and give you an honest view.
It happens, and it doesn't end your week. The race's sweep vehicle and our ESC van can get you to the finish, and you can start again the next morning. Ask us about the race's rules on missed stages. Our Ride Leaders support riders of different paces across the whole route, and enjoying the week is the key.
Yes, the Haute Route sets time limits on each stage. The 2027 cut-offs are published with the official route, and we'll share them and plan your pacing around them. We support riders of different paces across the route, and enjoyment is the key: it's your week in the Alps, not a test.
Only the climbs are timed, not the whole stage, and plenty of riders ride for the challenge rather than the result. Ride at the pace that suits you.
Our van takes it. Pack your bag in the morning and it will be waiting for you at the next hotel when you finish the stage.
Hand-picked 4- and 5-star hotels: Hôtel Saint-Georges, a Relais & Châteaux chalet hotel in the heart of Megève, Hôtel La Chaudanne with its NUXE Spa in Méribel, the all-suite Hôtel Les Suites – Maison Bouvier in Tignes, Hôtel Garrigae Caserne de Briançon, a spa hotel in a former military barracks, and two nights at Petit Hôtel Confidentiel, a ten-suite boutique hotel in Chambéry's old town. Most have a spa, sauna or pool for recovery.
Absolutely: many of our riders come alone. You can share a twin room or book a single room for a €999 supplement.
Just ten riders, with our ESC Ride Leaders. Small enough that everyone gets real attention and the group gels quickly.
Book now with a 30% deposit (from €1,500). The balance is due 90 days before departure.
Included: Haute Route race entry, eight nights' accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, on-bike nutrition, luggage transfers between hotels, ESC Ride Leaders and your ESC ride bag (tote bag, jersey and two bidons). Not included: flights, airport transfers, bike rental and insurance.
Get in touch and we can confirm what might be possible. Accommodation is scarce during race week, so the earlier you ask, the better.
The race has its own mechanical support on the road, and our team checks your bike every evening and morning so problems are fixed before they happen.
Not at all. Tell us when you book and we'll brief every hotel and restaurant before you arrive.
French timed events usually require a medical certificate or a recognised racing licence. We'll send you exactly what Haute Route needs and when, once 2027 registration details are confirmed.
Yes. We can usually book extra nights in Megève before the start or Chambéry after the finish, or anywhere else you fancy, such as Nice and the coast. Just ask when you book.
Usually warm and settled in the valleys, but it can be cold, wet and windy on passes above 2,000 m, even in summer. We'll send a kit list, and our van carries spare layers.
This is what travel insurance is for, so take it out when you book. Talk to us as early as possible and we'll explain your options under our cancellation policy.
A seven-day, multi-stage cycling event for amateur riders through the French Alps, with motorbike outriders and feed stations. The climbs on each stage are timed: there are daily stage winners, and the overall GC after seven days is the sum of all your timed sections. It's often described as the closest an amateur can get to riding a Grand Tour.
17 to 23 August 2027, from Megève to Chambéry. Our package runs from 16 to 24 August, so you arrive the day before the first stage and leave the day after the last.
Very hard. Expect seven big mountain days in a row, typically around 800–900 km and more than 20,000 m of climbing in total, with several climbs above 2,000 m.
Our 2027 package is €4,999 per person sharing (single supplement €999). It includes the race entry, eight nights in 4- and 5-star hotels, all meals and luggage transfers.
It starts in Megève (Haute-Savoie) and finishes in Chambéry (Savoie).
The official route hasn't been published yet. Our provisional stages include the Col des Aravis, Col de la Colombière, Col des Saisies, Col de la Loze, Col de l'Iseran, Col du Lautaret and the Chartreuse cols.
By air: Geneva (GVA) is the closest airport, around 1 hour 10 minutes by road. Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS) is around 2 hours 15 minutes away, and Chambéry (CMF) and Grenoble (GNB) have mainly winter-season flights. From the airport: shared shuttles and private transfers run from Geneva to Megève, or you can hire a car. By train: the nearest station is Sallanches–Combloux–Megève, about 20 minutes from the village by taxi or bus, with connections via Annecy, Geneva and Saint-Gervais. From Paris, allow around 5 to 6 hours by TGV and regional train. By car: Megève is about 1 hour from Geneva, 1 hour from Annecy and 2 hours from Lyon. Arrival transfers aren't included, but we're happy to help you plan the best option.
By train: Chambéry has direct TGVs to Paris (around 3 hours) and good connections to Lyon (around 1 hour 30 minutes), Annecy, Geneva, Turin and Milan. By air: Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS) and Geneva (GVA) are each around an hour away by road, with shuttles, trains and private transfers; Grenoble (GNB) is about an hour away with mainly winter-season flights. Carrying on: it's an easy onward journey to Annecy, or down to Nice and the coast if you want to stay longer. Departure transfers aren't included, but we're happy to help you plan.
A light, well-fitted endurance or climbing road bike with low gearing (a compact chainset and a large cassette such as 11-32 or 11-34) and good disc brakes for the long Alpine descents.
L'Étape du Tour is one day: a single Tour de France mountain stage. The Haute Route is seven stages back to back, with timed climbs, daily stage winners and an overall GC. We run packages for both in 2027. See our Étape du Tour 2027 package.
