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PRACTICAL GUIDE

When to visit the Hautes-Alpes

A month-by-month calendar to pick the right time for your activity.

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The Hautes-Alpes can be enjoyed all year round, but not in the same way. Between the snow season, spring whitewater, the summer peak and a mild late season, the right time mainly depends on what you come to do. Here is the calendar, season by season, with the dates to remember.

At a glance

December to April: the snow season

Ski resorts open in December. For winter 2026-2027, Montgenèvre plans to open from 28 November 2026 to 17 April 2027, Serre Chevalier from 5 December 2026 to 18 April 2027, and Vars and Risoul from 5 December 2026 to 11 April 2027. The département's other resorts (Les Orres, Orcières Merlette, Puy-Saint-Vincent, SuperDévoluy, Ancelle, Réallon, La Grave) usually open between early and late December: check the date on their official website. All these dates depend on snow cover.

Winter also means snowshoeing, ski touring, dog sledding and nights in winter huts: the Refuge Agnel is wardened from 28 December 2026 and the Refuge Laval from 27 December. At Les Orres 1800, COEZIA runs its winter version of the outdoor escape game, on snowshoes. For your diary: the Derby de la Meije at La Grave on 2 and 3 April 2027.

Before any off-piste outing, check Météo-France's avalanche risk bulletin every day (see our mountain safety guide).

May and June: whitewater spring

As the snow melts, rivers rise and the whitewater season begins: from early April at some rafting bases, from 15 April or 1 May at most. Lake Serre-Ponçon comes alive from May, with boat hire and water sports.

It is also the start of the passes closed to traffic for cyclists: in 2026 the first took place on 30 May on the Col du Noyer. In Embrun, COEZIA's outdoor escape game reopens in the forest on 1 May. The Jardin du Lautaret opens on the first weekend of June, and high-mountain huts start being wardened in mid-June.

July and August: peak season

This is the busiest period. According to Insee, the Hautes-Alpes accounted for 7% of the region's tourist nights in summer 2025, up 4.8% year on year. Book early, especially huts and guided activities.

Everything is open: wardened huts, rafting on the Durance and the Guil, via ferrata, paragliding, swimming and boating on the lake. The big summer events are Rencontre en ciel pur in Saint-Véran in early July, the car-free passes in July and August, and the Embrunman around 15 August.

A tip: in high summer, mountain storms often break in the afternoon. Set off early and plan to be back down by early afternoon.

September and October: the late season

Temperatures stay pleasant, trails empty and the light is superb. The Grand Trail de Serre-Ponçon takes place in mid-September (18 to 20 September in 2026). Huts close around 20 September, but several rafting bases run until the All Saints holidays, and COEZIA plays in the Embrun forest until 15 October. The Grands Bains du Monêtier stay open until 1 November.

November: between seasons

This is the quietest month. Many businesses close for holidays: the cloister and museum of Boscodon Abbey from 1 November, the Laiterie du Col Bayard from 2 to 26 November 2026, the Serre Chevalier guides' office until 7 December. It is, however, a good time for heritage: tours of Briançon's Cité Vauban run all year.

Sources

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