France - GR20 in Corsica - The northern part
The GR20 North is a fantastic route on Corsica that starts in Vizzavona and offers stunning scenery, winding through stunning mountainous terrain, over high ridges, down through deep gorges and bare granite slopes. On the northern section there are constant steep climbs and descents and the atmosphere is purely alpine. The northern GR20 is part of an exceptional long-distance trek, known as the best and most challenging trek in Europe. The route offers great hiking with the bonus that your luggage can meet you at sites along the way. The GR20 is accessible to mountain walkers who are fit and regularly out in the mountains.
The trip starts with an overnight stay in Vizzavona in the mountains and on day two you begin your hike. The last hike of the tour is from Asco down into the valley, where you will be picked up by a transfer to Calvi for your final overnight stay.
On the amazing hike from Vizzavona to Asco, we will provide your overnight stays in camps, refuges, huts and small hotels all located in incredibly beautiful spots in the mountains. All meals are arranged by your hosts in the mountains and we arrange for your luggage to be transported most days. It should be mentioned that there will be up to four days on the trek where you will not come into contact with your transported luggage, so luggage will need to be carried for several days in the mountains.
About the route
This is a very challenging hike where you will hike about 6-9 hours daily - sometimes longer. You can expect steep ascents and descents and several days offer more than 1000 meters of altitude. Temperatures can vary greatly in the mountains. It is important to be in good shape and have experience in hiking and trekking. It is important to be sure-footed and experienced in scrambling.
Highlights of the GR20 in Corsica
- One of Europe's most beautiful GR routes
- Iconic peaks with magnificent views
- Luggage transport
- GR20 - Vizzavona and Bonifatu
Great things about this tour
Photo gallery from the tour
Here you can see the stunning scenery and some of the views that come with hiking the northern part of Corsica's GR20.
See more pictures »
Itinerary See all daysClose all days
You arrive at Bastia airport, from where we have arranged a transfer to Vizzavona (included in the price). The drive takes approximately 1½ hours, after which you arrive at your first overnight stop on the tour.
Vizzavona is the midpoint of the GR20, a forest with a small railway station that is a busy place for walkers heading out or finishing their GR20 tours. In the early 20th century, the village was a popular holiday resort for the English.
Luggage transport: it is not every day that you have access to your transported luggage and therefore on some stretches it will be necessary to carry luggage for several days in your rucksack. This rucksack should therefore be 35-45litres and sleeping bags should be carried everywhere. In the following programme we write "Contact to Luggage" on the days when you have access to your transported luggage.
Accommodation: dormitory in refuge
On this day the accommodation can be upgraded to a private room. To be selected on the booking form.
The start of this hike is a trail that leads into the forest village of Canaglia. From here the trail follows a mountain stream with smooth stones and enticing waterholes all the way to a shepherd's hut in a grassy clearing, the perfect resting place at Tolla. The GR20 leaves the forest and continues on, entering a beautiful open valley that is in complete contrast to the first part of the walk. You spend the night in the simple Petra Piana Refuge.
Distance: about 13km
Walking time: about 6-7 hours
+1.150m / -100m
Accommodation: tent at the refuge
From Petra Piana, take a short walk up to the ridge above the refuge. The path is rocky and looks almost like a moonscape. You pass a mountain pass and continue along the high route. The views are stunning, with Corte - the island's historic capital - looming on the horizon and a series of beautiful glacial islands to stop and explore. Over Lake Capitello, the journey descends to the Manganu Refuge, which sits on the edge of the Camputile Plateau. You will spend the night in a tent close to the refuge.
Distance: about 10.5km
Walking time: about 7 hours
+700m / -940m
Accommodation: tent near the refuge
The GR20 trail is well marked and takes you on a relaxing hike up through beech forest and over lakes to Lac de Nino. We recommend a short morning stop at the lake to enjoy a snack. The lake lies at 1,743m and is set in a beautiful landscape surrounded by lakes with small streams running down the mountain. In summer the area is perfect for grazing ponies and other animals. From the lake you can take a classic hike along a ridge with beautiful views and glimpses of the blue Mediterranean Sea. Descend at Col St. Pierre and follow the path to Castel di Vergio, the smallest ski hut on the island.
Distance: about 14.5km
Walking time: approx. 6 hours
+570m / -750m
Accommodation: dormitory in refuge
On this day the accommodation can be upgraded to a private room. To be selected on the booking form.
Contact to Luggage
You follow the GR20 in Corsica to Radule, where stone huts stand camouflaged along the mountainside. The GR20 trail follows the Golu River up the valley to its source. Halfway up the valley you cross the rushing river and it's an excellent place to take a lunch break on the smooth sunlit rocks. It's also possible to jump into the water here - if you're brave. The trail leaves the valley floor and heads up to the ridge. From here you have a great view of the villages along the west coast of Corsica. Ciuttolu di I Mori (2000m) is the highest refuge in Corsica and lies between the two great mountains of Tafanatu and Paglia Orba. Enjoy the high alpine area, which is also home to wild sheep. From the refuge, continue to the Col de Foggiale. After the mountain pass, the GR20 descends steeply through a beautiful landscape that is a chaos of rough granite and ancient conifers. You finally descend to 1400m, where you cross the Viru River and reach the Vallone huts.
Distance: about 13km
Walking time: about 5½ hours
+950m / -970m
Accommodation: tent at the refuge
This day offers a tough high alpine hike. You start walking uphill until you reach the area of Monte Cinto, the highest peak on the island. The ascent is steep and slow. After a few hours you arrive at Bocca Crucetta and continue along the ridge to the impressive "Pointe des Eboulis", which is 2,607m and is the highest point on the GR20 - the views are stunning! From here, the path goes straight down to a mountain lake and continues downwards, the mountain landscape turning into forest and rivers as you approach the old ski hut at Haut-Asco.
Distance: about 7km
Walking time: approx. 8 hours
+1200m / -1200m
Accommodation: dormitory in refuge
On this day the accommodation can be upgraded to a private room. To be selected on the booking form.
Contact to Luggage
From Haut-Asco you hike up to Bocca Di Stagnu (2,010m) at the foot of Muvrella (2,150m). From Lake Muvrella you have an excellent view of Calvi Bay. After the Carozza refuge, continue the descent to Bonifatu.
You are picked up and driven to Calvi, where you have your last overnight stay of the tour.
Distance: around 12km
Walking time: approx. 7 hours
+650m / -1530m
Accommodation: hotel in Calvi
Contact to Luggage
This is the last day of the journey. You check out of the hotel in the morning and head back home or travel further afield.
Price includes
- 3 nights in dormitory with shared bath/toilet
- 3 nights in tent with access to shared shower/toilet
- 1 night in hotel in Calvi
- Breakfast every day
- Packed lunch every day on the trek (not in Calvi)
- Dinner every day on the trek (not in Calvi)
- Carefully elaborated route descriptions maps and other materials
- Luggage transfer between accommodations (read more below)
- Transfer from Bastia airport to Vizzavona on arrival
- 24-hour local and international service hotline for the duration of the tour
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to Bastia Airport
- Drinks
- Handling fee (€20)
- Local tourist taxes (if necessary)
Practical info
For safety reasons this tour requires a minimum of two participants.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
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For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
The flights to/from Corsica (Bastia airport) are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
It works like this:
- You book your chosen holiday with us
- We confirm your holiday (usually within 48 hours)
- You arrange your transportation
Getting there
Here is a link for the perfect tool which will help you get an overview of how to get to the starting point of the tour: Rome2Rio
On this trip you will stay in hotels, refuges and tents.
During the trek itself you will stay in refuges (dormitories) and in tents. In Calvi you will stay in a hotel.
The tents are pop-up igloo tents and they are set up or handed out at the refuges when you arrive. You do not need to bring your own tent (unless you wish to do so).
Upgrading to hotel rooms is possible in Vizzavona, Vergio and Haut Asco (3 nights). This upgrade can be selected on the booking form.
Breakfast is included throughout the tour and consists of things like tea, coffee, milk, bread, butter and jams.
Lunch is provided at breakfast and you will need to bring your own lunch box for this. The packed lunch may include rice, pasta, lentils and couscous salad.
Dinner is served in the refuges and usually consists of a starter and a main course.
If you have special requirements for the food (e.g. allergies or other), please write this in the message box when booking. There are limited options for vegetarians, vegans and special diets cannot be accommodated due to the remoteness of the trek.
Luggage transport is included, but it is not possible for the cars to reach all accommodation. For this reason, there will be days when you will not come into contact with the transported luggage. Check the daily programme to see which days you will have access to your luggage.
Note: Your tour pack should be 35-45 litres and remember that it is necessary to bring a sleeping bag on this tour.
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
This tour has difficulty grade 4.
Grade 4
Trekking with daily walks of 6-8 hours, often in difficult terrain and higher altitude. There will be longer ascents and descents. Requires endurance and strong knees and ankles. Requires good hiking boots and "outdoor" clothing. There will be major fluctuations in temperatures.
Read more about our Grading System
Travel Insurance In general we recommend that you are covered by a good travel insurance covering at least Medical Expenses, Illness, Personal Accident, Baggage and Repatriation. The customer is responsible to take the necessary travel insurance that covers these costs. Bering Travel, or our local partners, do not have any responsibility for our customers not being covered by a necessary travel insurance. You have to arrange your insurance in your home country.
It can be hard to plan your trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate, you can see the data below:
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. This covers you regardless of your nationality. Read more about that here.
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Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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