8 Great Outdoor And Adventure Tours In The Pyrenees, France, Spain - Updated 2024

Hiking and adventure tours in the Pyrenees
Félix
Félix 
Updated
| 4 min read

The Pyrenees is a huge range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain. Reaching a height of 3,404 meters (11,168 feet) at its highest peak of Aneto, the range extends for about 491 km (305 miles) from the Bay of Biscay (Cap Higuer) to the Mediterranean Sea (Cap de Creus). This wonderful region is filled with mountain villages, snowy peaks, dormant volcanoes and wonderful wildlife (including bears, marmot, eagles and much more) and is bound to be full of adventure. There are plenty of things to do in the Pyrenees. In this article, we’ll look at 8 great tours for an adventurous and mesmerizing experience of this area.

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1. Pyrenees Mountains Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona (from USD 120.0)

View towards Nuria Valley - panoramio
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Santiago PUIG VIL... used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Discovering the Montseny UNESCO designated world biosphere reserve, this hiking day trip from Barcelona will please all the outdoor lovers and travel adventurers with the incredible mountain scenery of this part of the Pyrenees. With an experienced guide, you’ll travel through the charming villages of the Pyrenees’ foothills and ride a rack railway to the gorgeous Nuria Valley. Here, surrounded by green pastures, lakes and peaks overlooking the whole area, you’ll enjoy the many activities of the place. From following the Coma de Vaca hiking trail, going horse riding or boating, and also exploring traditional and medieval villages (Vic, Queralbs, etc.) of the region, this great tour will fulfill your mind with wonderful memories you’ll bring back with you.

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Pyrenees & Medieval Towns Small Group Tour from Barcelona

Duration: 11 hours

566 reviews

2. Via Ferrata Vertige De L'Adour in The Pyrenees (from USD 53.0)

Climbing and Trekking in Pyrénées (France)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user manuel | MC used under CC BY-SA 2.0

This tour is perfect for climbers! Safely equipped and accompanied by a certified guide, participants will discover the Via Ferrata route ‘Vertige De L'Adour’ alongside cliffs, into the spectacular canyon dug by 'L’Adour,’ the local mountain river. You’ll also enjoy the impressive 50-meter (164 foot) high waterfall “Cascade du Garet” and of course appreciate the highs and the adrenaline of climbing these incredible cliffs.

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Via Ferrata Vertige De L'Adour in The Pyrenees

Duration: 3 hours

3. Lourdes: Gavarnie and Pont d'Espagne Full-Day Pyrenees Tour

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

The natural beauty of Gavarnie Cirque; a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Pyrenees National Park, will blow your mind during this full-day tour from Lourdes in France. You’ll wander around the pretty mountain village of Gavarnie, get to see one of the highest waterfalls in Europe and visit the charming village of Cauterets. From jagged peaks to waterfalls, lakes and rivers, you’ll understand why this part of the Pyrenees gets its exceptional reputation.

Lourdes: Gavarnie and Pont d'Espagne Full-Day Pyrenees Tour

Address: Lourdes, France

Website:

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4. Canyoning in Hautes-Pyrenees Canyon from Gedre (from USD 89.0)

Gave de Héas Gèdre pont Souarrouy amont
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Père Igor used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Experiencing natural water slides, jumps from the hills, and abseiling, the sports lovers will appreciate this 5-hour canyoning experience in the Canyon d'Heas in the beautiful Hautes-Pyrenees Mountains. Accompanied by your highly qualified guide, adults and kids, experts and beginners will safely make their way through this unforgettable river ride with this fun canyoning adventure!

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Canyoning à la Journée

Duration: 5 hours 30 minutes

5. Montseny Natural Park 5-Hour Excursion from Girona

Collada Sesagudes-Montseny
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Alberto-g-rovi used under CC BY 3.0

Hiking through 9.7 kilometers (6 miles) in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, ascending 630 meters (2,067 feet) up to the Turó de l'Home and Les Agudes, 2 of the highest peaks in the area, is surely an experience you won’t forget that soon. Perfect for outdoor lovers, this 5-hour day tour will enable you to fully admire the magnificent view of Montserrat, Barcelona, Costa Brava, and the Pyrenees!

Montseny Natural Park 5-Hour Excursion from Girona

Address: Girona, Spain

Website:

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6. Winter Ice Canyoning in Hautes-Pyrenees from La Mongie

Lamongie1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Kuruma33 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

In this half-day small group tour, you’ll enjoy a new facet of the mountain in winter, experiencing thrills in a unique spot in the Hautes-Pyrenees. Winter canyoning in canyons covered with snow and ice is an unforgettable experience that’ll blow your expectations. Equipped with completely waterproof suits and all the safety essential gears, you’ll love exploring in cold water, led by a professional local guide in this 5-hour excursion. You’ll definitely experience the Pyrenees in a completely different way in one of the most beautiful places in the region.

Winter Ice Canyoning in Hautes-Pyrenees from La Mongie

Address: La Mongie, France

Website:

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7. Full-Day Pyrenees Crossing Balloon Ride

Pyrenees- Pui d'Urdosa - panoramio (2)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Petr Kraumann used under CC BY 3.0

Probably one of the most impressive and unforgettable tours in the area, the Pyrenees Crossing hot air balloon ride crosses over snowed mountains of the Pyrenees and Central Catalonia. This 3 hour flight will go from low to between 2,740 and 3,650 meters (9,000 and 12,000 feet) high to admire the beautiful countryside and valleys. You’ll be blown away by the breathtaking view of the mountains from above!

Full-Day Pyrenees Crossing Balloon Ride

Address: Barcelona, Spain

Website:

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8. Pyrenees: A-day Hike with a Choice of 3 Levels (from USD 162.54)

Aspe Parc national Pyrenees
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Myrabella used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Over the course of one day, this hiking tour will lead you to the French Pyrenees and the Spanish, exploring its different landscape, architecture, gastronomy, and people. With three different levels of difficulty, routes and durations, you’ll walk/hike through the wonderful landscape surrounded by the Pyrenees’ spectacular natural beauty. Learning about the traditional culture while discovering the area’s Romanesque and middle-age villages, you won’t only walk through this magnificent region; you’ll be led, informed, and entertained!

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Pyrenees: A-day Hike with a Choice of 3 Levels

Duration: 1.0 day

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Enjoy the natural beauty of Pyrenees!

These 8 top adventure tours around the region of the Pyrenees in France and Spain will not only bring you a huge dose of adrenaline and emotions, but they’ll also blow your mind with the amazing views, and spectacular sites they’ll lead you to. At the closest with nature and its strength, here you’ll get back to the real stuff that makes us realize how beautiful, powerful and enjoyable our world is!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Felix Brassier is a French digital filmmaker / visual storyteller for the web and digital nomad traveling all over the place. Crazy about videography, photography, he's also writing for the web and...Read more

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