Overview
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park is one of the most beautiful mountainous areas in Europe, where you will walk through high glacier valleys, deep canyons and vast forests. This is a twin-centre based holiday. First explore the area around the village of Torla doing walks of various ascent and descent, through Ordesa Valley or up toward Bujaruelo on the French border. Then drive south to spend two days at Bielsa, walking up to the summer pastures high above the Añisclo Gorge. Transport is by car – own or rental.
- The Great Canyon of Ordesa
- Alpine hiking for all ages
- The small village of Torla on the border with France
- Añisclo Gorge
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Torla
Arrive at the mountain village of Torla, your base in the Pyrenees for the next four nights.
- Accommodation: Hotel Villa de Torla or similar in Torla
Day 2: Bujaruelo Circular Walk | 9.5/13km
Start the day with a short drive to the medieval bridge at Bujaruelo. Choose between two routes, and return to Torla after the walk.
- Option 1: Bujaruelo circular walk via Ibon de Bernatuara: a true alpine hike to a lake on the French border with magnificent views
- Option 2: bujaruelo Circular walk via Valle de Otal: walk along a land rover track into Otal Valley
- Walking for the day: 9.5/13km, 5-6h, ↑300m ↓1,000m; shorter option – 10km, 4-5h, ↑300m ↓1,000m
- Accommodation: Hotel Villa de Torla or similar in Torla
- Meals: breakfast
Day 3: The Great Canyon of Ordesa | 18/24.5km
An absolute classic from the local walking repertoire awaits today with an optional route extension to Refugio de Goriz.
- Option 1: Ascend 700 on a zig-zag path up to the Mirador Calcilarruego (1,950m), follow the Senda de Los Cazadores to the end of the valley. Take in the views over the Great Canyon of Ordesa, as it rises in steps to the north against the backdrop of high peaks in the distance.
- Option 2: For those less comfortable with heights, walk the route along the river path to Cola de Caballo waterfall.
- Walking for the day: 18/24.5km, 6/7.5h, ↑500/800m ↓500/800m
- Accommodation: Hotel Villa de Torla or similar in Torla
- Meals: breakfast
Day 4: Torla Circular Walk | 10/14km
Choose between hiking uphill to Ermita San Antón, or a shorter valley walk:
- Option 1: Head east from Torla, hiking up to huge sweeping vistas over Bujaruelo and Ordesa Valleys.
- Option 2: Choose a shorter valley walk taking in three authentic villages seemingly lost in time: Fragen, Oto and Broto.
- Walking for the day: 10/14km, 4/6h, ↑230/850m ↓230/900m
- Accommodation: Hotel Villa de Torla or similar in Torla
- Meals: breakfast
Day 5: Añisclo Gorge | 16km
Leave Torla behind and drive to the eastern part of the Monte Perdido, to the Parador de Bielsa. On your way, you can make a side excursion to the village of Nerín and walk into Añisclo Gorge. Start early as the drive along the winding mountain road will take time and the town of Ainsa is well worth a visit. The medieval town centre, perched on a cliff above the confluence of the rivers Ara and Cinca, was declared a Historic-Artisctic site in 1965.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 6h, ↑750m ↓750m
- Accommodation: Parador de Bielsa or similar in Bielsa
- Meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 6: Ibon de Marboré or Pineta Valley walk | 9.6/14km
A demanding but spectacular alpine ascent to the glacier lake Ibon de Marboré high up in the moon-like limestone landscape at the foot of the Monte Perdido or a gentle walk through the woods of Pineta Valley past the waterfall of Larri.
- Option 1: A demanding but spectacular alpine ascent to the glacier lake Ibon de Marboré high up in the moon-like limestone landscape at the foot of the Monte Perdido
- Option 2: Gentle walk through the woods of Pineta Valley past the waterfall of Larri
- Walking for the day: 9.6/14km, 4.5/8h, ↑525/1325m ↓525/1325m
- Accommodation: Parador de Bielsa or similar in Bielsa
- Meals: breakfast, dinner
Day 7: Departure
Depart after breakfast. Alternatively, you can extend your stay to explore the region further. If you have booked extra nights at the Parador, we recommend driving to Espierba and doing a loop walk.
- Walking for the day: 7.7km, 4h, ↑625m ↓625m
- Meals: breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
On this walking holiday, you will stay at charming rural hotels in en-suite rooms, family rooms are also available. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Villa de Torla (Torla)
- Parador de Bielsa (Bielsa)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide you with the exact accommodation details upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfasts and two dinners are included. Packed lunches can be bought in the villages or sometimes can be ordered at your accommodation from the night before.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By Plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Zaragoza Airport (ZAZ). Alternative airports are Barcelona El Prat, Girona and Bilbao.
By train or bus
- This tour is designed for using your own or rented car. Rental cars should be organised in advance from Zaragoza or Jaca. You can take the train from Zaragoza to Jaca. For more information about the train schedule, please visit Renfe. For bus information, please visit Avanza. Or use the Omio planner above.
- The train journey from London to Barcelona takes about 10 hours (see more details).
Difficulty and terrain
Moderate day walks are interspersed with some slightly strenuous sections, taking 4-6h on average in hilly to mountainous areas using well-maintained, sometimes stony paths. A good level of fitness and some hiking experience are required (read more about difficulty grades).
The paths are well-marked and easy to follow. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of May until the end of October. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date within the season.
In general, the climate is typically Pyrenean – alpine cold climate, but also variable in function of the altitude and orientation, oscillating between the continental sub-Mediterranean zones in the lower parts and Boreal-Alpine climate in the highlands. In this part of the range, winds blow from the humid Atlantic north, creating cooler, cloudier and wetter conditions on the French side. The southern-facing Spanish side, where most of the walking takes place, sits in the rain shadow and enjoys a much better climate, usually dry and sunny during the summer, although during July and August thunderstorms often develop late in the day. The very best months to come are from early June to mid-July when the conditions are typically the most stable, temperatures are pleasant, and most snow has usually melted from the highest parts of our trails. There are also tons of flowers! Late July and August are hot, although cool at night. September is cooler and increasingly wetter, while October can be quite wet and is usually the limit since soon snow will begin to fall at the higher elevations. Remember that on most routes you will usually be hiking above the overnight bases and therefore temperatures will be considerably cooler, and rainfall will be more frequent and heavier accompanied by cold winds. The temperatures In Torla and Bielsa are as follows: May-June, highs range from 17.5C to 31.5C and lows range from 5C – 16.5C; in July-August, highs range from 22.5C to 33.5C and lows range from 9C – 17.5C.
For further information, see our blog Best time to go to Spain.
Inclusions
Included
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you before departure and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site
- 6 nights in cosy rural hotels in ensuite rooms
- 6 breakfasts and 2 dinners
- Transfer to the trailhead on day 4
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Flights, airport transfers and other public transport
- Lunches
- Any transfers, except the transfer to the trailhead on day 4
- Luggage transfer when changing hotels on day 5
- Shuttle bus to the park entrance during summer, when the car park is closed (approx. 7,- euros p.p.)
- Car rental
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses such as snacks, drinks, phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
- Local tourist taxes
- Any items not specifically mentioned as ‘included’ in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Supplements, options and extras
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
