The Verdon off-season
Grand landscapes, more peace and quiet, and another side of the Verdon to discover from November to March.
- November to Marchthe Verdon at rest
- Skiing and snowin the Haut-Verdon
- Quiet villagesthe crowds have gone
- A wild Grand Canyondeserted in winter
- Thermal baths until 5 Decemberin Gréoux-les-Bains
What the Verdon offers in winter
The canyon rests, and the Haut-Verdon takes over from the first snowfall.
Planning your visit
Some roads and activities close or stop in winter. Before setting off, always check the weather and the state of the roads.
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Route des Crêtes (D23)
Central section (between the Pas de Baou viewpoint and the Chalet de la Maline) closed in winter, from the 4th Friday of November to the 4th Friday of March, according to Verdon Tourisme.
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Water sports
Canoes, kayaks, electric boats: most rental outlets open from April to September. Rafting and canyoning stop in winter.
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Haut-Verdon mountain passes
Allos, Cayolle, Champs: they close under snow and reopen depending on snow cover.
What to do from November to March, area by area
What is open, what closes and what is worth the trip, from the Upper Verdon to the Lower Verdon. Dates for the 2026-2027 season, taken from the source.
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Upper VerdonVal d’Allos and Colmars-les-Alpes
- La Foux d’Allos: scheduled to open from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, snow permitting; 43 runs; adult day pass €51.
- Le Seignus: from 19 December 2026 to 21 March 2027, snow permitting; 18 runs; day pass €35.
- La Foux d’Allos ice rink: from 12 December 2026 to 21 March 2027, every day; €8 with skate hire, €6 with your own skates, free for children under 5.
- Ratery 1700: about 20 km of cross-country ski trails.
- Christmas in Val d’Allos: from 19 December 2026 to 25 December 2026, every day.
- Christmas in Colmars-les-Alpes: 13 December 2026, 10 am to 4 pm, a market of crafts and local flavours (programme still provisional).
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Grand CanyonLa Palud-sur-Verdon, Rougon and Aiguines
- Route des Crêtes: the central section, between the Pas de Baou viewpoint and the Chalet de la Maline, is closed in winter, from the 4th Friday of November to the 4th Friday of March, according to Verdon Tourisme. The rest of the road remains accessible, with the Trescaïre, La Carelle, Dent d’Aire and Chalet de la Maline viewpoints.
- Blanc-Martel trail: the Verdon Regional Park advises against it in winter (frequent rockfalls). Its shuttle no longer runs after 1 November.
- Imbut trail: closed by a municipal by-law of Aiguines since July 2022, until further notice.
- Griffon vultures: visible all year round, best from October to June, from late morning. From January to the end of August they are nesting: do not disturb them.
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Lakes and Haut-VarAups
- Aups truffle market: every Thursday from 9 am to noon, place Frédéric-Mistral, from 19 November 2026; cash only.
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Lower VerdonGréoux-les-Bains
- Gréoux-les-Bains Christmas market, at the casino: 28 November 2026 from 3 pm to 11 pm and 29 November 2026 from noon to 8 pm; free entry.
On the road: from 1 November to 31 March, winter tyres or chains (or snow socks) are compulsory in the mountain municipalities designated by the prefects.
Sources for this section: valdallos.com · valdallos.com (forfaits) · provence-alpes-cotedazur.com (patinoire) · verdontourisme.com (Ratery 1700) · provence-alpes-cotedazur.com (Colmars) · provence-alpes-cotedazur.com (Route des Crêtes) · navette.parcduverdon.fr · verdontourisme.com (Imbut) · paca.lpo.fr · provence-alpes-cotedazur.com (truffes d’Aups) · greoux-les-bains.com · service-public.gouv.fr
Trip idea 2 to 3 days off-season
A short stay to enjoy quiet villages, a day in the snow and, depending on the date, a moment of relaxation.
- Day 1Villages and viewpoints The villages and the viewpoints you can reach by an open road, once you have checked the weather and the state of the roads.
- Day 2A day in the snow Alpine skiing at La Foux d’Allos, about 1 h 15 min by road from Castellane, or cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at La Colle-Saint-Michel and Ratery 1700.
- Day 3The Gréoux-les-Bains thermal baths Until 5 December, Monday to Saturday.
Map of the Verdon off-season
Castellane, Allos, Colmars-les-Alpes and Gréoux-les-Bains: the landmarks on this page.
Open the Verdon mapFrequently asked questions
What is there to do in the Verdon in winter?
From December to February, the Verdon is at rest: the Grand Canyon becomes wild and deserted, the villages are quiet and restaurants are often closed. Winter happens in the Haut-Verdon, with alpine skiing at La Foux d’Allos and Le Seignus, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at La Colle-Saint-Michel and Ratery 1700. The villages, the viewpoints you can reach by an open road and the low-altitude trails remain accessible, once you have checked the weather and the state of the roads.
Can you visit the Gorges du Verdon in winter?
Only in part. The central section of the Route des Crêtes (D23), between the Pas de Baou viewpoint and the Chalet de la Maline, is closed in winter, from the 4th Friday of November to the 4th Friday of March, according to Verdon Tourisme. The villages, the viewpoints you can reach by an open road and the low-altitude trails, on the other hand, remain accessible, with care depending on the weather.
Which roads are closed in winter?
The central section of the Route des Crêtes (D23), between the Pas de Baou viewpoint and the Chalet de la Maline, from the 4th Friday of November to the 4th Friday of March, according to Verdon Tourisme. The Haut-Verdon mountain passes (Allos, Cayolle, Champs) close under snow: when they open depends on snow cover. Always check the state of the roads on the day.
Are water sports possible off-season?
Rarely. For canoes, kayaks and electric boats on the lakes, most rental outlets only open from April to September. Rafting and canyoning are summer activities that stop in winter.
Where can you ski near the Gorges du Verdon?
At La Foux d’Allos, in the Haut-Verdon, about 65 km and 1 h 15 min by road from Castellane. The resort, at an altitude of 1,800 m, is part of the Espace Lumière ski area, shared with Pra-Loup: 230 km of pistes between 1,500 and 2,600 m, served by 35 lifts. The adult day pass is listed at €51 for the 2026-2027 season; the small resort of Le Seignus lists its own at €35. The season runs from December to early April, snow permitting.
Where can you go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing?
At La Colle-Saint-Michel, between 1,430 and 1,700 m: 57 km of cross-country trails and 11 km of snowshoe trails. And at Ratery 1700, at Colmars-les-Alpes: 20 km of cross-country trails, snowshoe routes, a sledging run, laser biathlon and equipment hire on site.
Are the Gréoux-les-Bains thermal baths open in winter?
Only until 5 December. The 2026 thermal season runs from 3 March to 5 December, Monday to Saturday: the baths are closed in the depths of winter.
Is the Verdon worth visiting in autumn?
Yes, for the peace and quiet: the crowds have gone and the colours turn warmer. The water in the lakes, however, cools quickly after September, and high-altitude sites close gradually from late October.
Further reading
Information taken from the pages “When to visit” (checked on 26 October 2026) and “Skiing and winter sports” (checked on 5 September 2026). Opening dates, snow cover and prices change every year: confirm them before you set off.
Check for yourself
The external sources this page relies on, one click away. We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
- Val d’Allos — official resort site (La Foux d’Allos)valdallos.com
The resort operator itself: altitude, vertical drop, overview of the La Foux d’Allos ski area.
- Val d’Allos — ski pass pricesvaldallos.com
Official 2026-2027 ski pass price list (La Foux d’Allos, Le Seignus).
- Verdon Tourisme — the Val d’Allos ski resortsverdontourisme.com
The area’s official tourist office: figures for the Espace Lumière ski area (km of pistes, lifts, altitude).
- Verdon Tourisme — La Colle-Saint-Michel Nordic ski areaverdontourisme.com
Official tourist office: altitude and kilometres of trails at the La Colle-Saint-Michel cross-country skiing and snowshoeing area.
- Alpes de Haute-Provence Tourisme — Ratery 1700 Nordic ski area (Colmars-les-Alpes)en.tourisme-alpes-haute-provence.com
Departmental tourist office (04): altitude, kilometres of cross-country ski and snowshoe trails, facilities at the Ratery 1700 site.
- Verdon Tourisme — Route des Crêtesverdontourisme.com
Official tourist office: opening period of the Route des Crêtes (closed in winter).
- Chaîne Thermale du Soleil — Gréoux-les-Bainschainethermale.fr
Health-insurance-approved thermal spa in Gréoux-les-Bains: therapeutic indications, cures and wellness area.
This site refuses automated requests: the link opens normally in a browser, but we could not check it ourselves.
- Météo-France — vigilance mapvigilance.meteofrance.fr
Official weather vigilance by département (thunderstorms, heatwave, rain-flood, wind) — the reference signal before setting out.
- Fire risk — access to forest massifsrisque-prevention-incendie.fr
Official map of access to forest massifs by fire risk level, updated daily in season.
- Verdon Tourisme — intercommunal tourist officeverdontourisme.com
Official tourist information for the area: sites, services and trip-planning advice.
9 of these 10 links responded during our last automated check, on 11 October 2026. A broken link is removed, never left in place.
Sources: Verdon Tourisme, intercommunal tourist office (verdontourisme.com) · Val d’Allos, official resort website (valdallos.com) · Alpes de Haute-Provence Tourisme, departmental tourism agency · Chaîne Thermale du Soleil (chainethermale.fr), Gréoux-les-Bains thermal baths · Parc naturel régional du Verdon (parcduverdon.fr) and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departmental council (inforoute04.fr)
Photos: Sea of clouds, Grand Canyon du Verdon: Heribert Bechen (CC BY-SA 2.0) · La Foux d'Allos ski area: TouN (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Val d'Allos under snow: thierrytutin (CC BY 2.0) · Le Seignus, Val d'Allos: AD 04 (Alpes de Haute-Provence Tourisme) (CC BY 2.0) · Thermal baths, Gréoux-les-Bains: Véronique Pagnier (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Lake Castillon, seen from Blaron: Patrick Rouzet (CC BY-SA 3.0)