This summer, I spent a long weekend in Les Gets in the French Alps, experiencing some of the many activities you can get involved in during the warmer months. I had several summer holidays in the South of France as a child, but it was nice to have the opportunity to explore a different region.
We visited during the Pass’Portes du Soleil mountain bike festival, so there was plenty to keep us busy!
Where We Stayed
Les Get is a commune in the French Alps, known for its ski resort. It is part of the Portes du Soleil and is also very popular with mountain bikers in the summer months, having hosted the Mountain Bike World Cup. I flew into Geneva airport, from which it was only an hour transfer to get to our accomodation. Les Gets had such a relaxing feel about it, even with the festival taking place. The evenings were calm, with just the hutle and bustle of the people eating out.
We were incredibly lucky to be staying in one of Jack and Jill Holiday’s incredible chalets – Chalet Valambrun. The chalet sleeps up to 15 people and has it’s own swimming pool, suana, hot tub, cinema room, yoga stuido and much more. This is by far one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed, and if you’re looking to book a trip to Les Gets, or the surrounding area’s, I would highly reccomend checking it out.
What is There to do?
One of my favourite things about Les Gets was that everything was within walking distance. From our accomondation, it was a 10 minute walk into the centre, the bike rental shop was over the road from the ski/bike lift, and the lake was a 10 minute walk out of the centre. We managed to squeeze a lot into the couple of days we were there, but there is so much to do and see.
Mountain Biking/ E-biking – Wandering through the streets you can tell that biking is one of the key attractions, as there are people on bikes everywhere. We spent a full day out on the trails with Bike Academy, which was only my second time on a mountain bike. There is a mix of trails available, which makes it perfect for all levels. We spent out time on the green and blue trails, which were the perfect level for an introductory day. There was a real mix of abilities within our group, from me being an absolute beginner, to a seasoned professional, but thanks to having a great instructor we all had a really enjoyable day.
Hiking – On the second day of our trip, the rest of the group took part in the Passporte Du Soleil mountain e-biking event. Instead, I went to check out some of the other activities on offer, one of which was a signposted hike from Mont Chery. This marked route was part of the festival, but there are many beautiful hiking trails in the area. The ticket price for the hike (€19) included the cable car to the top of Mont Chery (and back down if you wanted) as well as a drink/snack stop on route, food in the festival villiage and vouchers for drinks. It was a stunning route with incredible views of Mont Blanc from the start, as well as a mix of trails through forest and open pastures. The route itself was 10km, but I chose to hike the additional 5km back into Les Gets, rather than get the cable car back down. You can check out the GPX for the route here.
Lake Swim and Inflatables – Just a short walk from the centre of Les Gets (or a couple of minutes by car) there is Lac Des Ecoles. This is the perfect spot to spend some time relaxing, with sections of the lake for swimming, as well as a giant inflatable, which is supervised by lifeguards. There is a cafe and plenty of picnic tables, as well as beach vollyball courts and a pump track. There’s plenty on offer to keep the whole family entertained. You can find the opening dates and times on the website. Entry is free, but there is a small fee if you’re wanting to rent deckchairs or use the sporting facilities. After my hike, I spent a few hours here with my book, and cooled off with a dip.
Alta Lumina – Alta Lumina is an enchanted night walk, accompanied by lights and music. It follows the story of a travelling music maker and his hot air balloon. We unfortunately didn’t get a chance to visit, which was a real shame, but I will definitely be making a trip if I’m back in the area. The attraction is open year round, but best seen in the dark, so you would need to go later in the evening during the summer months.
Spa’s and Fitness – Sun salutations facing Mont Blanc? There are several providers offering a variety of yoga sessions in the area, from sunrise to sunset, as well as family friendly sessions. There are also a handful of spa’s and multiple gyms, if you’re looking for a change from the outdoor activities.
If you need more information about activities whilst in Les Gets, the Les Gets tourism office is based right in the center. The team are fantastic and will be able to help with queries about the local area and what’s on offer. You can find their opening times on the website.
Where We Ate
There are no shortage of places to eat and drink in Les Gets, with a range of cuisines from local restaurants to an Aussie run restaurant taking inspiration from all four corners of the world. We managed to get out and sample a wide range of places on offer.
Friday – On the first night we went for drinks at L’Apreski Bar, followed by Au Bon Vivant, and then dinner at La Biskatcha. The Apreski bar had such a great atmosphere, with plenty of tables in the sun where you can watch the mountainbikers coming down the hill. We went back on the Sunday, when they had a live band outside. Au Bon Vivant was a very different vibe. It was a small shop, selling local French produce, as well as offering tapas and a wide range of local drinks. The owner was lovely and it was a great way to sample drinks made in the region. La Biskatcha is a brasserie and grill, offering traditional dishes and a wide range of wines. I went for the steak and chips, which I definitely didn’t regret.
Saturday – I was very happy to find out we’d be sampled the local burger joint, Ice Burg, for lunch. There was plenty of choice on the menu, the burgers were beautifully cooked and the chips were spot on – I’d highly reccomend! For dinner, we decided to get take-away pizzas from Primo. Authentic Neapolital style pizzas, with a wide range of toppings. Saturday was a VERY good food day.
Sunday – Lunch on the Sunday was included as part of my entry into the Pass’Portes Pédestre, you could just flash your wristband and grab some food from the lunch tent in the festival villiage. For dinner, we went to Le Boomerang, a family run restaurant offering a wide range of wines, cocktails and food. It has an incredible atmosphere and the food was delicious.
All in all, I had an incredible time. I had no idea what to expect before heading off on this trip, but I’m so glad that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone once again. If you havn’t considered Les Gets for an active get away, then it’s somewhere I’d certainly reccomend looking into. It’s an area that I’m definitely keen to get back to and explore more of.
*This was a gifted trip through the amazing team at Ski Press, in associated with the Les Gets tourism office.
Information is correct as of July 2025.
Lisa Outdoors 
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