Things to do in Alpe d'Huez in summer: the family & group guide

Everyone knows Alpe d’Huez for its ski slopes and the 21 hairpins of the Tour de France. But as soon as the snow melts, the Oisans reveals another face — perhaps its finest. High-altitude lakes glittering beneath the Grandes Rousses, pastures whistling with marmots, endless mountain-bike descents, legendary passes to climb by road bike, sunny terraces: summer here is a full, generous season that remains largely undiscovered. From our chalet in Oz-en-Oisans, we live it every year as a family. Here is the complete guide to what awaits you, whether you come to walk, to ride, or simply to breathe mountain air with 16 people under one roof.

Why summer is the Oisans’ best-kept secret

In winter, everyone crowds onto the slopes. In summer, the mountain opens up: trails everywhere, long days, quiet terraces — and accommodation prices that melt away with the snow. It is the ideal season for big gatherings: families reunite for the holidays, groups of friends plan a week of sport or rest, cycling clubs set up base camp at the foot of the great passes.

Oz-en-Oisans has another summer advantage: the village-resort, at 1,350 metres, stays fresh while the valleys swelter. Days are warm and sunny, evenings mild — you dine on the balcony facing the Belledonne range and sleep with the windows open. For anyone fleeing city heatwaves, that argument carries more weight every year.

Everything is simpler, too: no ski passes to collect at dawn, no bulky equipment, no snowy roads. You park once for the week, and everything happens on foot or by lift.

Hiking: high-altitude lakes within easy reach

This is the queen activity of summer, and it starts literally above the chalet. The lakes plateau — lac Besson, lac Noir, lac de la Fare — unrolls a postcard landscape: mirrors of water set on the pastures, the Grandes Rousses as a backdrop, and waymarked trails for every level.

The loop around lakes Besson and Noir is the great family classic: little climbing once you are on the plateau, shores made for picnics, and marmots whistling as you pass. Seasoned walkers will aim for the Croix de Cassini, a spectacular viewpoint over the Oisans, the Meije and the Aiguilles d’Arves, or push higher towards lac Blanc, perched beneath the Grandes Rousses in a starker, mineral landscape that feels like high mountain proper. And for the contemplative, the gondola ride up to Pic Blanc, at 3,330 metres, opens one of the widest panoramas in the French Alps — on a clear day, they say you can see a fifth of the country.

Two practical notes for hiking with a group. First, mixed abilities are easy to manage here: the lifts let the less sporty gain the plateau effortlessly while the walkers climb on foot, and everyone meets at the same lakeshore for lunch. Second, the trails are genuinely waymarked and mapped — pick up the free footpath map at the tourist office, or download the routes before you set off, as the mobile signal fades in some combes. Good shoes, water, sun cream and a windproof layer complete the kit: at this altitude the sun is strong and the breeze always cooler than you expect.

Mountain biking: one of Europe’s largest Bike Parks

As soon as the summer lifts open, the ski area becomes an MTB paradise. The Oz / Alpe d’Huez Bike Park lines up around 260 km of trails: flowing greens for beginners, blues and reds to progress, blacks and committed single-tracks for expert riders, plus a freeride zone with modules. The Oz-en-Oisans lifts give direct access — you stack up descents without ever pedalling uphill.

The highlight of the season is of course La Mégavalanche: the wildest marathon descent in the Alps, launching from the Pic Blanc glacier and plunging 2,600 metres down to Allemont. Whether you come to race it or to watch, race week (10-12 July in 2026) electrifies the whole mountain.

No bike in the boot? Shops in Oz and Alpe d’Huez rent downhill bikes, e-MTBs and full protection. E-bikes, in fact, are a game-changer for mixed-ability groups: everyone climbs at their own pace, everyone regroups at the top.

Road cycling: the 21 hairpins and the legendary passes

The Oisans is to road cycling what Chamonix is to mountaineering: sacred ground. The Alpe d’Huez climb — 13.8 km at an average of 8.1%, 21 numbered bends each named after a stage winner — draws thousands of cyclists from around the world every summer, come to measure themselves against the legend. Starting from Oz adds a rare pleasure: you descend by a quiet road, far from the main climb’s traffic.

All around, the mythical passes follow one another within riding distance: Croix de Fer, Glandon, Galibier, Sarenne, Les Deux Alpes… Enough to build a full training week without ever touching the car. The most ambitious will time their stay around La Marmotte, Europe’s most prestigious cyclosportive, which strings together the Glandon, Télégraphe, Galibier and the Alpe in a single early-July day. And in 2026, a historic bonus: the Tour de France makes a double finish at Alpe d’Huez on 24 and 25 July — two days of pure fervour to experience at the roadside.

For families: summer luge, pool, via ferrata and marmots

Summer at Alpe d’Huez is not just for athletes. The resort rolls out a panoply of family activities that fill a week effortlessly:

• Rail luge and dévalkart on the Bergers sector: guaranteed thrills for children (and parents), all season long.
• Heated outdoor pool in the resort centre — the late-afternoon ritual.
• Via ferrata in the Sarenne gorges: two spectacular cabled routes to discover the vertical world in safety.
• Climbing: around 150 equipped routes near the lac Besson cliff, from beginner to seasoned climber.
• Paragliding: tandem flights from the resort, soaring over pastures and lakes.
• Marmot watching: on the lakes plateau trails at daybreak — children’s favourite safari.

Add whitewater sports down in the valley (rafting and canyoning run all summer in the Oisans), local markets and the resorts’ summer programme, and nobody gets bored — from contemplative grandparents to thrill-seeking teenagers. Full activity details and season times are on the Alpe d’Huez tourist office website and the Oz-en-Oisans site.

The big summer fixtures

The Oisans summer beats to the rhythm of three major events, each worth the trip on its own:

La Marmotte Granfondo (early July) — 7,500 cyclists set off from Bourg-d’Oisans for one of Europe’s toughest cyclosportives. The atmosphere in the final climb of the Alpe is unforgettable.

La Mégavalanche (10-12 July 2026) — the world’s most spectacular MTB mass-start, from the Pic Blanc glacier down to Allemont. Our complete guide is here.

The Tour de France — Alpe d’Huez is THE mythical climb of the Grande Boucle, and the 2026 edition makes a historic double finish there on 24 and 25 July. Book well ahead: those weeks go first.

Practical matters: getting here, staying, budgeting

Getting here. By car, allow about 1 h from Grenoble via Bourg-d’Oisans. By train, Grenoble station then a connection to the Oisans. And from Allemond, the Eau d’Olle Express gondola climbs to Oz in 8 minutes, with a free covered car park at the bottom — handy for day visitors and for avoiding the mountain road.

Staying. This is where summer plays its best card: the prices. A summer week in our 16-guest chalet comes to around €220 per person — less than half a February week — for 175 m², 7 bedrooms, 5 shower rooms and a south-facing balcony looking over Belledonne. Rental stays weekly, Saturday to Saturday, which frames a proper summer break. Week-by-week rates are published here, and the summer page covers the season from the chalet’s side.

Budgeting. Add bike rental or à-la-carte activities, groceries for the big table (supermarket in Oz, markets at the Alpe), and that is about it: no ski passes, no costly equipment. Summer in the mountains is the most affordable version of a group holiday.

Summer in Oz: the mountains, only better

Hike to the lakes in the morning, ride the Bike Park in the afternoon, climb the 21 hairpins at dawn, dive into the pool on the way home, dine with 16 on the balcony at sunset: that is what a summer week in Oz-en-Oisans looks like. A generous, unspoilt mountain, at prices that let you invite the whole family.

The chalet is ready: discover Ozalp’ Cottage, check summer availability and send us your booking request — we will call you back to plan everything together.

Check summer availability