Gorges du Verdon · for a first visit
First visit to the Gorges du Verdon
Where to enter, what to see first, in what order and how long to allow: a simple plan built from verified places and times.
How to visit the Gorges du Verdon for the first time?
Enter through Castellane in the east or Moustiers-Sainte-Marie in the west, and start with the Point Sublime, at Rougon: the plunging view over the entrance of the canyon is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the car park. Continue along the Route des Crêtes, the 23 km loop from La Palud-sur-Verdon with 14 viewpoints: allow 1 h 30 min to 3 h by car, stops included.
On the second day, head to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Lake Sainte-Croix and the Pont du Galetas, where the canyon opens onto the lake. Keep the Corniche Sublime, on the other bank, for a third day: the two banks only meet at the ends of the canyon. So allow at least two days, three to see both banks without rushing.
For this season, note that the central section of the Route des Crêtes closes in winter, from the last Friday of November to the last Friday of March according to the Département des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: this year, from 27 November 2026 to 26 March 2027. Verdon Tourisme, however, announces a closure from 22 November: at the end of November, check the state of the road before you set off. Today’s other conditions are further down.
- Gateways
- Castellane in the east, from Nice; Moustiers-Sainte-Marie in the west, from Aix-en-Provence or Marseille.
- First stop
- The Point Sublime, at Rougon: 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from the car park to the viewpoint.
- Day 1
- The right bank: the Point Sublime, then the Route des Crêtes from La Palud-sur-Verdon.
- Day 2
- The lakes: Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Lake Sainte-Croix and the Pont du Galetas.
- Day 3
- The left bank: the Corniche Sublime, from Aiguines to the Pont de l’Artuby.
- Time to allow
- At least two days; three for both banks without rushing.
Your first visit, in order
A visiting order starting from Castellane, the most practical base for a first stay. From Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, follow it in the opposite direction.
Day 1 · The right bank, from above
- Castellane and the Roc
The east gateway of the canyon. Above the village, the Notre-Dame-du-Roc chapel crowns a rock that rises 184 m above it.
Allow: about 30 minutes’ climb from the centre up to the chapel; 1 h to 1 h 30 min there and back.
- Point Sublime
The plunging view over the entrance of the canyon and the Couloir Samson, where the Verdon squeezes into the Grand Canyon.
Allow: 10 to 15 minutes’ walk from the car park to the viewpoint.
- Route des Crêtes
The D23 loop from La Palud-sur-Verdon: 23 km according to the commune, and 14 viewpoints. One section is one-way, driven clockwise. La Palud-sur-Verdon has a petrol station.
Allow: 1 h 30 min to 3 h by car, stops at the viewpoints included.
Day 2 · Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and the lakes
- Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
The faience village, set against two cliffs. Above the rooftops, the Notre-Dame-de-Beauvoir chapel is reached by 262 steps.
Allow: 15 to 20 minutes’ climb up to the chapel.
- Lake Sainte-Croix
Beaches all around the lake, several of them supervised in summer. It is the lake you swim in, not the river through the gorges.
Allow: half a day to drive around the lake, with stops.
- Pont du Galetas
Where the canyon opens onto the lake. In the warmer months, you can rent a canoe, pedal boat or electric boat at the foot of the bridge to paddle up into the entrance of the canyon, for about 2 km.
Allow: 1 h 30 min to 2 h there and back by canoe.
Day 3 · The left bank, the Corniche Sublime
- Corniche Sublime
The D71, about 21 km from the heart of Aiguines to the Pont de l’Artuby according to the tourist office, with the Balcons de la Mescla, at the confluence of the Verdon and the Artuby. No petrol station at Aiguines or Trigance: fill up at Moustiers-Sainte-Marie or Aups.
Allow: about 1 h 30 min of driving according to the tourist office; half a day with breaks.
- Pont de l’Artuby
The arch that spans the Artuby gorge, at the end of the Corniche Sublime. Return to Castellane via Trigance (D90).
Allow: a stop along the road.
Before you set off: conditions on 9 November 2026
Each line shows its source and the date it was last checked. Today’s alerts, the weather and the webcams are on “The Verdon live” page.
The end of the trail is closed between the exit of the Couloir Samson and the Point Sublime, following a rockfall. The full hike remains possible via the official detour (RD23A then GR 49), with the same total duration.
Municipal order of Rougon dated 14 August 2026, according to navette.parcduverdon.fr; last checked on 1 November 2026.Its one-way central section closes in winter from the last Friday of November to the last Friday of March: this year, from Friday 27 November 2026 to Friday 26 March 2027 (dates calculated from this rule).
Département des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (inforoute04.fr), winter closures table, consulted on 13 October 2026.Open: no closure between Aiguines and the Pont de l’Artuby. The Col d’Illoire trail is separate from the road: whether it is open has not been confirmed.
Info Route Var map of the Département du Var, last checked on 14 October 2026.Access is open and free of charge from 28 September 2026 to 29 April 2027.
Car park information sheet published by the tourist office, last checked on 9 October 2026.Until Friday 22 January 2027, outside the built-up area: alternating one-way traffic controlled by traffic lights; on weekdays, from 8am to 5pm, closures of up to 10 minutes are possible.
Order of the Département no. 26-DRIT-1689-ATX dated 12 October 2026; last checked on 14 October 2026.Between Castellane and the gorges, until Friday 11 December 2026: road closed Monday to Thursday from 8:15am to 12:30pm and from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, and on Fridays from 8:15am to 12:30pm, with two reopenings of 15 minutes, at 10:00am and 3:30pm.
Rougon town hall, published 2 October 2026; last checked on 14 October 2026.On the Allos side, roadworks until 27 November: traffic is stopped Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm.
Order of the Département no. 26-DRIT-1419-ATX, Allos town hall; last checked on 30 October 2026.Since 1 October 2026, no regular bus line goes into the heart of the gorges. Castellane is still served all year round by the 51 Nice–Digne line, two coaches a day in each direction.
Official open-data timetables of the Zou! network, checked on 6 October 2026.The pitfalls of a first visit
- Trying to do both banks in the same day. No road crosses the bottom of the canyon: to get from one bank to the other, you have to go around it, via Castellane or via Lake Sainte-Croix and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. →
- Swimming in the river through the gorges. The level of the Verdon can rise at any moment with water releases from the dams, with no advance warning. Swimming is for the lakes, at the beaches. →
- Treating the Blanc-Martel trail as a stroll. 15 km along the bottom of the gorges, 5 h 30 min of walking without breaks, a torch for the tunnels, and a return to arrange by shuttle or taxi. →
- Setting off along the left bank with a nearly empty tank. No petrol station at Aiguines or Trigance: fill up at Moustiers-Sainte-Marie or Aups when arriving from the west, at Comps-sur-Artuby from the east. →
- Taking a large motorhome without checking its size. According to the tourist office, 4.30 m high and 12 m long at most on the canyon roads; the two tunnels on the Route des Crêtes have a clearance of only 3.60 m at the sides. →
- Forgetting that everything changes with the season. The central section of the Route des Crêtes closes in winter, the Blanc-Martel shuttle only runs in season, and the Couloir Samson car park is paid only in summer. →
Frequently asked questions
How to visit the Gorges du Verdon for the first time?
Start with the Point Sublime, at Rougon, a 10 to 15 minute walk from the car park, then drive the Route des Crêtes from La Palud-sur-Verdon: 23 km, 14 viewpoints, 1 h 30 min to 3 h by car, stops included. The next day, head to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Lake Sainte-Croix and the Pont du Galetas; keep the Corniche Sublime, on the left bank, for a third day.
Which bank should you start with?
The right bank, the one that strings together the most viewpoints: the Point Sublime, on the D952 between Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, and the Route des Crêtes, the D23 loop from La Palud-sur-Verdon. The left bank, with the Corniche Sublime, needs another day, because the two banks only meet at the ends of the canyon.
How many days should you allow for a first visit?
At least two days: the canyon from above on the first, the lakes and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie on the second. Three days let you drive the Corniche Sublime too, without rushing.
What should you see if you only have one day?
One setting only: the canyon from above, with the Point Sublime then the Route des Crêtes, or, in the warmer months, the canyon from the water, with the Pont du Galetas and Lake Sainte-Croix.
Planning your next steps
Check for yourself
The places, times and distances on this page come from our detailed pages, each of them sourced and dated. Their official sources, with the date we last checked them:
- Verdon Tourisme, the Point Sublime viewpoint (checked on 9 November 2026)
- Verdon Tourisme, the Route des Crêtes (checked on 9 November 2026)
- Commune of La Palud-sur-Verdon, the Route des Crêtes (checked on 9 November 2026)
- Département des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, winter road closures (checked on 13 October 2026)
- Lacs et Gorges du Verdon tourist office, the Corniche Sublime (checked on 9 November 2026)
- Lacs et Gorges du Verdon tourist office, reopening of the Corniche Sublime (20 August 2026) (checked on 9 November 2026)
- Moustiers-Sainte-Marie tourist office, water activities at the Pont du Galetas (checked on 9 November 2026)