Trek the GR20 in Corsica - The North Section
Hike 100km along Europe's toughest and most beautiful long distance trail
What's Included?
Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 12 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
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What's it like?
Tackle the northern half of Corsica's famed trail from Asco to Vizzavona, via the highest point on the GR20 - Monte Cinto (2706m)
Bunk down and fuel up in mountain refuges along the way, keeping an eye out for wild swim spots nestled beneath the peaks
Combine with our Trek the GR20: The South Section trip to complete the entire length along the Grande Randonnée
Key Information
Day 1
Welcome to Corsica
Meet your host at Ajaccio Airport (or in Ajaccio town if you're already in Corsica) and take the transfer to Asco Stagnu Ski Station. Head out on a warmup hike and settle in for an early night at the Ascu refuge before hitting the trail first thing tomorrow morning.
Day 2
Asco to Tighjettu via GR20's highest point
Trekking
The northern section of the GR20 wastes no time getting to the heart of the action with an ascent of the highest summit in Corsica - Monte Cinto at 2706m. Chip away at the 1200m of ascent required to reach the summit as you hike and scramble up to one of the GR20's most memorable moments. Descend from the summit through the valley to reach Tighjettu refuge next to a small waterfall. Wind down with dinner and a celebratory drink at the refuge before camping out beneath the stars.
Day 3
Tighjettu to Verghio
Trekking
Back-to-back epic days are a feature of the GR20 - Days 2 and 3 of the northern section are quite the combo. Tackle another 1000m+ ascent day, following the River Golo and weaving through a beautiful pine forest en route. The views across the range today are stunning, with the twin peaks of Paglia Orba - 'the Corsican Matterhorn' - and Capu Tafunatu looming throughout.
Day 4
Verghio to Manganu
Hiking
From Col de Vergio you head toward San Petru pass and on to the shimmering Ninu Lake - a blue mirage nestled in the landscape mountain. Hike on through open grasslands and pastures dotted with pozzines - small freshwater pools in an area that wild horses call home. Follow the trail through more iconic Corsican pine forests at Manganu before reaching tonight's refuge and camp out spot.
Day 5
Manganu to Pietra Pana via Lac de Capitellu
Hiking
Fuel up at the refuge first thing before getting back on the trail for another dose of shimmering blue-green alpine lakes as you hike over the Capitellu pass and down to one of the GR20 most beautiful sights - the sapphire shimmer of Lac de Capitellu. Take in this beautiful spot and grab a swim if you're a fan of cold water dips before leaving this gem of Corsica behind as you trek on to the refuge at Pietra Piana to toast another epic day on the trail.
Day 6
Pietra Piana to Onda
Hiking
Hike through a serene forest of Corsican pine and on through the valley until you reach the charming Tolla footbridge and an inviting freshwater pool perfect for a wild swim. Another few hours hiking on a gradual descent to reach the Onda refuge, located at the bottom of the Monte d’Oro mountain range with amazing views as you camp beneath the peaks.
Day 7
North section complete!
Trekking
Round off the end of the northern section of the GR20 with a beautiful circuit route. First up, a tough ascent to Punta Muratello summit, descending through the fallen rocks and dense vegetation of the Agnone valley. Your efforts are rewarded when you reach the waterfalls at Cascades des Anglais which make for a fitting finale. A short hike from here takes you to Vizzavona where you'll be transferred back to Ajaccio.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport
12:30
Ends
Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport
16:00
Transfers
Your host will meet you at Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport at 12:30 on Day 1 and whisk you off to Asco to start the trek. Depending on flight times, you may need to arrive the day before the trip and stay in Ajaccio overnight. In this case, your host can meet you in Ajaccio itself rather than at the airport on Day 1. On Day 7, your host will drop you back at the airport at 16:00 in time for any flights departing after 18:30. If you are staying on to do the south section straight away, you can either stay another night at the refuge in Vizzavona before meeting the next group there the following afternoon, or you can take the transfer to Ajaccio for a night in a hotel there in between the two sections. See FAQs for more information on doing both GR20 trips back-to-back to complete the full length of the trail.
Travel options
There are numerous flights to Ajaccio from across the UK and Europe, usually via Paris or Geneva.
For travellers who are keen to avoid flying, Corsica is reachable via a combination of train and ferry via a few routes. An example route would be taking the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris and then through France on the TGV high speed rail to Marseille St Charles. From Marseille, Corsica Linea operate an overnight ferry service from to Ajaccio, departing at 7.15pm. You can book either a seat or a cabin with beds. The journey takes 11 hours and you'll arrive at Ajaccio at 6.15am.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4 – Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
You'll be eating breakfast and dinner at the various refuges that you stay at throughout the trail. The menus differ from day to day and from refuge to refuge but expect to see various pasta dishes, sausages with lentils, charcuterie plates, Corsican soups, couscous salads, chickpea stew, plus various sweet cakes and cheeses for dessert. Breakfast is often a bread and cheese affair, omelettes are also popular at the refuges that offer them. Lunches will be collected from the refuge and carried with you to eat out on the trail - these are usually sandwiches, snacks and fruit. Most refuges on the GR20 also have small shops where you can buy treats and snacks for extra sustenance on top of the meals that are included. The refuges also sell drinks such as local red wine (€6-8 per bottle), cold beer (€3-6) and soft drinks (€3). Vegetarians will be fine on the GR20, however, those who are vegan or gluten-free will have a difficult time on the trail given the remoteness of the refuges and the lack of food options available.
What is the accommodation like?
GR20 mountain refuges
Each night of the hike you'll spend at a park-run mountain refuge, sleeping either inside the refuges themselves, or camping outside them. Refuges are part and parcel of hiking the GR20. They offer basic, dorm-style accommodation with a classic hikers mountain hut atmosphere. Beds are provided, but you’ll need your own sleeping bag and pillow. The amenities at the refuges vary - some have hot showers, proper toilets, and electric charging points, while certain ones only have cold showers and squat compost toilets. On certain nights you'll camp outside the refuges in tents supplied by the refuge. These will be twin-share and include a sleeping pad or mattress. You'll need to bring your sleeping bag and a lightweight travel pillow for both the refuges and the camping - see kitlist for further detail.
Upgrades
As the refuges are all dormitory share and there are limited spaces available to camp outside the refuges, there isn't the option for a solo upgrade on this trip.
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
Guides
Local, English speaking guides
Accommodation
2 nights in mountain refuges, 4 nights wild camping
Meals
Munch on tasty local food throughout
Transfers
To and from the airport and everything in between
Equipment
Tents (as a back up if a mountain refuge is full)
Permits
All permits
Our trips are hassle-free by design. We include all the activities and equipment, as well as many of the meals, so you can simply rock up with your rucksack and share the adventure with your new pals.
Personal Expenses
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What do I need to bring?
BAGS
- Trekking backpack - no bigger than 60l but ideally 40-50l. You should aim to have a pack weight of 8-10kg.
- Waterproof cover for backpack
- Drybags/stuffsacks for use inside the pack in case of downpours
CLOTHES
- Waterproof jacket
- Lightweight down jacket
- Waterproof trousers
- Breathable wicking layers
- Thermals (top and bottom, merino ideal)
- Fleece or warm mid-layer
- Lightweight trousers/shorts/skirts
- T-shirts
- Underwear & socks
- Swimwear
- Sunglasses
- Sunhat
- Something to sleep in
- Waterproof hiking boots (worn-in)
EATING & DRINKING
- Plastic bowl
- Airtight tupperware
- Small pocket knife - opinel style
- Plastic cutlery or spork
- Lightweight mug
- Reusable water bottle and/or hydration bladder to carry 2-3 litres
- Energy bars and snacks - read our article on Best Hiking Snacks
SLEEPING
- Cotton or silk sleeping bag liner
- Lightweight packable sleeping bag (all season)
- Lightweight packable travel pillow
- Lightweight packable Thermarest or sleeping mat
OTHER
- Hiking poles if you like to trek with these
- Power bank or solar charger
- Passports (and visas)
- Travel Insurance documents
- Insect repellant
- Suncream
- Personal first-aid kit
- Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
- Quick-dry towel
- Headtorch or torch
- Biodegradable wet-wipes
No optional extras are available for this trip.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 62kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
Absolutely! We have staggered the dates of our two GR20 trips to allow you to do them back-to-back. You'll be trekking south on both trips, so if you want to trek the full length of the GR20 heading in the same direction, you'll need to do the North Section trip first, followed by the South Section trip.
If you do the south section first, you'll be transferred back to Ajaccio on Day 7 of that trip, spend the night in a hotel there at your own expense, and then meet back up with your host in Ajaccio for Day 1 of the north section trip and the transfer to Asco.
If you do the north section first, on Day 7 you have the choice of taking the transfer to Ajaccio for a night in a hotel there at your own expense, and then meet back up with your host for Day 1 of the south section trip and the transfer to Vizzavona. Alternatively, you can remain on the trail by spending the night of Day 7 at the refuge in Vizzavona at your expense, having some downtime there the following morning before meeting up with the next group when they arrive at Vizzavona on Sunday afternoon, which is Day 1 of the south section trip.
All the refuges on the GR20 have clean, potable water, and there are also natural fresh water springs dotted along the route. Your guide will know where these are situated to help you plan your refills accordingly. Never drink directly from the rivers - you'll only fill up from these sources if you have brought adequate water filtering - read our Guide to the best water filters for adventurers. Be sure to bring 2-3 litres of carrying capacity in reusable bottles or bladders. The heat on the GR20 in July and August can be extreme, so staying rehydrated is absolutely crucial on this trek. Your guide is there to ensure everyone's safety and to plan head, but coming well prepared yourself will help you enjoy the trek with plenty of water to call on throughout.
Absolutely. Anything you don't need can be left with your host at their base in Ajaccio and collected when the trip is finished.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion. Your guide will help with advice on how much to tip. Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.
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