An independent guide to Val Thorens

Here there are details of Winter walking routes in Val Thorens, and the lifts which are open to pedestrians.
Val Thorens probably isn't the very best resort for walkers, but in the last few years the tourist office and the lift company have made an effort to create paths for walkers.
Read about walking in Val Thorens here.
Map | Walking Routes | Lifts | Pedestrian Passes & Prices
This is a Val Thorens walkers' map. It shows the walks that you can do in Val Thorens in Winter, and the main lifts open to pedestrians.
There's also a map showing the lifts open to pedestrians in the 3 Valleys.

The Marine path (number 1 on the map) starts from the top of Cascades chairlift.
(You can see the prices of pedestrian passes via the Val Thorens ski pass prices page).
Turn left from the top of the chair, and the path curves round to the left then passes back under the lift. It then goes to the Chalet de la Marine.
Here, you cross the Dalles piste and take the path which follows the left fork of the piste, past the Tête Ronde lake to the Chalets du Thorens.
Then walk down the Combe de Thorens to the Toboggan chalet.
This popular path (number 2 on the map) goes from the back of the Balcons, or from the back of Altineige, and shadows the Traversée de Montaulever and Boulevard des Echauds pistes.
It arrives at Les Montagnettes in Les Menuires. Return to Val Thorens on the same path.
The Moutière path (number 3 on the map) starts from the Toboggan chalet and initially takes you on the 2 Lacs path.
Then it branches off to the right, and skirts round the left hand side of one of the two lakes. It comes out onto the Traversée des 2 Lacs piste near the 2 Lacs restaurant.
From here it goes up on the right hand side of the piste, past the top of the Moutière chair and the 2 Lacs gondola, then down to the Moutière plateau. On the plateau there is an airfield for light aircraft, a reservoir, and a mountain restaurant.
Return to the Toboggan chalet by the same route.
The 2 Lacs path (route number 4 on the map) starts near the Toboggan chalet and runs parallel to the Espace Junior, on the right of it.
It reaches the 2 Lacs restaurant.
Initially, there's a slightly different way back, to make a small loop. Then you rejoin the same path as on the way up.
This makes the path the shape of a lasso on the map.
The lifts open to pedestrians in Val Thorens-Orelle are:

The Cascades chairlift is open to pedestrians (up only), and you take this lift in order to do the Marine path (see above).
You can take Moutière chair up if you want to walk the Moutière path downhill only.
The 2 Lacs gondola can be used to reach the top of the Bee Zipwire (see activities).
Alternatively, if you have a Val Thorens-Orelle pedestrian pass you can take Cairn bubble and Moutière chairlift to get to the top of La Bee.
The Funitel Peclet is open to pedestrians, and goes up to 3000m.
It's not quite as spectacular as the Cime de Caron, but quicker and easier as it's just a single lift. The Aiguilles de Peclet restaurant is directly at the top of the Funitel.
You can go up to the top of the Cime de Caron (3200m) as a pedestrian from the resort of Val Thorens.
Take the Cairn bubble, then the Caron bubble, then the Caron cable car.
New in 2024/25 is the Caron 3200 complex, with restaurant, wine bar, shop and rooftop bar with panoramic views.

From the top of the Cime de Caron, you can continue down the Orelle-Caron gondola and the Orelle gondola all the way to the village of Francoz (altitude about 900m), near Orelle in the Maurienne valley.
Orelle is not included on the 3 Valleys pedestrian pass, but is included on the Val Thorens-Orelle pass.
There's information on pedestrian passes in the notes to the prices on our Val Thorens ski passes page.
Some of the main rates (Winter 2025/26) are:
Enjoy walking in Val Thorens.

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