© V.Ducrettet – Les Gets Tourist Board
There are so many things to do in Les Gets during summer. If you love the great outdoors, you can hike through meadows, take on some of the best mountain biking trails in the world or navigate down rapids during a white-water rafting experience. Summer is the perfect time for adventure and activities in the mountains, so here are a few of our favourite things to do in Les Gets…
Things to do in Les Gets during summer
Mountain biking
During summer, Les Gets is renowned for its mountain biking and the village attracts big events such as the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup and Pass’Portes du Soleil. The Portes du Soleil region is the largest mountain biking area in Europe – we’re talking over 520 miles of marked tracks, 22 mountain bike lifts, four bike parks and eight permanent downhill tracks. You can ride through pine forests, past herds of cattle in the pastures, and use the lifts to explore the French-Swiss border. You can cycle the World Cup route or try one of the easier green runs – though whatever level you’re at, the mountain views and unforgettable descents will never be forgotten. The area is even a pioneer of electric mountain biking, with over 200 miles of marked trails devoted to electric bikes. For full details, read our Les Gets Bike Park guide.
© Bike Park Les Gets
Hiking
Hiking in Les Gets in summer gives you the chance to experience the region’s spectacular scenery, taking trails to explore alpine meadows and soaring mountains dominated by Mont Blanc. Part of the Portes du Soleil region, Les Gets gives you access to over 520 miles of hiking paths in an area with 10 incredible mountain lakes. Take Le Sentier Mauve route if you’re with the kids or have a buggy, a fun hour-long walk following the life-sized animal models en route; or opt for Le Grand Tour Des Chavannes, a four-and-a-half-hour hike taking in the views over Mont Blanc, the valley of Morzine and the stunning peaks of Chablais. Take a picnic and drinks to make the most of a scenic rest stop.
© Les Gets Tourist Board
White-water rafting
Due to the meltwater, the river Dranse flows ferociously from nearby Morzine to Lake Geneva, creating perfect conditions for white-water rafting. We can help you book a rafting excursion and recommend the best companies in the area. Some of the shorter routes are suitable for those over eight years old; or opt for a two-hour descent with grade four rapids for an exhilarating ride. It’s also possible to try hydro-speeding in the area, involving surfing the rapids head-first using a small board and fins on your feet!
© Frogs Rafting
Golf
Golf Les Gets is, quite possibly, one of the most scenic 18-hole golf courses in the world. Enjoy a hilly round with panoramic views over Mont Blanc and the mountains, with the option to book a golf cart if the terrain looks too taxing. The region is also home to other spectacular courses, including the high-altitude course at Avoriaz and the challenging championship golf course at Evian. We’d also recommend the golf courses at Annecy and Chamonix.
© Les Gets Tourist Board
Lac des Écoles
The Lac des Ecoles swimming lake is the perfect place to get your beach fix in Les Gets in summer. The lake is usually open from the end of June to the end of August and offers wide grassy stretches with beaches leading into the clear water. The sunny weather sees the lake’s slide open, zig-zagging down the hillside into the water. The lake is also known for the inflatable Wibit assault course on the water. Wibit is suitable for kids over 1m 15cm and made up of around 40 modules, including giant slides, climbing walls and a human catapult! You can hike up to the lake from Les Gets village and our Aviemore apartment backs straight onto the hiking trail.
There’s also fun for the tiniest youngsters, courtesy of the Water Fun Park. Equipped with various modules, water jets and other refreshing, giggle-inducing elements, the Water Fun Park is near-guaranteed to keep the youngest amused and splashing about safely and contentedly.
© Les Gets Tourist Board
Barbecues and swimming at Lac Montriond
Swimming in Lake Montriond is one of our favourite things to do during summer in Les Gets. The lake is close to nearby Morzine and you can take a dip in the crisp, clear water; or take out a kayak and explore. There is a smaller lake with a shallow walk-in area that’s perfect for little ones, too. You can drive to the lake or collect one of the electric bikes from the village and cycle there. Montriond Lake – or Lac de Montriond – has barbecues at the shore that you can use, benches, lifeguards during summer, a playpark and restaurant, so it is a great place to spend the whole day. You can also take a scenic walk around the lake and through woods and meadows to Ardent Waterfall, which is stunning! Ask us about Les Feux de Lac Montriond, a huge fireworks display that usually takes place in August.
Sources du Chery day spa
Hunter Chalets has a partnership with the Sources de Chery day spa in Les Gets. We can arrange a day pass for you to experience the relaxation rooms, sensory showers and pools; and book treatments. For more info, read our Sources du Chery spa guide.
© Les Sources du Chery
Zip-lining
Aventure Park Les Gets is home to a tree climbing park, zip lines, paintball, bungee jumping and a catapult; and nearby Cascades Aventura features six exhilarating zip lines – with one taking you over Nyon waterfall. If you’re looking for extreme, travel to Fantasticable in Châtel. You’ll be strapped into a harness and fly headfirst at speeds of up to 62mph, 240 metres in the air. Between screams, you can enjoy the incredible views over the Alps!
Luging
A 10-minute drive from Les Gets is Luge d’été Morzine, where you can speed down a curved luging track on a small sledge. The two luge tracks here wind their way down the Pleney slopes and you can get to the start via La Crusaz chairlift. The luging tracks usually run from early July to early September; and children must be over three years old, with those between three and five sitting between the legs of an adult on the way down.
© Les Gets Tourist Board
Paragliding
Paragliding provides the opportunity to see the magnificent Alps region in all its glory. All paragliding flights are tandem, and most pilots will take some incredible mid-flight pictures for a small extra cost. We can recommend the best companies and book a flight that lasts between 15 and 40 minutes. After the initial adrenaline rush subsides, paragliding is a surprisingly relaxing and tranquil experience, and there is absolutely no better way to view the scenery than from 1200m up!
© V.Ducrettet – Les Gets Tourist Board
Summer Lounge Music Festival
Les Gets embraces live music and you’ll find a full calendar of events and music festivals. Rock The Pistes dominates the winter calendar, but the Summer Lounge Music Festival, which usually takes place in August, sees locals and visitors sitting on terraces listening to free live music and concerts in the afternoon and into the early evening. Wander around to find your favourite beats, from pop and jazz to reggae and blues.
© V.Ducrettet – Les Gets Tourist Board
Le Pas de l’Aigle
Around 30 minutes’ drive from Les Gets is one of the most spectacular viewing platforms in the world. Le Pas de l’Aigle is a 10-metre long glass bridge on Pointe de Nyon mountain, giving you a 360-degree panorama with views over Mt Blanc and Lake Geneva. At an altitude of 2019 metres, you can access Le Pas de l’Aigle on foot in summer or ski from the top of the Pointe de Nyon chairlift in winter.
© Morzine Tourist Board
Parc des Dereches
Dérêches Park in neighbouring Morzine is perfect for a walk alongside the Dranse River and accessible for those with pushchairs. The park is also home to activities including orienteering, horse riding, a skate park, swimming complex, tennis courts, an indoor ice rink, treetop adventure playground and a children’s playground.
© Sam Ingles – Morzine Tourist Board
Visit the goat village of Lindarets
In the summer, the goats are back in Lindarets (aka goat village), which is around a 25-minute drive from Les Gets. Visit this alpine farming village and you’ll find goats roaming the streets and mountain paths, their bells jingling in the sunshine. It’s a surreal (and smelly) experience!
© Vallée d’Aulps
Road biking
The unique geography of this region offers steep climbs, long descents and astounding scenery – making Les Gets one of the world’s best destinations for cycling enthusiasts.
From Les Gets, you can either head down the road towards Thonon or the opposite direction towards Cluses. Both options open up some incredible circuits, climbs and famous routes. You can explore the Morzine/Avoriaz Grimpée, Col du Corbier, Col d’Encrenaz and challenging Lac Leman tour. Cycle towards Cluses and you can climb the Col de Joux Plane, Col de Ramaz, Col du Colombiere or the Col de Forclaz at the end of the Chamonix valley.
© M.Carle – Les Gets Tourist Board
Alta Lumina
This is an unmissable experience in Les Gets! Alta Lumina is a magical one-kilometre walk through the forest at night, where you can follow the story of the music maker. This immersive experience combines music and lights to bring the forest to life. It’s a self-guided walk and you can get involved in helping the music maker on his journey. It’s open in both winter and summer in Les Gets, and located next to Lac des Ecoles.
© Moment Factory
Scenic helicopter flight
Take to the sky and get a bird’s eye view of the Alps and the Mt Blanc massif! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to enjoy during your summer stay in Morzine. The helicopter is a Ecureuil B3E helicopter and it can seat up to 5 people. Ask our concierge to make a reservation for you.
© Blugeon Hélicoptères
Mountain rollercoaster
After the buzz of the 2023 Le Tour de France, the mountain coaster’s grand opening began on 17 July in Les Gets. It will be open all year round and one descent, with one or two people on board, will cost 8 euros. You board the alpine coaster at the Perrières car park and have to be over 8 years old to ride it alone, with those over 3 years old allowed to ride with an adult.
© Pitchmark / Les Gets Tourist Board
Electric bikes
Do you know you can use the e-bikes in Les Gets for free? The first 30 minutes are complimentary! After that, it’s only one euro for every additional 30 minutes (up to 4 hours of use). Known as GetsLib’, the e-bikes are available seven days a week between May and November. They can be used by those over 15 years old and a helmet is highly recommended.
Père Delavay Botanical Garden
Located right by Lac de Ecoles, you’ll find the Père Delavay Botanical Garden. This small but unique garden opened in 2017 and the plants and shrubs here were discovered 150 years ago by Père Jean Marie Delavay in the mountains of Yunnan in China. During summer, you can take a ride on the little tourist train, which will tell you all about the history of Père Delavay. The garden is free to visit and you can purchase a herbarium during your visit.
