Gavarnie waterfall with return via the Cirque du Pailla

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Hike in the most famous cirque in the Pyrenees. Return via the path leading to the Cirque du Pailla, which allows you to avoid the crowds and gain height to enjoy this magnificent place from a different perspective.

Details

n°632463
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.70 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 657 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 653 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,788 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,365 m
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Photos

Magnificent!
Descending from the Grande Cascade
View from the Cirque hotel
Cirque de Pailla

Description of the walk

Park in the Gavarnie car park (paid parking in summer).

(S/E) Follow the signs for the cirque and the waterfall. At the Maison du Parc, take the Route du Cirque opposite. Continue to Pont Brioude.

(1) Cross the Gave de Gavarnie and continue along the right bank. Walk alongside the Schrader Monument and continue at a leisurely pace until you reach the Hôtellerie du Cirque.

(2) Stay on the right bank and cross two small streams to reach the foot of the Grande Cascade. The path is very busy, well signposted and accessible to all.

(3) After enjoying this magnificent waterfall, take the path back to the Hôtellerie du Cirque.

(2) Just before the building, there is a small path on the right that climbs towards the Cirque de Pailla, the Chalet-Refuge de Pailha and the Refuge des Espuguettes. Take advantage of the climb to admire the Cirque de Gavarnie from a higher vantage point. Reach the crossroads of the Refuge des Espuguettes trail.

(5) Take it on the left and begin the descent. After the hairpin bends, you will reach the Pont de Brioude crossroads.

(1) Turn right and follow the same route as on the way up to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,365 m - Start: Paid parking
  2. 1 : km 1.23 - alt. 1,381 m - Pont de Brioude - Gave de Pau
  3. 2 : km 4.14 - alt. 1,566 m - Cirque Hotel
  4. 3 : km 5.45 - alt. 1,788 m - Waterfall
  5. 4 : km 8.81 - alt. 1,751 m - Chalet-Refuge de Pailha (1750m)
  6. 5 : km 8.98 - alt. 1,738 m - Turn left - On the right, you will see the - Refuge des Espuguettes
  7. S/E : km 11.7 - alt. 1,367 m - Arrival

Notes

Remember to bring water.

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

You can eat at the Cirque de Gavarnie hotel near the waterfall.
Cirque de Gavarnie

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 26 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 8353543

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The outward journey follows the traditional tourist route, while the return journey via the Pailla refuge is much less frequented and wilder. There are a few sections on a narrow path with a drop on the left-hand side and rocks that can be slippery if it has rained, but nothing dangerous if you take care.
The refuge is magnificent, and if you wish to continue climbing, you can go to the Espuguettes refuge, which is also magnificent.

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LMDB
LMDB

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike undertaken in early July in beautiful weather. I enjoyed the return trip via the Cirque de Pailla, which offers diverse and varied landscapes.

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phlrando
phlrando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did the hike in the opposite direction: we climbed up to the Paillia refuge, taking care to follow the signs for the Pailla refuge to start the climb. The climb is steep but easier going up than down! There are two fords that could be problematic in heavy rain. The return trip is easy, down a gentle slope on a good path.

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jeanphidrums
jeanphidrums

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This waterfall is magnificent and grandiose... The return trip is much quieter because it's the end of August.

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Justina
Justina

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike, not difficult until the waterfall. The last 200 metres are quite physically demanding. Magnificent scenery. Animals on the trail .

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Eibon
Eibon
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

17/06. Good weather.
Departure at 9 a.m. (from La Bergerie campsite).
Large waterfall around 11 a.m.
Pailla chalet around 12:45 p.m. (perfect place for a lunch break if the weather is nice).
Moderate pace - lots of photo stops and water breaks. Not many people around at this time of day.
It's not mentioned in the description (which surprised me), but the path between the hotel du cirque and the chalet runs along the side of the mountain, on a path that is sometimes narrow and wet. It's not dangerous in itself, I got through without any problems. But be careful if you have children.
I really enjoyed doing it this way, as you're more likely to meet people than follow each other.

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Charlotte Rajade
Charlotte Rajade

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, we had to turn back at the first intersection with the stream marked on the map after the hotel towards Pailha. The conditions were really too dangerous, which was confirmed by the tourist office: the path ran along the edge of a precipice with water flowing down, meaning there was a risk of avalanches above, and there was very deep snow to cross.

This is not a route to take in winter or spring, and never with children.

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tocdu26
tocdu26

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We decided to take the route in reverse. Despite the difficult conditions, our goal was the Pailla refuge, and we managed to reach this location. However, once there, we realised that the snow had made the path difficult to follow, even dangerous. The trail was practically invisible, and it was becoming increasingly risky to continue. Faced with this situation, we decided to head back down. We then set off for the Hôtellerie du Cirque, but unfortunately we were forced to turn back once again. The advice of people returning from the waterfall, combined with the amount of snow, convinced us to give up. This premature return left us with a feeling of unfinished business

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Sebouille
Sebouille

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with pleasant temperatures for mid-November.
The route is very busy until you reach the hotel, but much quieter and prettier on the way back via Pailla.
We didn't make it back to the waterfall.
With three children aged 15, 12 and 8, there were no problems, just a few slightly tricky sections on the way back, but nothing dangerous (it might be more difficult in wet weather).

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Fredditaliano
Fredditaliano

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike under bright sunshine. The only difficulty was accessing the waterfall, which involved a steep climb over scree

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ritournelle
ritournelle

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

start of the route: don't forget to check the itinerary. At certain points, take care where you place your feet, especially before reaching the waterfall, as the ground is rocky

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Fredditaliano
Fredditaliano

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike under a bright sun. Access to the waterfall was quite difficult over the last 100 metres, but everything came together for a wonderful day

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luluschnaps
luluschnaps

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant and accessible hike with beautiful scenery all along the way

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francounette
francounette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb circular hike. And as a bonus, it's in the shade the whole way. Magnificent scenery.
The hike is easy to do with children

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randonneurs.DS
randonneurs.DS
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike.
Easy up to the Cirque hotel but (in our opinion) it gets tougher going up to the Grande Cascade and becomes really difficult in the last few metres: stones and pebbles roll underfoot, making it even harder to get down, even with good shoes and walking sticks.

We didn't follow the return route: once back at the Hôtel du Cirque, we continued down the path for about 400 metres and, just after the left-hand bend, took a small path that leads into the woods.
It was a complete change of scenery once we left the woods and crossed the wooden bridge over theGave de Gavarnie river.
The landscape was magnificent, splendid. It didn't even feel like we were in France anymore, but rather in Canada or America...

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