The Cirque de Saint-Même waterfall

de fr

From Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont, this beautiful walk leads to the source of the Guiers-Vif, follows the course of the torrent, passes through hamlets and reveals the large clearing of the Cirque de Saint-Même.
The Cirque de Saint-Même is a very popular spot, attracting families in search of fresh air in the summer months. Hikers will find a little more freshness and tranquillity as they climb towards the Cascade du Guiers-Vif.

Details

n°131148
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.06 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,430 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,424 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,442 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,113 ft
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Photos

Cascade St même
View of the circuit
View of the circuit
Herd of cows

Description of the walk

Park in the village of Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont.

(S/E) Join the main street, turn right towards the small bridge to cross the Guiers Vif.

(1) You are now in Savoie.

(2) Turn right onto the Cirque de Saint Même road, with the river on your right.
Go up the road and take the first path on the left.

(3) Go up the path, cross a road, take the path opposite and reach the hamlet of Saint-Même d'en bas,

(4) Cross it. Before the last houses, leave the road and take the path on the left.

(5) Continue up the track to reach the hamlet of Saint-Même d'en haut.

(6) Cross the hamlet and turn left onto the D45C. Continue along this road, passing through a number of car parks (for which a charge is made in season) and reaching the vast clearing at Saint-Même.

(7) Head towards the bottom of the cirque, pass an inn and then take the path climbing to the left.

(8) Continue this steep climb along a winding path to reach the high point at 1035 m (signpost).

(9) Leave the path that continues to climb towards the Pas Ruat and the Pas de la Mort (signposted dangerous path) and descend slightly to cross the Guiers Vif on a footbridge opposite the large waterfall. Then descend into the forest and return to the vast clearing.

(7) Cross the river on a footbridge to return to the route you took on the way up.

(4) There is an alternative route on the way back down. At the end of the hamlet of Saint-Même d'en bas, turn right onto the path towards Les Bandets and then descend towards Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont.

(2) Take the opposite route back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 2,119 ft - Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont village car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.05 - alt. 2,113 ft - Entering Savoie. Small bridge over the - Guiers Vif (rivière)
  3. 2 : mi 0.06 - alt. 2,123 ft - Turn right immediately after the bridge
  4. 3 : mi 0.45 - alt. 2,257 ft - Leave the road and take the footpath on the left
  5. 4 : mi 1.41 - alt. 2,559 ft - Saint-Même d'en bas
  6. 5 : mi 1.58 - alt. 2,543 ft - Take the path on the left towards Saint-Même d'en haut
  7. 6 : mi 1.82 - alt. 2,730 ft - Saint-Même d'en haut
  8. 7 : mi 2.28 - alt. 2,808 ft - Drugey bridge
  9. 8 : mi 2.55 - alt. 2,838 ft - Take the uphill path on the left
  10. 9 : mi 2.9 - alt. 3,438 ft - Altitude 1035 m.
  11. S/E : mi 6.06 - alt. 2,119 ft - Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont village car park

Notes

Inn at the Cirque de Saint-Même.

Worth a visit

The Bear Museum in Entremont le Vieux.
Cheese factories in Entremont and La Plagne.
The Col du Granier.
The Grande Chartreuse Monastery.
Picnic by the stream.
The Church of Saint-Hugues de Chartreuse.
The church at Corbel.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 116 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 28951289

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route was completely up to date when we walked it, with very useful landmarks such as tree trunks along the way, etc. It’s best to walk the entire route from St Pierre d’Entremont, as the final stage – which is marked as difficult – offers the greatest reward for the effort put in.

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User 30090209

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A brilliant hike, but please note that the path from Saint Pierre d’Entremont to St-Même d’en bas is closed due to tree felling until 26 August 2026. At the start of the path, there were no signs indicating that it was closed, but there is a notice in St-Même. You’ll need to set off from the top of Saint Pierre, head up towards Les Bandets and then descend to St-Même d’en Bas to get round the closed section of the trail (and tackle a steep climb as well).

Otherwise, a very pleasant walk, with plenty of wash houses along the way to cool off and some lovely views. It was quite busy in the cirque beyond the car park, and there’s a steep climb to reach the waterfall, but the view is magnificent and definitely worth the effort!
On the way back, I took the quieter path towards the Drugey bridge (path on the left) up to St Même d’en Haut so as not to retrace my steps once I’d left the cirque.

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SoCourt
SoCourt

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very busy from the car park onwards.
A magnificent natural site.

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Pierre !
Pierre !

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant hike on 14 July at 8 am. The route is mostly in the shade and you’re guaranteed a refreshing break at the waterfall (which is stunning). The climb up to the waterfall is a bit steep and challenging (quite vertical). Nothing you can’t manage, though. Otherwise, head up on the right. Definitely worth a go!

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User 28442715

We set off from the bottom of the village and completed the whole walk; part of it took us through the fields, which were a bit sunny, but that bit went by very quickly – less than 10 minutes – and then we arrived at the bottom. There were lots of people there; the ice-cream seller was tempting, then we tackled the climb up the rocky path, and that was a real workout. Right at the top was this magnificent waterfall, at 18 degrees, with a constant mist, even thoughit was 38 degrees in the valley. We made our way back as planned on Visorando, following the route in reverse, and reached our car at the very bottom of the village rather than at the designated car park – otherwise the walk would have been far too short; it’s just perfect. I really wanted to see that big waterfall. Not really recommended for children or people who don’t regularly climb on rocky terrain – it’s quite twisty and unbalanced; I’d say there’s a high risk of twisting your ankles… In conclusion, a very good hike – thank you to the trail markers, and thank you also to the men who built the large footbridge right at the top for the return journey
I’d like to point out that the people who say there’s a lot of tarmac must not have taken the same route as us – there’s at most 800 metres of road out of 11 km.

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User 28442715

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We set off from the bottom of the village and completed the whole walk; part of it took us through the fields, which were a bit sunny, but that bit went by very quickly – less than 10 minutes – and then we arrived at the bottom. There were lots of people there; the ice-cream seller was tempting, and then we tackled the climb up the rocky path – and that was a real workout! Right at the top was this magnificent waterfall, with a temperature of 18 degrees and a constant mist, even thoughit was 38 degrees in the valley. We made our way back as planned on Visorando, following the route in reverse, and reached our car at the very bottom of the village rather than at the designated car park – otherwise the walk would have been far too short; this way it’s perfect. I really wanted to see this huge waterfall. Not really recommended for children or people who don’t regularly climb on rocky terrain – the climb is quite twisty and unbalanced; I’d say there’s a high risk of twisting your ankles… In conclusion, a very good hike – thank you to the trail markers, and thank you also to the men who built the large footbridge right at the top for the return journey.

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haahooooooo
haahooooooo

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Several steep and slippery sections (even in dry weather), and potentially dangerous with a baby in a special baby carrier. Rather than returning to the village of La Chambotte via the path beneath the rocks (which is steep and slippery), we took the road suitable for vehicles to avoid the uninteresting ascents and descents through the woods.
A few nice views on the way there

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Thomas73
Thomas73

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike, though it takes a while to reach the cirque itself. The climb up to the waterfall is steep and a bit technical.
The waterfall is magnificent, with plenty of water at this time of year. On the way down, we headed straight through the forest without going via the stone monuments and the St Même plain (it was very busy on this Easter Monday).
Next time I’ll come back via Les Bandets to avoid the tarmac section.
Note that dogs are strictly forbidden on the climb to the waterfall (why??)
I’ll definitely do this route again, but during the week...

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valy38
valy38

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike starting from Saint Pierre, fairly easy despite the cold and the early start at 9am. There were already quite a few people, especially from the car park. We climbed a little higher than the waterfall at the source of the Guiers, and you need to be careful on this steep path. On the way back, so as not to take the same route, we took detours, first just after the waterfall, where we went straight on: the path on the left at Les Stèles (you can see the path on the IGN map) and then, on leaving Saint Pierre, we went via Les Bandets, which allowed us to enjoy the sunshine... but that meant an extra kilometre and 600 metres of elevation gain.

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nadine.terras
nadine.terras

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The final climb to the waterfall is quite technical, especially in wet weather

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User 21711253

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

We did the hike in the opposite direction to allow us to have lunch at point 4 before heading to the bottom of the lower waterfall. We went beyond the bottom of the lower waterfall to reach the upper waterfall at the top of the cirque and returned via the GR trail. The route is physically demanding and is recommended for experienced walkers.
The description of the route is accurate in terms of the terrain encountered.

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Muriel et christian
Muriel et christian

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very parish specific to Brittany route with a nice climb at the start

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User 230642

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very shaded and pleasant route. Fallen trees sometimes obstruct the path, but there are no insurmountable obstacles.
Very busy at the cirque during high season.
Very pleasant walk with beautiful views of the waterfalls.

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Piter
Piter

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

There are quite a few people because it's not very long or steep, but the waterfalls are really beautiful. And it's very pleasant in hot weather!
In St Même, there's some very good organic sourdough bread baked in a wood-fired oven. A real treat!

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User 26239271

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Parking at St Pierre d'Entremont is much better, as parking at the cirque is paid and very crowded.
It's a magnificent place, so don't hesitate to make a detour to the "isolated waterfall", which is absolutely beautiful.
The route is well signposted and, after a steep climb, remains easy.

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