Park by the Bourget Lake in Monieux. (S/E)
Take the paved road leading due north-north-east towards the village, with yellow and orange waymarks,
Cross the D942 and take the road opposite leading to the castle ruins (vestiges du château). At the next crossroad(1) take a left on the "Rue Pré d'Estève" indicating the GR®9 direction,
After a while the paved road turns into a trail alongside a house to the right (the gable mounted by a crucifix). The path meets with the GR®9 waymarked white and red and heads up the mountain slope offering views of the lake. Then branch off to the left on a flat ledge signposted "sentier des chapelles"(2)
At the next crossing the trail stems into two larger paths, take the left-hand path bringing you to the road (D942) (3).
Cross it and start descending towards the gorges heading to the Saint-Michel chapel. A signpost warns you of potential danger as there are overhanging cliffs, but if you remain on the path, there's nothing to worry about.
Just after passing the Saint-Michel chapel (4) cross the Nesque River and head towards Saint Hubert and La Peisse, (this area can be tricky after heavy rainfall). The path rises along the left bank underneath the overhanging cliffs and higher offers amazing views of the gorges, Ventoux and the surrounding countryside. At the next crossing follow the GR® to the left.
When you get to the signpost "La Peisse" (5), leave the GR® and take the left-hand path towards Monieux and Font de Jean, waymarks will become yellow and orange.
At the Font de Jean crossing take a left heading towards the Bourget Lake.
The trail ends smoothly, continuing along the Nesque River and ending up at the lake and car park at your starting point (S/E)
The Nesque River gorges from Monieux
The Nesque River gorges and the Saint Michel chapel starting from the Bourget Lake in Monieux.
Details
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 8.32 km -
Average duration: 3h 30 -
Difficulty: Moderate -
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Back to start: Yes -
Ascent: + 388 m -
Descent: - 386 m -
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Highest point: 867 m -
Lowest point: 598 m
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Country:
France
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Area: Monts de Vaucluse -
City:
Monieux (84390) -
Start/End: N 44.056735° / E 5.354575° -
IGN map(s): Ref. 3140ET, 3140ETR -
Hour-by-hour weather
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 624 m - Lake Bourget
- 1 : km 1.18 - alt. 661 m - Monieux
- 2 : km 2.78 - alt. 865 m - Chapel Trail
- 3 : km 4.22 - alt. 736 m - D942
- 4 : km 4.73 - alt. 601 m - Chapelle Saint-Michel
- 5 : km 5.81 - alt. 723 m - La Peisse
- 6 : km 6.9 - alt. 687 m - Font de Jean. Valley of the - Nesque (rivière)
- S/E : km 8.32 - alt. 624 m - Lake Bourget
Notes
Family variation https://www.visorando.fr/randonnee-les-s...
Reviews and comments
4.7 / 5
4.7 / 5
4.8 / 5
Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A superb hike, but quite challenging during the descent through the gorges for amateur hikers like us. It’s best not to be prone to vertigo. Fortunately, we were well equipped (boots, walking poles). Some guides suggest doing the route in the opposite direction. I can confirm that despite the difficulty of the descent, it’s better to start as suggested here; the return journey is much easier and shaded. The hike took 3 hours and 15 minutes.
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Overall rating : 4 / 5
Date of your route : Apr 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Be careful not to take the wrong path; once you’ve crossed the river, there are two paths.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
It is indeed a very perilous descent after the road, but not excessively long. With good footwear and caution, it is manageable! This hike is reserved for experienced hikers who are not afraid of heights, but otherwise this site is breathtaking. Thank you.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes
In SAULT, after returning from the Tour du Massif du Ventoux - Tour du Ventoux via the summit, I had half a day to spare.
A friend had told me about the Gorges de la Nesque a few days before my trek.
Being there, I seized the opportunity to discover this site and explore its route, which was sublime!!!
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
It would seem advisable to do this hike in the opposite direction, as the descent towards La Nesque is very dangerous at the beginning after crossing the road. Personally, I would prefer to climb this section rather than descend it.
But it's still a very beautiful hike!
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A very beautiful hike; however, I recommend doing it in the opposite direction, as the descent is very steep in the direction indicated. Walking at a leisurely pace, it took us 2 hours and 45 minutes
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Aug 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes
A very beautiful hike, but there is indeed a tricky section, so you need good shoes.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No
moderate hike with some sections along the edge of cliffs. Take care with children, otherwise a nice hike
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Jul 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A very beautiful route, well described, but make sure you wear good walking shoes because some of the descents are quite steep. Take your time, it's worth it!
Thank you for this beautiful hike.
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of your route : Jun 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes
We discovered the gorges in June. A very beautiful hike starting from the lake. Magnificent landscapes. Not very difficult, but walking shoes are recommended, especially on the slightly rocky descents.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : May 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A very pleasant hike that is a bit challenging. You need good shoes, as there are some steep climbs and descents, and you must not be afraid of heights. The drops above the gorges are sometimes vertiginous. If you are planning to do this with children, they should be well-behaved, obedient, good walkers and not too restless...a sudden, careless step could be fatal in some places! The map is accurate, even though we took it upside down: we started at the lake and returned by road (which was a bit of a shortcut and there was no traffic: we saw two cars!).
Thank you for allowing us to try it for free, it gave us a chance to get to know the quality of the product and the site
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Great hike, not very long but quite steep. No boring sections and superb scenery in the gorges. Make sure you take plenty of water if you do this hike in summer.
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Overall rating : 3 / 5
Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No
It's a nice walk, but you shouldn't expect grandiose views, as is often the case with walks in gorges...
In our case, there was a lot of water in the Nesque at the end of March. The crossing at the chapel was a bit adventurous, "koh lanta" style, and we had to put in a few stones to improve the passage. After that, the passage was not easy to find.
There were a few tricky sections on the way down to the gorge where you had to get your hand in, but it was quite doable for adults with a bit of practice.
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of your route : Oct 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
A beautiful walk starting from the lake at Monieux. After the first few kilometres, you find yourself in sublime natural surroundings, especially at this time of year.
We had no particular problem following the GPS track, except that shortly after the chapel of Saint-Michel (point 4) we decided to stay in the riverbed (dry at this point and on the day of our walk) and join the track around point 6.
As a result, we didn't get to see the magnificent views from the balconies that Slinky praises. We'll have a chance to go back there. However, we were able to admire the vultures at the start of the hike.
For those hiking with their dogs, there are no particular difficulties on this route.
A video of our hike with our two dogs can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnRrWtT3...
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of your route : Sep 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No
Hello,
we went there at the beginning of July, it was very green, no water in the gorges; very beautiful panoramas, back in the shade. Not many people there. On the way by car, there were beautiful fields of lavender and clary sage, it was magnificent. We're going to do it again with a group from my association around the beginning of June 2025.
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