The hike leaves from the motocross track car park in Ascain.
An information board on the different species of animals and plants that you may come across is at the start of the track which rises. It's a track suitable for vehicles that climbs in the direction of the Rhune. You might come across small semi-wild horses called Pottoks.
(1) The track is quite dry but as soon as you arrive at a small stream, a path goes off to your right. Take it to reach the plateau of Ihizelaia, and the MIramar viewing point. This track narrows to become a path that you have to follow until you come across the track that climbs up to the summit of the Rhune.
(2) A track coming from your right climbs an entire valley with small watercourses. Keep going straight in the direction of the summit.
The path crosses a small forest, then you attack a fairly steep climb. You can see on your left the small Train de la Rhune as well as vultures that take advantage of thermals produced by the landform. At the top, cross the tracks and the station and go to the terrace (3) which offers a panoramic view over the Basque country. The descent follows the same path until you reach the forest. Cross it and then when you get to the signposts, go straight ahead in the direction of "trois fontaines". (4)Cross the small stream and climb up opposite on the path to go as far as the "Redoute" (and old fortification).
(5) To get back, you can cut across the pastures with small horses to get back to your path. Descend until the small stream and cross it to get back to the vehicle track you started on, and walk back down to the car park via the same route.
The Rhune
A hike that will lead you to one of the primary summits of the Pyrenees, offering you a view over the entire Basque country, French and Spanish.
Technical sheet
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Activity: Walking -
Distance: 12.40 km -
Average duration: 5h 45 -
Difficulty: Moderate -
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Return to departure point: Yes -
Vertical gain: + 761 m -
Vertical drop: - 761 m -
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Highest point: 890 m -
Lowest point: 145 m
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Country:
France
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Areas: Pyrénées, Basque Country -
District:
Ascain (64310) -
Start/End: N 43.332566° / W 1.622891° -
IGN map(s): Ref. 1245OT -
Hour-by-hour weather
Photos
Description of the walk
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 145 m - Car park
- 1 : km 0.75 - alt. 263 m - Crossing (reference 263)
- 2 : km 1.78 - alt. 390 m
- 3 : km 4.02 - alt. 574 m
- 4 : km 5.68 - alt. 890 m - La Rhune
- 5 : km 7.94 - alt. 533 m
- 6 : km 8.82 - alt. 545 m
- S/E : km 12.4 - alt. 145 m - Car park
Reviews and comments
4.5 / 5
4.3 / 5
4.6 / 5
Overall rating : 3.3 / 5
Date of walk : Jun 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes
There is no longer any parking at the motocross track. You will need to drive to the start of the hike, but parking spaces are limited. The most convenient option is to park in the village of Ascain.
This is a beautiful hike, but the summit of the Rhune is very rocky, making the reward of a delicious omelette at the top all the more enjoyable.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes
Very beautiful view from the summit when the sky is clear
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : Apr 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No
A fairly strenuous hike.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : Feb 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No
A good time to climb La Rhune
Spectacular views
Shorter route. The climb is quite stony. Plateau option for a gentle climb
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Overall rating : 5 / 5
Date of walk : Dec 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes
I recommend this hike, which is certainly sporty but accessible.
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Overall rating : 3.3 / 5
Date of walk : Oct 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No
The descent from La Rhune via the redoubt avoids repeating the same route as the outward journey, but is not at all suitable: the path indicated is approximate and since the route was published it passes through very prickly gorse bushes that it is not easy to get round.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : Sep 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No
Ah la Rhune! Under the sun, then in clouds, fog and rain, which arrived just before the summit! 
Fortunately, it didn't last long!
The route from the car park to the summit is easy, with a little more climbing on the final stretch, but it's not too bad. I'd still advise you to have good shoes and why not poles, which can help.
There were more runners than hikers, a lot of potoks and blackberries and a lot of tourists on the little Rhune train.
A hike to do again to enjoy a sunny 360°!
I'd recommend it.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes
beautiful circuit with wonderful views
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of walk : Aug 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No
Walk completed on 1 September 2024. The climb to the Rhune intensifies on the last section, so good walking shoes are essential. At the summit, the fog had gradually lifted, giving superb views.
The problem with this hike is point 6 on the way back.
We were invited (we had no choice, otherwise it was a U-turn...) to cross the little horses' pastures, and without a GPS it was impossible. In any case, we had to walk on marshy ground with difficult footing, not to mention the plants that claw you as you cross certain embankments.
I can only advise against this point 6 and as a result it spoils this loop hike. The solution for me is to take the footpath at point 5 that leads back to point 2.
For the rest, the landscapes, views and animals are sublime.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : Jun 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes
Pleasant walk from Ascain, easy route but very busy, superb view from the summit.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No
We set off from the Col de St Ignace. Following the path was no problem. The whole point of the hike is to climb to the summit without taking the little train, to enjoy the superb panorama. Fortunately, we were able to choose the day (sunny, with few cloudy spells). If there's no visibility, there's little point. We wanted to go back down by train to avoid breaking our leg muscles. But given the prices, we decided to walk back down: €22 for the descent compared with €24 for the return.
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No
Superb hike. The scenery is beautiful and we saw lots of animals. During the week, outside school holidays, it was a bit crowded, but we were a long way from stepping on each other's toes. Be careful at point 6: the horse pastures are difficult to get to (no defined path, lots of juniper (prickly), you sink into the stream), the easiest thing would be not to go there (fairly uninteresting) and join the road via another path.
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Overall rating : 4.7 / 5
Date of walk : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes
A pleasant but very busy walk! Easily done in 4 hours.
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Overall rating : 3.7 / 5
Date of walk : May 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes
The trail is very pleasant, the views are exceptional and we came across many different animals. During the hike, the route was extremely busy. There must have been at least 300 people making the ascent. As far as the accuracy of the proposed route is concerned, from stage 6 onwards, the proposed route does not exist. However, we can make out the path we took to climb the other valley. So we took a grove next to the path we'd taken on the way up as a reference point. As a result, we cut across the valley through the junipers and the stream to land on our feet (I wouldn't recommend doing what we did, as it requires a good sense of direction).
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Overall rating : 4.3 / 5
Date of walk : Jul 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes
The description goes just as far as point 6, where it is now impossible to go straight on (the juniper trees have grown over and are preventing any progress).
At point 5, you should now take the track (slightly to the left), and no longer go uphill past the stream to get to point 6 (which you will no longer reach), to rejoin the route between 6 and 2 for the return journey.
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