Day 1: Arrival in Lyon and transfer to Chichilliane/Richardière

The journey from the airport to our destination is a couple of hours drive and, depending on out time of arrival in Lyon, we may be able to break it with some brief roadside stops on our way to our first base for the trip. There may also be time for a short walk before dinner once we are settled in to our hotel.

Day 2: Exploration of the local area

Our first full day in the Vercors will be taken to enjoy some of the immediate area around our base. We will take a morning walk through the village of Chichilliane and out into the countryside beyond where we hope to find a variety of orchids flowering. We will be treated to spectacular views of the iconic Mont Aiguille while we wander and may see flowers such as Wintergreens, Bellflowers and Cow-wheats plus a variety of arable plants that are now scarce in Britain along with many more. The butterfly life here is diverse with opportunities to see such species as Pearly Heath, Black-Veined White and Scarce Swallowtail as well as more familiar species like Ringlet and Brown Argus. The woodland here supports a good array of bird life too and we hope to see Bonelli’s Warbler and Crested Tit among others, keeping our eyes open for glimpses of Red Squirrels too, while the meadows boast Yellowhammers, Skylarks and Redstarts.

In the afternoon we will visit a local Col to explore further. There is some damp meadow here and we may find some specialist plants such as Broad Leaved Marsh Orchid and Cotton Grasses as we walk alongside. They also often play host to damselflies and Mistle Thrushes can often be seen in the nearby trees. The drier meadows are full of Scabiouses and Yellow Rattle plus a vast array of other plants and provided the weather is good they tend to support a good number of butterflies including Scarce Copper, Adonis Blue and others as well as a lot of day flying burnet moths with a few rarer species thrown in such as Zygaena romeo.

Day 3: A woodland walk

The main part of our day today will be a walk up a track that passes a variety of meadows and on into mixed woodland. We will take our lunches with us to make the most of the day but the walking is reasonably easy and can be taken at our own pace to allow for photography and exploration of the glades we pass through. Depending on the season we may find Coralroot and Lady’s Slipper Orchids still flowering beneath the trees higher up but there are plenty of other flowers to see regardless including Herb Paris, Birds Nest Orchid and Tozzia. Butterflies are numerous too with Bright Eyed Ringlet, Heath and False Heath Fritillaries possible as well as many more. There are often Firecrests and Marsh Tits joining the more familiar woodland species here so we will listen and look for them while keeping an eye on the valley below as we climb where it is possible to get excellent views of both Common and Alpine Swifts hawking for insects.

Depending on time and weather we may take a second stop for the day a short way further along the road where a spectacular view of the Vercors Massif stretches before us. There are often Apollo butterflies here too providing an extra treat.

Day 4: Visit a high plateau

Following a similar format to the previous day we will have a day exploring a high plateau today. The vehicle will take most of the strain but there is a short uphill walk to reach the plateau itself. This again can be taken at leisure – there is no rush to get to the top and plenty to see along the way including flowers like Whorled Solomon’s Seal and Round Leaved Saxifrage plus butterflies such as Dingy Skipper and Queen of Spain Fritillary. The plateau itself will offer a possibility of seeing Alpine Marmot, Alpine Ibex, Chamois and larger birds such as Golden Eagle and Griffon Vultures. There are some interesting smaller birds up here too such as Citril Finch, and we may see Tree Pipit or Crossbill as we break the treeline. The flowers up here are spectacular as well with many low-growing, typically Alpine species such as Mountain Avens, Saxifrages, Gentians, Alpine Aster, Wild Tulip and a variety of Orchids. The butterflies don’t disappoint either with Clouded Apollo, Duke of Burgundy, Mazarine Blue, Grizzled Skipper, Mallow Skipper, Clouded Yellow and Berger’s Clouded Yellow plus Southern Comma all possible amongst others.

Day 5: Transfer to La Chapelle en Vercors

Today we transfer to our second base in the picturesque village of La Chapelle en Vercors. We will make several stops on our way to make the most of our time and take in as much as possible while we are here. The impressive Col de Rousset will be on our route and a brief stop here should yield a few butterflies alongside the extraordinary view.

Day 6 & 7: Explore the local area

Our time in La Chapelle en Vercors will be spent exploring several of the nearby Cols and some lovely flowery meadows, each of which has a slightly different array of butterflies and plants to enjoy. Among them, we hope to find Lizard Orchids, Round Headed Orchids, Large and Small Yellow Foxgloves, Spiked Rampions and a variety of other lovely plants. We should also see Ascalaphids or Owlflies as well as numerous butterflies including Adonis Blue, Spotted Fritillary, Black Veined White, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Almond-eyed Ringlet, Scarce Copper, Poplar Admiral, Lesser Marbled Fritillary, Mountain Alcon Blue, Glandon Blue, Reverdin’s Blue, Pearly Heath, Woodland Brown, Heath Fritillary, Apollo, Silver-Washed Fritillary, Swallowtail and Marbled White plus many more.

Day 8: Transfer to Lyon for departure

Depending on the timing of our flight home, we may be able to take a last walk in the morning before we set off for the airport, or make a short stop on our way.

2023 “It is difficult to fault this superb trip.” Simon P

2022 “It was great to spend a week with like-minded individuals with the amazing Vercors Massif as the backdrop. We saw over 90 species of butterfly in the week along with many birds, bugs and orchids. The guides were fantastic and shared their extensive knowledge thoughout. The group got on really well and both they and the outstanding accommodation made this an unforgettable trip that I would recommend to anyone who has any interest in nature.” Antony W

The Vercors Holiday Report 30th June – 7th July 2023

The Vercors Holiday Report 24th June – 1st July 2022