Basic travel information
An active trip to Andorra takes you to the scenery of the Pyrenees mountains. The Pyrenees, which separate France and Spain, rise to more than 3,400 meters above sea level. The majority of the mountains are still wilderness, where bears, vultures, gems and alpine deer thrive. The tiny principality of Andorra in the high Pyrenees, on the French-Spanish border, almost isolated from the outside world until the 20th century. Today, this small Catalan-speaking country is a popular destination for winter sports and shopping tourism, especially among Spaniards.
From our accommodation in Andorra, guided by a local mountain guide, we make day trips to the stunning mountain scenery with its glacial lakes and lush valleys, while exploring the interesting flora, fauna and ancient nomadic culture of the Pyrenees.
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Itinerary
DAY 1 – HELSINKI – BARCELONA – ANDORRA
Direct flight to Spain, the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona, with transport to the center of the Pyrenees in the Principality of Andorra. Arrival in Andorra and the village of Encamp late in the evening.
ACCOMMODATION IN
HOTEL UNIVERS
DAY 2 – LAKES OF TRISTAINA
The first day of hiking takes us high into the mountains. We take a six-hour hike in the glacier-shaped valley, following the shores of three mountain lakes, enjoying the blooms of alpine meadows and stunning mountain scenery. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
HIKING
ACCOMMODATION IN
HOTEL UNIVERS
DAY 3 – SORTENY
The program for the second day of hiking includes about 6 km of hiking trail in the Sortenyy Nature Park, known for its rich vegetation. We hiked around the mountain lake of Estanyo and admire the mute mountain scenery of the Pyrenees, the old shepherd’s huts and the diverse flora and fauna of the mountains. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
HIKING
ACCOMMODATION IN
HOTEL UNIVERS
DAY 4 – PLA DE L’ESTANY
The third, slightly more challenging day of hiking is the highest mountain range in Andorra, where we hiked a 6-kilometer route around the Pla de l’Estany mountain lodge. We end the trip to the village of Arinsal. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
HIKING
ACCOMMODATION IN
HOTEL UNIVERS
DAY 5 – HOLIDAY
This day is reserved for your own program: you can go hiking on your own, relax in the popular Escaldes spa, for example, or explore Andorra’s sights and duty-free shopping. (OH)
ACCOMMODATION IN
HOTEL UNIVERS
DAY 6 – VALLEY OF INCLES
Today it is the turn of a great hiking trail and the Incles Valley. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
HIKING
ACCOMMODATION IN
HOTEL UNIVERS
DAY 7 – RIALPI VALLEY
Our final day of hiking is the beautiful Rialp Glacier Valley. We take a 6-hour hike, during which we cross the border to the French side and visit Lake Lac Bleu, which, as the name implies, is a dazzling turquoise blue. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. (UNDER)
ACTIVITIES
HIKING
ACCOMMODATION IN
HOTEL UNIVERS
DAY 8 – ANDORRA – BARCELONA
Check out of the hotel and free time before the bus ride in the evening back to the Spanish side and Barcelona airport. (A)
DAY 9 – BARCELONA – HELSINKI
Direct overnight return flight to Finland, which is reached in the morning.
MEALS: [A] BREAKFAST [L] LUNCH [I] DINNER
Additional information
Group size: 10-20 people
The price of the trip includes
- The price of the trip includes flights to
- Airport transfers
- Accommodations
- All transportation mentioned in the itinerary
- Excursions mentioned in the itinerary
- Entrance fees for guided tours
- Services of a Finnish-speaking tour guide and an English-speaking local guide
- Meals and airport taxes mentioned in the itinerary
The price of the trip does not include
- Travel insurance
- Visas
- Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
- Food drinks
- Personal expenses
- Local airport taxes or possible exit fees are not included in the price of air tickets.
- Office expenses 10 € / person
Lunches in the itinerary are excursion lunches.
Note: Itinerary routes and their order may vary; The local guide makes the final decisions about the routes according to the prevailing weather conditions and the condition of the group.
We fly to Barcelona on Finnair’s direct scheduled flights. The airline has the right to change its schedules, so do not book any connecting flights until you have received your flight tickets.
Preparation:
There are no actual fitness requirements for the trip, but the program is designed for anyone interested in hiking. The most important thing is that our customers feel that they have received the right amount of challenge for the trip. During the hiking trip in the Pyrenees, we move in a high air area (we ascend to an altitude of more than 2000m every day), there are about 500-700 vertical meters of ascents and descents on day trips. However, day mattresses are reasonably short and include rest breaks. The local guide makes decisions about the implementation of the day program according to the weather conditions, the condition of the group and the wishes. We recommend that you go for regular walks, for example, because the better your physical condition, the more you enjoy hiking trips.
Typical hiking day:
Luggage is stored comfortably in the hotel during the trip, so during hikes you only need to carry your own daypack with the necessary accessories for the day, such as a bottle of water, sun fat, a camera, a wallet and a small snack.
Country information:
Andorra is not part of the European Union or the Schengen area, so a passport is required to travel.
You need normal travel insurance for your trip. We recommend taking out travel insurance with cancellation protection.
The official language of Andorra is Catalan. Spanish, French and Portuguese are widely spoken, proficiency in English is slightly less common.
The currency of Andorra is the euro (€). Money can also be withdrawn from the on-site ATMs with the most common credit cards. The trip has mainly half board and excursion lunches, so the money is needed mainly for meals and snacks, food drinks and souvenirs, etc. that are not included in the itinerary.
Climate Andorra has a continental mountain climate: winters are cool and snowy, while summers are very warm. The best times to hike in Andorra are late spring and early fall. The sunny country has an average of 300 days a year.
Equipment for the trip
The following equipment list is made to facilitate packing for the trip and the products serve as an example:
- Hiking shoes, we recommend models that support the ankles
- Training shoes
- Hiking socks * 2
- Merino wool t-shirt (or moisture-wicking sports t-shirt) * 2
- Light hiking pants
- Hiking shorts
- Shell jacket (eg Gore Tex or similar)
- Shell pants (eg Gore Tex or similar)
- Softshell or fleece jacket
- Headgear to protect from the sun / scarf
- About 30 L daypack
- 2 * 1L water bottles
- Sunscreen (protection factor min. 20)
- Lip balm, protection factor 30-40
- Hiking poles
- Waterproof packing bag
Personal EA package
- Patches
- Bladder patches
- Ibuprofin or Paracetamol
