Loop walk around Lac de Tanay
This hike is not for the faint hearted, but the views are totally worth it! With a stop for lunch at one of the restaurants around the lake, it makes for a lovely day of hiking.
The loop is around 8-9km, with around 750m of elevation gain. It took us 4.5 hours of total hiking time. For the full GPS map of the route, click here.
Lac de Tanay is around 1h 45 minutes by car from Geneva without traffic. The start point is the car park de Flon which is right at the bottom of the hiking trail which takes you up to the lake. However we came here on a sunny Saturday at around 10.30am by which point the car park was full, so we were directed to park on the verge of the road another 2km or so down the road.
You follow signs up the steep path to Col de Tanay, which is well signed and thankfully shaded on this hot sunny day. It is very steep though and rocky, so good hiking shoes are advised. We were 4 adults with 4 children under the age of 4, so they all had to be carried. This is no mean feat when you are trying to climb a steep incline!
Given that we were carrying the kids, a decision was made that Luka would muck in too and carry the snacks and water. This was as always an endless source of entertainment on the hike for other hikers we met along the way.
We made numerous stops to take water breaks and the pre-schoolers did walk some sections of the hike up to the lake. 2 h. 20 minutes later, we finally arrived to be greeted by a spectacular view of a perfectly turquoise lake surrounded by mountains! I can tell you that was quite a relief as the climb had been pretty unrelenting.
We were particularly happy to have reached the top because we had a table booked for lunch at the Refuge de Grammont. We savoured our rostis as enjoyed the views as we recovered before the hike down.
The restaurant is a traditional style chalet but it seemed very recently refurbished and very clean inside. There is no changing table here, but I was able to use one of the inside benches to change Miya.
It is possible to drive to the top, there is a very small public car park just at the entrance to the path wrapping around the lake.
We took the kids and the dogs down to the lake for a quick dip before we continued on our hike down.
We continued on the path around the other side of the lake to start making the descent. As you reach to the other end of the lake from the restaurant, there is a sharp turn back on yourself where you take the path that will start leading you back down to the car park.
Take the switch back path here which takes you up a little bit before coming down the mountain
The route back does go up ever so slightly, going past a lookout point where you have the chance to see Lac Léman which is just behind the mountain overlooking Lac de Tanay. It’s a wonderful view and a nice spot for a break.
Beyond this point, it’s pretty much all the way down back to the main road where the car park is.
The descent took around 2 hours in total, and for most part much less steep, though the steep sections do require some concentration and strong quads! Don’t forget to tighten your shoelaces for the descent or you’ll end up with some crushed toes.
This was one of the hardest hikes we did with the kids, but we finished the day all tired and happy, which is a nice way to spend a day together! If you are a nature lover and fit enough to carry your children, it’s certainly a worthwhile trip to make and highly recommended.
Fun factor for child: 4/5 - A nice walk through nature and dip in the lake!
Fun factor for dog: 5/5 - What’s not to love! It’s a great walk through nature. The walk is a leashed zone, however.
Pram-friendly: No, you will definitely need to carry your child or they may be old enough to walk it themselves
Water Access for dogs: Yes
Potable water: Yes, bottled water can be bought at the restaurant and there is also a fountain near the restaurant for public consumption
Baby changing facilities: No
Note: Due to the steepness of the route, it would be unadvisable to do this route in adverse weather
Please review the Disclaimer before attempting any walk or activity mentioned on this website.
