For two months a year, the Alps' most glamorous ski resort becomes something else entirely. From early July to late August the lifts slow, the boutiques shut, the prices fall — and Courchevel turns green: alpine lakes, 200 kilometres of trails into the Vanoise, a golf course at 2,000 metres, and the quiet the winter never allows. Here is what the resort becomes in summer, and how to make the most of it.
Courchevel is built for winter — palace hotels, the densest cluster of Michelin stars of any ski resort, an entire social season. Summer inverts all of it. For roughly two months — the 2026 season runs 4 July to 28 August — a handful of lifts turn, most hotels and boutiques stay shut, room rates fall sharply, and the draw becomes the mountains themselves: lakes, trails and long light evenings. It is the resort at its calmest and most affordable, and it suits a completely different traveller — families, hikers, golfers and cyclists rather than the winter luxury crowd.
Courchevel in summer, at a glance
| Activity | Where | Who it suits | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake beach & swimming | Lac du Praz (Le Praz, ~1,300 m) | Families | The only supervised, lifeguarded bathing beach — free, July–August |
| Turquoise forest lake | Lac de la Rosière (1,514 m) | Families, gentle adventurers | Kayak, treetop park, family via ferrata (swimming not supervised) |
| Aquamotion | Courchevel Village (year-round) | Families, wellness, wet days | Billed as the Alps' largest aqua-centre; indoor surf wave, 25 m pool, spa |
| Golf | Verdons plateau, foot of La Saulire (~2,000 m) | Golfers | 9 holes; one of Europe's highest courses |
| Hiking | 200+ km of trails; the Vanoise NP | Hikers, nature lovers | Gateway to France's first national park (1963); Lacs Merlet ~2,400 m |
| Mountain biking | Bike Park Courchevel | Cyclists, e-bikers | ~145 km of trails; descent from La Saulire (2,740 m) to Le Praz |
| Via ferrata | Rosière (family) / Croix des Verdons (expert) | Climbers | Croix des Verdons is the highest via ferrata in France (2,739 m) |
| Paragliding & scenic flights | Above the Three Valleys · the Altiport (2,008 m) | Thrill- and view-seekers | Tandem flights and balloon rides with Mont Blanc on the horizon |
A different resort entirely
The summer season is short and high-summer only. Around three of the resort's lifts — the Saulire cable car and the Verdons and Le Praz gondolas — run seven days a week from early July to late August, and return trips are free for pedestrians (mountain bikers need an MTB pass). Outside that roughly two-month window, most lifts and many hotels are closed. The trade for that narrow calendar is everything the winter cannot offer: a fraction of the crowds, a fraction of the prices, and a resort given back to nature rather than nightlife.
The lakes — and the only place to swim
Down in Le Praz (Courchevel 1300) is the resort's real beach: Lac du Praz has a supervised, lifeguarded bathing area, free and open through July and August, with picnic and barbecue spots and tennis and beach-volleyball courts alongside. Higher up, Lac de la Rosière (1,514 m) is a turquoise lake in fir forest below the Dent du Villard — kayaking, a treetop adventure park, a family via ferrata and a picnic chalet — but swimming there is not supervised (and officially not allowed), so keep the bathing to Le Praz. Anglers have eight alpine lakes open, stocked with trout, brook salmon and Arctic char; a permit is compulsory.
Aquamotion — the all-weather day
When cloud sits on the peaks, Aquamotion is the answer. Widely billed as the largest aquatic centre in the Alps — around 15,000 m² — it runs year-round, with a 25-metre sports pool, an indoor-outdoor lagoon heated to 30–32°C, a wild-water slide of more than 100 metres, a rare indoor surf wave, an aqua-climbing wall, saunas, a hammam and a full spa. It is the family rainy-day insurance and the wellness anchor of a summer stay.
Golf at 2,000 metres
The Golf de Courchevel sits on the Verdons plateau at the foot of La Saulire, at roughly 2,000 metres — one of the highest courses in Europe, though not the very highest. Nine holes, par 27, laid out by Robert Berthet in 1988: the thin mountain air carries the ball further, and the backdrop is the Vanoise. A round here is as much about the setting as the score.
Hiking into the Vanoise
Courchevel is a gateway to the Vanoise National Park — France's very first national park, created in 1963, and one of Europe's great ibex-conservation successes. More than 200 kilometres of marked trails climb from the villages; the signature walk is to the Lacs Merlet, a pair of glacial lakes at around 2,400 metres beneath the Aiguille du Fruit, the upper one 28 metres deep. Gentler options include the Rosière torrent walk to the Cascade des Poux waterfall. Chamois, marmots and ibex are common sights, and the light in the long evenings is reason enough to stay out late.
The bike park
Summer also belongs to mountain bikers. Bike Park Courchevel runs around 145 kilometres of enduro, downhill and e-bike trails — from beginner “Funny Track” runs off the Verdons gondola to the flagship descent from the La Saulire summit (2,740 m) down to Le Praz (1,350 m), nearly 1,400 vertical metres. E-bike charging stations at the Col de la Loze and Le Praz keep the assisted riders going, and bikes ride the summer lifts with a pass.
Via ferrata, paragliding and festivals
For a head for heights, the Croix des Verdons via ferrata is the highest in France, topping out at 2,739 metres, with a gentler family route down at Lac de la Rosière. Tandem paragliding lifts you over the Three Valleys with Mont Blanc on the horizon; there are free tennis courts by the Olympic ski jump at Le Praz; and scenic flights and balloon rides operate from the altiport — at 2,008 metres, one of Europe's highest and most dramatic mountain airfields. Summer is festival season too: Baroque concerts in the Jardin Alpin and the Église du Praz, the Les 3 Coups theatre festival and the Magic Festival, and a Savoyard heritage day at Le Praz.
When to come
The window is narrow — plan for early July to late August, when the lifts run and the activities are open; outside it, the resort largely closes. Book ahead for the school-holiday weeks, but expect a fraction of winter's prices and crowds. For the full shape of the resort's calendar see our guide to when to go, and browse the summer hub for lake activities, hiking and golf.
