Summer in Morzine is simply stunning. We absolutely love it out here in the French Alps and there are so many summer family activity holiday options in Morzine and the Portes du Soleil. Whether you are a super active family looking for an adventure holiday in the mountains or you simply want to take life a little bit slower and just bask in the sunshine then Morzine has you covered for your alpine summer holiday. Morzine is particularly well geared up for family activities holidays through the Multipass scheme – it is an activity scheme that is available in Morzine and throughout the Portes du Soleil designed for families to try out the fantastic activities the area has to offer. For just €2 per person per day you gain access to around 60 activities across the Portes du Soleil – some of these activities are then completely free and others come with a big discount off the standard prices. For more information on the Multipass scheme and how it can apply to your family activity holiday in Morzine please click here. The summer family activity holiday options in Morzine are endless and we can’t wait to tell you all about them! Our first 5 suggestions are the more active options and the second 5 suggestions are more slower placed:
White Water Rafting
The River Dranse runs through Morzine and all the way down the valley into Lake Geneva at Thonon Les Bains. White water rafting is therefore super accessible from the centre of Morzine. The rafting involves being guided down the river with your instructor and a maximum of 8 people in the boat as you negotiate various rapids and gorges. Trips typically take between 2 – 2.5 hours and there are various levels for abilities and ages. Frogs Rafting are great and offer a ‘Classic Trip’ with a minimum age of 8 and a ‘Pro Trip’ with a minimum age of 16.
Treetop Adventure
Swinging from treetops and walking along tightropes in the forest canopy is the order of the day here. The Treetop Adventure is very similar to ‘Go Ape’ in the UK and a huge amount of fun for both children and adults. Available at Nyon (a 15 minute walk from the town centre) and the Parc des Dereches (a 10 minute walk from the town centre). For more information please see the Indiana Aventures website.
Day Walking Trips
Morzine and the surrounding areas have some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the world. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday we offer self-guided walking trips along some of the best routes in the surrounding mountains. The difficulty can be tailored to your family’s walking abilities and enthusiasm levels! Tasty Ski provides transport to the start point and from the end point, a packed lunch, detailed route guides and maps, and in-resort concierge during the walks. One of the best walks involves being dropped off at the beautiful Lac de Mines d’Or, heading up to the Col de Cou at 1921m and then back down along the stunning Dranse river back into Morzine. For more details please see our self-guided walking page. The below view is of Mont Blanc at the end of our Mont Chery self-guided day trip.
The Morzine Summer Luge
Think Cool Runnings but in the summer. Take the La Crusaz chairlift up to Le Pleney mountain with your sledge and then slide down the hill all the way back to the bottom of the slope. Younger children can ride with an adult and it is also possible to race side by side!
The Fantasticable
Cross the Plaine Dranse on two zip lines and look like Superman! The Fantasticable is a huge zip line where you reach speeds of up to 100kmph from the top of the Chain Fleurie chairlift across to the other side of the mountain. The first cable is 1200m long and the second slightly more at 1325m. You will reach a maximum height of a whopping 240m off the mountain floor! There is no age restriction but you need to be a minimum of 35kg. Tandem flights are also available. To get to The Fantasitcable you can either take the lift system through Super Morzine or drive up to Les Lindarets and then take the Chaux Fleurie Chairlift.
Lac Montriond
The Montriond lake is just a 45 minute walk from Morzine and a truly stunning corner of the Alps tucked away behind some imposing cliff faces. For the more adventurous you can hire kayaks and stand up paddle boards and a couple of days a week it is even possible to try paddle board yoga! There are a few bars and restaurants surrounding Lac Montriond and it takes around 30 minutes to walk around the whole lake. One of the best activities is the simplest – bring a barbecue with you in the late afternoon and cook up a feast as the sun sets beyond the mountains.
Les Gorges du Pont du Diable (Devil’s Gorge)
The Devil’s Gorge is a hugely impressive cavern where you are taken by a bilingual guide to explore the vast spaces carved out of the stone over millions of years. There are various vantage points along the way on suspended bridges and the half day trip offers a nice opportunity to see a hidden natural gem. To get to the Devil’s Gorge you need to drive through St Jeans d’Aulps along the D902 which takes about 30 minutes. If you don’t have transport then we can arrange pick ups and drop offs from your catered or self-catered chalet.
La Fruitiere Cheese Tours
Morzine is a traditional farming town and subsequently has a rich tradition of dairy production and cheese making. Every Wednesday and Thursday morning there is a quick tour of La Fruitiere L’Alpage which gives a fascinating incite into this little artisan cheese making factory and the local farming culture. The cheese cellar is enormous and is a lot of fun to try and name the cheeses – the Tomme de Savoie, Abondance and Reblochon are local favourites and in abundant supply at La Fruitiere. There is also an excellent restaurant where you can tuck into the produce afterwards.
Morzine Outdoor Swimming Complex
Located in the centre of town and only a few minutes walk from all of our chalets. Morzine swimming complex has an Olympic size 50m swimming pool along with a shallower small pool and a fantastic outdoor slide. There is plenty of space to chill out and enjoy the sunshine, with various deck chairs dotted around and a nice south facing sloping section of grass which is perfect to catch the afternoon rays. There is also an indoor 25m pool along with a Spa area complete with 3 saunas and 2 steam rooms. For opening times please click here.
Horse Riding in Morzine
Tucked away in the Parc des Dereches along the river is the excellent Morzine Horse Riding School. There are excellent options for complete beginners through to longer treks up towards Lac Montriond and also along the Vallee de la Manche. It is possible to do single sessions for a couple of hours through to a full week course. For more details please see this link to the Morzine Horse Riding School.
So we hope this guide has provided a little taster for the family activity options available in Morzine and the Portes du Soleil during the summer. It truly is a spectacular setting for a family holiday in the mountains. There is nothing quite like Morzine in the UK – if you are standing on The Grange balcony you are super close to the imposing and beautiful Pointe de Ressachaux at 2173. To put this into perspective Ben Nevis the tallest mountain in the UK is a meagre 1345m! This is of course not an exhaustive list for summer family activities in Morzine. The Portes du Soleil arguably has the downhill mountain biking in Europe which you can read more about by clicking here. There are a huge number of extra summer activity options that you can read about by clicking here. If you are coming to stay with us for your family activity holiday with us in Morzine then we look forward to welcoming you here – it truly is a stunning place in the summer!