For most of these activities, a qualified instructor provides all the equipment: just book and turn up in sportswear. The Vercors is riddled with thousands of caves, so caving is a local speciality, and the Furon and Écouges canyons are among the finest in the Grenoble area.
For younger visitors, most of the action is at the Balcon de Villard, ten minutes from the chalet: downhill karts, tubing and zip lines. To cool off, there is the village aquatic centre or the River Bourne at Pont-en-Royans.
Paragliding and hot-air ballooning
A first flight is a tandem flight with an instructor: a few running steps are all it takes, with no need to be particularly fit. Everything depends on the weather, so the flight time is confirmed on the morning itself.
- From age 7
- 10 to 25 min flight
- Max. 95 kg
This Vercors paragliding school flies from the Lans viewpoint all season, and in summer from Côte 2000 at Villard, reached by gondola. Three options, from the discovery flight to the ‘Sensation’ flight, where you can take the controls. Winter tandem flights take off from the ski slopes.
Good to know: 2026: Discovery €85, Sensation €100 to €130, Performance €160 to €190, winter flight €70; photos and video €30. April to mid-October; call the school from 9 am on the day of your flight.
parapente-alto.com ↗ 06 85 55 39 27
Tandem flights from several sites in the Vercors, and from Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet when conditions are better there. From a short discovery flight to a longer flight riding the thermals.
Good to know: 2026: discovery flight €35 at Méaudre, €60 elsewhere; Ascendance €80. Deposit paid online.
parapente-isere.com ↗ 06 76 33 75 11
Float over the plateau in a hot-air balloon at sunrise, with views across the whole massif. Shared flight or private basket, and a drink on landing.
Good to know: Prices and booking on the website; flights are cancelled in bad weather.
air-alpes-adventure.fr ↗ 06 42 52 82 85
Canyoning
From May or June to September, depending on water levels. You need to be able to swim; wetsuit, helmet and harness are provided, and no jump is compulsory. The Furon and the Versoud are perfect for beginners, the Écouges for the sporty.
- From age 10
- Furon, Versoud, Écouges
The village’s instructors’ office guides groups down most of the canyons in the northern Vercors. Their introductory trip is the upper Furon: natural water slides, small jumps, an abseil, a passage through a cave and a zip line.
Good to know: 2026: upper Furon €50, full Furon €75; Versoud €45; Écouges €50 to €130. Book online.
vercors-aventure.com ↗ 06 98 57 54 06
- Since 1997
- Caving and canyoning
Five state-qualified canyoning and caving instructors: Furon, Versoud, Écouges (abseils of 12 to 28 m), Infernet, and the full Écouges for experienced canyoners.
Good to know: 2026: Furon part 1, €60 (€55 under 16); Écouges part 2, €65. Trips go ahead with 4 or more people.
speleo-canyon.com ↗ 06 81 54 65 71
Émergence Spéléo & Canyon
Meet at the canyon
- Versoud from age 8
- Family-friendly
Family-friendly and sportier descents around Grenoble. The Versoud is their most accessible trip for children; part 2 of the Écouges includes a 30 m abseil beneath the waterfall.
Good to know: 2026: Versoud €50 (from age 8, 3 hrs), Furon €50 (from age 10, 4 hrs), Écouges €60 (from age 12).
emergence-speleo.com ↗ 06 22 72 43 86
Caving
The Gouffre Berger, in the Vercors, was the first cave ever explored to a depth of more than 1,000 m. For a first time, instructors take families into horizontal caves, with no rope work needed. It is 10 °C underground: ideal on a rainy day or in a heatwave.
For families: the Grotte Roche in the Bourne gorges, the Trou qui Souffle at Méaudre or the Cuves de Sassenage. To go further: an abseil descent at Les Eymards or the underground river of Gournier.
Good to know: 2026: introduction from €47, Eymards from €54, Gournier from €85. Half day.
vercors-aventure.com ↗ 06 98 57 54 06
Bureau des Moniteurs du Vercors, caving
Lans-en-Vercors
- From age 6
- Gournier by boat
The Vercors caving specialists. At Gournier, you cross the entrance lake by boat, then follow 800 m of passages decorated with stalactites and other formations to the underground river.
Good to know: 2026: Grotte Roche €50 (€45 under 14), Gournier €90.
speleo-canyon.com ↗ 06 81 54 65 71
A half day in large passages full of rock formations, with no technical difficulty. For strong swimmers, a full day in the underground river of Gournier, much of it spent in the water.
Good to know: 2026: discovery trip €50 per person with 4 or more people; Gournier €90. Equipment provided.
emergence-speleo.com ↗ 06 22 72 43 86
Spéléo’Tour de Méaudre (caving tower)
Méaudre · ≈ 20 min
- 12 m tower
- For bad weather
A 12 m artificial structure with tunnels and an overhanging roof, for a fun introduction to moving on ropes before a real trip underground.
Good to know: Only with an instructor (for example the Bureau des Moniteurs du Vercors).
station.autrans-meaudre.fr ↗
Climbing and via ferrata
There are plenty of bolted crags close by: the Fauge valley (ideal with children), Corrençon, Lans, Les Allières, and the big walls of Presles.
- Bouldering gym
- Kids’ area for ages 3-12
The first bouldering gym in the Vercors: 250 m² of climbing, problems reset every week, and a children’s area with animal-shaped holds and a slide. Snack bar with mountain views.
Good to know: 2026: €15 adult, €10 under 12, €7.50 under 5; climbing shoes €4. Open daily, no booking needed.
blocdelours.com ↗ 04 56 45 85 38
- Introduction
- Multi-pitch routes
Guided sessions on the crags around the chalet, from children’s introductions in the Fauge valley to the multi-pitch routes of Presles.
Good to know: Introduction from €35 per person (2026).
vercors-aventure.com ↗ 06 98 57 54 06
- No experience needed
- Guided
A via ferrata is a cliff route equipped with steel cables, rungs and ladders that you clip into; a via corda is a gentler version using ropes. The Choranche via corda follows a long ledge across the Presles cliffs, with no previous experience needed; the Saint-Martin one climbs 210 m up the cliffs of the Vierge du Vercors. For via ferrata, try the Bastille above Grenoble, or the Col de Rousset if you are sporty.
Good to know: 2026: via ferrata from €40; via corda at Choranche €40, Trois Pucelles €48, Saint-Martin €50.
vercors-aventure.com ↗ 06 98 57 54 06
Treetop adventure parks and zip lines
An adventure park set on the old 1968 Olympic run: mini courses for little ones, green, blue and red courses, and a ‘Tyro-parc’ of zip lines one after another.
Good to know: 2026: €10 to €23 depending on the course. Daily in July and August, 10 am–7 pm.
reservation.villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com ↗
- From age 3
- 110 obstacles
- 15 zip lines
Seven courses in the forest, two of them for children, with a continuous safety line for the youngest and a team of instructors keeping watch.
Good to know: 2026: €13 for ages 3 to 8, €17 for ages 9 to 16, €21 adult. April to November; booking essential.
vertetblanc.org ↗ 04 56 45 63 35
- 1,250 m
- From age 7
- Summer and winter
1,250 m of cable and 250 m of descent, covered in two minutes, either sitting in a harness or hanging from a handlebar so you can spin around. Solo or in pairs.
Good to know: 2026, chairlift included: €26.80 solo, €41.50 for two.
station.autrans-meaudre.fr ↗
Horse and pony riding
Long trousers and closed shoes are required everywhere.
- Horses from age 10
- Ponies for ages 2-9
A family-run equestrian farm: rides through the fir forests and up on the high plateaux, from gentle first rides to livelier outings, night rides, and a safe pony area for little ones.
Good to know: Summer 2026 (6 July to 30 August): 1-hour ride €24, full day €70; led pony ride €12 per half hour.
fermes-equestres-vercors.blog4ever.com ↗ 06 07 56 93 29
- Ages 2 to 10
- July and August
A summer pony club for young riders: led rides, introductions, courses, vaulting, archery on ponyback and an evening ride. Children look after their pony before and after.
Good to know: Led ride €12 per half hour, introduction €20. Cards not accepted.
villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com ↗ 07 82 75 00 12
Miniature ponies to meet and groom freely (LudiPoney), one-hour pony rides from age 3, and ‘junior vet’ workshops during the school holidays.
Good to know: LudiPoney: €12 per child, €2 per adult, no booking needed.
cheval-vercors.com ↗ 06 59 26 42 20
- Mini-courses for ages 5-10
Morning pony mini-courses during the school holidays, and horse and pony rides from June to September on the edge of the Hauts-Plateaux Nature Reserve.
Good to know: 2026: €35 per morning, €160 for 5 days. Cheque or cash.
villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com ↗ 06 86 23 59 84
Thrills for children and teenagers
Most of it happens at the Balcon de Villard, at the foot of the Côte 2000 gondola.
- 9 km descent
- Solo from 1.30 m tall
Ride up in the gondola, then come back down in a three-wheeled, engine-free off-road kart, along more than 9 km of tracks through forest and mountain pasture.
Good to know: Summer 2026, gondola included: €21 per descent; children from 1 m to 1.30 m tall ride with an adult for €6 extra.
villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com ↗ 04 76 94 50 50
- From 1 m tall
- July and August
A magic carpet lift takes you up, then take your pick: sliding down on an inflatable ring (tubing), jumping onto a giant airbag or a 220 m zip line with bends.
Good to know: Summer 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, 1 pm–5.15 pm: €7 per activity, €18 for all three.
alpes-isere.com ↗
- Mountain coaster
- All year round
1.3 km of toboggan on rails, at up to 40 km/h, with a brake to control your speed. It runs in almost any weather.
Good to know: About €8 per ride. With an adult from age 3, solo from age 8.
speed-luge-vercors.fr ↗ 04 76 94 40 06
- From age 14
- Summer and winter
Off-road electric scooters on waymarked routes: the Via Vercors, the Méaudret gorges, the Gève plateau. Junior electric mountain bikes for younger riders.
Good to know: 2026: €27 for 1 hour, €42 for 2 hours.
vercors-loisirs-elec.fr ↗ 07 81 58 85 75
A 1,200 m² pump track for bikes, balance bikes or scooters, a mountain bike trials area, dirt jumps and a skatepark. A good way to fill a late afternoon.
Good to know: Free access all year round; helmets compulsory.
villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com ↗
Golf and swimming
- 18 holes
- Par 71
- May to November
A course laid out at 1,155 m among clearings and forests, on the edge of the Hauts-Plateaux Nature Reserve. For families starting out: a 5-hole beginners’ course and a 45-bay driving range. Club and buggy hire.
Good to know: Lessons from €35. Book your tee times.
golfdecorrencon.com ↗ 04 76 95 80 42
Villard-de-Lans aquatic centre
Espace Loisirs · ≈ 5 min
- Wave pool
- Outdoor pool in summer
A wave pool, water slides and paddling pools all year round; in summer, an outdoor pool and lawns as well.
Good to know: 2026: €9 adult, €6 child.
villarddelans-correnconenvercors.com ↗ 04 76 95 50 12
Méaudre mountain pool
Méaudre · ≈ 20 min
- Open-air
- Mid-June to end of August
An open-air 25 m pool, a play pool and a paddling pool, with a playground, zip line, skatepark and pump track next door.
Good to know: Daily 10 am–7 pm, 19 June to 30 August 2026.
station.autrans-meaudre.fr ↗ 04 76 95 20 70
There is no swimming lake on the plateau. The nearest spot is the River Bourne, below the village’s famous hanging houses: a small waterfall, picnic tables and a play area. Easy to combine with a visit to the Choranche caves.
Good to know: No lifeguard: keep an eye on children and on the water level.
alpes-isere.com ↗
Our tips
- Book canyoning, caving and paragliding a few days ahead during the summer holidays: groups fill up quickly, and trips only go ahead with 4 or more people.
- Keep a spare day for paragliding: flights can be postponed at the last minute because of the wind.
- For canyoning, wear a swimsuit under your wetsuit and bring trainers that can get wet.
- On a very hot day, caving is the best idea: it is 10 °C underground.
Information gathered in October 2026 from the providers and the tourist office. Prices, opening times and seasons change: please check before you go. We receive no commission from any of these businesses.