KE land only package services begin with dinner at the group hotel. On arrival at the airport in Nice, you can take advantage of the regular local bus service to your hotel. Full instructions will be given with your meeting arrangements. Depending on your arrival time, you may be able to explore Nice, the capital of the Alpes Maritime region. Nice is beautifully situated on the Cote d'Azur alongside the Bay of Angels. Popularised by wealthy British visitors in the 19th century attracted by the coast and the climate, the medieval old town, Vieux Nice, is a maze of streets and alleys with picturesque houses and fruit and flower markets. The town remains a must-see destination if you want to soak up the Riviera vibe. Your guide will meet the group at 6.30pm at the hotel for a briefing meeting before escorting the group to dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Today we make an early start as we board the public bus to Saint-Martin-Vesubie and then on to Le Boreon. The bus departs Nice at around 0730 and the journey will take around 1 hr and 45 minutes to Saint-Martin-Vesubie. After the first 30 minutes travel inland the landscape becomes more scenic, as the road passes through a deep river gorge and we travel past some of the "perched villages" that the area is famous for. After Saint-Martin-Vesubie it's a further 20 minutes through mountain countryside to Le Boreon, a small hamlet by a lake. Le Boreon is the starting point for many walks in the area and on arrival we will check into our homely gite. Picking up a packed lunch from the gite, shortly after arriving we will head up into the glorious mountains for our first walk which will be an exploration of the lovely Vallon De Salese. Leaving the gite, we enter the forest which is a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees initially and then mostly larch. Beyond the treeline we reach the pasturelands where we may bump into a shepherd and his flock, and there is the chance of seeing marmot and chamois. Retracing our steps we return to the gite for dinner, which will be home-cooked wholesome food served by the owners.

Today we will walk through the area known as the "Suisse Nicoise" on account of its high alpine pasturelands reminiscent of Switzerland. This is a spectular day's walking on ancient mule tracks crossing the high Pas des Ladres (2448m), the "Pass of the Thieves" a former smugglers pass so named for the traders who came this way to avoid the taxes levied on their goods at the major passes. On the way up to the pass we ascend a valley of trickling streams and dramatic waterfalls, strewn with flowering alpine flora before arriving at the lovely Lac de Trecolpas (2150m) with its mini-island of conifers. Chamois and marmots are easily spotted in the alpine terrain. As we approach the summit of the pass, the path becomes a little trickier traversing through loose rubble and earth. The views from the pass are fabulous and include Monte Gelas, Maledie and Mont Ponset. Our descent route takes us steeply down to the mountain refuge of La Madone de Fenestre, a historic refuge where walkers are welcomed and fed.

Today we cross the upper reaches of the valley of La Gordolasque from La Madone to the Relais de Merveilles taking an alternative route across a high plateau. Few other walkers take this path which offers panoramic views to many 3000m plus summits. Initially keeping the high peak of Le Gelas to our left we ascend through stands of larch and alpenrose to reach the Baisse des Cinq Lacs (2235m) where the five beautifully situated lakes that make up the Lacs de Prals reflect the surrounding jagged peaks. Our descent route through pasture and forests of conifer and juniper takes us down to the comfortable, and newly-renovated Relais des Merveilles (1600m) where we will spend the night.

Departing the refuge, the path takes us up the Vallon d'Empuonrame to a high pass, the Pas de l'Arpette (2511m). After reaching the pass, from where the mountain sides slope down to the Vallee des Merveilles, we get great views of the glacial lakes, the Lac de l'Huile, Lac Long and Lac Carbone. After a short descent we enter in the famous Vallee des Merveilles. a protected reserve on account of the ancient rock engravings. The valley is the site of the largest quantity of open-air Bronze Age petroglyphs in Europe, some dating back 5000 years and is believed to have been of great religious significance for the tribal people who created them. The engravings have been painstakingly etched into the orange veneer of the schist on cliff faces and boulders and display geometric shapes, daggers, axes, scythes and some anthropomorphic figures. Our guide will show us the most famous petroglyphs including the "sorcerer" and the many depictions of horned animals. The site was first identified by a British amateur archaeologist, Clarence Bicknell, in 1881. Bicknell was an English vicar who had made his home on the Italian Riviera and he spent several years (from 1897 to 1902) copying and cataloguing many of the images. After spending some time exploring this fascinating site under the rocky slopes of mighty Mont Bego (2872m) we will hike down the valley to the Refuge des Merveilles (2100m).

Today we follow the long-distance GR52 route through the Vallee des Merveilles which offers another chance to look at more of the intriguing petroglyphs. This is a superb days walking, although it is probably the toughest day of the week. Leaving the Refuge des Merveilles, the path passes through a landscape of rock and alpine flowers where we may see chamois and marmots. After passing the lakes, the path rises steeply via zigzags to the Baisse de Valmasque (2549m), a high pass affording great views of the Lac du Basto and nearby jagged peaks. Navigating scree and boulders, we traverse a high valley making a final short easy scramble up steep and loose terrain to gain the Baisse du Basto (2693m). From this point it is a long descent to the Lac de la Fous where ibex often graze on the shores of the lake. Our welcome at the Refuge de Cessole (formerly the Refuge de Nice) will be warm as we enjoy the comforts of this recently renovated mountain hut which sits on a rocky outcrop by the lakes at 2232m.

Another spectacular day of walking today as we continue to follow the GR52. We begin by descending along the banks of Lac de la Fous to an abandoned shepherd's hut before we embark upon a relentless climb towards the Pas Mont Colomb. The terrain is quite rough, with the path passing through scree and small boulders before a final steep climb to a rocky notch in the ridge that forms the pass. A zigzag path plunges down into the valley below, where there are often chamois to be seen, as we make a final descent through the rocky landscape where views of some of the big peaks of the area including Gelas (3143m), Maledie (3059m) and le Clapier (3045m) dominate the landscape. Finally entering a more verdant world the last leg of our fantastic walk ends at the Refuge of La Madone de la Fenestre. After a short stop here for refreshments and to take some final photographs, our vehicle will meet us for the return transfer back to Nice (1 hr 45mins). Our accommodation will be a hotel in the centre of Nice and tonight we'll enjoy a final dinner with our guide to celebrate the end of an amazing week.

KE group package services end after breakfast. Depending on the timing of your return flight, you can enjoy some free time to explore the city. From the hotel, it is easy to take a public bus, or a taxi to the airport.