Whether you’re skiing every day, planning the odd rest day, or not skiing at all, there are plenty of things to do in Tignes off the slopes — and one or two that are genuinely worth travelling for. The frozen lake at the heart of the resort is the stage for husky sledding and even floating in the ice; the Grande Motte glacier cable car lifts non-skiers to 3,456m for one of the best views in the Alps; and Le Lagon is among the finest pools and spas of any French ski resort.
It pays to be honest about what Tignes is, though. It’s a high, modern, purpose-built resort — superb for getting up the mountain and snow-sure into spring, but it has no old village to wander and little in the way of rainy-day culture beyond the pool and the cinema. For a group with non-skiers, that makes one thing matter more than anything else: where you base yourself. We come back to that at the end. (For how the villages and the skiing connect, see our full Tignes Resort Guide.
We help you get this right. We’re not a booking concierge — we won’t arrange your husky ride or reserve your mountain lunch. What we do is know Tignes well enough to make sure you don’t book a beautiful chalet that turns out to be a steep walk or a shuttle ride from the pool, the lake and the lift the non-skiers in your group will actually use. Tell us who’s coming and we’ll point you to the right place to stay.
Here’s what there is to do beyond skiing — the genuine highlights first, and an honest word on the ones that are more limited or seasonal than they first appear.
On and around the frozen lake
The lake at Le Lac is the resort’s best off-slope asset, and most of the standout things to do in Tignes happen on or beside it — all walkable from the village, no lift needed. Dog sledding runs around the lake itself: a guided sled pulled by a team of huskies, accessible to children from age 2, and a genuinely scenic 30 minutes in a dramatic setting. It’s run by Evolution 2 (around €89 a head last winter). It’s weather-dependent, so book early in your week rather than counting on a particular day.
Once the lake safely freezes for the winter, it also hosts La Banquise, a free igloo village and ice-sculpture walk — snow games, photo spots and a wander among the carvings, no booking and no charge. It’s a genuinely good rest-day hour for families, and it’s a short stroll from any Le Lac chalet.
For something more unusual, Evolution 2 runs ice floating on the lake — you lie back in the frozen water in a drysuit, a relaxation experience borrowed from Finland. It’s open to anyone from age 10 and runs through the winter; there’s even ice diving under the lake for the certified or the adventurous. These are the kind of things you can’t do in most resorts, and they’re a five-minute walk from a Le Lac chalet.
Up the mountain and out on the snow
Ice driving is one of Tignes’s strongest activities — performance cars on a purpose-built 800m ice circuit, no licence needed (drivers 18+ with some experience). The catch is location: the circuit is down at Les Brévières, at the bottom of the valley, so reaching it without skis means the free shuttle to Les Boisses and then the Brévières gondola down (the gondola is free for pedestrians). Treat it as a planned half-day out rather than something on the doorstep. Run by Evolution 2, booked at least 48 hours ahead, December to mid-March.
Snowshoeing works from several villages — the Chartreux circuit starts right in Le Lac, and there’s good terrain in the Brévières valley and the Marrais area above Les Boisses. Guided half- and full-days run with Evolution 2 and the Bureau des Guides de Tignes; there’s also a short marked trail you can do yourself, and when the lake fully freezes there’s a marked walking path out across the ice from Le Lac — a beautiful, free wander (it follows the valley floor rather than delivering you up into Val Claret village, which sits a steep 2km higher). Honest note: Tignes is high and exposed, so it isn’t a classic gentle snowshoe destination the way some lower, wooded resorts are — but the guided outings are professional and the lake walk is genuinely lovely.
Ice climbing is a real, distinct option here — guided sessions on the frozen waterfalls around the valley (the closest is the cascade just outside Les Brévières), suitable for complete beginners with a guide. Run by the Bureau des Guides de Tignes and Evolution 2. It’s entirely condition-dependent, so a mild spell can put it off — check before you bank on it. Tandem paragliding, snowmobiling and electric moonbikes (from age 16, no licence) are also available through Evolution 2 for anyone wanting more of an adrenaline day.
Tobogganing deserves an honest flag. Tignes’s run, Expédition Cobra, is a proper 3km evening descent with a tunnel, from the Palafour chairlift in Le Lac — €12 a go last winter, ages 13+ and 1.40m minimum, booked by time slot. The thing to know: it runs on selected evenings (and only once there’s reliable snow cover, typically from mid-winter rather than the start of the season), so it isn’t an every-day, all-season fixture. If tobogganing is a must for your group, check the run’s operating dates for your week before you travel.
Notice how much of the best stuff — the lake activities, Le Lagon, the toboggan run, the easiest lifts up the mountain — is in or right beside Le Lac. For a group with people spending real time off the slopes, Le Lac (or neighbouring Le Lavachet, a few minutes’ walk away) is the base that keeps all of it within reach without a bus.
See all the activity providers we work with in Tignes
Travelling with children? From the lake activities to the climbing wall and trampolines at Tignespace, there’s plenty for families in Tignes. See our full guide to Tignes with children for activities, childcare and nannies.
The best view in Tignes is one a non-skier can have just as easily as a skier — and it’s worth planning a day around.
A pedestrian lift pass lets you ride a number of the gondolas, cable cars and chairlifts. Last winter a one-day pedestrian pass was around €26 (€16 for children), with cheaper single-return options too, and pedestrian access is free for children under 5 (bring proof of age) (prices to be updated for this season). Worth knowing: the Brévières gondola between Les Brévières and Les Boisses is free for pedestrians, so you can ride down to the pretty lower village and back at no cost.
The headline trip is the Grande Motte glacier. From Val Claret, the Perce Neige funicular climbs up inside the mountain in about seven minutes, where you change onto the Grande Motte cable car for the final rise to 3,456m — one of the highest points you can reach in the area, with a 360° panorama taking in Mont Blanc and the Vanoise glaciers, and cable cars with roof terraces. It’s a genuine highlight of the whole resort, skier or not. Closer to home, the Tovière gondola from Le Lac is the handiest lift for a quick trip up for the views toward Val d’Isère.
One practical point: last ascent times for pedestrians are earlier than for skiers, and you’ll need the pass for the way down too — you can’t walk down the pistes. So plan the day up and back around those times.
Tignes is better than most resorts for getting a non-skier to a mountain lunch, because the pedestrian pass genuinely opens up lift-served restaurants. Pick one destination and go up and back — you can’t wander between them without skis.
The spectacular option is Le Panoramic up on the Grande Motte, reached on the funicular and cable car from Val Claret, with extraordinary glacier views; there’s proper table service (mains roughly €30–60) and a more casual canteen side. The easiest from Le Lac is the Tovière restaurant at the top of the Tovière gondola — the quickest of all to reach, with views across to Val d’Isère. Lift-served mountain dining can change from season to season, so it’s worth checking a particular restaurant is open to pedestrians before you set out.
Worried about getting around without skis? You won’t be stuck. A frequent free shuttle links Le Lavachet, Le Lac and Val Claret roughly every ten minutes through the day, and the Brévières gondola stays open into the evening. Getting down to Les Boisses and Les Brévières uses a separate, less frequent line, so allow a bit more time if you’re heading to the lower villages (for the ice driving, say). See getting around Tignes for how the shuttles work.
Every keen skier needs the odd day off, and storms happen. Here’s the honest picture: as a high, purpose-built resort, Tignes is thinner on rainy-day options than a traditional alpine town — there’s no old quarter to explore and no museum to speak of. But it has one outstanding indoor asset, and a few good supporting acts.
Le Lagon, on the central square in Le Lac, is the anchor — and it’s one of the best pool-and-spa complexes in any French ski resort. A 25m sports pool, a fun pool with slides and a counter-current, a toddler pool, a proper wellness centre with saunas, hammam and jacuzzis, and a gym, all behind full-height glass with mountain views. Single entry was around €8.50–17 last winter depending on whether you add the spa, and a 6-day-or-more Tignes–Val d’Isère ski pass gets unlimited free pool access. It gets busy on storm days, so go earlier and book the spa side ahead if you want it.
Beyond Le Lagon, the cinema (La Cabine, in Val Claret) is a useful evening fallback — but be aware screenings are a mix of French and original-language, so check a session is listed VO or VOST before building an evening around it; the late screening is the more likely bet for English. Tignespace, the sports complex next to Le Lagon in Le Lac, has a climbing wall, bouldering, trampolines and team sports — a great daily escape for energetic younger guests on a bad-weather day, open through the core winter season. Otherwise it’s the supermarkets, the small Galerie Palafour shops, and the cafés and bars — the Loop Bar in Le Lac has a big south-facing terrace that’s a good spot to wait out the weather.
Looking to unwind? Le Lagon’s wellness centre is open to all, and several hotels open their spas to non-residents. See our guide to spas and wellness in Tignes for the full picture.
There’s a market in Le Lac every Thursday and Sunday, on the Promenade de Tovière — local Beaufort cheese, charcuterie and the usual mix of clothing and souvenirs; a pleasant morning rather than a grand artisan fair, but reliably there. Live music runs most of the season, with the Loop Bar in Le Lac and Cocorico in Val Claret the dependable spots. And around Christmas and the February holidays there are torchlit descents — ski instructors and children skiing down with flaming torches after dark — though these run at holiday peaks rather than every week. For the current season’s dates and the weekly programme, see what’s on in Tignes.
If your group is going to spend real time off the slopes, Le Lac is the base that makes life easiest — it’s where the Tovière gondola (the handiest pedestrian lift), the lake activities, Le Lagon, Tignespace and the toboggan run all are, mostly within a short walk. Le Lavachet, a few minutes away on foot, shares most of that convenience.
Val Claret, higher up the valley, is the place to be for the Grande Motte funicular and the liveliest après, but it’s about 2km uphill from Le Lac — fine on the frequent shuttle, less so on foot in ski boots. Les Boisses (Tignes 1800) and Les Brévières are further down the valley and quieter, more separate from the main hubs.
Tell us who’s coming and your dates, and we’ll point you to the right spot. If the chalets we’d normally suggest in Le Lac are taken for your week, we know which properties a short shuttle hop away solve the same problem — so a busy week never means the wrong base.
→See where to stay in Tignes and browse our Tignes chalets and apartments
Whether you’ve got someone who isn’t skiing at all, or you just want easy access to the pool, the lake and a good mountain lunch on your days off, tell us about your group and we’ll make sure you’re in the right chalet for everyone.
