A restaurant in Bonneval-sur-Arc?
Hosting visitors of Col de l'Iseran ? Appear here.
Become a partnerFree · Open access
Col de l'Iseran
The Col de l'Iseran links Val-d'Isère, in the Tarentaise, to Bonneval-sur-Arc, in the Maurienne. It is the only road crossing inside the Parc national de la Vanoise. Its altitude is given as 2,770 m or 2,764 m depending on the page — including within one official site.
genevieveromier · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Type
Road pass and viewpoint
Access
Free
Best season
Mid-June – early November
Parking
Free, a few metres above the col
Animals
On a lead, on the col car park only
Town
Bonneval-sur-Arc
Winter access
closed
What is Col de l'Iseran
The Col de l'Iseran crosses the divide between the Isère valley, in the Tarentaise, and the Arc valley, in the Maurienne, between Val-d'Isère (73150) and Bonneval-sur-Arc (73480). The road over it is written D902 by the Val d'Isère tourist office and in the col's postal address, RD 902 by the Département de la Savoie.
Its altitude is not settled: 2,770 m on some pages, 2,764 m on others — including on two pages of the same tourist office. We do not pick a winner. The chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Prudence, built in 1938-1939 by the architect Maurice Novarina and inaugurated on 20 August 1939, sits at 2,769 m per the Mérimée heritage database: a third point again.
This is the only road crossing inside the Parc national de la Vanoise. The direct consequence for visitors with a dog: dogs on a lead are accepted on the col car park only, and the national park bans dogs from the park core even on a lead or carried, with a €135 fine.
Activities
What you can do here
Practical
Practical information
Address
D902, 73480 Bonneval-sur-Arc (Maurienne side) / 73150 Val-d'Isère (Tarentaise side) View on map
Coordinates
45.417117° N, 7.030693° E
Altitude
2,770 m on some official pages, 2,764 m on others, including within the same tourist office. Contradiction unresolved.
2026 opening
Tarentaise side only: Friday 5 June 2026 at 12:00 (Département de la Savoie). Full crossing: Friday 12 June 2026, shortly before midday.
2026 closing
Announced as 2 November 2026 by two tourist offices and as 9 November 2026 by the commune and another listing from the same office. Unresolved. Check savoie-route.fr.
Price
Free, open access
Parking
Free, a few metres above the col, open 15 June to 15 November subject to snow. GPS 45.41736, 7.031108.
Dogs
Dogs on a lead are accepted on the col car park only. The Parc national de la Vanoise bans dogs from the park core, even on a lead or carried: €135 fine. The only exception is a guide dog with a CMI card, on a lead.
Accessibility
Roadworks
Overnight D902 closures for tunnel works ran 3 to 7 August 2026, 21:00–05:00, with hourly convoys; that window has passed. No closure is announced beyond 7 August on the Val d'Isère road-status page, but we could obtain no confirmation from the Département: savoie-route.fr serves no content and savoie.fr is robots-blocked. Check before setting off. A separate alternating-traffic section is in place on the RD 902 between Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Val d'Isère.
Facilities at the summit
A bar, a restaurant, a souvenir shop, toilets and an orientation viewpoint are listed by recoin.fr, a non-official aggregator and the only source found. Not confirmed by an official source.
Access
How to get there
By car
On the D902 from Val-d'Isère to the north or Bonneval-sur-Arc to the south. The road is closed in winter; opening and closing dates are decided by the Département de la Savoie and published live on savoie-route.fr.
Open in MapsBy bike
Profiles per Wikipedia (EN): north side from Val-d'Isère 15 km, +895 m, 6% average; from Bourg-Saint-Maurice 48 km, +1,955 m, 4.1%; south side from Bonneval-sur-Arc 13.4 km, +977 m, 7.3%; from Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis 32.9 km, +1,371 m, 4.2%. The col is the highest point of the Route des Grandes Alpes.
Open in MapsParking
Free, a few metres above the col
- Free · 45 m · Go →
Parking checked on 2026-08-09 · © les contributeurs d'OpenStreetMap sous licence ODbL
When to visit
When to visit
The road is open from mid-June to early November. In 2026 the full crossing has been open since 12 June; the announced closing date is either 2 or 9 November depending on the source. The Département can close the col without notice on weather grounds.
Events :
L'Iserane, Sunday 21 June 2026: the D902 is closed to vehicles from 08:00 to 13:00.
Winter
Winter season
Winter access window
Closed (road shut in winter) — Live status: savoie-route.fr
Winter infrastructure
Alpine skiing
Snow panorama
Alpine panorama
Equipment mandated
Loi Montagne II — winter tyres or chains required (1 Nov – 31 Mar)
Nearby
Where to eat, drink, stay
A bakery, a shop in Bonneval-sur-Arc?
Share hours and specialties with visitors of Col de l'Iseran.
Become a partnerA nearby stay?
Gîte, B&B, campsite, rental in Bonneval-sur-Arc.
Become a partnerPhotos
Gallery
Been there? Share your photos — we'll add them to this page with credit. Tag #loisirs73 or email photos@loisirs73.fr
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How high is the Col de l'Iseran?
Official sources contradict each other: 2,770 m on some pages, 2,764 m on others, sometimes within the same tourist office site. We do not pick a winner. The col's chapel is given as 2,769 m by the Mérimée database, which is a third point again.
Is the Col de l'Iseran open in 2026?
Yes. The Tarentaise side reopened on 5 June 2026 at 12:00 and the full crossing on 12 June 2026, shortly before midday. Winter closing is announced as 2 November by two tourist offices and 9 November by other pages.
Can I bring my dog to the Col de l'Iseran?
Dogs on a lead are accepted on the col car park only. The col is the only road crossing inside the Parc national de la Vanoise, and the park bans dogs from its core, even on a lead or carried, with a €135 fine.
Is there a charge to reach the Col de l'Iseran?
No. Access is free, and the car park a few metres above the col is free too, open 15 June to 15 November subject to snow.
Are there roadworks on the col road in August 2026?
Overnight D902 closures for tunnel works ran 3 to 7 August 2026, 21:00 to 05:00, with convoys. No closure is announced beyond 7 August, but we could not obtain confirmation from the Département: check savoie-route.fr.
Sources
Sources & verification
- Office de Tourisme de Haute Maurienne Vanoise — col de l'Iseran (incontournables)
- Office de Tourisme de Haute Maurienne Vanoise — ouverture et fermeture du col
- Office de Tourisme de Haute Maurienne Vanoise — fiche col de l'Iseran
- Office de Tourisme de Haute Maurienne Vanoise — parking du col de l'Iseran
- Val d'Isère — communiqué, ouverture du col de l'Iseran
- Val d'Isère — état des routes
- Parc national de la Vanoise — venir avec mon chien
- Ministère de la Culture, base Mérimée — chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Prudence
- Savoie News — deux cols rouvrent à la circulation avec des restrictions à prévoir
- Commune de Bonneval-sur-Arc — col de l'Iseran ouvert
- Val Sport — L'Iserane 2026
- Office de Tourisme de Haute Maurienne Vanoise — ouverture et fermeture des cols
- Wikipedia (EN) — Col de l'Iseran (profils de montée, passages du Tour de France)
- Recoin — col de l'Iseran (équipements du sommet, source non officielle)
Multi-source verification at publication. Information may change — confirm with the official operator before travelling.
Nearby
Nearby
Other places to explore in the area and in the same category
Free
Solaise Gondola
Val-d'Isère
Gondola free for pedestrians to the Tête de Solaise, 2,560 m, above Val-d'Isère. No mountain bikes. Summer 2026: 4 July – 30 August.
Paid
Olympique Cable Car
Val-d'Isère
Val-d'Isère 3S cable car, free for pedestrians and €23 a day with a bike. Open 09:45–16:45 without a break, 4 July to 30 August 2026.
Paid
Grande Motte Funicular
Tignes
A 3,490 m funicular in tunnel, from Val Claret to the Grande Motte glacier. Summer 2026: 20 June – 31 August. Not to be confused with the cable car above it.
Free
Col du Mont-Cenis
Val-Cenis
Upper Maurienne pass above a hydroelectric reservoir. Three published altitudes (2,081, 2,083, 2,085 m). Entirely in France since 1947, despite what you will read.
Free
Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard
Séez
2,188 m, the France–Italy border above Séez. Opened on the Italian side 22 May 2026, on the French side 24 May. The Chanousia garden opens only in July, €3 — not when the road opens.
Free
Col de la Loze
Courchevel
Pass at 2,304 m between Courchevel and Méribel, reserved for bicycles: cars banned. 7 km on the Méribel side, 6.5 on the Courchevel side, a 23% wall.