Our next journeys
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Kungsleden
SwedenIt will be our 14th journey in partnership with Zedi Academy, this time to Sweden for a world-class trek on the legendary King’s Trail. Brace yourself to hike from Kiruna vicinity towards Abisko and explore with us the beauty of Europe’s last wilderness, Lappland. -
Laugavegur
IcelandAnother “World 10 best treks” we committed to experience with the Zedi Academy. The Laugavegurinn has it all: from rainbow wonderland to windy deserts, plains, gorges and lush forest, red and yellow mountains, black sands and white glaciers… Iceland’s rugged highlands at its best! -
TMB
France, Italy, Switzerland‘Best things always come in threes’ says the old saying: for a the third time in a row, we will be taking a Chinese squad of hikers on the most famous trail ever: the Tour du Mont Blanc. Eight days of wonders while crossing over three different countries around the highest mountain in Europe! -
Art Tour
France, NetherlandsThis journey is a special with several years in the making. We are proud to launch at last an in-depth artistic and historic tour of European painting from the Italian Trecento to the beginning of the 19th century. We will focus this year on Italian, French and Dutch masters… -
From Paris to Lisbon
France, PortugalHome is where the heart is… well for our little agency, Paris and Lisbon are clearly the core of its European roots and we are delighted to take you on a surprising journey made of history, art and cuisine from a capital to the other! -
Tea and Silk Roads
China12 years in Asia where just enough to come with this extra-ordinary journey along the Silk Road. We will cover this year the Chinese section from the core of the Ancient Chinese Empire to its outskirt, at the border of Kyrgyzstan. We will complete it overland along 3 to 4 weeks, this is not for the faint-hearted…
Our history
After a 12 years exploration of China and its neighbors where it gained its reputation, the European team of Ars & Montes got back to its roots and now proudly build bridges between East and West,
offering the best of Asia to its European customers
and guiding Chinese guests to the heart and soul of Europe.
Our adventures
Trekking journeys
12 years on the trails in Asia and Europe allow us to offer the very best of trekking on both continents. From niche cultural trails in China to several week long Tibetan pilgrimages, from hidden hikes in Europe to renown trekking routes, we always aim at guiding our guests to the heart and soul of mountains.
World Classics
Among our trekking routes, we have a special focus on some world-class well-recognized classics, with the Tour du Mont Blanc among them. In partnerships with the Zedi Academy in Shanghai, we took students on the TMB the previous years, on the Camino de Santiago, and this year on the Swedish Kungsleden and Iceland’s Laugavegur. More to come!
Culture tours
If mountain trekking is a central part of our DNA, we walk better ‘with two legs’ and our culture tours became essential to our story. From the ancient caravans routes in Asia to culinary routes in Europe, from historic and religious trails in the East to artistic journeys in the West, we strive hard to highlight what makes each place truly unique and try to tell both old forgotten legends and modern tales.
Photo tours
A the crossroad of our culture journeys and mountain trekking adventures, photography tours hold a special place to our agency: it all started with a quest to document vanishing places & stories and the desire to share visually our discoveries and admiration of the “beauté du monde”.
Why joining us?
Custom-designed
All our journeys are custom-designed to match perfectly your expectationsExperience-fuelled
More than 10 years in the field - since 2006 actually - helped us refine and perfect our adventuresFully licensed
We are a fully licensed travel agent based in Europe (Lisbon) with all the proper licenses and insurances
Open-minded
Since our journeys are custom-designed and our wanderlust still intact, your own trekking and travelling ideas are very welcome!Map freaks
Hey, let's be honest, we are map freaks. We love maps, collect maps of all kind and sometimes draw them. Welcome to the club!Sharing is caring
Beyong our commercial journeys, we are always very happy to share our passion and our tips, please get in touch if you need a hand!Scoreboard
Our longest trek (in days)
Photographs taken
Countries we operate
Groups of clients
Ars & Montes
ARS EUROPE
One of our greatest pleasures is to reexplore our roots in Europe, and more precisely the expression of creativity of its people making it such a cradle of rich cultures and identities. From the “Beaux Arts” to performing arts and gastronomy, we are particularly keen on sharing our latest hidden spots or searching for new ones together. Our next destination will take us namely to Paris, Amsterdam and Stockholm.
ARS ASIA
12 years in the China and SE Asia allowed us to embark on an intense exploration of the culture, historic and ethnic diversity of this part of the world, with a special focus on Yunnan – at the crossroad from the Ancient Chinese Empire, the Himalaya and South East Asia – Tibet and Vietnam. Our next journeys will take us along the Tea and Horse Trade Route, the mythical Silk Road and the monasteries of the ancient kingdoms of Kham in Tibet.
MONTES EUROPE
From our quarters in France and Portugal, we currently organize trekking journeys in South Europe, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Scandinavia. We have set up departures but also custom-design hikes and treks upon request. Our next excursions will take us to Lapland, Iceland, the Western Alps, and soon the Balkans.
Montes Asia
The several guides of our little agency trekked more than 20.000 kilometers in Asia, along caravan routes and around sacred mountains, from the Thai jungle to Himalayan plateaux, along major rivers and smaller streams... in the footsteps of explorers like Alexandra David-Neel, Joseph Rock or Frank Kingdon-Ward. Our next treks will take us to the heart of the Meili Mountain and to the sacred Lugu Lake worshipped by the Mosuo people.
