Prepare
Tent or refuge: where to sleep on the GR20?
A dorm bunk in a refuge, a rented PNRC tent, or your own tent in a bivouac: on the GR20, all three coexist — and all must be booked. The right choice depends on your budget, what you're willing to carry, and the comfort you want. Here's the honest comparison.
The 3 options
Three ways to sleep, all to be booked
Dorm bunk (refuge)
You sleep inside the refuge, on a bunk. Nothing to pitch, nothing extra to carry. It's the comfort option — but places are limited and go fast, and two refuges don't offer it (Ortu di u Piobbu, Asinau).
PNRC tent (rented)
You rent a tent already pitched on site, for two with mattresses. You get your own space without carrying more — but you bring your sleeping bag, and it depends on the bivouac areas available.
Your own tent (bivouac)
You pitch your own tent on the refuge's bivouac area. It's the cheapest and freest, at the cost of one or two kilos of tent to carry throughout. Wild camping stays forbidden.
Three constants whatever the option: booking is compulsory (even bivouac, and per person), a sleeping bag is compulsory (no blankets provided), and meals are ordered on site. The rules are detailed on the booking page.
The comparison
Price, weight, comfort: the table
| Option | Indicative price / night | To carry | Booking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorm bunk (refuge) | ~€20 | Nothing | Compulsory — fills fast | Travelling light, sleeping indoors |
| PNRC tent (rented) | ~€27 (1 pers.) – €39 (2 pers.) | Nothing | Compulsory | Light, with some privacy |
| Your own tent (bivouac) | ~€9-12 / person | Own tent (+1-2 kg) | Compulsory (per person) | Small budget, self-reliance |
Prices indicative for 2026, to confirm on the official system; detailed on the budget page. In every case, add your sleeping bag (compulsory) and the meals ordered on site.
The right choice
Which option for which hiker?
Want to carry the least and sleep warm? Go for the dorm bunk. It's the most comfortable and you don't carry a tent — but book as soon as your plan is set, because popular refuges fill up first.
Small budget and used to self-reliance? Take your own tent and bivouac: clearly cheaper and freer, if you accept the extra kilo or two and pitching it each evening.
Looking for a middle ground? The rented PNRC tent gives you your own space without carrying more, where it's offered. And remember: at Ortu di u Piobbu and Asinau there's no dorm bunk — it'll be tent or bivouac, either way.
Mixing nights
The smartest move: mix them
Nothing forces one formula for the whole traverse. Many alternate: bivouac on the nights budget matters, dorm bunk when you want a real dry night or the weather turns. It's often the best balance of cost, comfort and availability.
The simplest way to handle it: set your split, then book each night in the right formula. The planner helps fix the stages, and the booking page details how and when to book.