Itineraries
GR20: north to south, or south to north?
North to south, or south to north? And is the northern half really the harder one? These are the two questions every GR20 hiker asks before booking. We settle them here with the site planner's data: distances, elevation gain and effort scores computed stage by stage, in both directions.
The verdict
The short answer
In total effort, the two directions are equal: 11,159 m of cumulative climbing north to south versus 11,136 m south to north — a 23 m difference, since Calenzana (275 m) and Conca (252 m) sit at almost the same altitude. Direction doesn't change the difficulty; it changes how it is distributed. North→South remains the default choice: it matches the official guidebook and stage numbering, it's the direction the vast majority of hikers take, and you absorb the day-one shock on fresh legs. South→North makes sense if you want to build up gradually — but it creates the single hardest day on the route, a reversed stage 6 scoring 8.75 for effort.
The numbers
North vs South: which half is harder?
Split at Vizzavona, the GR20 (182.4 km, +11,220 m in total) reads like this: the north (stages 1–8) packs +6,506 m of climbing into 80.8 km, with an average effort score of 5.15 out of 10 and a peak at 7.44. The south (stages 9–16) spreads +4,653 m over 101.6 km — longer but more flowing: average 4.77, peak 6.52. The numbers settle it: the north is the harder half, steeper and more technical. But the south is not "easy" — it wears you down through distance, with days that keep stretching on. Whichever direction you choose, you'll cross both halves; only the order changes.
| North — stages 1 to 8 Calenzana → Vizzavona | South — stages 9 to 16 Vizzavona → Conca | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 80.8 km | 101.6 km |
| Total ascent | +6,506 m | +4,653 m |
| Average difficulty / stage | 5.15 / 10 | 4.77 / 10 |
| Hardest stage | 7.44 (stage 6) | 6.52 (stage 11) |
Split at Vizzavona, N→S direction, planner formulas.
The classic way
North→South: the classic direction
Starting from Calenzana (reached via Calvi) means following the guidebook: the official numbering of the 16 stages runs north to south, and it's the direction the vast majority of hikers take. The price is immediate: day one climbs +1,376 m to Ortu di u Piobbu, scoring 6.97 — the second-hardest day of the whole direction. But you absorb it on fresh legs, and things ease off afterwards (3.94, then 4.11): the first three days total 23.1 km and +2,760 m. Above all, the north — the harder half — is behind you within the first week. The traverse ends descending towards Conca, with the beaches ahead.
Against the flow
South→North: against the flow
Starting from Conca, there's no single shock — but no warm-up either: two big days straight away, Conca→Paliri (6.33) then Paliri→Asinau (6.58), for 38.2 km and +2,486 m over the first three days. From there the logic is appealing: you build up strength and reach the north battle-hardened. Except the data reveals a trap: stage 6 taken in reverse (Manganu→Ciottulu di i Mori, 24.8 km, +1,082 m) climbs to 8.75 for effort — the hardest day in either direction, worse than anything North→South offers (max 7.44). It lands around day 11, when you're seasoned… but also tired. And you're walking against the flow, crossing other hikers in the narrow passages.
By direction
The 5 toughest days of each direction
Top 5 North→South: stage 6 (7.44), stage 1 (6.97), stage 11 (6.52), stage 4 (6.33), stage 10 (6.09). Top 5 South→North: stage 6 reversed (8.75), stage 15 reversed (6.58), stage 16 reversed (6.33), stage 9 reversed (5.96), stage 11 reversed (5.87). The lesson is clear: reversing the direction doesn't remove the hard days — it moves them, and even sharpens one. Going south to north, most of the top 5 comes late in the traverse, on a body already worn down.
Your profile
So, which direction for you?
Go North→South if…
It's your first GR20 and you want the classic experience: the guidebook in the right order, the official numbering, the flow of fellow hikers. You'd rather absorb the hardest part early, on fresh legs, and finish on the more flowing southern half, descending towards Conca. The day-one shock (+1,376 m) doesn't scare you — it can be prepared for.
Go South→North if…
You want to build up gradually: start with the more flowing southern half and reach the north battle-hardened. You already have a big trek in your legs, and the prospect of an 8.75 effort day around day 11 doesn't put you off. You'd also rather avoid the crowd leaving Calenzana together — even if you'll cross it along the way.
Whichever direction you choose, the site's planner computes your day-by-day itinerary in both directions, at your own pace.