Prepare
The GR20 with children
As the father of a 12-year-old, I asked myself the question: can you take a child on the GR20? The honest answer: not the full route, but yes, certain southern sections, with a hardy child who already hikes. Here's from what age, which stages to choose, and how not to turn a fine plan into an ordeal.
Let's be clear
The full GR20 is not for children
Let's say it upfront, because so many pages oversell: the GR20 in full — 182 km, more than 11,000 m of ascent, exposed passages and long days — is no place for a child. It isn't a question of courage, but of safety and enjoyment: an exhausted or frightened child on a ridge is the opposite of a fond memory.
The good news is that you can give a child a real taste of the GR20 without making them swallow the whole thing. It all comes down to the choice of section and pace.
The age
From what age?
The benchmark that comes up most often among guides and families is around 12-13 years old, for a hardy child already used to hiking, and with a doctor's go-ahead. Below that, it's generally not advised.
Important: this 12-13 is a benchmark from the community, not an official rule — there's no minimum age set by the FFRandonnée or the Park. You'll sometimes read accounts of children aged 7 to 9 doing southern sections: these are exceptions from very seasoned families, not a norm to copy. The real judge is your child's actual mountain experience.
The right choice
Favour the south, split the stages
The southern GR20 (Vizzavona → Conca) is more rolling and wooded than the north, so far better suited to a first family experience. The secret is to split the stages: cut the official stages into half-days to suit the child, aim for closer nights, keep a margin.
Among the sections often cited as accessible for a first taste: Capannelle → Col de Verde and Bavella → Asinau. You can also put together a mini-trek of a few days rather than a full traverse.
The family golden rule: one fine section done well beats a full traverse gone wrong, a thousand times over. The goal isn't to "do the GR20", it's to give your child the urge to come back.
In practice
Preparing the child (and yourself)
Build up gradually over several outings before Corsica, a genuinely light pack for them, a pace set on theirs (not yours), frequent breaks and games for motivation. And the two things that make or break a child's day: water and feet — to watch even more closely than for an adult.
My advice
My take as a parent
Honestly? With my 12-year-old, I'd do it on a well-chosen southern section, split into short days, taking our time — not the north, and not the full route at that age. It's exactly the kind of plan you can test in our planner, and the south is best prepared with the dedicated itinerary page.
Sources
To go further
This take draws on my own experience of the traverse and on family accounts published by specialist GR20 guides. The "12-13" age is a converging benchmark, not an official rule: always validate it with your doctor and, above all, with what you know of your child in the mountains.