Village La Grande Odyssée

La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Village

La Grande Odyssée is one of the world’s largest sled dog races and a must-see winter event in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Inspired by the Tour de France, it passes each year through nearly twenty resorts, villages, and towns in Savoie, Haute-Savoie, and Isère, offering the general public a truly unique sporting spectacle. A true international benchmark in mid-mountain mushing, La Grande Odyssée brings together around fifty teams from the world’s elite, representing more than 500 canine athletes. Over a course of more than 400 km with 12,000 meters of positive elevation gain, mushers must contend with demanding alpine terrain and harsh winter conditions, making this race one of the most technical in the world. La Grande Odyssée is also a celebration for everyone: family activities, meetings with mushers, official ceremonies, bivouacs, and welcoming social spaces allow visitors to experience the event from the inside. More than a competition, it is a celebration of the mountains, nature, and the unique bond between humans and dogs. The La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Village welcomes you in a festive, winter atmosphere! Come and enjoy cheese, mulled wine, and apple matafan, challenge your friends and family in fun games and regional quizzes (with many prizes to win!), meet our mascot Sitka for photo sessions and autographs, and discover the mushers at the Wiki’Musher stand. Don’t forget the Workshop area, offering creative activities to enjoy as a family!
Meet us at the Dromonts track from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on Saturday and from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sunday. Find the Saturday and Sunday program below.

Opening hours

From Saturday 10 to Sunday 11 January 2026 between 10 am and 7 pm.
Saturday
10:00 am – 7:00 pm: La Grande Odyssée Village
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Official presentation of the mushers
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm: Prologue in Avoriaz town centre
Start and finish located on the Dromonts ski run.

Sunday
10:00 am – 3:00 pm: La Grande Odyssée Village
10:00 am – 11:00 am: Start from Avoriaz – Resort Center.

Age

Rates

Free of charge.

Languages

French

Reservation

La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Village

The La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Village immerses you in the atmosphere of the Far North! Enjoy a wide range of activities throughout the day.

Centre station 74110

Localisation

See on Google Maps

La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Village

The La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Village welcomes you in a festive winter atmosphere. Come and enjoy tastings of cheese, hot mulled wine and apple matafan, challenge your friends and family during regional olympiads and quizzes (many prizes to be won), meet our mascot Sitka during photo sessions and autograph signings, and discover the mushers at the Wiki’Musher stand.

Don’t miss the Atelier, offering creative activities to enjoy together as a family.

Meet us on the Dromonts slope:

Saturday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Programme:

Safety and Prevention

The Village is a place to meet the mushers, their sled teams and the sled dogs competing in the race. It allows the public to discover the world of sled dog racing and to watch the teams depart.

For everyone’s safety, visitors’ dogs must be kept on a leash at all times and kept at a very large distancefrom sled teams and the race course.

The presence of non-participating dogs near the start village, preparation areas or along the course may cause unpredictable reactions and can endanger sled dogs, mushers, spectators and your own dog.

Respecting marked areas and safety instructions is essential for the smooth running of the event and the safety of all.

The Village : Saturday

10:00 : Opening of the animation village

From the moment it opens, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Far North. Throughout the day, enjoy many permanent activities:

Far North animation.

Meet the mushers of La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin at the Wiki’sher stand, with a life-size “Who is it?” game.

Chill-out area with La Montagne Enchantée, offering book sales and readings for children and adults.

The Official La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Shop.

10:00 : 11:00

Mini suction-cup pétanque tournament with TOSSIT.

Opening of the gourmet village with free tastings: hot apple juice, candied peanuts, Haribo sweets (resort partnership) and marshmallows grilled over the brazier.

11:00 : 11:30

Veterinary presentation

11:00 : 12:00

Photo session with Sitka.

Continuation of the gourmet village.

12:30 : 13:30

100% mountain blind test. Test your musical knowledge on the theme of the mountains.

13:00 – 13:30

Veterinary presentation

13:30 : 14:00

Break and free activities.

14:00 : 18:00

Snow sculpture

14:00 : 15:00

“Hot Cheese” spicy sauce challenge with Sauces Martin.

Photo session with Sitka, until 15:00.

15:00 : 16:00

Mini suction-cup pétanque tournament with TOSSIT.

Reopening of the gourmet village for a new tasting session.

15:30 : 16:00

Interview with Avalanche Dog Handlers

16:00

Official presentation of the mushers who will compete in the 2026 edition.
Stika’s staged entrance

16:00 : 17:00

Gourmet village and permanent activities.

17:30

Snow quiz. Test your knowledge of the resort and try to win a prize.

The Village : Sunday

9:00 : Opening of the animation village

Throughout the day, the village welcomes you in a friendly winter atmosphere, with many activities accessible to everyone:

Far North animation.

Meet the mushers of La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin at the Wiki’musher stand, with a life-size “Who is it?” game to better discover the athletes and their dogs.

Chill-out area with La Montagne Enchantée, offering book sales and readings for children and adults in a calm and welcoming space.

Official La Grande Odyssée Royal Canin Shop, to take home souvenirs from the event.

Games area with fun, intergenerational activities: duck knock-down game, ring toss and other skill challenges.

9:30 : 10:30

Place your bet on the musher who will win the stage of the day. Try to guess the winner and test your intuition against the race (participation possible until 11:15).

Photo session with our mascot Sitka, at Sitka’s chalet, to capture this moment with family or friends.

10:30 : 12:00

Fat Bike initiation to discover new sensations on the snow. Supervised and accessible, this activity allows you to try cycling on snowy terrain and test your balance in a fun way.

Snow quiz (11:30 : 12:15). Test your knowledge of the resort, its environment and its specific features, and try to win a prize.

12:30 : 13:15

Autograph session with our mascot Sitka, at Sitka’s chalet. A special moment to meet the mascot, exchange a few words and leave with a personalized souvenir.

14:00 : 15:00

Photo session with our mascot Sitka, at Sitka’s chalet.

Reopening of the gourmet village for a new tasting session, ideal for a warm and delicious break.

Discover the prologue route

Meet at 7:00 p.m. for the start.

Stage 1: Avoriaz – Montriond – Avoriaz

Meet at 10:00 a.m. for the start.

Public access points along the race route:

Les Dromonts trail / Grande Odyssée Village (start/finish): >> locate <<
Serraussaix Farm: >> locate <<
Lively passage in Les Lindarets, the Goat Village: >> locate <<

La Grande Odyssée

La Grande Odyssée is one of the world’s greatest sled dog races. On January 10 and 11, Avoriaz will have the honor of hosting the prologue and the grand start of the next edition.