Classic Tour du Mont Blanc (Centre-based)

Overview

The Tour du Mont Blanc circumnavigates the Mont Blanc massif and is one of Europe’s greatest long-distance trails through France, Italy and Switzerland. This eight-day holiday is a classic Tour du Mont Blanc itinerary, whilst staying around two of its gateway towns, Chamonix in France and Courmayeur in Italy. As a two centre-based holiday, you divide your time between three-star hotels in both towns, with plenty of time to take on hiking highlights such as Grand Balcon Sud, Val Veny and Val Ferret. A perfect way to see some of the Tour du Mont Blanc’s best trails while also have some town downtime in Chamonix and Courmayeur.

If you prefer to see more of the Tour du Mont Blanc, take a look at our Tour du Mont Blanc Circuit in Comfort itinerary.

Lac Blanc
Réserve naturelle des Aiguilles rouges
Mont Blanc massif
Le Brévent
Mer de Glace
Mont de la Saxe

Itinerary

Day 1: Chamonix

Welcome to the alpine town of Chamonix, an iconic mountain town which sits on the banks for the L’Arve river and is world renowned for its popularity amongst outdoor enthusiasts. If possible, we highly recommend spending a few extra nights here at the start or end of your tour.

Accommodation: Vallée Blanche or similar

Day 2: Chamonix – Tré le Champ to Planpraz via Lac Blanc | 5-6h

Begin the day with a short bus transfer to Tré le Champ before hiking up to Lac Blanc and the Grand Balcon Sud, one of the most spectacular sections of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Using a combination of fixed ladders and timber-braced steps over steep rocks to reach Refuge du Lac Blanc, you’ll be treated to fantastic and uninterrupted views across the Vallée de l’Arve. The day can be shortened by taking a cable car back down to the valley floor at la Flégère, or instead, continue on to Planpraz, where a cable car ride takes you back down to the mountaineering hub of Chamonix.

Walking for the day: 13.5km, 5-6h ↑1,270m ↓685m (easier option by cable car: 8km, 4-5h ↑945m ↓490m)
Accommodation: Vallée Blanche or similar
Meals included: breakfast

Day 3: Chamonix – Planpraz to Les Houches – Train to Chamonix | 5-6h

Begin the morning by taking the cable car up to Planpraz before a short walk to Col du Brévent (2,368m). From here, it’s possible to climb to the peak of Brévent, considered to be one of the best lookout posts for viewing Mont Blanc, and it’s surrounding glaciers and peaks. Continue on the hiking trail to pass Lac du Brévent and descend to Refuge Bel-Lachat, a good rest spot, before resuming the steep descent. The final section of the day skirts Parc de Merlet forest before finishing in Les Houches, where a short trip on the Mont Blanc Express brings you back to Chamonix.

Walking for the day: 12.2km, 5-6h ↑521m ↓1,545m
Accommodation: Vallée Blanche or similar
Included meals: breakfast

Day 4: Mer de Glace loop walk | 6-7h

Hike along forested trails with views across Chamonix Valley as you approach Europe’s second-longest glacier, Mer de Glace. As well as incredible views over the glacier itself, there are also optional attractions such as the Glaciorium, an exhibit dedicated to glaciology and the Ice Grotto, a man-made cave cut into the glacier. Stop in for refreshments on the way back down at Rocher des Mottets, or alternatively, take the Montenvers railway back down to Chamonix.

Walking for the day: 15km, 6-7h, ↑1,030m ↓1,040m
Accommodation: Vallée Blanche or similar
Included meals: breakfast

Day 5: Bus to Courmayeur

Take today at your own pace and enjoy the morning in Chamonix before catching a bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Courmayeur in Italy, where you have the day free to explore the town.

Accommodation: Hotel Croux or similar
Meals included: breakfast

Day 6: La Visaille (Val Veny) – Courmayeur | 5-6h

Start the day with a local bus to La Visaille before making your way to Lac Combal, a glacial lake fed by Glacier de Miage which makes its way into the valley. Gain some elevation on the path to Col Chécrouit, hiking a balcony which offers magnificent views across to the snow-covered peaks on the opposite side of the valley. There is the option to shorten the day by taking the Dolonne cable car down into Courmayeur.

Walking for the day: 15km, 5-6h ↑800m ↓1,270m
Accommodation: Hotel Croux or similar
Meals included: breakfast

Day 7: Courmayeur – Rifugio Bonatti – Courmayeur | 8-9h

Considered one of the highlights of the Tour du Mont Blanc, today’s route rivals in beauty of Val Veny, from the grassy slopes high up Monte de la Saxe. Take in views towards Col de la Seigne and the Grandes Jorasses as a challenging hike takes you across Col Sapin (2,436m) to the high point of Pas-entre-deux-Sauts (2,524m) before descending towards Rifugio Bonatti. A local bus ride from Val Ferret takes you back to Courmayeur.

Walking for the day: 16km, 8-9h ↑1,600m ↓1,135m
Accommodation: Hotel Croux or similar
Meals included: breakfast

Day 8: Departure or extra nights

Courmayeur is a great place to spend some extra time. With lots of local walks and attractions to explore, we recommend spending some extra nights here to relax after your trip.

Meals included: breakfast

What to expect

Accommodation

Accommodation is in a mix of 2 and 3-star hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms. As our Tour du Mont Blanc tours are very popular and accommodation options are limited, we may need to book you into alternative options to those mentioned above and, when necessary, this may incur an additional cost. We, therefore, recommend that you book as early as possible.

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Tour du Mont Blanc from Chamonix & Courmayeur [2024 Programme] The Natural Adventure

Tour du Mont Blanc from Chamonix & Courmayeur [2024 Programme] The Natural Adventure 11

Accommodations are subject to availability. In the event of a particular accommodation being fully booked for your chosen dates, we aim replace it with an accommodation of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.

Meals

Breakfast is included each day. Lunch packs for the next day are optional and can be pre-ordered at each accommodation. Dinner is not included as there are lots of great bars and restaurants to choose from in each town. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your accommodation the night before. Dinner is available at restaurants in the local area.

Difficulty and terrain

This holiday is appropriate for experienced walkers and requires a high level of fitness. All participants should be comfortable walking up to 9 hours a day, across varied terrain with multiple, sustained ascents and descents, while carrying a full day pack (average 10-15kg). The route often follows trails in remote areas with no road access and no possibility of shortening the route so participants must be extremely confident in their ability to successfully complete each section before setting off.

There are some exposed sections so enduring sure-footedness, and a head for heights are a must. Many sections of the tour are at an altitude over 1000m so it’s important to be aware that at these higher elevations, the routes will be far more physically demanding than they would be at lower elevations and while relatively uncommon at these altitudes, participants should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of acute mountain sickness in both themselves and those around them (read more about difficulty grades).

We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed digital road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your digital holiday information pack.

When to go

This trip is available from the middle of June until the end of August.

The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date in the season – so please indicate your desired beginning date when booking.

Please be advised that supplemental costs will be applied during the week of the UTMB: 24-30 August.

Please note that in low season (June and September) public transport mentioned in the itinerary will no be running so will need to be replaced with private transfers (not included).

For more information, see our blog post Everything you need to know about the Tour du Mont Blanc hike.

Getting there

FCO up-to-date travel advice on Switzerland, France and Italy.

Click to view travel options

By plane

Our recommended airport for this holiday is Geneva (GVA).

By train or bus

Shuttle: Take the Mountain Drop-offs shuttle service from Geneva Airport.

Train: If you are able to travel to France without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Chamonix and Geneva. For more details, see the national rail operator SNCF or use the Omio planner above

Car: Parking is available in the Planards car park in Chamonix.

Taxi: From Geneva airport, a taxi for one to eight people is approximately €300. Private transfers can be booked through us upon request.

Inclusions

Included

7 nights in 2/3-star accommodation
7 breakfasts
Detailed holiday information pack including GPS checked and regularly updated route descriptions and road notes; maps with daily routes and optional hikes marked (provided only digitally as access to our Navigation app)
24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative

Excluded

Airfare and connecting land transfers
Lunches, drinks and snacks
Fares for buses, transfers and cable cars
Private transfers during low season as listed in the itinerary
Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
Personal expenses
Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
Any items not explicitly listed as included
eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)

Options, extras and supplements

If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
We regret that we are not able to accommodate travellers under the age of 16
Extra nights in Chamonix and Courmayeur
Listed accommodations and locations above are subject to availability. In the event of limited availability, alternative options will be booked with potential transportation and supplements required
Private transfers

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Classic Tour du Mont Blanc (Centre-based)

Overview