Overview
This Tour du Mont Blanc highlights walking tour is an eight day adventure along the world-famous trail that circumnavigates Europe’s iconic mountain (4,807m). As well as through France, Italy and Switzerland, all home to the massif. By trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc highlights in comfort, you will experience this classic hike while staying in comfortable hotels. Walk in an anti-clockwise direction, starting in Les Contamines and finishing in Chamonix, experiencing all the main highs en route, with the help of public transport and cable car transfers. Luggage transfers are included.
- Chamonix, Champex-Lac and Courmayeur
- Trient Glacier
- Grand Col Ferret
- Lac Blanc
- Fenêtre d’Arpette (2,750m)
Please note: for a more traditional experience, staying in more of the mountain huts, take a look at our Tour du Mont Blanc Highlights itinerary. This tour utilises public transport at multiple stages due to being a shorter highlights tour; if you would prefer to use less public transport, this is possible on our longer Tour du Mont Blanc Circuit in Comfort itinerary.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Les Contamines-Montjoie/Saint-Gervais-les-Bains
Depending on availability at the time of booking, arrive in the traditional alpine village of Les Contamines-Montjoie or the lively mountain town of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. Depending on arrival time, a short warm-up walk is a good way to prepare for the next few days or instead explore the local area.
- Accommodation: La Gelinotte or similar
- Meals included: dinner and breakfast (Les Contamines-Montjoie) breakfast only (Saint-Gervais-les-Bains)
Day 2: Les Contamines – Les Chapieux – Bourg-Saint-Maurice | 7-8h
Today’s trek passes over ravines, past glacial lakes and ascends over two cols, all in the view of the southernmost point of Mont Blanc. After a short transfer from Les Contamines-Montjoie/Saint-Gervais-les-Bains to Notre Dame de la Gorge church, begin the long ascent to Col du Bonhomme (2,329m) and Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2,450m). Take a rest at Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme before the last descent to Les Chapieux. From here, take the public shuttle to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, a lively mountain town with plenty of options for dinner.
- Walking for the day: 15.5km, 7-8h ↑1,300m ↓950m
- Accommodation: Hôtel Arolla or similar
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 3: Bourg-Saint-Maurice – Vallée des Glaciers – Courmayeur | 6h
Begin the morning with a short bus transfer to Vallée des Glaciers. Then climb up to Col de la Seigne and cross the border from France into Italy. The route continues through fields towards Rifugio Elisabetta, where there is an opportunity for a break. Continue on to La Visaille to catch the bus to Courmayeur.
- Walking for the day: 6h, 15.8km, ↑795m, ↓905m
- Accommodation: Hotel Bouton d’Or or similar
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 4: Courmayeur – La Fouly – Champex-Lac | 6-7h
Begin the morning with a short bus transfer along Val Ferret to Arp Nouvaz before setting off over Grand Col Ferret (2,537m), heading out of Italy and into Switzerland’s rolling pastures. Rest in one of the mountain lodges along the route before continuing on to La Fouly and taking two connecting buses to Champex-Lac.
- Walking for the day: 6-7h, 16.8km, ↑810m, ↓975m
- Accommodation: Hôtel du Glacier or similar
- Meals included: dinner and breakfast
Day 5: Champex-Lac – Vallée du Trient – Martigny | 8-9h
This day of walking has the option of two routes which vary in difficulty. The Fenêtre d’Arpette should only be considered in fair weather, as this challenging path reaches the highest point of the TMB, and offers views across the Trient Glacier and down into Vallée du Trient. The alternative route via Alp Bovine, a more leisurely route that follows the northern contours of the rocky spur, leading through high alpine pastures and passing a lunch spot at Alp Bovine (1,987m). End the day by taking a public bus from Trient down to Martigny.
- Walking for the day: 8-9h, 15km, ↑1,195m, ↓1,350m, (full route) or 5-6h, 15.4km, ↑770m, ↓945m (shorter option)
- Accommodation: Martigny Boutique-Hôtel or similar
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 6: Martigny – Trient – Argentière | 5-6h
Today starts with an early morning bus back to Trient before beginning the climb up to Col de Balme (2,191m), and on to the mountain lodge of Refuge du Col de Balme, for a short rest with views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley. Descend to the open saddle of Col des Posettes (2,201m) and head along the Kammweg ridge over the summit of L’Aiguillette des Posettes, with a views of surrounding glaciers. The walk ends with a steep descent following a mountain stream to Argentière.
- Walking for the day: 5-6h, 15km, ↑1,170m, ↓1,230m
- Accommodation: Le Dahu or similar
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 7: Argentière – Chamonix | 6-7h
This is one of the most challenging 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. In the afternoon, follow the path across Grand Balcon to Planpraz, which has a cafe at an altitude of 2,000m, for a final break before heading back down the cable car to the mountaineering hub of Chamonix. The ladder section on this day is very steep and exposed, with some scrambling elements. For those with a fear of heights or who are feeling fatigued from the previous day’s walking, an alternative lower route along the Petit Balcon Sud to Chamonix is available.
- Walking for the day: 6-7h, 15.4km, ↑1,435m, ↓685m
- Accommodation: Hôtel Vallée Blanche or similar
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 8: Departure or onward travel
Chamonix is a great place to spend a couple of days, and we recommend adding some extra nights here. There, you can walk in the Aiguilles Rouges National Nature Reserve, take the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi (3,795m), or take the Montenvers Railway to Mer de Glace.
- Meals included: breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in a combination of 2 and 3-star hotels. Due to low availability in certain areas, alternate locations may need to be used. Accommodation has been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria, including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. 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.
Click to view default hotels
- La Gelinotte
- Hôtel Arolla
- Hotel Bouton d’Or
- Hôtel du Glacier
- Martigny Boutique-Hôtel
- Le Dahu
- Vallée Blanche Hotel
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular accommodation being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
As Mont Blanc tours are very popular, and accommodation options are quite 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.
Meals
Breakfast is included on seven days and dinner is included in two. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your accommodation the night before.
Difficulty and terrain
This holiday is appropriate for experienced walkers and requires an excellent level of fitness. All participants should be comfortable walking up to nine hours a day across varied terrain with multiple, sustained ascents and descents while carrying a full-day pack (average 10-15kg). Experience of other multi-day hikes is essential as the route to demands prolonged physical exertion over several consecutive days. 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 as this route also encounters sections featuring fixed ladders. Many sections of the tour are at an altitude over 1,000m peaking at 2,600m over Fenêtre d’Arpette. 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 end of June until mid-September.
You can start your trip on any date during the season. Please indicate your desired start date when booking. Note that in low season (September) public transport mentioned in the itinerary will not be running so will need to be replaced with private transfers (not included). Please be advised that supplemental costs will be applied during the week of the UTMB: 24-30 August.
For more information, see our Everything you need to know about the Tour du Mont Blanc hike blog.
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 Airport (GVA).
By train or bus
- Shuttle bus: Take the Mountain Drop-offs shuttle service from Geneva Airport
- Car: Free but unguarded parking is available in Les Contamines-Montjoie. At the end of the tour, you need to take either the SAT Mont Blanc bus or Taxi Besson from Chamonix and back to Les Contamines-Montjoie
- Train: If you are able to travel to France without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. For more details, see the national rail operator SNCF Connect or use the Omio planner above. From Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, take the Y84 bus to Les Contamines-Montjoie
- 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 hotels
- 7 breakfasts
- 2 dinners (depending on the location of accommodation)
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (one piece of luggage per person, max 15kg and 90cm on the longest side)
- Private transfer on day two from Les Contamines-Montjoie/Saint Gervais to Notre Dame de la Gorge
- Detailed digital holiday information pack, including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions and maps
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, drinks and snacks
- Dinners not mentioned as included
- Fares for any bus transfers or cable cars listed
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Private transfers are required in September as the public bus does not run during the low season
- 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.
- We regret that this holiday is not available for solo travellers or travellers under the age of 16. A guided option is available instead.
- Extra nights in Chamonix, Bourg-Saint-Maurice or Courmayeur
- Luggage transfers opt-out: if you prefer to carry your luggage rather than have it transferred by us, this will reduce your price. Please note this option has to be selected for all travellers in the booking
- 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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