Tour du Mont Blanc: Classic or Compact Hike

Your adventure starts at the Planpraz cable car station, easily reached by foot from Chamonix center. Get on the trail and hike along the Grand Balcon, passing through alpine meadows and serene forests—showcasing the diverse natural beauty of the region. Pass by the Aiguille Rouges nature reserve and the Chésery mountain lakes. Today you’ll have a shorter walk, allowing you to gradually adjust to the altitude and terrain.

Accommodation: Gîte le Moulin
Hiking: 5 hours, 13 km / 8 miles
Elevation gain: +500 m / +1,640 ft

After a hearty breakfast, leave Montroc and set out for the stunning Col de Balme, a high mountain pass marking the border between France and Switzerland. This stage offers a terrific opportunity to take incredible photos of the monumental Alps. After crossing into Switzerland, make your way back down to Trient, a charming Swiss village nestled in the Valais Alps—this is where you’ll end your day.

Accommodation: Auberge Mont Blanc
Hiking: 6 hours, 13 km / 8 miles
Elevation gain: +900 m / +2,950 ft

As you depart Trient, you’ll gradually ascend towards the Col de la Forclaz, and then further through forests to reach the Bovine meadow. Walk amidst open meadows, where cows and sheep graze in the summer months, and be treated to stunning views of the Rhone Valley stretched out below. You will then enter a serene forested area around Champex-d’en-Haut. Pass through the cool shade of the trees and soak in the tranquil vibes before arriving at the Col de Champex.

Accommodation: Gîte Bon Abri
Hiking: 7 hours, 16 km / 10 miles
Elevation gain: +900 m / +2,950 ft

Start hiking and you’ll soon be treated to the captivating sight of Lac de Champex, a pristine mountain lake surrounded by forests. Descend to the valley of the Dranse river and follow it meander through the Val Ferret. This section is notably shorter and easier than some of the other sections of the trek. Today’s hiking ends in La Fouly, a cozy Swiss village that provides the ideal backdrop for a peaceful evening of relaxation.

Accommodation: Auberge des Glaciers
Hiking: 6 hours, 15 km / 9.3 miles
Elevation gain: +600 m / +1,970 ft

Starting in La Fouly, journey past the charming hamlet of Ferret and start a long climb over the Grand Col Ferret. This pass marks the border between Switzerland and Italy, and it’s the highest point of the Tour du Mont Blanc! Here is where hikers get to take in breathtaking views of the Mont Blanc massif dominating the skyline. A steep descent leads you to the Italian Val Ferret, where you’ll reach the Rifugio Bonatti after a long day of hiking. The hut is situated on a balcony opposite the Mont Blanc massif, offering spectacular views of the mountain.

Accommodation: Rifugio Bonatti
Hiking: 9 hours, 19 km / 11.8 miles
Elevation gain: +1,300 m / +4,265 ft

Leave the rifugio and follow the contours of the Mont de la Saxe, offering incredible views of the Mont Blanc range. The path then descends, leading you down into the charming town of Courmayeur, an Italian alpine resort known for its lovely streets, vibrant atmosphere, and delicious cuisine. Final leg of the day is a steep ascent to Maison Vieille, a refuge perched high above the valley. Positioned strategically on the trail, it serves as an ideal place for trekkers to rest, mingle, and enjoy the panoramas.

Accommodation: Rifugio Maison Vieille
Hiking: 8 hours, 17 km / 10.6 miles
Elevation gain: +1,000 m / +3,280 ft

Departing from the rifugio, you’ll follow the Mont Favre ridgeline with more spectacular views of the Mont Blanc massif. Pass the last few trees on the way down to the Veny valley before it leads you on a long and gradual climb to the Col de la Seigne. This high mountain pass is the border between Italy and France, and it’s the second highest point along the entire Tour du Mont Blanc. The day’s journey concludes in a cozy hotel in Bourg St Maurice.

Accommodation: L’Angival Hotel
Hiking: 8 hours, 18 km / 11.2 miles
Elevation gain: +1,000 m / +3,280 ft

Today starts with an easy downhill path to Les Chapieux. This stage stands out for its complete lack of forested areas, allowing trekkers to fully immerse themselves in the open alpine landscapes. As you leave Les Chapieux, the trail takes a challenging turn, with a steep climb leading to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme. Descend down into the picturesque La Balme pasture and finally, after a long day, reach the modern refuge des Prés above the Montjoie valley.

Accommodation: Refuge des Prés
Hiking: 8 hours, 17 km / 10.6 miles
Elevation gain: +1,000 m / +3,280 ft

The ninth day of the Tour du Mont Blanc begins with a gentle descent, guiding you to Pont Romain, a relic of ancient Roman roads. You’ll reach Notre Dame de la Gorge, a picturesque chapel nestled along the trail. Continue onto Les Contamines, a charming Alpine commune where you can grab a coffee or try one of the delicious French pastries. The route then leads you along a gradual ascent, taking you back to Mont Truc to conclude the day. This grassy hilltop offers views of the impressive Mont Joly and Aiguille de Bionnassay.

Accommodation: Chalet du Truc or Chalets des Miages
Hiking: 5 hours, 13 km / 8 miles
Elevation gain: +600 m / +1,970 ft

Last day of Tour du Mont Blanc! Starting from the refuge, pass the Chalets de Miages, an Alpine hamlet. As the trail continues, a short but steep ascent towards the Col de Tricot brings you to the highest point of the day. Take in the views and start descending, crossing a suspension bridge that spans the Torrent de Bionnassay. The trail then takes you uphill to Bellevue, where you can catch your first glimpse of Chamonix, offering a sense of achievement. A final downhill brings you to Les Houches, where the finish arch awaits at the Tourism Office.

Congrats! You’ve just finished the iconic Tour du Mont Blanc!

Hiking: 5 hours, 12 km / 7.5
Elevation gain: +700 m / +2,300 ft

Our adventure starts at the tourist office in Les Houches, the start and finish line of the TMB. Then you meet your guide and board transportation to Les Contamines, where we’ll spend our first night and get ready for the next day’s hike.

Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Le Christiania or similar

First day on the trail today! We begin the day with a gentle walk along the Bon Nant stream to warm up the hiking legs and pass by the ancient Notre Dame de la Gorge church. With the trail suddenly climbing, being immersed in the deep forest, we experience the first highlight of the day—the millennia-old Roman bridge that’s as vital now as it was then.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 19 km (12 mi), 8.5 hours
Elevation: +1,300 m (4,200 ft)
Accommodation: Hotel Angival or Basecamp in Bourg St. Maurice

A minibus brings us from the little town of Bourg St. Maurice back to the trailhead at Ville de Glacier, where cows roam around and some of the best cheese is still locally manufactured and available for purchase. The hiking trail takes us immediately up into the higher regions, where the wind noticeably picks up and the view of the surrounding peaks gets better. Snow storms even in August and September are not unheard of here!

There’s a well-trodden path here—after all this, there’s a border crossing from France into Italy, over the Col de la Seigne. From here, you can see all the way to the Swiss border on a good day! If you’ve had enough of the uphill walking, you’re in luck—a long and gradual downhill brings us to Rifugio Elisabetta (with amazing Italian hot chocolate) and to the flat area known as Las Combal. Another gradual descent brings us back to civilization, and with a short bus ride, we’ll arrive in Courmayeur. Dinner will be at a traditional pizzeria.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 22 km (14 mi), 8.5 hours
Elevation: +1,300 m (4,200 ft)
Accommodation: Hotel Croux od Del Viale in Courmayeur

We’ll reach the end of the Italian Val Ferret and begin our hike up towards the Swiss border. It’s a wild place, and be sure to check out the surroundings while climbing higher! From here, we’ll be able to see some of the most important mountains in the history of alpinism, and it’s here where we can come across large herds of ibex, grazing and relaxing. 

Once we finally reach the top of the climb, we’ll get a 360-degree view of some of the Alps’ tallest mountains and the Great St Bernard region of the Alps. Grand Col Ferret is also ideal for a lunch break to prepare ourselves for the long descent towards La Fouly that awaits us. On the way down, we’ll likely pass by large populations of marmots, always standing guard on rocks to watch out for predators.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 14 km (9 mi), 7 hours
Elevation: +800 m (2,600 ft)
Accommodation: Hotel du Glacier or similar in Champex-Lac

This is an underrated—and a gorgeous—stage of the TMB, the traverse from Champex-Lac to Trient over la Bovine. It’s from here where you can see far up the Rhone Valley to the tallest mountains of the Bernese Oberland (think: Grindelwald and the Eiger). If we’re lucky enough, we’ll even get to pet the cutest cows and experience how the local culture has been shaped by the mountains and the animals that inhibit these places. The descent from La Bovine past Col de Forclaz brings us to Trient, famous for its pink church, where we board our minibus to arrive back in Chamonix.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: 15 km (9.5 mi), 7 hours
Elevation: +800 m (2,600 ft)