Classic Tour du Mont Blanc Trek

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive in Chamonix

  Our trip begins in the mountain town of Chamonix, famous for being the adventure capital of the Alps. Located at the foot of Mont Blanc, its cobblestone streets breathe adventure while also exhibiting Alpine small-town charm combined with French sophistication. You will meet the rest of the group at 6pm at your hotel for a short trip briefing and gear check, followed by dinner. Get some rest for tomorrow, as that’s when our TMB adventure officially begins!

  Meals: Dinner
  Accommodation: Hotel in Chamonix

  
• Day 2: Les Houches to Les Contamines

  *After a hearty breakfast, we will take a cable car connecting Les Houches with the Bellevue Plateau, during which we will get to enjoy the panoramic views of the Mont Blanc Massif. After crossing the suspension bridge at the foot of the Bionnassay glacier, your guide will choose the best route taking your group to Les Contamines. This usually includes passing the Col de Tricot (2,120 m / 6,955 ft), with a coffee stop at the Chalet de Miages at the foot of the mighty peak Dome de Miages (3,675 m / 12,055 ft), but a lower level route may be utilized.  We will spend the night in a charming local 3* hotel in the French village of Les Contamines.

  *Daily departures for hiking will be between 7:30 and 9:30am, depending on what time breakfast is served and on the length of the day.

  Distance: 15 km / 9.3 miles
  Ascent: 837 m / 2,746 ft
  Descent: 1,520 m / 4,985 ft
  Walking time: 6-7 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: 3* hotel in Les Contamines

  
• Day 3: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux

  Day 3 begins with trekking up the old Roman road to the picture-perfect 17th-century church of Notre Dame de la Gorge. From here, our path goes uphill, past the Chalet de Barme (a perfect coffee stop!) and all the way to the Col de Bonhomme (2,328 m / 7,635 ft), where we will take our lunch break. Another climb—this time gentler—will take us to Col de la Croix de Bonhomme (2,478 m / 8,130ft), offering a great view towards the Vanoise National Park. After an additional 2 hours, we will have reached Les Chapieux, the location of our lovely chambre d’hôte (bed and breakfast). 

  Distance: 19 km / 11.9 miles
  Ascent: 1,348 m / 4,450 ft
  Descent: 960 m / 3,150 ft
  Walking time: 8 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Bed and breakfast in Les Chapieux

  
• Day 4: Les Chapieux to Courmayeur

  We will take a newly-cut path up to Ville des Glaciers (in previous years the TMB took the tarmac road). There is usually the option to have a minibus transfer from Les Chapieux if you prefer (included), the leader will let you know about this. (If you have stayed at Bourg St Maurice or Courmet de Roselend, you will transfer directly to Ville des Glaciers). At Ville des Glaciers, we might have the opportunity to see how the Beaufort cheese is made. After passing Refuge des Mottets, we’ll start to climb more steeply up to our goal, the Col de La Seigne, at 2,516 m (8,255 ft), the 2nd highest pass on the Tour du Mont Blanc. We’ve reached the border with Italy! From here, we descend past the Elisabetta hut (we may divert here for lunch or coffee, depending on how we’re doing for time) and the Lac de Combal to La Visaille, where we take a bus to the vibrant mountain town of Courmayeur.

  Distance: 21 km / 13 miles
  Ascent: 1,004 m / 3,300 ft
  Descent: 850 m / 2,800 ft
  Walking time: 6 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Hotel in Courmayeur

  
• Day 5: Hiking around Courmayeur

  We start the steep walk up to the Bertone hut and the Mont de la Saxe ridge. If the weather is good and there is not too much snow, we can take the lesser-travelled variant to the Mont de la Saxe ridge, up the Tête de la Tronche, and then down steeply to the Col Sapin. We then have a descent, followed by another climb to the Col Entre Deux Sauts—it’s a fairly long, but really stunning day, there are usually not many people, and the scenery is breathtaking! If the weather isn’t so good, or if you want a more relaxing day, you can take a fabulous balcony path from the Bertone hut to the Bonatti, high above the Val Ferret. It is a shorter day, but by no means a “second choice”, as the scenery is stunning.

  Mont de la Saxe Route
  Distance: 17 km / 10.5 miles
  Ascent: 1,584 m / 5,200 ft
  Descent: 940 m / 3,080 ft
  Walking time: 7-8 hours

  Balcony Route
  Distance: 12 km / 7.5 miles
  Ascent: 860 m / 2820 ft
  Descent: 700 m / 2296 ft
  Walking time: 4-5 hours

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Hotel in Courmayeur

  
• Day 6: Trek from Rifugio Bonatti to La Fouly

  Today we’ll start our day with a rising traverse, then ultimately descend to the head of the Val Ferret at Arnouva. From here, our climb up the Grand Col Ferret begins. At 2,537 m (8,324 ft), it is the highest col on the official TMB route. We’ll stop for our last Italian coffee at the Rifugio Elena, and then climb steadily to the col, where we are rewarded with stunning views of the Grandes Jorasses, the Grand Combin, and Mont Dolent (the summit of which is on the border of France, Switzerland and Italy). At the top of the col, we cross over into Switzerland, where the scenery changes yet again. If we’re doing well for time, we might stop for a coffee at La Peule. Here we leave the signposted TMB and head to La Fouly via a higher balcony path (or, in early season TMBs, the gullies might be full of snow in which case we take a straightforward track). La Fouly is a lovely alpine village with traditional Swiss “chocolate box” chalets.

  Distance 20km / 12.5 miles
  Ascent: 1,128m / 3,700ft
  Descent: 1,580m / 5,180 ft
  Walking time: 6-7 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Simple hotel or bed and breakfast in La Fouly

  
• Day 7: La Fouly to Champex

  A shorter day of hiking awaits. Winding through picturesque Swiss Alpine meadows and tiny villages, we will finally reach the resort of Champex, nestled alongside the eponymous glacial lake. Lodging in a traditional hotel offering great local delicacies. 

  Distance: 16 km / 10 miles
  Ascent: 711 m / 2,330 ft
  Descent: 855 m / 2,805 ft
  Walking time: 5 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: 3* hotel in Champex

  
• Day 8: Champex to Col de la Forclaz or Trient

  If the group feels fit on Day 8, the path will take you to Fenêtre d’Arpette, the highest col on the Tour du Mont Blanc standing at 2,665 m (8,710 ft)—a fantastic route famous for stunning views of the Trient glacier. This is a more serious undertaking, with a bigger climb, looser terrain underfoot, and 1 or 2 sections where you need to take care. Alternatively, your guide will decide to take you along the more laidback route via Bovine to the Col de la Forclaz (1,527 m / 5,010 ft). Bovine is the normal TMB route and you are rewarded with amazing views of the Rhone valley, gorgeous views of the Dents du Midi and the Grand Combin, and there’s a delightful “buvette” where we can have lunch. Our guide will make the decision about which route to do according to the weather conditions and fitness of the group. If we are staying in Trient, we continue a further 30 mins from Forclaz down to the valley floor. The decision about staying in Trient or Forclaz is made according to where we could achieve the most private rooms as availability is scarce in these locations.

  Bovine Route
  Distance: 15.4 km / 9.5 miles
  Ascent: 800 m / 2,625 ft
  Descent: 750 m / 2,460 ft
  Walking time: 6 hrs

  Fenêtre d’Arpette Route
  Distance: 16 km / 9.9 miles
  Ascent: 1,400 m / 4,593 ft
  Descent: 1,600 m / 5,250 ft
  Walking time: 8-9 hrs

  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Simple hotel, usually with shared bathrooms

  
• Day 9: Forclaz or Trient to Argentière

  Today’s plan is to take another lesser-traveled variant which diverges from the official Tour du Mont Blanc—either via Les Grands or Les Tseppes, depending on where we stayed the night before. The alternative routes are worth the extra time and effort not only because few other hikers take them but also because of the truly spectacular views of the surrounding landscapes. Either route takes your group to the Col de Balme (2,195m / 7,200 ft) at the head of the Chamonix valley (welcome back to France!). Going either via the Aiguillette de Posettes down to Tré-le-Champ, or straight down to Le Tour, followed by the Petit Balcon Nord, you will have reached Argentière—the location of your accommodation—in the afternoon. 

  Distance: 18 km / 11 miles
  Ascent: 1,200 m / 3,940 ft
  Descent: 1,450 m / 4,760 ft
  Walking time: 7-8 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: 3* hotel in Argentière

  
• Day 10: Argentière via Lac Blanc to Flégère

  From Argentière we climb up towards the Col des Montets. From here, we hike up to the famous Lac Blanc via the Lac des Chéserys, with simply the best views of Mont Blanc! We can either take the route via the ladders taking us more directly to the Lac des Chéserys, or we can take a slightly longer route that zig-zags up from the Col des Montets. Our usual plan is to take the ladders unless there is bad weather. Either route is spectacular and takes us through the heart of the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve, and we are often lucky enough to see ibex, chamois, and marmots. After a hard-earned refreshment at the Lac Blanc refuge, we descend to the Flégère. From here, we take a cable car down to Les Praz and can either walk back to Chamonix along the river, or take the bus or train.

  Distance: 9km / 5.6 miles
  Ascent: 1,000m / 3,280 ft
  Descent: 550m / 1,800 ft
  Walking time: 6 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Hotel in Chamonix

  
• Day 11: Flégère to Les Houches

  Today is a long day, taking us high above the Chamonix valley with spectacular views of the Mont Blanc massif, so we start early.. If we stayed in the Chamonix valley last night, we take the cable car back up to where we left off yesterday. From the Flégère, we pick up the famous Grand Balcon Sud. As we head to Planpraz, we are rewarded with views across to Mont Blanc, the Drus, and the Aiguille Verte. From Planpraz it is a steady climb to the Col du Brévent (2,368 m / 7,770 ft) and from here, we tackle a short ladder section to reach the summit of Le Brévent (2,525 m / 8,284), where there are superb 360-degree views across to the Fiz, the Aravis, and the Mont Blanc Massif. Then it is time to start a long descent to Les Houches, passing the Refuge de Bel Lachat, and eventually reaching the pine forest to the Christ Roi statue, before completing our circuit in Les Houches. There are various cable car options for those wishing to shorten the day. After 10 days of hiking, you can finally call yourself a TMB hiker! You can celebrate your great achievements with your guide and the rest of the group over dinner or by going for drinks somewhere in town.

  Distance: 17 km / 10.5 miles
  Ascent: 772 m / 2,530 ft
  Descent: 1,546 m / 5,070 ft
  Walking time: 8 hours
  Meals: Breakfast and dinner
  Accommodation: Hotel in Chamonix

  
• Day 12: End of the trip

  Our alpine adventure finishes after breakfast. Take a last chance to say goodbye to your guide and fellow trekkers. Leave Chamonix or continue touring on your own. 

  Meals: Breakfast