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Spend 7 days hiking along mountain paths, crossing high passes, and descending into picturesque valleys on a section of the Tour du Mont Blanc from Les Combines to Le Tour. Moving away from the well-trodden paths, you’ll walk at higher elevations and cross several glaciers. Another highlight are premier mountain huts you'll stay at each night, making for a more authentic mountain experience. You’re in for an all-inclusive hiking trip—you just have to show up! So lace up your boots and experience the Alps in a more challenging and unique way.
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Meet your guide and fellow hikers at 9am in the car park for the Bellevue cable car in Les Houches. From the top of the cable car, head for the Col du Tricot and the Miage refuge. Once past the Truc refuge, continue through the forest to the Bernard path in the heart of the Contamines-Montjoie nature reserve.This takes us to the authentic Tré la Tête refuge, where we spend the night.
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Tré La Tête mountain hut
Hiking: 6 hours
Elevation: 1,350 m (4,430 ft) ascent / 1,180 m (3,871 ft) descent
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After breakfast, start the day with a technical descent to Combe Noir. A beautiful path leads your group to the Jovet lakes, where you’ll switch to a more mineral atmosphere to reach the Col de l’Enclave. Away from the crowds, continue your hike walk to the Col de la Grande Ecaille before reaching the Robert Blanc refuge for the night.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Robert Blanc refuge
Hiking: 8 hours
Elevation: 650 m (2,133 ft) ascent / 350 m (1,148 ft) descent
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Start your hiking by following a beautiful high-level route leading you all the way to the Col de la Seigne (2,516 m / 8,255 ft) and a section along the classic TMB route. Descend to Lac Combal and its distinct milky-blue waters before taking the traverse path to the refuge where you’ll stay for the night. Rising up proudly in front, you can see the back of Mont Blanc, famous for its mountaineering history. Take in the views before dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Mountain refuge
Hiking: 6 hours
Elevation: 850 m (2,790 ft) ascent / 1,000 m (3,280 ft) descent
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The fourth day of the walk starts with a descent into Courmayeur, a charming Italian town famous for quaint stone architecture and its scenic location. Pass through the historic center of the town, eat a gelato and then climb back up to Val Sapin and the Bertone refuge. Finish your hiking for the day with a beautiful panoramic traverse to the Bonatti refuge, one of the most famous mountain huts in the Alps named after the famous Italian mountaineer.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Bonatti refuge
Hiking: 6 hours
Elevation: 1,100 m (3,600 ft) ascent / 1,000 m (3,280 ft) descent
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Ahead of you on today’s trail stands Mont Dolent, a famous peak on the border between France, Switzerland, and Italy. Reach Grand Col Ferret (2,537 m / 8,320 ft) and enter Switzerland. This stage ends with a pleasant descent to the mountain pastures of La Peule and the village of La Fouly, nestled in the heart of the Valais canton. Today you’ll stay in an inn in the village with typical Swiss mountain architecture.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Inn in La Fouly
Hiking: 6 hours
Elevation: 1,000 m (3,280 ft) ascent / 1,300 m (4,265 ft) descent
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After a short transfer to Praz de Fort, you will embark upon a beautiful climb to the Cabane d’Orny, situated at an elevation of 2,800 m (9,185 ft). Enjoy the high-mountain atmosphere of this small mountain refuge nestled at the foot of the glaciers! Celebrate your achievements with your guide and fellow trekkers over dinner—your adventure ends tomorrow.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Cabane d’Orny
Hiking: 6 hours
Elevation: 1,600 m (5,250 ft) ascent / 300 m (985 ft) descent
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The high glaciers await your last day. There will be time to enjoy views of many lofty peaks surrounding you during your approach to the Le Tour glacier. Afterward,it’s time for the final descent above the Chamonix Valley that will take you to the village of Le Tour, the final stage of your trek. End of the Tour du Mont Blanc in the village around 3pm. Say goodbye to your guide, fellow hikers and to the Alps—or continue touring on your own.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: 7 hours
Elevation: 500 m (1,640 ft) ascent / 1,000 m (3,280 ft) descent
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What you get on this adventure:
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- An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- A high-mountain guide accompanying you during glacier crossings
- Accommodation in mountain refuges (dormitories and rooms)
- 7 days of hiking along more challenging sections of the Tour du Mont Blanc
- Half board in mountain refuges, packed lunches, and snacks
- Luggage transfers for 2 nights
- Technical equipment for the glacier crossings
What’s not included:
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- Transportation to the starting point and transportation from Le Tour back to Les Contamines
- Airport transfers — we recommend Mountain Drop-Offs
- Any personal expenses (such as drinks)
- Any private transfers and cable car tickets that are not part of the program
- Travel and mountain rescue insurance — highly recommended
- Guide gratuities — optional
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To participate in this high-level Tour du Mont Blanc guided adventure, you need to be in excellent physical shape. You’ll be trekking 7 days in a row for up to 8 hours each day—with an elevation gain of up to 5,250 ft (1,600 m). There will be a couple of glacier crossings on this tour as well (a different high-mountain guide will accompany you during those). You should have strong experience of hiking in hilly and mountainous terrain and a good stamina. We suggest you adopt a training regiment in the weeks leading up to the trip, with long daily hikes in hilly terrain, as well as activities like jogging, swimming, playing squash, or circuit training. In short, you should practice by doing various endurance activities multiple times a week. However, you won’t be expected to walk at a fast pace, you will be taking multiple breaks each day.
If you are an intermediate hiker, you can check out the classic Tour du Mont Blanc Trek. If you are looking for a hiking adventure in the Alps suitable for beginners, check out the Mont Blanc hiking tour from Chamonix and the hiking adventure in the Julian Alps.
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
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- Backpack (around a 30-40L bag)
- Trekking poles — optional
- Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
- Crampon compatible hiking boots with good ankle support
- Lightweight fleece gloves and warm and waterproof gloves
- 2 short-sleeve T-shirts and 2 long-sleeve T-shirts
- Fleece jacket (or softshell), waterproof and windproof jacket, down jacket
- Fleece tights (or similar), hiking pants convertible into shorts, lightweight protective pants
- Gaiters
- Spare clothes for layering
- Sunhat, beanie or headband, buff or scarf
- Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrush etc.)
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Sheet sleeping bag
- Travel towel
- Sunglasses
- Survival blanket, silk sheet, multipurpose knife
- Camera — optional (but recommended)
Keep in mind that the weather will most likely be warm and fairly stable, so there is a high chance that you’ll be able to hike in shorts and T-shirts and only occasionally put on other layers. However, there is always a possibility of unseasonal weather conditions with heavy rain, low temperatures and even snow. In short, being well-prepared is a prerequisite for a safe hiking experience during the high-level TMB trekking trip. You’ll be able to discuss the packing list with your guide before the adventure.
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Group sizes and prices:
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- For this group adventure, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 10:1.
- It takes a minimum of 2 people for this tour to operate.
- The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
Hiking the high-level version of the Tour du Mont Blanc can be arranged for larger and for private groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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To get to Les Houches, most people fly into Geneva International Airport (GVA). You will meet your guide at 9am in front of the Bellevue cable car in Les Houches. We suggest you arrive in the village the day before and stay in one of its hotels or chalets.
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57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in the Mont Blanc areas in France, Switzerland, and Italy please refer to France Diplomacy’s advice for travelers and foreign nationals, Switzerland’s official COVID-19 travel guidelines, and Official Italian Tourism Website.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
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