Trek the Tour du Mont Blanc in a Week
Tackle one of the world’s greatest hikes on a wild week of wandering in the Alps
What's Included?
Activities & Certified Guides
All itinerary activities with experienced, English-speaking IML-certified guidesAll accommodation
4 nights in remote mountain huts and guesthouses, 2 nights in village hotelsMeals
Munch on tasty food throughoutTransfers
Short transfers during the hikeEquipment
Pillows and blankets are provided at the refuges. Trekking poles are available for hire.Small Like-minded Groups
Solo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 12 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people…
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What's it like?
Circumnavigate the Mont Blanc massif on this jam-packed trek through the heart of the Alps, a week-long version of our classic Tour du Mont Blanc trip
Trek between remote mountain refuges and step into three countries en route - France, Italy and Switzerland
Hike past pristine lakes, traditional farms and ancient churches - all backed by astounding Alpine vistas
Key Information
Day 1
Chamonix
Hiking
Travel to the commune of Les Houches, the traditional starting point for the Tour du Mont Blanc and get your first views of the Chamonix Valley and the Mont Blanc Massif. Ride the cable car to Bellevue and hike to Col de Tricot, along the way crossing a suspension bridge over the waterfalls cascading from the Bionnassay Glacier. If there is adverse weather then the classic trail takes you through the more protected forest route and along the Contamines Valley. End the day in the French resort village of Les Contamines-Montjoie.
Day 2
Hit the trail
Hiking
Take a moment to explore Notre Dame de la Gorge, an ancient church with a fascinating history dating back to the 14th century. Climb up the Col du Bonhomme and walk through the nature reserve and mountain pass of Savoie County. See the Roman bridge, beautiful mountain lakes and traditional farmhouses (Le Balme), then after lunch, descend to your alpine accommodation in the small hamlet of Les Chapieux, where you'll spend the night.
Day 3
Hop across to Italy
Hiking
Heading straight out of the refuge door in the morning, follow the river as it winds its way through Alpine valleys. Climb up to the Col de la Seigne, 2516 metres above sea level and straddling the French-Italian border. From here you'll descend into Italy's Val Veny, enjoying stunning views of Mont Blanc's southern face. Reach the road at La Visaille, where a short bus ride takes you into the stunning alpine town of Courmayeur where you'll bunk down in a hotel for a spot of extra comfort.
Day 4
The high 4000s
Hiking
Hike through the Val Ferret in this far corner of Italy, right next to the Swiss and French borders. Take in the epic scenery of Mont Blanc, the Dent du Géant and the Grandes Jorasses - all 4000+ metre mountains -towering above you as the trail winds through the valley, eventually reaching your next mountain hut, Rifugio Elena.
Day 5
Climb to the Grand Col Ferret
Hiking
An early start today. Grab a quick bite and coffee at the hut before setting off for the 600m climb up to the Grand Col Ferret, where you'll step over the border into Switzerland. Another parade of epic alpine vistas awaits as you enter the final stage of today's trek, with the trail winding through to the lovely village of La Fouly.
Day 6
Champex Lac to Trient
Hiking
Hop on a short morning bus ride to the beautiful alpine village of Champex Lac, where you can have a morning croissant whilst admiring the reflections in the lake. Hike through the forest to the Alpage de Bovine - a traditional alpine farm - to sample cakes and take a break before the descent down to Trient.
Day 7
The final climb, and back to Chamonix
Hiking
Today you'll hike from the village of Trient up towards the French border at the Col de Balme. After a long climb, you are rewarded with the best views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley (where you started from) down below. Descend the other side into the village of Le Tour, where you can enjoy a drink before a short bus ride back to Chamonix where the trip finishes.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Les Houches
09:00 on Day 1
Ends
Chamonix
17:00 on Day 7
Transfers
Your adventure will begin at 09:00 on Day 1 in Les Houches, at the TMB Archway next to the tourism office, the traditional starting point of the trail. Les Houches is easily reachable from central Chamonix using the local bus network, there is also a local train service which links the valley.
You should arrive any time the day before the start date and book a hotel of your choice in the Chamonix area. There are regular buses from Geneva Airport and Geneva Bus Station to Chamonix, which take around an hour. Your host will be able to recommend an airport transfer company. Alternatively, you could also fly to Milan Airport (LIN) and make your way to Chamonix, about three hours away.
Your adventure ends in Chamonix at 17:00. You are free to make your own way back to Geneva or Milan airports, or Geneva railway station for those travelling onwards by train. We advise that you book any onward trains from Geneva to depart after 19:30, and any flights from Geneva to depart after 20:30. You also have the option to stay additional nights in Chamonix.
Travel options
Air travellers can fly into Geneva Airport (GVA) which is approximately one hour from Chamonix. Alternatively, you can fly into Milan Airport (LIN) which is about three hours away from Chamonix.
For those who wish to avoid flying, why not travel by train instead? Chamonix is accessible by train via the St. Gervais-les-Bains (Le Fayet) station at the base of the valley which connects to Chamonix Mont Blanc train station. For example, take the Eurostar from London to Paris and then connect to one of a number of direct lines or an overnight sleeper train from Paris to St. Gervais-les-Bains, then on to Chamonix Mont Blanc station.
You can also travel to Geneva by various train routes from other parts of Europe and travel on to Chamonix from there by bus. Geneva bus station is a 5-minute walk or short taxi ride from the central train station. There are various bus services from Geneva bus station to Chamonix, with the quickest option taking 1 hour and 8 minutes.
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Breakfasts and dinners will be served at the refuges. Breakfasts always include coffee, bread, jam and butter. Depending on the refuge, they may also include orange juice, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, cheese and meats. Dinners are hearty and served in large portions – just what a hungry hiker needs! Typical meals include a soup starter, a main course of meat and veggies with a side of grains or pasta, and a dessert like vanilla pudding or creme brûlée. Picnic lunches will be provided each day, featuring a large main item like a sandwich or wrap, a salad, and a selection of fruit, muesli bars, chocolate, nuts, etc.
Vegetarian, vegan and most other dietary requirements (including gluten-free) can be catered for with advanced notice. Just let your host know when booking. Whilst dietary needs are sent to each refuge with the group reservations, please consider that the mountain refuges will have a limited range of choice to offer guests due to their remote locations. People with very specific dietary requirements typically choose to also bring some of their own snacks with them to ensure they have sufficient fuel for hiking up and down the beautiful mountain trails.
What is the accommodation like?
The Alps
During the trek you’ll stay in a series of remote mountain refuges and traditional guesthouses which form a quintessential part of the Tour du Mont Blanc experience. The refuges you'll usually stay in are:
- Day 1: Gite Le Pontet (Les Contamines)
- Day 2: Refuge Mottets, Chambres du Soleil, Base Camp Lodge, Auberge Nova (Les Chapieux, Bourg St Maurice)
- Day 3: Hotel Croux or Hotel Les Jumeaux (Courmayeur)
- Day 4: Rifugio Walter Bonatti or Rifugio Elena (Val Ferret)
- Day 5: Auberge Maya Joie (La Fouly)
- Day 6: Hotel Grand Ourse (Trient)
The accommodation is simple, clean and comfortable, and there is a variety of accommodation options used throughout the hiking season. Groups typically sleep in mixed dormitory rooms of up to 20 persons, usually in bunk or single beds. They feature hot showers, running water, pillows and blankets, and a bar serving cold drinks. Most refuges also have outlets for charging your electronics, and some even have WiFi. Some refuges are more modern in style, others have a more traditional heritage, most are busy throughout the hiking season; it's the refuge's location and its remoteness that largely decides what comforts and conveniences are available. It's best to keep your expectations simple and enjoy the time on the trail to unplug from everyday life. Each of the mountain huts listed is the first choice option, but will be subject to availability. Where alternate accommodation is required, it will be of a similar style and standard.
Hotel Croux
On Day 3 you'll stay at Hotel Croux or a similar hotel, such as Hotel Les Jumeaux, in Courmayeur. Hotel Croux is a family-run hotel in Courmayeur with spectacular views of Mont Blanc. There's a bar, a cosy lounge and even a sauna and Turkish bath to soothe tired trekkers' legs. You'll stay in twin-share rooms.
Hotel La Grande Ourse
Your final night of the trek is spent at the Hotel La Grande Ourse in the picturesque village of Trient at the foot of two glaciers and the Col de la Forclaz. You'll stay in mixed dorms, with shared bathrooms and single-sex showers to use. There is a bar and a lovely garden to grab a drink and toast the last stage of your trek.
Upgrades
This trip has been rated as Challenging
This trip is suitable for experienced hikers in good shape. You'll need to be able to hike 15–20km on mountain trails, with as much as 1000m of elevation gain and descent, each day. You will be carrying your own overnight pack between the refuges, so should be confident hiking with a 30-50L pack for multiple days. Doing some practice hikes before the trip with your pack and boots is strongly recommended to help you prepare for this adventure!
What will I need to carry?
You will be carrying your own 30-50L pack between the refuges, with everything you need for the seven day trek. A luggage transport service is unavailable on this trip as not all accommodation is accessible by road. So don't over pack, a lighter pack will be more enjoyable, but also don't skip the essentials and risk getting caught out in bad weather. It's a good idea to do some hiking before the trip so you are comfortable with the gear you plan to bring on the trek. Check out our kit list section for the basics to consider putting in your pack.
The Tour du Mont Blanc trekking season is from June to September. Summer around Mont Blanc is generally warm and fair, but the weather can change very quickly in the high mountains, bringing cold rain and wind. Average temperatures range from 6 to 26 °C. It rains roughly half of the days each month, but storms generally pass through quickly. There can be snow on the mountain passes at the start of the season. Even in the peak of summer you can have very mixed conditions, especially when climbing over the high mountain passes above 2000m. Heatwaves have also been a feature of recent European summers. Our kit list is intended to guide you on what to pack for this trip.
Amazing adventure
Thoroughly enjoyed the TMB with Much Better Adventures. Great communication ahead of time around transfers and requirements. Our guide Luliana was fantastic. Chose some variants that allowed us to maximise our time and avoid bad weather, knowledgeable about local wildlife, vegetation and history, and great company. The other trekkers we're great and we all got on well. And the scenery was simply breathtaking. Tips - don't over pack, you only really need one set of clothes for the day and one for the evening, and you can get laundry done as you go; it's hard - there are some big 1000m+ climbs a day (but it's well worth it); take ear plugs and eye mask, most accomodation is in dormitories; Mountain Drop Offs was brill as transfter from Geneva airport working to specific arrival and departure times.
TMB was a blast
Just came back from a week on the TMB and had the time of my life. From the laughs and giggles at meals (the lunches on one of the many Cols (saddles) were the best, to enjoying the scenery and spending a rainy afternoon playing Uno, I just had a fantastic time and couldn't recommend the trip and Iuliana as a guide enough
TMB starting 05/08/24
An excellent week with a lovely group, super guide. Good accommodation, amazing scenery. Very rewarding, fun week. Thank you.
Awesome views, trails and people!
The views and trails were incredible! The people were great - so down to earth and made the trip really fun. The guide was excellent, knowledgeable, and patient.
For those who also weren't sure what the elevation gain/drop would exactly mean, know that it's a lot and challenging, but doable and very rewarding. Would highly recommend!
Lovely week hiking the TMB
Great week hiking the shortened version of the TMB, with a lovely (and fast!) group. The scenery was amazing, it was beautiful sunshine for most of the week so we really got to enjoy the views! The distances walked seemed very manageable, we were normally done by around mid afternoon. The accommodation was as expected - basic, and not much sleep due to the large number of beds in the mixed dorms, but all part of the experience! And the food was better than I expected! Our guide showed as which streams we could fill up our water bottles from which was handy. But don't over pack, you have to carry everything, and there was laundry services available at some of the accommodation.
Had a BLAST!
100% recommend this trip! But: make sure to do practice hikes with your pack if you're a less experienced hiker. It will help with daily walking expectations. Pack light - there was laundry at 75% of the accommodations; I wish I had known this so I could have packed differently. Also, almost every day the trekking begins uphill, and the weight of my pack got to me for the first few days.
We had the best guide - Fernando - who pushed the very experienced trekkers of the pack and even took them on a hike to an additional peak because the weather permitted, and those of us who were traveling at a more moderate pace enjoyed a scenic view and snacks.
Thank you for a much needed outdoor adventure that surpassed my expectations in athleticism, beauty and personal enjoyment.
7 day TdMB - Experience of a life time.
Amazing experience, with a greet group of people and an excellent guide.
Happy adventure with Happy trails
Booked a week-long trek around Mont Blanc with Happy trails and enjoyed every single second of it! Everything was very well organized and thought through. Guide Pavel and the team of like-minded people I've met on a trail were the best I could wish for. Is it challenging? Yes. But totally doable and totally worth every made step!
An epic trip
Great organisation, professional guide, wonderful experience with people from different countries. If you have no one to go with to see the most spectacular places on earth - I recommend joining a team of people, even if they are complete strangers
Amazing trip + guide
This trek was a 100/10 experience. Our guide Grant was very knowledgable and fun and made it a seamless experience. Loved every refuge and hotel we stayed at as well. Very highly recommend!