Trek the Tour Du Mont Blanc in a Weekend: The Hotels Edition
A bite-sized, long weekend trek along the famous high Alpine trail, with a touch of comfort along the way
Duration
3 nights
Annual Leave
2 days off work
Group Size
Up to 12 people
Season
Jun-Sep
Location
France, Italy, Switzerland
Meeting Point
Geneva Airport
Classic Accommodation
Hotel
Customer Reviews
This trip is brand new
Difficulty
Challenging
…
…
Border-hop from France into Switzerland and Italy across just four days, taking in the spectacular views of the Alps
Hike in the shadows of the Aiguilles Rouges and Mont Blanc massifs, and reach an unrivalled lookout spot at Lac Blanc
Get a taste of village life in the mountains as you bunk down in cosy hotels in Courmayeur, Champex and Argentière
Sucker for a mountain hut? Then check out our mini version of the Tour du Mont Blanc to stay in huts along the way
Day 1
The trek begins: Val Veny to Courmayeur
Hiking
Meet your host at Geneva Airport and get whisked into the Alps to start your trek from La Visaille on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. Immediately the views are absolutely stunning as you hike through a beautiful valley with inspiring vistas of soaring summits, glaciers and Alpine rivers. Ascend to the Lago di Miage; a heart-shaped azure alpine lake in front of the glacier of the same name. Head to Courmayeur at the end of the day, where you will settle in for dinner and enjoy life in an Italian mountain village.
Day 2
Courmayeur to Champex
Hiking
A short transfer drops you off in Val Ferret where you start your hike up to Grand Col Ferret (2536m). Trek in the shadows of the towering 4000m high peaks of Mont Blanc, Dent du Géant and the Grandes Jorasses as the trail winds up to the mountain pass border with Switzerland. After a steep climb, you'll reach the Grand Col Ferret with jaw-dropping views across the valley and Mont Dolent. Take the long gradual descent to La Fouly village, stopping at a traditional dairy farm along the way with the chance to sample some locally produced cheese. From La Fouly, you’ll be driven to Champex village for an evening in this beautiful spot.
Day 3
Champex to Trient
Hiking
Pick the TMB trail back up straight from Champex, setting off after breakfast for a hike up to the high alpine pastures of Bovine, crossing cool mountain streams through a pine and larch forest. Stop at the top for a perfect picnic spot with views of the Martigny Valley and the surrounding mountains. From there, continue your hike with a descent down to Col de la Forclaz and then on to Trient village, from where you'll grab a short ride to your overnight accommodation in Argentière.
Day 4
Aiguilles Rouges and Lac Blanc
Hiking
An epic finale awaits today as you wrap up your mini Tour du Mont Blanc adventure, with some of the highlights of the entire trail. Discover the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve as you climb up to the Cheserys Lakes and to the shimmering Lac Blanc for possibly the world's most scenic picnic spot. On the way, it's possible to spot ibex, chamois and marmots. The final descent is down a balcony-like trail, reaching La Flagère to take the cable car down to Chamonix. Your host will whisk you off to the airport in time for evening flights home, or alternatively you can hit the town for celebratory beers if you are staying on longer in the Alps.
Included
Guides
Experienced, English-speaking mountain guides
Accommodation
3 nights in village hotels
Meals
3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners
Transfers
Airport transfers to & from Geneva, plus transfers on the trek in private vehicles
Luggage Transfer
Luggage transfer of your main bag throughout the trip
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Travel to and from the start point
Visas where required
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Breakfast at each of the hotels is usually continental – think juices, teas, coffee, yoghurt, bread and preserves, pastries, cheese and cereals. Your host will provide healthy packed lunches. They’re big and include things like sandwiches, wraps or a salad, as well as a selection of fresh fruits, muesli bars, chocolate and nuts (for example). Dinner each evening will be taken either in the hotel or at a nearby restaurant. There'll be a variety of classic options for you to choose from, and the classic French, Swiss and Italian variations will be on display as you dip your toe into each country along the route.
Dietary requirements, including vegetarian and vegan, can be catered for: just let your host know in advance.
What is the accommodation like?
Village Hotels
Throughout the trip you'll bunk down in a variety of cosy hotels along the route, letting you soak up the quaint character of the Alpine villages nestled beneath the peaks. On certain days you'll be able to hike directly down off the Tour du Mont Blanc to drop into your overnight village hotel, whereas on other days a short transfer will shuttle you from the trail to your hotel, and back to pick up the next section of the trail the following morning.
You'll stay in same-sex, twin-share rooms. While the exact hotels you'll stay in will depend on availability, the likely choices are listed below (any time an alternative is used, it will be of similar standard and style).
Argentière: Le Dahu Hotel or Le Couronne Hotel
Champex: Relais d'Arpette
Courmayeur: Edelweiss Hotel
Upgrades
Unfortunately due to availability of accommodation on the Tour du Mont Blanc route, we are unable to offer an optional private room upgrade on this trip.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Geneva Airport (GVA)
11:30 on Day 1
Ends
Geneva Airport (GVA)
18:15 on Day 4
Transfers
To take advantage of the group transfer included at the start of the trip, your flight should arrive into Geneva Airport no later than 10:30am on Day 1. Please allow at least one hour for any potential travel delays and sufficient time to get your baggage and pass through immigration. Your host will provide a meeting location in their pre-departure information, along with contact details. The group transfer will depart from the airport at 11:30am.
Your return group transfer will depart Chamonix at 17:00 and arrive at Geneva Airport at 18:15 on Day 4, so you should book flights departing from 20:00 onwards.
Travel options
Air travellers can fly into Geneva Airport (GVA), which is approximately one hour from Chamonix and the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
For those who wish to avoid flying, you can also travel to Geneva by various train routes from other parts of Europe, with a connecting train service from the central station to Geneva Airport.
For those seeking to extend their trip you also have the option to stay additional nights in Chamonix, which is highly recommended if you have the time.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What do I need to bring?
BAGS
- Overnight Duffle Bag for main luggage (Luggage Transfer included)
- Hiking Daypack (20-35 litres)
- Waterproof liner for hiking pack
CLOTHES
Lightweight down or synthetic jacket
Lightweight waterproof and windproof jacket
Breathable wicking layers
Fleece jacket or similar
Buff or neck scarf
Lightweight trousers/shorts/skirts for hiking
T-shirts
Underwear and socks
Swimwear for hotel
Sunglasses
Sunhat
Something to sleep in
Hiking boots (worn-in)
Lightweight shoes for evenings in the villages
OTHER
Universal travel plug adapter
Power bank or solar charger
Passports (and visas)
Travel insurance documents
Suncream
Personal first-aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
Alcohol hand-gel
Two reusable water bottles x1 litre, or a water bladder
OPTIONAL
Trekking poles (highly recommended)
Energy bars and snacks - read our article on Best Hiking Snacks
No optional extras are available for this trip.
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 68kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
This trek is no easy feat – so you’ll need to be in good physical shape and able to hike between 6-8 hours per day (equating to 10-16km) with 1000m ascents/descents. That said, it's a great trip for those who are new to long-distance hiking, as no previous experience is required.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
The Tour du Mont Blanc trekking season is from June to September. Expect warm days with temperatures ranging from 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F) at the lower elevations. Things are a little cooler at higher elevations, especially in the early morning and late evening. Occasional rain showers or thunderstorms can occur, especially in the afternoon – the likelihood of these is stronger in August. Snow and ice are typically not a concern on the main trails during this season, but it's possible that you might encounter some residual snow patches at high altitudes.
Luggage transfers are included in the cost of the trip, so your main bag will be transported from hotel to hotel while you hike the sections each day. You just need to bring a hiking pack to take whatever you need each day while on the trail.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
The tap water in the Alps is safe to drink, so bring along a minimum of two litres carrying capacity in water bottles and/or a water bladder to fill up each morning before setting off. There will be opportunities to fill up along the route at refuges and other stops – your guide will advise as you go.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.
Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.
TRIP DEPARTURE DATES
Saturday • 29th June 2024
to Tuesday • 2nd July 2024
Fully Booked
Saturday • 13th July 2024
to Tuesday • 16th July 2024
5% Private Group Discount
Saturday • 20th July 2024
to Tuesday • 23rd July 2024
FLASH SALE - Only 4 spots left at 10% off
Saturday • 3rd August 2024
to Tuesday • 6th August 2024
5% Private Group Discount
Saturday • 31st August 2024
to Tuesday • 3rd September 2024
FLASH SALE - Only 3 spots left at 10% off
