Tour du Mont Blanc in 6 days
Follow the best stages of the Mont Blanc complete itinerary
Request a quote to process your reservation
Briefing
During the 6-day Tour du Mont Blanc you will hike the best stages of the iconic route of 11 days that surrounds Mont Blanc. You will hike with views of snow-capped peaks, cross rivers and visit small mountain villages where you will enjoy the local gastronomy. In addition, you will stay in mountain huts or small rural lodges.
In this short version of the classic route you will also walk between France, Italy and Switzerland and use transfers to skip some stages in order to complete the full round of Mont Blanc in 6 days.
The tour includes all accommodation during the route, half board and the most important: all the necessary equipment to do the route in a self-guided way, as well as an assistance service in case of any inconvenience along the way.
Ready for the adventure?
Tour details
Included
- 5 nights lodging (4 in a shared shelter and 1 in a private room)
- Half-board meals (5 breakfasts and 4 dinners)
- Bellevue Cable Car
- Itinerary details (roadbook, GPS tracks, maps)
- Emergency assistance from Chamonix
- Luggage transport (maximum 15 kg /33 lbs, available as an extra)
Not included
- Transfers during the tour
- Dinner on the 3rd night
- Meals and snacks during the route
- Rescue and repatriation insurance (mandatory)
Important information
📆 To book this tour you have to request a quote: select your dates in the calendar and follow the steps indicated. We will send you a proposal according to the available accommodations and your preferences.
🏘️ The Tour du Mont Blanc runs through areas with low availability of accommodation. In case of unavailability, you will be offered alternative accommodation, which may slightly modify the itinerary.
Cancellation policy
If you cancel more than 45 days in advance you will receive an 80% refund.
If you cancel between 44 and 15 days in advance you will receive a 20% refund.
If you cancel 14 days or less in advance or do not take the tour, no refund will be made.
Tour itinerary
Tour briefing
The day before the tour starts, you will have a meeting with the coordinator of your trip to prepare all the details of your route. The coordinator will provide you with the necessary material for you to do this self-guided tour and will make sure that everything is working properly. In addition, he/she will answer any questions you may have, give you practical advice so you can enjoy the route and will be your contact person in case you have any incident along the way.
Day 1: Les Houches - Les Contamines (France)
Approximate distance: 6.8 miles (11 km)
Positive difference in altitude: +2,100 ft (+640 m)
Negative difference in altitude: -4,199 ft (-1,280 m)
The adventure begins!
You will take a local bus to Les Houches, the starting point of the tour. From there you will take the Bellevue cable car, which in just over 5 minutes will take you up to 5,905 ft (1,800 m) of altitude. Now the route begins! The first section is a climb that runs along the lower part of the Bionnasay glacier until you reach the Col du Tricot, which has a privileged view of the Contamines-Montjoie valley.
Gradually begins the descent passing by the viewpoint of Chalets de Miage until you reach the village of Les Contamines-Montjoie, last stop of the route, where you will stay and dine at the accommodation.
Day 2 : Les Contamines - Les Chapieux
Approximate distance: 11.8 miles (19 km)
Positive difference in altitude: +4,462 ft (+1,360 m)
Negative difference in altitude: -3,182 ft (-970 m)
Start the day with breakfast at your accommodation in Les Contamines-Montjoie. Today's route has two very different parts.
The first section is an ascent that passes through the village of Notre-Dame-de-la-Gorge. It continues the ascending route passing through the Balme and Nan Borrant refuges to the Croix du Bonhomme refuge, reaching the highest point at "Croix du Bonhomme", at 2,465m altitude, where many travelers take the opportunity to stop and have lunch in front of unique views.
From this point, the second part of the route begins. A descent that will take you to the village of Les Chapieux, where you will stay tonight.
Day 3: Les Chapieux - Courmayeur (Italy)
Approximate distance: 12.4 miles (20 km)
Positive difference in altitude: +3,478 ft (+1,060 m)
Negative difference in altitude: -3,182 ft (-970 m)
Benvenuto in Italia!
The route begins with an ascending section until reaching the 8,241 ft (2,512 meters) of altitude of the Col de la Seigne, natural border between France and Italy and with privileged views of the west face of Mont Blanc.
From this point begins a gentle descent through the shelters of Casermetta and Elisabetta to reach La Visaille (Val Veny), a village located at the end of the Miage glacier.
At this point the hiking route ends and you will take a local bus to Courmayeur, where you will stay in a hotel and have dinner in one of the restaurants of the village, as this is the only night where dinner is not included, so you can enjoy the Italian gastronomy at your leisure 😋.
Day 4 : Courmayeur - Champex (Switzerland)
Approximate distance: 9.3 miles (15 km)
Positive difference in altitude: +2,690 ft (+820 m)
Negative difference in altitude: -3,232 ft (-985 m)
Today you will leave Italy behind and enter Switzerland.
You will take a local bus from Courmayeur to Arnouva (Val Ferret), where today's route starts.
You will pass the Elena refuge until you reach the natural border between Italy and Switzerland: the Grand Col Ferret with its imposing views of Mont Blanc.
You will start a descent to the village of La Fouly. Upon arrival you will take a local bus to Champex, where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Day 5 : Champex - Trient
Approximate distance: 10 miles (16 km)
Positive difference in altitude: +2,641 ft (+805 m)
Negative difference in altitude: -3,277 ft (-999 m)
After breakfast at your accommodation in Champex, you will start the route with a flat stretch and a short descent through forests and alpine meadows overlooking the "Dents du Midi", the town of Martigny and the Rhone valley. You will start an ascent, you will pass the Alpage de Bovine, where many travelers take the opportunity to stop and have lunch. The route continues, after half a mile (800 meters) you will reach Col de Bovine, located at 6,729 ft (2,051 meters), the highest point of today's route.
From this point, the descent begins to Col de la Forclaz and finally you will reach Trient, where you will stay tonight.
Day 6 : Trient - Chamonix (France)
Approximate distance: 8.7 miles (14 km)
Positive difference in altitude: +3,707 ft (+1,130 m)
Negative difference in altitude: -3,412 ft (-1,040 m)
The last day of the tour begins, back to France.
As in other stages, the route consists of an ascent to a pass and then a descent to the destination of the route.
This first section will take us to the 7,238 ft (2,220 meters) of altitude of the "Col du Balme", the natural border between Switzerland and France. Both from the viewpoint of "Croix de Fer" and from the Col du Balme, you will have a privileged view of Mont Blanc.
From this point begins a descent of approximately 3.7 miles (6 km) to the village of Montroc. From this village, you will take a local bus that will take you back to Chamonix, where you will arrive in the afternoon, putting an end to this adventure.
What to bring to Tour du Mont Blanc in 6 days
During the summer season you can enjoy good weather, but this can change quickly, so be prepared for rain and large temperature differences throughout the day. We recommend the 3-layer system, as well as appropriate footwear.
- Medium trekking backpack (40 liters approx.)
- Rain cover for the backpack
- Identity card / passport
- Documentation of your travel insurance
- Documentation provided before the tour (maps, accommodation reservations, etc).
- Phone and charger (and adapter for plugs)
- Sleeping bag liner (mandatory)
- Hiking pants: thin or short.
- Long hiking pants for extra warmth.
- First layer: thermal T-shirt and short-sleeved T-shirt.
- Middle layer: fleece or similar.
- Outer layer: waterproof jacket
- Hiking shoes (if possible waterproof boots)
- Mountain socks
- Resting shoes
- Sandals (for showers)
- Personal hygiene products
- Soap in case you need to wash clothes
- Flashlight and battery
- Cap or hat
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Travel knife and fork
- Walking sticks
- Credit card and cash (EUR and CHF)
- Garbage bag
- Earplugs
*If you hire the luggage transfer service you will need, in addition to the backpack to be transported between accommodations, a small backpack to carry with you during the day.
Where does the tour Tour du Mont Blanc in 6 days start
- By plane: the nearest airports are Geneva, Lyon and Milan, and are less than two hours from Chamonix. The best option is to fly to Geneva airport.
- By train: Chamonix is served by trains from Paris, Lyon, Annecy, Bellegarde, Geneva and Martigny.
- By road: Chamonix is well connected by road, especially thanks to the Mont Blanc tunnel, which allows direct access from Italy.
Questions & Answers
How far in advance should I book?
We recommend booking as far in advance as possible. Many travelers book a year in advance, as the Tour du Mont Blanc is a popular route with limited availability of accommodations.
How do I take the transports between stages?
The distances covered during the transfers are short, that is why local buses are used, you will be explained how to take them and the schedules during the meeting prior to the start of the tour. If you take the tour in June or September, some buses will not be available and you will have to take a cab.
Where will I stay? What are the accommodations like?
Due to low availability we cannot guarantee the exact accommodation where you will stay, we will do so when confirming your reservation.
The most booked option combines shared rooms in mountain refuges with private rooms in rural lodges. The tour can be customized and the type of accommodation can be adapted according to your preferences.
Is it a very demanding route and do I need to be in good shape?
The route has no special technical difficulty, but it is important to be fit and used to mountain routes, as fatigue accumulates over the days. In the description of each day we indicate the distance covered and the elevation gain, so that you can evaluate the difficulty yourself.
How does the baggage transport service work?
Luggage transport is a service offered as an extra. You will deliver your luggage to your accommodation and you will find it when you arrive at the next accommodation. Please note that this service only transports one soft bag per person (no hard suitcases) with a maximum weight of 15 kg. If you select this extra you will need to stay in a hotel in Chamonix the night before and at the end of the tour, as they will need to be able to access your luggage throughout the day.
How can I orient myself during the self-guided tour?
The day before the tour starts you will meet with your tour organizer who will give you the maps in paper and PDF with the marked routes. In addition, you will download the maps and the route to your phone's GPS so that you can follow it very easily.