Trip Information
Arrival day: Arrive in Chamonix
Your trip starts on arriving at your hotel in Chamonix. This is an Alpine centre like no other, bustling in Summer with trekkers, mountaineers and tourists passing through. Enjoy dining out at restaurants in the town centre.
Hotel in Chamonix (breakfast)
Your trip starts on arriving at your hotel in Chamonix. This is an Alpine centre like no other, bustling in Summer with trekkers, mountaineers and tourists passing through. Enjoy dining out at restaurants in the town centre.
Hotel in Chamonix (breakfast)
Stage 1: Les Houches to Les Contamines
Blue 2 (grade)12.5km with 310m ascent, 950m descent
On your first day, there is time to make last-minute adjustments to kit and to buy food for the day ahead. You’ll catch the local bus or train to Les Houches, where the TMB meets the valley. Start with the Bellevue cable car up to Col de Voza. Then the normal TMB route drops through Val Montjoie, but an optional high route takes wilder paths over Col de Tricot if the group feel up to it. Arrive in the French resort village of Les Contamines.
Hotel or guesthouse in Les Contamines (dinner and breakfast)
Blue 2 (grade)12.5km with 310m ascent, 950m descent
On your first day, there is time to make last-minute adjustments to kit and to buy food for the day ahead. You’ll catch the local bus or train to Les Houches, where the TMB meets the valley. Start with the Bellevue cable car up to Col de Voza. Then the normal TMB route drops through Val Montjoie, but an optional high route takes wilder paths over Col de Tricot if the group feel up to it. Arrive in the French resort village of Les Contamines.
Hotel or guesthouse in Les Contamines (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 2: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux
Red 4 (grade) 19.7km with 1350m ascent, 960m descent
Today’s stage is one of the toughest of our Highlights trip, with an ascent to the Col du Bonhomme, where extensive views open out across the Beaufortain Alps, before a traverse to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme at 2,483m. These high slopes often hold snow early in the season. Descend to the valley of Les Chapieux, and take a taxi to your hotel in nearby Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Taxi to Hotel in Bourg St Maurice (dinner and breakfast)
Red 4 (grade) 19.7km with 1350m ascent, 960m descent
Today’s stage is one of the toughest of our Highlights trip, with an ascent to the Col du Bonhomme, where extensive views open out across the Beaufortain Alps, before a traverse to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme at 2,483m. These high slopes often hold snow early in the season. Descend to the valley of Les Chapieux, and take a taxi to your hotel in nearby Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Taxi to Hotel in Bourg St Maurice (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 3: Ville des Glaciers to La Visaille. Bus to Courmayeur
Red 4 (grade) 21km with 1060m ascent, 970m descent
Take a taxi back to the TMB trail at Ville des Glaciers and start the climb to the Italian border at the Col de la Seigne (2516m), from which Mont Blanc is suddenly revealed again. Descend past the glaciers and rocky spires of the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif to the roadhead at La Visaille, for a bus ride to Courmayeur, in many ways Chamonix’s Italian counterpart.
Hotel in Courmayeur (breakfast)
Red 4 (grade) 21km with 1060m ascent, 970m descent
Take a taxi back to the TMB trail at Ville des Glaciers and start the climb to the Italian border at the Col de la Seigne (2516m), from which Mont Blanc is suddenly revealed again. Descend past the glaciers and rocky spires of the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif to the roadhead at La Visaille, for a bus ride to Courmayeur, in many ways Chamonix’s Italian counterpart.
Hotel in Courmayeur (breakfast)
Stage 4: Courmayeur to Arnuova via Rifugio Bonatti
Red 4 (grade) 17.1km with 1170m ascent, 620m descent
Today’s stage is one of the most spectacular on the trail. After a steep climb out of Courmayeur, we follow a traverse of the hillside with stunning views towards the glaciers across the valley. In good weather, we also recommend a harder variant route, a spectacular but long day over the Mont de la Saxe. Drop to the bus stop at Arnuova to return to Courmayeur for the night. (or, take a rest day exploring Courmayeur, or to take the cable cars up into the Mont Blanc massif.)
Hotel in Courmayeur (breakfast)
Red 4 (grade) 17.1km with 1170m ascent, 620m descent
Today’s stage is one of the most spectacular on the trail. After a steep climb out of Courmayeur, we follow a traverse of the hillside with stunning views towards the glaciers across the valley. In good weather, we also recommend a harder variant route, a spectacular but long day over the Mont de la Saxe. Drop to the bus stop at Arnuova to return to Courmayeur for the night. (or, take a rest day exploring Courmayeur, or to take the cable cars up into the Mont Blanc massif.)
Hotel in Courmayeur (breakfast)
Stage 5: Bus to Arnuova. Walk to La Fouly. Bus to Champex (via 1 change at Orsieres)
Red 3 (grade) 15.3km with 810m ascent, 980m descent
Switzerland beckons today! Leaving Courmayeur on the regular bus up the Italian Val Ferret, our challenge today is the crossing of the Grand Col Ferret (2537m), often holding snow, and then a long descent into the Swiss Val Ferret. We cross another linguistic and cultural frontier. Reaching the small village of La Fouly, we take to the bus again to skip a long valley stage.
Hotel in Champex (dinner and breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 15.3km with 810m ascent, 980m descent
Switzerland beckons today! Leaving Courmayeur on the regular bus up the Italian Val Ferret, our challenge today is the crossing of the Grand Col Ferret (2537m), often holding snow, and then a long descent into the Swiss Val Ferret. We cross another linguistic and cultural frontier. Reaching the small village of La Fouly, we take to the bus again to skip a long valley stage.
Hotel in Champex (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 6: Champex to Trient. Taxi to Argentiere
Red 3 (grade) 15.9km with 730m ascent, 920m descent
Walk among meadows and woods to Trient, taking the option past Bovine Alp. This is one of the most scenic stages with long views to the Rhone valley. We pass Col de la Forclaz and drop to Trient, taking a taxi back to the Chamonix valley in the small town of Argentiere. (A harder alternative, at our Black grade, crosses the Fenetre d’Arpette, a narrow col with exceptionally steep and rocky ground either side.)
Hotel in Argentiere (dinner and breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 15.9km with 730m ascent, 920m descent
Walk among meadows and woods to Trient, taking the option past Bovine Alp. This is one of the most scenic stages with long views to the Rhone valley. We pass Col de la Forclaz and drop to Trient, taking a taxi back to the Chamonix valley in the small town of Argentiere. (A harder alternative, at our Black grade, crosses the Fenetre d’Arpette, a narrow col with exceptionally steep and rocky ground either side.)
Hotel in Argentiere (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 7: Argentiere to Planpraz. Cable car to Chamonix
Red 4 (grade) 15.3km with 1390m ascent, 540m descent
From Argentiere, our final day takes to the rocky hillsides of the Aiguille Rouges on the North side of the Chamonix valley, directly opposite Mont Blanc. Our route detours from the main Tour du Mont Blanc trail to visit the famously picturesque Lac Blanc, with its spectacular view of the rocky peaks above Chamonix, before traversing the Grand Balcon Sud to Planpraz. Take the cable car down to Chamonix to celebrate in style!
Hotel in Chamonix (breakfast)
Red 4 (grade) 15.3km with 1390m ascent, 540m descent
From Argentiere, our final day takes to the rocky hillsides of the Aiguille Rouges on the North side of the Chamonix valley, directly opposite Mont Blanc. Our route detours from the main Tour du Mont Blanc trail to visit the famously picturesque Lac Blanc, with its spectacular view of the rocky peaks above Chamonix, before traversing the Grand Balcon Sud to Planpraz. Take the cable car down to Chamonix to celebrate in style!
Hotel in Chamonix (breakfast)
Departure day: Depart from Chamonix
Relax over breakfast, see more of Chamonix and depart for Geneva Airport. If embarking on further travels please ask us to advise, whether in Switzerland or elsewhere in the Alps. Congratulations!
Relax over breakfast, see more of Chamonix and depart for Geneva Airport. If embarking on further travels please ask us to advise, whether in Switzerland or elsewhere in the Alps. Congratulations!
TMBg1 5 to 13 July 2025
