Tour du Mont Blanc Map & Route Variations (2024)

We commence the Tour Mont Blanc full trek from Chamonix taking the cable car to the Planpraz at 2000m, from here we take the TMB route to the Col du Brevent, Brevent 2525m and descend along the stunning ridge to Refuge Bel Lachat. From the refuge, we make the long and tough descent via Parc Merlet to Les Houches and our hotel accommodation for the night.

Accommodation

3* Hotel, private en-suite rooms, evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

This day often feels one of the toughest on the trek generally because people are not fully acclimatised. The descent can be punishing & is probably the most difficult during the trek due 1500m sustained down hill & at times rocky terrain. Walking poles are recommended to save the knees!

Our day starts with a cable car ride to the Bellevue 1802m with stunning views of the Mont Blanc range from high above the westerly end of the Chamonix valley. We then have a choice of routes to Les Contamines via Bionnassay and Chapel or the Col du Tricot and Chalets des Miage.

Accommodation

3* Hotel, private en-suite rooms, evening meal and breakfast

Guide notes:

Day two and you are probably feeling a little tiered from the first day. The terrain is very different today, less rugged and more green as you will be trekking though high altitude pastureland. If you are trekking via the Col du Tricot check out the Blueberry pie at the Chalets des Miage, very memorable and delicious!

A great day ahead awaits and we make our ascent through three cols, Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and the Col des Fours 2665m. Descending steeply through the wild and remote landscape to Ville des Glaciers and our rest stop for the night at the atmospheric Refuge Mottets.

Accommodation

Dormitory (upgrade possible), evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

On paper this looks like one of the longest and toughest days on the trek but don’t worry its very doable. There is a fair amount of height gain but it is integrated with sections of gentle terrain, which make the day more manageable. The key is to start early & allow plenty of time.

By staying at the Refuge Mottets it gives us a great position below the Col du Seigne 2516m, although we climb steeply at times we soon find ourselves over the col and across French/Italian border into Italy. We then make a descent into the stunning Val Veny with easy walking through the hanging valleys to Lac Combal. From here we descend La Visaille and take the shuttle bus to Courmayeur.

Accommodation

3* Hotel, private en-suite rooms, B & B

Guide notes:

One of my favourite days on the Tour du Mont Blanc, the views from the Col du Seigne is second to none! Once you are at the col and if the weather is right rest for a while and take in the far-reaching views in to Italy & Switzerland, just wonderful!

Fully refreshed we make our ascent to the Refuge Bertoni and enjoy amazing views of Mont Blanc and Courmayeur down below. We spend the rest of the day on a lofty traverse from high above the Val Ferret with stunning views of the Italian side of the Mont Blanc before reaching our accommodation at the beautiful Refuge Bonatti 2056m.

Accommodation

Dormitory (upgrade possible), evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

A steep but steady climb up to the Refuge Bertoni, it’s worth it because the coffee is fabulous & the views just stunning, elevenses’ here is a must! Fabulous views of some of the most famous peaks in the European Alps including Mont Blanc and the Grand Jorasses. And for the refuge Bonatti... its just fabulous, if the night is clear go our side after dinner and just 'be' in this impressive location.

An early start and a new country awaits, we continue through the Val Ferret to Arnuva before making our long ascent to the Grand Col Ferret 2537m via the Refugio Elena and the Italian/Swiss border. We then make a relatively easy and enjoyable descent via la Peule, Ferret to La Fouly and our hotel accommodation for the night.

Accommodation

3* Hotel private en-suite rooms, evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

Again this day looks tough but the hard bits are nicely spaced with less challenging terrain & once at the Col stare in wonder at the view looking back at your last 3 days of trekking towards the Col du Seigne & over the boarder into Switzerland. The descent is long but at an easy angle & the path is good. Plenty of opportunity to stop for refreshments at Arnurva, Refuge Elena & La Peule.

An easy day in comparison walking in the beautiful Swiss Val Ferret. We then pass through the Swiss villages of Praz de Fort and Issert before make our ascent to the charming village of Champex-Lac and our resting place for the evening.

Accommodation

Auberge with private rooms & shared facilities, evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

The Bovine route is a fabulous day not too tricky over lovely terrain. Lunch stop at the high alpine farm at Bovine is a must, you can purchase local food or even eat your own picnic on the terrace as long as you buy a drink. Amazing views across to Lac Leman & down the Rhone valley.

An initial easy start to the day is to be had as we wind our way on easy paths to Plan de l'Au. We then climb up steadily to the Alpage Bovine 1987m and enjoy fabulous views over Martigny and the Swiss Valais. We spend the rest of the day making our descent to the Col du Forclaz 1526m with a final descent to Trient.

Accommodation

Auberge with private rooms and shared facilities, evening meal and breakfast

Guide notes:

The Bovine route is a fabulous day not too tricky over lovely terrain. Lunch stop at the high alpine farm at Bovine is a must, you can purchase local food or even eat your own picnic on the terrace as long as you buy a drink. Amazing views across to Lac Leman and down the Rhone valley.

Today we have two options as we can take the route directly to the Col du Balme from Trient or through alpine woodland to the Alpage of Tseppes, Catogne and on to the Col du Balme 2191m and the Swiss/French border. From the Col, we then make our descent to the hamlet of Le Tour and across pastureland to the village of Argentiere and our hotel accommodation for the evening.

Accommodation

4* Hotel private en-suite rooms, B & B

Guide notes:

Personally unless the weather is bad take the route via Catogne, the views are far superior as one up high you take a lofty traverse with excellent views over towards Emossom dam & the Aiguille Rouges nature reserve.

Our final day and a fitting end to the trek takes us back into the Aiguille Rouges to the stunning Lac des Cheserys and Lac Blanc 2352m. We then make a descent to Flegere and take the balcony path traversing high above the Chamonix valley to Planpraz at our starting point 11 days earlier completing the circuit. A final decent via the cable car back to Chamonix in time for a celebratory drink as you have just completed the Tour du Mont Blanc, one of the best multi day treks in the world. In the event of lift closures, we make our descent back to Chamonix via Flegere.

Accommodation

3* Hotel private en-suite rooms, B & B

Guide notes:

A fitting end to the trek back in the Aiguille nature reserve with pristine views of the Mont Blanc massif and all its peaks and glaciers. Visiting the iconic Lac Blanc is a must and stop for refreshments in the refuge. It gets busy with day walkers in August so make an early start if possible.

We make our ascent to the Refuge Bertoni and enjoy amazing views of Mont Blanc and Courmayeur down below. We spend the rest of the day on a lofty traverse from high above the Val Ferret with stunning views of the Italian side of the Mont Blanc before reaching our accommodation at the beautiful Refuge Bonatti 2056m.

Accommodation

Dormitory (upgrade possible), evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

A steep but steady climb up to the Refuge Bertoni, it’s worth it because the coffee is fabulous & the views just stunning, elevenses’ here is a must! Fabulous views of some of the most famous peaks in the European Alps including Mont Blanc and the Grand Jorasses. And for the refuge Bonatti... its just fabulous, if the night is clear go our side after dinner and just 'be' in this impressive location.

An early start and a new country awaits, we continue through the Val Ferret to Arnuva before making our long ascent to the Grand Col Ferret 2537m via the Refugio Elena and the Italian/Swiss border. We then make a relatively easy and enjoyable descent via la Peule, Ferret to La Fouly and our hotel accommodation for the night.

Accommodation

3* Hotel private en-suite rooms, evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

Again this day looks tough but the hard bits are nicely spaced with less challenging terrain & once at the Col stare in wonder at the view looking back at your last 3 days of trekking towards the Col du Seigne & over the boarder into Switzerland. The descent is long but at an easy angle & the path is good. Plenty of opportunity to stop for refreshments at Arnurva, Refuge Elena & La Peule.

An easy day in comparison walking in the beautiful Swiss Val Ferret. We then pass through the Swiss villages of Praz de Fort and Issert before make our ascent to the charming village of Champex-Lac and our resting place for the evening.

Accommodation

Auberge with private rooms & shared facilities, evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

The Bovine route is a fabulous day not too tricky over lovely terrain. Lunch stop at the high alpine farm at Bovine is a must, you can purchase local food or even eat your own picnic on the terrace as long as you buy a drink. Amazing views across to Lac Leman & down the Rhone valley.

An initial easy start to the day is to be had as we wind our way on easy paths to Plan de l'Au. We then climb up steadily to the Alpage Bovine 1987m and enjoy fabulous views over Martigny and the Swiss Valais. We spend the rest of the day making our descent to the Col du Forclaz 1526m with a final descent to Trient.

Accommodation

Auberge with private rooms and shared facilities, evening meal and breakfast

Guide notes:

The Bovine route is a fabulous day not too tricky over lovely terrain. Lunch stop at the high alpine farm at Bovine is a must, you can purchase local food or even eat your own picnic on the terrace as long as you buy a drink. Amazing views across to Lac Leman and down the Rhone valley.

Today we have two options as we can take the route directly to the Col du Balme from Trient or through alpine woodland to the Alpage of Tseppes, Catogne and on to the Col du Balme 2191m and the Swiss/French border. From the Col, we then make our descent to the hamlet of Le Tour and across pastureland to the village of Argentiere and our hotel accommodation for the evening.

Accommodation

4* Hotel private en-suite rooms, B & B

Guide notes:

Personally unless the weather is bad take the route via Catogne, the views are far superior as one up high you take a lofty traverse with excellent views over towards Emossom dam & the Aiguille Rouges nature reserve.

Our final day and a fitting end to the trek takes us back into the Aiguille Rouges to the stunning Lac des Cheserys and Lac Blanc 2352m. We then make a descent to Flegere and take the balcony path traversing high above the Chamonix valley to Planpraz at our starting point 11 days earlier completing the circuit. A final decent via the cable car back to Chamonix in time for a celebratory drink as you have just completed the Tour du Mont Blanc, one of the best multi day treks in the world. In the event of lift closures, we make our descent back to Chamonix via Flegere.

Accommodation

3* Hotel private en-suite rooms, B & B

Guide notes:

A fitting end to the trek back in the Aiguille nature reserve with pristine views of the Mont Blanc massif and all its peaks and glaciers. Visiting the iconic Lac Blanc is a must and stop for refreshments in the refuge. It gets busy with day walkers in August so make an early start if possible.

We commence the Tour Mont Blanc westerly trek from Chamonix taking the cable car to the Planpraz at 2000m, from here we take the TMB route to the Col du Brevent, Brevent 2525m and descend along the stunning ridge to Refuge Bel Lachat. From the refuge, we make the long and tough descent via Parc Merlet to Les Houches and our hotel accommodation for the night.

Accommodation

3* Hotel, private en-suite rooms, evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

This day often feels one of the toughest on the trek generally because people are not fully acclimatised. The descent can be punishing and is probably the most difficult during the trek due 1500m sustained down hill & at times rocky terrain. Walking poles are recommended to save the knees!

Our day starts with a cable car ride to the Bellevue 1802m with stunning views of the Mont Blanc range from high above the westerly end of the Chamonix valley. We then have a choice of routes to Les Contamines via Bionnassay and Chapel or the Col du Tricot and Chalets des Miage.

Accommodation

3* Hotel, private en-suite rooms, evening meal and breakfast

Guide notes:

Day two and you are probably feeling a little tiered from the first day. The terrain is very different today, less rugged and more green as you will be trekking though high altitude pastureland. If you are trekking via the Col du Tricot check out the Blueberry pie at the Chalets des Miage, very memorable and delicious!

A great day ahead awaits and we make our ascent through three cols, Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and the Col des Fours 2665m. Descending steeply through the wild and remote landscape to Ville des Glaciers and our rest stop for the night at the atmospheric Refuge Mottets.

Accommodation

Dormitory (upgrade possible), evening meal & breakfast

Guide notes:

On paper this looks like one of the longest and toughest days on the trek but don’t worry its very doable. There is a fair amount of height gain but it is integrated with sections of gentle terrain, which make the day more manageable. The key is to start early & allow plenty of time.

By staying at the Refuge Mottets it gives us a great position below the Col du Seigne 2516m, although we climb steeply at times we soon find ourselves over the col and across French/Italian border into Italy. We then make a descent into the stunning Val Veny with easy walking through the hanging valleys to Lac Combal. From here we descend La Visaille and take the shuttle bus to Courmayeur.

Accommodation

3* Hotel, private en-suite rooms, B & B

Guide notes:

One of my favourite days on the Tour du Mont Blanc, the views from the Col du Seigne is second to none! Once you are at the col and if the weather is right rest for a while and take in the far-reaching views in to Italy & Switzerland, just wonderful!