Tour du Mont Blanc Short Break
- A taste of Europe's classic long distance trek over 5 days
- Hike from Les Houches in France to Courmayeur in Italy
- Take in glorious Alpine views of the famous Mont Blanc Massif
- Sample delicious Savoyard mountain food including locally made cheeses
- Stay in comfortable 3* hotels and one traditional mountain hut
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Les HouchesThe pretty village of Les Houches is easily accessible by either train or shuttle from Geneva Airport in just over an hour. On arrival you can settle into your comfortable hotel, stroll through the town and get ready for your adventure on the Tour du Mont Blanc.
Hotel du Bois is a comfortable 3 star hotel on the main street in Les Houches. The hotel has typical chalet style rooms, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, large garden with views of the Mont Blanc Massif and a bar and restaurant.
Le Saint Antoine, is located in the ski resort of Les Houches in the Mont Blanc region. Its spa has a hot tub, sauna and hamman (free access) and optional massage treatments. The rooms and suites have a flat-screen TV with cable TV channels and free Wi-Fi internet access.
A 2 Star Chalet Hotel, Campanules punches well above its weight with great views of Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi, fantastic service and comfortable rooms.
Your Tour du Mont Blanc starts with either a climb from Les Houches out of the Chamonix Valley to Bellevue (1801m) or a quick 10 minute ride on the Bellevue telepherique (recommended).
At Bellevue you have the option of taking the challenging route via Chalet de Miage, which is dominated by the Dôme du Goûter and Aiguille de Bionnasay as you pass just beneath the snout of the Glacier de Bionnassay. After passing the idyllic Chalet de Miage you descend to Les Contamines.
The easier option winds through beautiful forests and through alpine pastures via Bionnassay to Les Contamines.
Walk 1 - Les Houches to Bellevue gondola top station + Bellevue gondola top station to Les Contamines via Bionnassay, 17.5km, 7 Hours Ascent/Descent: 1198m/1045m
Walk 2 - Les Houches to Bellevue gondola top station + Bellevue gondola top station to Les Contamines via Refuge Miage, 19.3km, 7:50 Hours Ascent/Descent:1480m/1319m
Optional Cable Car from Les Houches to Bellevue gondola top station. Reduces both routes by 2:30 hours and 800m of ascent
Enjoying a peaceful location this family run chalet style hotel has 38 bedrooms, an outside swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi, large garden, a restaurant and bar.
The charming Hotel Gai Soleil was once the owner’s family’s farm in the mountains. It has been renovated with care and furnished with an aim to preserve all its rustic character and warmth. You can relax among the various flowering trees and wild berries growing in the summer and enjoy the warmth of the full sun on the terrace in winter. From the hotel you’ll find a spectacular view of the Montjoie valley.
"Le Ptou", a small independent traditional chalet accommodating located in the heart of the village of Les Contamines, just a few steps from the shops and the shuttle bus stop. All rooms are equipped with TV and WiFi access.
A gentle start from Les Contamines for the first 5km along the valley floor to the chapel at Notre Dame de la Gorge (shuttle transfer possible). Here the path turns upwards and climbs steadily on the Chemin Roman through the Contamines Montjoie Nature Reserve towards the distant Col du Bonhomme. The climb reveals increasingly rugged views of the high peaks and you quickly reach the rugged landscapes of the Col du Bonhomme (2329 m).
A further hour on rough and rocky ground brings up the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme. Here you can either climb over the Col des Fours (2665m) and descend steeply to Refuge des Mottets or alternatively descend to Les Chapieux.
There is a shuttle running between Les Chapieux and Mottets if you need to make your way between the 2.
As the Tour du Mont Blanc is a very busy trail, we often use alternative accommodation. If we cannot get our customers booked into our usual hotel accommodation in Les Chapieux or Mottets, we will book accommodation in Bourg Saint Maurice instead. We'll arrange a transfer to and from Bourg Saint Maurice for you.
Walk 1 - Les Contamines to Les Chapieux via Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (no Col des Fours), 18.7km, 7 Hours Ascent/Descent: 1395m/993m
Walk 2 - Les Contamines to Refuge des Mottets via Col des Fours - Optional High Route Variant, 20.7km, 7 Hours Ascent/Descent: 1615m/911m
Extensively refurbished in 2010 the Refuge Mottets maintains a wonderful atmosphere. The original farm buildings and new sleeping accommodation include dormitory and private rooms, while meals are taken in the atmospheric main building.
The Auberge de la Nova is a friendly mountain hotel in a lovely location, serving hearty mountain food and cold beer. The auberge is a simple mountain lodge and has private rooms and dormitory accommodation. Bathrooms are shared. There is a small farm shop next door, which is a good option for a picnic.
A small family run hotel in the village of Les Chapieux with only 3 rooms, first opened in 1856, and run by Celine and Pierre. The scenery here is spectacular, you will be surrounded by upland pasturelands and have excellent views of the Mont Blanc Massif.
The Col de la Seigne (2516m) lies a steep 750m above the Refuge des Mottets and is where you leave France for Italy. Just wait until you see the view! Stupendous! The steep southern side of the Mont Blanc Massif, made up of jagged peaks, hanging glaciers and plunging waterfalls, seems close enough to touch. The trail descends through high alpine meadows past refuge Elisabetta into the Val Veni.
Here you must choose either the tough option which climbs via Col Chécrouit to Courmayeur or the easy option of continuing past the snout of the huge Glacier du Miage to Visaille, where you catch the shuttle bus into Courmayeur.
If you have stayed overnight in Les Chapieux, you can take a shuttle to Mottets in the morning to get to the start of the walk. If you stayed in Bourg Saint Maurice, a transfer back to Les Chapieux will have been arranged for you.
Walk 1 - Refuge des Mottets to Courmayeur via Col Checrouit, 23.6km, 8:30 Hours Ascent/Descent: 1169m/1808m
Walk 2 - Refuge des Mottets to La Visaille, 14.2km, 5 Hours Ascent/Descent: 649m/850m
Optional walk if you start from Les Chapieux: Les Chapieux to Mottets, 6.3km, 2hours Ascent/Descent: 363m/39m
Located just a few minutes from the pedestrianised centre of Courmayeur the family run Hotel Bouton d’Or is wonderfully friendly and has a calm garden and terrace in which to relax.
The Crampon is a charming family run 3 * hotel. It has been entirely renovated and offers the guests a warm and friendly atmosphere between modernity and tradition.
Cresta et Duc offers contemporary design with warm Alpine comfort. The have a small wellness centre with sauna, steam bath and gym where you can realx after a long day's walk.
Courmayeur is a great base to spend a couple of days, and we recommend that you add an extra night here so you can choose from local hikes, a relaxing cappuccino and people watching on the piazza or perhaps take the cable car to Refugio Torino and the Punta Helbronner (3462m), where you can enjoy the most spectacular views of the Mont Blanc Massif.
This trip has a carbon score of 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?This short break itinerary is perfect if you want to experience the famous Tour du Mont Blanc trek as part of a longer trip to France or Europe, or if you only have a long weekend to spare. Staying in comfortable hotels and one traditional mountain hut in private rooms, you will have a maximum Alpine experience in minimal time without compromising on comfort. The tour is rated moderate-strenuous with daily average ascent/descent being 1,000 metres. Bag transfer is also included so you can walk with just a day pack.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
The Tour du Mont Blanc is a tough trek with considerable ascent and descent on each day. We would suggest that you are an experienced walker who is looking for a challenge. If you currently don’t enjoy an active lifestyle we suggest regular walking in hilly terrain supplemented by cardio vascular exercise for at least 6 months prior to your walk. A good gym or personal trainer will be able to draw up a personalised training programme. The terrain is mountainous, rocky and rough underfoot.
You will spend three nights in charming, high-quality 3* hotels, most of which are family-run. One night is spent in an atmospheric mountain hut in private twin/double rooms with shared bathroom facilties. Private rooms in huts are very popular therefore we cannot guarantee that a private room will be available when you book. In this case you will be offered a dorm room with a small reduction in price. To ensure a private room in the mountain huts we encourage you to book as far in advance as possible. If you are a solo walker, you will be booked into a dorm in the mountain hut as single rooms are not available in mountain huts. The solo walker price has been calculated with this discount already take into account.
Single Rooms
If you require single rooms within a party a limited number are available, although a supplement is payable. Single rooms are not available in mountain huts.
Solo Walkers
The Tour du Mont Blanc is available to solo walkers who are experienced and confident hiking in Alpine terrain. While the TMB has become increasingly popular over the past few years, it should not be underestimated. You will be walking in high-Alpine terrain subject to rain, fog, thunder/lightning storms and snow at any time of year. You must be confident walking alone on difficult terrain, over snow fields and navigating in poor visibility/weather conditions. Whilst this is a challenging walk, because of its popularity, there are more often than not other walkers in close proximity, which is why we can offer this tour to solo walkers. However, if you are a first-time Alpine solo walker, we recommend an alternative tour. We have a range of Alpine tours that would be more suitable for you. Please contact us for more information. If you are a solo walker, you will be booked into a dorm in the mountain hut as single rooms are not available in mountain huts. The solo walker price has been calculated with this discount already take into account.
Meals
Breakfast in the 3* hotels is a buffet selection with lots of sweet treats like pastries, home made jams fruit and cereals. Savoury tastes are also catered for with bread, cheese, ham and eggs available. Breakfasts in the mountain hotels and huts tend to be very basic; bread, butter, jams, coffee, tea and orange juice. If you prefer something more substantial before walking, we recommend carrying a few energy bars with you each day and supplement your breakfast with one of these. Packed lunch items can be bought locally from supermarkets or the local boulangerie. If you are staying in a hut or remote accommodation, order a packed lunch with them upon arrival. Allow about €10 per day for lunch. Drinks are not included but available at all overnight accommodation.
Dinner in the hotels will be at least three courses chosen from a fixed menu, and sometimes there is a choice available. Dinner in the mountain huts tend to be a convivial affair, and you will be seated with the other guests. Meal times are a real highlight in the huts, and you can enjoy the company of people from all over the world while you dine on good honest home cooked food. Dinner is typically soup with bread, a main course consisting of meat and rice or pasta, a side salad or vegetables, followed by a simple dessert or cheese. If you have any dietary requirements, please tell us upon booking and we can arrange this with the accommodations. In Courmayeur. dinner is not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Savoyard specialities are mostly based on cheese. Dishes which shouldn’t be missed include fondue, tartiflette and raclette.
The Tour du Mont Blanc is comprehensively way marked at all junctions and by regular paint marks along the trail. We supply you with a guidebook and route notes so you should have absolutely no problem following the route. Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks, and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you can’t get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account. We strongly recommend using this App, or at least having it on your phone ready to use should you ever be in any doubt about your direction. You should also polish up on your map and compass skills prior to departing, as weather and visibility can change very quickly in the mountains, and these kinds of skills never go out of fashion!
Our walks usually begin and end at a central point in town (such as a church, bus stop, etc.). Access routes to your accommodation are not included in our km daily figures. However, the Macs app will guide you to your accommodation.
Recommended Reading
Although not essential, if you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:
- map 3531 ET St Gervais by IGN
- 3 Nights in 3* hotels
- 1 Night in a mountain hut in a private room (dorm for solo walkers)
- Bag transfer
- Breakfasts
- 3 Dinners
- Access to maps, tracks, and daily route information with the Macs Adventure app
- All your trip documents provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
- 24/7 telephone support from our UK office
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to Les Houches and from Courmayeur
- Lunches (allow approx.10 Euro per day)
- Dinner in Courmayeur
- Public transport such as cable cars/ski lifts/buses
- Drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Additional nights before, during or after the walk
- Accommodation upgrade at any point on the trek
The season for the Tour du Mont Blanc runs from the start of July to mid-September. Please note that public transport in the area in the shoulder month of September is limited. This means that certain 'short cut' options will not be at your disposal during this month. Those hiking in these months should be prepared to walk the full distances each day. In the itinerary description, you will find the daily distances both with and without any possible short cuts.
Numerous gondolas/chairlifts/funiculars stop operating by early September (usually around the 10th). This will affect some of the walks. Please take that into account when booking.
Furthermore, if you wish to travel in early July you need to BOOK EARLY as this tends to be the most popular time on the trail and books up quickly.
The last weekend of August sees Chamonix hosting the famous Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc race. We recommend avoiding the TMB at this time as the area is extremely busy and most accommodations full.
In 2025, this tour will not be offered in September as it will be affected by the Mont Blanc tunnel closures. The tunnel is periodically closed for maintenance work. The full closure in September 2025 means this itinerary cannot be operated.
By Air: Geneva is the best airport for the Chamonix Valley. There is a train from the airport, however we recommend you take a pre-booked shuttle through a company such as Mountain Dropoffs. Your Destination & Adventure Specialist will be happy to give you more information about this.
By Rail: TGV to Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet. www.voyages-sncf.com For the return, there are regular trains between Chamonix and St Gervais les Bains Le Fayet.
By Road: Highway A40-E25 Mont Blanc-Chamonix, exit Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet. More information at www.viamichelin.fr
Parking: In Les Houches you can park for free at the Bellevue Cable Car station. In Chamonix, free parking at the Aiguille du Midi & the parking Planards (Montenvers station).
From Courmayeur, you can take a public bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix, from where you can take a shared shuttle (as mentioned in the Getting to the Start section) back to Geneva Airport. Chamonix also has a train station should you prefer to take the train to another destination in France. If there you are a more than 2 people travelling, it may be worthwhile to take a private taxi transfer from Courmayeur directly to Geneva airport. Please contact us for prices if you are interested in this.
Baggage transfer is included as standard, allowing you to enjoy the trek with just a light day bag on your back. We ask that you limit your baggage to one bag per person with a maximum weight of 15kg per person. If you would prefer not to have bag transfer, and prefer to carry everything on your back as you walk, this can also be arranged. Just ask one of your Destination and Adventure specialists for more information.
At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.Your booking includes transfer of1 bag per person and the weight of your luggage allowed is specific to the destination you will be travelling to. This is why it is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags and/or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.
Online Documents
At Macs Adventure we care about the environment! We’re taking action to minimize the impact we have by converting the majority of our tour documentation for online delivery.
On this tour, all your detailed tour information will be digitally delivered. You will have access to this documentation via “My Account” on our website.
The Tour du Mont Blanc is a tough hike with considerable ascent and descent on each day. We recommend this tour to experienced hikers who are looking for a challenge. The terrain is mountainous, rocky and rough underfoot. If you currently don’t enjoy an active lifestyle we suggest regular walking in hilly terrain supplemented by cardio vascular exercise for at least 6 months prior to your hike. A good gym or personal trainer will be able to draw up a personalised training programme.
The closest airport is Geneva which is served by flights from throughout Europe and around the world.
We suggest you book as soon as you can. This is a very popular hiking area with a short season. You will find up to date availability on our website and we will always try and accommodate your plans.
You will need good hiking shoes/boots (ideally waterproof), comfortable hiking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, sleeping sheet, a day pack and hats/gloves etc. We also highly recommend trekking poles. A detailed kit list is included in your information pack.
Luggage transfer is included as standard, allowing you to enjoy the trek with just a light day bag on your back. We ask that you limit your luggage to one bag per person with a maximum weight of 33 lbs per person. If you are staying in Rifugio Bonatti, your bags cannot be transferred here due to the inaccessibility of the accommodation. You will need to carry your overnight things on these days and you will be reunited with your main bag the following day.
The season for the Tour du Mont Blanc runs from the start of July to mid September. Anytime during this season is ideal for hiking in the Alps. August is by far the most popular month and we recommend avoiding the period around the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc race which is usually held in the last week of August.
Please note that transport (buses, gondolas, etc), which enable you to shorten some days or reach the start of some walks when staying off the trail, only run daily between the beginning of July and the beginning of September. If travelling outside of this period, you might have to walk longer on some days.
Some sections of the Tour du Mont Blanc are very easy to skip with the use of public transport, while others are very difficult, time consuming and expensive. We provide you with a handy Public Transport and Bad Weather Guide to the TMB before you leave and will help you in any way possible should you be unable to hike a stage.
Because the Tour du Mont Blanc is so popular and the accommodation is limited, we sometimes have to book our customers in hotels, guesthouses or huts in different places, slightly off the trail. If this is the case, you will be informed and provided with details on how to reach your accommodation and how to get back to the trail the next day.
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