The Tour du Mont Blanc is a bucket-list hike for many walkers and rightly so. The 170km tour, with 10km of ascent and descent, follows a stunningly scenic route around the Mont Blanc massif and through France, Italy and Switzerland.   Walkers hike between accommodations, and Macs Adventure offer baggage transfer each day to make the tour a great deal easier. Carrying only a daypack, rather than a heavier rucksack with over-night gear allows more people to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc. Most people will still have concerns about their ability to cope with the full Tour. That’s why Macs offers a range of different holidays to suit different people. Here we address some of the worries that customers might have.

I want to experience the authentic tour...

For fit and keen walkers, there is little to beat the complete classic tour route staying at high level in traditional huts (refuges). The Complete Tour du Mont Blanc allows hikers to immerse themselves in the fabulous views, hike at high levels and stay in the mountains in refuges. There is a great deal of camaraderie experienced when you stay in the huts, sharing rooms for multiple people and sitting around large tables to eat.

I am worried it will be too rushed…

The Relaxed Tour du Mont Blanc (comfort) trip allows an extra two nights so walkers can soak up more of the views and see more places during the Mont Blanc circuit. After all, if you have had aspirations to walk this famous Alpine route for years, you will not want to rush it. The tour is 13 nights, which is a fortnight holiday in total and has an opportunity for a rest day included. There is an extra night in Courmayeur, so the longest walking day is split in two.

I am anxious I will be too slow...

Again, the Relaxed Tour de Mont Blanc (comfort) could be the ideal choice for you. There is more time to do the full circuit over 12 days with a rest day in Courmayeur. The overnights are in comfortable hand-picked small hotels and refuges with private rooms so there you will have more chance for rest and recovery overnight. You would be wise to make sure you are fit enough to cover the daily distances for this trip but if you know you walk a bit slower, choose the Relaxed Tour. Another option would be to book the Highlights of the Tour de Mont Blanc trip, which gives six days of walking rather than the need to walk for twice as long to do the full tour. The tour is joined together with chairlifts and other transport, so you do the “best of” sections.

I love the idea of the full Tour, but I don’t think I am fit enough...

Why not take a look at the programme for our new Classic Walks of Mont Blanc? The eight-day holiday is based in two places, the lively outdoors town of Chamonix in France and another great gem of a location, Courmayeur in Italy. Each day you can walk routes of between 8km and 14km from your base and explore the foothills and slopes around iconic Mont Blanc.

I can’t get a fortnight off work...

The Highlights of the Tour de Mont Blanc trip will suit you very well. The eight-day trip includes six days of walking so you would need little over a week of vacation to do this holiday. A 10-day alternative is the Classic Tour du Mont Blanc trip, which includes eight days of walking and misses out only a couple of sections in the Italian Val Veni and from Ferret to Champex in the Swiss Val Ferret.

I am not keen on roughing it...

Many people believe that the refuges (huts) on the Tour du Mont Blanc route are too basic for them. The huts are simple, but they do offer warmth, a much-needed bed for the night and food. However, there are other options that can make a hike of the Tour du Mont Blanc more comfortable. We have handpicked hotels and chosen refuges that allow you to book private rooms. Take a look at the Relaxed Tour du Mont Blanc (Comfort) and Complete Tour du Mont Blanc (Comfort).

I am on a tight budget...

The 12-day Tour du Mont Blanc huts option might be for you if you want to save some money on the Tour du Mont Blanc. A huts-based Highlights Tour is another great idea. An alternative is a more relaxed tour that still sees you overnighting in huts but allows an extra two days to cover the same distance. In many huts, you will be required to share rooms with people you do not know each night and the level of comfort is more basic than a hotels option for the tour, but you will get to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc on a smaller budget.

I would like to extend the trip...

You might want to add a few days in the vibrant town of Chamonix to the start or end of a Tour du Mont Blanc trip or explore the city of Geneva, just an hour's drive away. Another idea if you would like to do more walking but at a relaxed pace, why not add on the Classic Walks of Mont Blanc trip to your choice of a Tour du Mont Blanc walking holiday?

I have heard of the Haute Route. What is that?

Perhaps you have read about the Haute Route on-line or in a magazine? The high-level trail from Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn is regularly voted as one of the world’s top walks and features on the bucket list of many keen walkers. Rather than circuiting the Mont Blanc massif the trail journeys from Chamonix in France to Zermatt in Switzerland at high level. The Walker’s Haute Route is a variation on the original Haute Route and follows Alpine trails below 3,000m offering a less technical option for the high-level journey but still surrounded by incredible views of the mountainous landscape. The Macs Adventure Walker’s Haute Route is a 15-day trip from Chamonix in France to Zermatt in Switzerland staying in a mix of hotels and huts. You might choose the shorter option of an eight-day trip to walk the western section of the Walker’s Haute Route from Chamonix to Arolla.  

Our team of specialists are here to help you plan your Tour du Mont Blanc adventure, contact us for advice & inspiration.

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