Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided in 7 days
The Tour du Mont Blanc in 7 days
The myriad landscapes that make up the Mont Blanc massif make it one of the most remarkable in the Alps and a paradise for hikers. Glaciers, villages, high peaks, flora and fauna are just some of the treasures to be discovered.
Set off for a week’s discovery, enjoying the most beautiful stages in complete freedom.
A dedicated guide will take full charge of your project, to meet your every wish. Our agency will also take care of all the logistics that you don’t want to have to deal with yourself.
Alone or with others, experience a Tour du Mont Blanc that’s just like you!
Listen to the guide's description of the trip (french)
Your consultant
The advantages of the TMB self-guided in 7 days
A trek alone or with friends and family, in total freedom in the heart of the mountains
Accommodation chosen for its friendliness and comfort
The most beautiful panoramas and landscapes of the Tour du Mont Blanc for a week rich in emotion
The opportunity to discover 3 countries with a distinct Alpine culture in just one week
Tailor-made advice and assistance from our team of professional guides
Duration
7 days
Difficulty
3/5
Departure from
Les Houches
Departure date
Every Sundays in summer
Accomodation
Dormitories
Luggage
One night without (day 4)
The program in detail
Day 1: Les Houches – Les Contamines
Your self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc begins at the car park of Le Prarion in Les Houches at 9am. After handing over your luggage, you make your way to the Col du Tricot (2120m), then the Truc mountain pasture. This beautiful route at the foot of the glaciers offers many viewpoints. An ideal way to start this Tour du Mont Blanc. Descend to Les Contamines and spend the night in a gîte or refuge.
Day 2: Les Contamines – Les Chapieux
The day begins with a visit to Notre-Dame de la Gorge, with its beautiful chapel. You climb up to the Col du Bonhomme (2329m) and Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2408m) passes, marking your passage into the Beaufortain region. You then begin a long, beautiful descent towards the Chapieux valley, famous for the production of Beaufort cheese. Overnight in a refuge*.
*If no accommodation is available in Les Chapieux, the itinerary will be slightly modified to take you to another accommodation nearby.
Day 3: Les Chapieux – Col Chécrouit
This third day of the Tour du Mont Blanc is marked by a passage into Italy. The day starts with a short transfer, to the start of the hike*. After a beautiful climb, facing Mont Blanc, you reach the Col de la Seigne (2516m), the Franco-Italian border. You then descend into the Val Veny and enjoy a superb view of the south face of Mont Blanc. Overnight in a refuge.
*If you spent the previous night in accommodation outside the hamlet of Les Chapieux, a supplement of €115 will be charged for the transfer from your accommodation to La Ville des Glaciers, the starting point for the hike. This price is valid for up to 8 people.
Day 4: Col Chécrouit – Refuge Bonatti
The day begins with a descent to Courmayeur and its old village. With its colourful authentic facades, charming little streets and delicious ice creams, this is a very pleasant little town to visit. After this short break, you climb up to the Bertone refuge and its magnificent panorama of the Mont Blanc massif. Then, a beautiful balcony traverse awaits you to reach the Bonatti hut* (2025m), where you will spend the night.
*In case of unavailability at the Bonatti Refuge, you can catch a local bus to make your way back to Courmayeur. Overnight stay at a hotel with your luggage.
Day 5: Refuge Bonatti – La Fouly
*If you’re staying in Courmayeur, you will need to take a local bus from Courmayeur heading towards Arnouva.
Today it’s time to reach the third country on this Tour du Mont Blanc. After a beautiful climb to the Grand Col Ferret (2537m), you arrive in Switzerland. After a few hours’ walk, you’ll reach the small village of La Fouly, nestling in the Swiss Val Ferret. Overnight in an inn or refuge in La Fouly.
Day 6: La Fouly – Champex -Trient
After a short transfer with taxi to Champex, you start today’s stage with two possible routes. The first, which is easier, takes you along a beautiful balcony path above Martigny and the Rhône valley. The second choice is a more alpine route, via the fenêtre d’Arpette (2665m). The landscapes here are more mineral, unique on this Tour du Mont Blanc.*
Descent to Trient to spend the night in an inn.
*Only take this route via the Fenêtre d’Arpette if you are in good physical and weather conditions. Don’t hesitate to ask the refuge keeper for more information before setting off, or to contact us.
Day 7: Trient – Le Tour
This is the last day of your Tour du Mont Blanc, with the first ascent to the Col de Balme (2191m), where the views of the Chamonix valley and the Mont Blanc massif are revealed. A beautiful path then runs alongside the Aiguillette des Posettes and descends to the hamlet of Le Tour, where your adventure around Mont Blanc comes to an end. From here, you can either catch a bus to the Prarion car park or get a train from Montroc (walk 15 minutes from Le Tour) to Les Houches. End of your tour around 4:30pm.
Useful information
Luggage transport
One piece of luggage per person is transferred each day between the different accommodation (except on the evening of D4 if you spend the night in Bonatti): one soft bag per person, of a maximum of 12kg each (duffle bag type).
You carry only your stuff for the day, in a backpack of about 30L.
Is your Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided only part of your trip? You can leave any extra luggage you don’t need for your trek in Chamonix or the surrounding area. Many hotels and shops offer luggage storage services. In particular, you can use the website Bounce.com, which lists these drop-off points.
Level
The walks are between 6 and 8 hours a day for the duration of the trip. Some sections may be more difficult, particularly at the start of the season with the residual snow.
You should be able to climb at least 1000 metres per day over several consecutive days.
We strongly advise you to take part in regular endurance sports and to prepare yourself specifically for this trip.
Meals
As an option, we can provide picnics for the entire stay (€98 per person). Picnics will either be provided by the accommodation (if departing on a weekday) or prepared by us (if departing at the weekend).
If you do not take the picnic option, you can buy your own meals as you pass through the villages, refuges or grocery shops during the trek.
Additional charges may apply
Due to very high demand for accommodation on the Tour du Mont Blanc, some stages may have to be changed. We try to stick as closely as possible to the stages described, choosing accommodation as close as possible to the original refuges.
However, these changes may involve a private transfer, at an additional cost to the group, as described in the programme.
If Les Chapieux is unavailable at the end of day 2, the end of the itinerary will be slightly modified to finish the stage in another hut. A private transfer will therefore take place on the morning of day 3, at an additional cost of €115 for the group (up to 8 people).
Also, for departures between 08 and 14 June 2024, the same supplement of 115€ will be required for a transfer on day 3 between Les Chapieux and La Ville des Glaciers, as there is no shuttle service at the start of the season.
On day 4, if the Bonatti refuge is unavailable, a potential supplement of €30 per person may be applied for a night in a hotel in Courmayeur, as indicated in the programme.
Directions and accommodation
Access to the starting point :
Meet at the parking lot in front of the Prarion cable car, in Les Houches, on the departure day at 9:00 AM.
By car : You can leave your vehicle at the Prarion parking lot in Les Houches. It is a free outdoor parking area. There are no free parking spaces in Chamonix.
By train : To reach Chamonix, it takes approximately 3.5 hours by train from Lyon, 8 hours from Paris, and 2 hours from Geneva. In just a few hours, you can be at the foot of Mont Blanc, in the center of Chamonix, without having to worry about parking, tolls, or heavy traffic. By choosing the train, you are opting for the most environmentally friendly mode of transport, while enjoying a comfortable journey, ensuring you arrive in great shape for your Tour du Mont Blanc.
You can find schedules and prices on the SNCF website : https://www.sncf-connect.com/app/home/search.
Back to the starting point : End of your trip at Le Tour. Return by bus or train, not included in the price of the stay
Bus and train timetables from the Chamonix Tourist Office (info@chamonix.com +33(0)4 50 53 00 24).
Accommodation before and after the trip:
- Hôtel Saint Antoine : 7 route Napoléon, 74310 Les Houches – 04 50 54 40 10
- Hôtel Ibis Style : 333 Rue de l’Essert, 74310 Les Houches – 04 50 54 50 35
- Gîte Michel Fagot : 2 allée des sorbiers, 74310 Les Houches – 04 50 54 42 28
Equipment
Even if you choose to do it in summer, it can get cold on the TMB! We strongly recommend that you pack clothes suitable for a multi-day hike, such as:
- A fleece
- A windproof and waterproof jacket
- Walking trousers.
The terrain is varied and we recommend you wear walking boots that protect your ankles.
The accommodations provide blankets and pillows, but you will need a silk sheet, for hygienic reasons.
For more information, see our special TMB equipment page.
Booking
To book, you must:
- Click on one of the “book this trek” links and select the insurance, and date options.
- Select your payment type (cheque, bank transfer, debit card): There are several ways to pay.
- To pay by cheque: please make it out to WATSE and send to: WATSE – 63 avenue de la gare – 74170 Saint Gervais les Bains Le Fayet – France.
- To pay by bank transfer: contact us for our bank details.
- To pay by debit card: your invoice will be in your online account as soon as your payment has been confirmed by the bank. You will then be able to pay the balance directly from your account.
- Pay a 35 % deposit or the balance for your trek
- Print out the booking form then fill it in, sign it and send it back to us by email or post.Your reservation will only be effective when 35 % of the total cost is credited to WATSE’s bank account.
- The balance must be paid at least one month before departure without a reminder from us.
Insurance
To travel with peace of mind, Trekking Mont Blanc offers two insurance policies in partnership with Assur Travel, specially designed to meet the needs of a trek such as the Tour du Mont Blanc. These options, Cancellation and Multirisk, provide coverage to deal with unforeseen circumstances throughout your trip.
Cancellation Insurance :
This option covers the cancellation of your trip for a valid reason (illness, accident, etc.) before the departure date. You will be reimbursed for the amounts paid, subject to the conditions specified in the policy.
- Cost : 3.15% of the trip price
- Subscription : Mandatory upon registration
- In case of cancellation, you should contact the insurance company directly to file your claim, with our team’s assistance if needed.
Multirisk Insurance :
The Multirisk option offers comprehensive coverage, including :
- Cancellation Insurance
- Emergency repatriation assistance : perfectly suited for mountain treks
- Mountain search and rescue costs : up to €30,000
- Luggage: in case of loss, theft, or damage
- Medical expenses abroad
- Individual accident insurance
- Civil liability abroad
- Inability to return or quarantine in case of an epidemic
- Cost : 4.45% of the trip price
- Subscription : Mandatory upon registration
Whether you choose the Cancellation or Multirisk option, you will benefit from optimal coverage to enjoy your adventure with complete peace of mind. The insurance cost depends on the price of your trip, and you can select the desired option when booking.
Before and after the trek
The price of the stay does not include the trips before and after the trek.
Our team can help you find and book your plane and train tickets. We can also advise you about accommodation before and after your Tour du Mont Blanc.
Dates and prices
Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided in 7 days
Included in the price
- Nights in dormitories as mentioned in the program
- Half-board in accommodation (breakfasts and dinners)
- Private transfer mentioned in the program on day 6
- Choice of: a paper roadbook (including IGN maps and map holder) or a digital roadbook with GPS tracking
- Luggage transfer every night (except on day 4 if night in Bonatti)
- Contact with Watse team during your trek
Not included in the price
- Transport to/from the starting/ending point of the trek in Les Houches
- A certified guide
- Drinks other than water served with meals
- Pack lunches (option possible)
- Personal hiking equipment (clothes, shoes, trekking poles, etc…)
- Any private and public transport and cable car tickets (at your own expenses)
- Assistance and cancellation insurance, to subscribe while booking
- Anything not listed in « Included in the price »
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