France, Italy, Switzerland Deluxe-inn-to-inn
Our private deluxe Mont Blanc tours will pamper you with 5-star hotels, private transfers, and world-class private guided daily hikes..
Guided Deluxe Tour du Mont BlancSmall group guided tour with guaranteed departures, max size 14 people |
Self-guided Deluxe Tour du Mont BlancEverything but the guide...custom tour design, hikes, and all the details. |
The Tour du Mont Blanc has been called the world’s most luxurious hiking tour, and we think we offer the most luxurious itinerary available. This private guided tour includes a wonderful mix of 5-star luxury hotels and quaint village inns, with private airport transfers and luggage transfers to all stops to help ensure a vacation that is both invigorating and supremely comfortable. It can be booked for any dates you like (depending on availability), and customized in many different ways. Hiking day after day through flower-strewn meadows, over alpine passes, with the highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc (15,781 ft) you’ll enjoy some of the finest scenery in Europe. The Tour du Mont Blanc is truly an epic trek, and a private tour is a fantastic way to enjoy the rich variety of cultures, cuisines and views.
Our deluxe Tour du Mont Blanc features 8 nights in village hotels, including luxurious 5-star hotels in Chamonix and Courmayeur. These are not run-of-the-mill 4-star hotels being passed as luxury, they truly are the best hotels available. If you enjoy comfortable beds, great meals, relaxing spas and attentive service, you will find happiness here. Even when we’re not relaxing in luxury, we still have comfort in our mountain inns and 3-star hotels. Private rooms, hot showers and luggage transfers are available all nights. All breakfasts and lunches are included during the guided tour, as are 8 of 9 dinners. We typically leave one dinner in Courmayeur free, giving you a chance to explore on your own, but if you’d like more private time on your trip, let us know and we can adjust the itinerary.
Our typical day on the Tour du Mont Blanc starts with a continental buffet breakfast at our inn, and soon we’ll be out on the trail for 6-8 hours of inn-to-inn hiking. With many passes to cross, the hiking is often strenuous, but there will also be opportunities for easier days. Our tour will go counter-clockwise around Mont Blanc, hiking south-east from Chamonix, then up through Italy and into Switzerland, before coming back down to Chamonix.
We should finish our daily hikes around 4-5 pm, giving you time to wash up, relax, and enjoy views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding scenery. After that, we’ll enjoy dinner together at our hotel or a local restaurant. These are multi-course feasts, featuring delicious local French and Italian specialties. A hearty meal and good conversation provide a satisfying end to our day. We’ve included a rest day mid-way through the trip in Courmayeur where you explore, or simply relax and rejuvenate at the nearby Pre St Didier thermal spa.
With soaring mountains, gorgeous trails, and the best hotels in the region, our Private guided Deluxe Tour du Mont Blanc is an exhilarating trek that lives up to its world-class reputation.
Day 1
Chamonix – For the Tour du Mont Blanc, it’s best to fly to Geneva, and we’ll arrange your private transfer to Chamonix, the world-famous resort and mountaineering center at the foot of Mont Blanc.
Enjoy the ambiance of this beautiful village. Take in your first impressive views of Mont Blanc, with time to relax at our luxurious 5-star Chamonix hotel before meeting your guide for dinner.
Day 2
Chamonix – One of the classic hikes in the region takes us to Lac Blanc, high above the village. This is a popular walk, and you’ll see why once you get up there.
This high-mountain lake sits in the Aiguilles Rouges, across the valley from Mont Blanc, and commands one of the greatest mountain views anywhere. We like to approach on a quieter trail from the Col des Montets before reaching the hut, and returning by cable car. Return to Chamonix for a 2nd night.
Day 3
les Contamines – After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, your Mont Blanc circuit starts with a cable car above the scenic Voza pass to the lovely Bionnassay valley, a wooded region with impressive glaciers and waterfalls, and capped by blinding peaks.
Stop at a quaint mountain restaurant for lunch as you walk through Miage valley, mountains soaring above you, as you dive right in to the good life. A wooded descent then brings you to the quaint village of les Contamines, where you’ll stay in a comfortable 3-star hotel.
Day 4
les Chapieux/les Mottets – Today the Tour du Mont Blanc route leads you on a long ascent across two lofty passes, Col du Bonhomme and Col de la Croix du Bonhomme.
An alpine hut near the pass makes a perfect lunch stop mid-day. Descend to the tiny hamlet of les Chapieux and stay the night in a lively hiker’s inn. We have 3 inns to choose from, and although it’s a popular corner of the tour, private rooms are normally available for the night. If these inns are not available, we will arrange a taxi to the nearby village of Bourg St Maurice, where you stay in a comfortable 3-star hotel.
Day 5
Courmayeur – Leaving les Chapieux and les Mottets, a gradual ascent through quiet alp pastures leads to the Col de la Seigne and into Italy.
Here you’re greeted by an amazing view into the Veny valley and the Mont Blanc range. The Aiguille Noire de Peuterey is particularly impressive from this vantage point, and Mont Blanc itself dominates the view ahead of you. Stop at the scenic Elisabetta hut for lunch, before you continue down valley where a taxi will be waiting to take you to the medieval village of Courmayeur. Here you stay in an impressive 5-star hotel.
Day 6
Courmayeur – A second day in Courmayeur is a great way to break up the Deluxe Tour du Mont Blanc, offering a chance to either rest or take an optional dayhike high above town. The Pre St. Didier spa is one luxurious way you might recharge. Courmayeur is a beautiful village, with cobblestoned pedestrian-only alleyways filled with comfortable cafes and stylish shops, and is always fun to explore.
There is plenty to do in the village itself, cable cars can take you up to high vantage points, or there are great dayhikes near town. We like to hike up to the stunning views of Mont Chetif, and enjoy an afternoon at the nearby Maison Vielle restarant. Or hike the balcony route to Bonatti hut, returning to Courmayeur by bus. Stay in the same luxury hotel a second night.
Day 7
la Fouly – A brief morning transfer from Courmayeur to the end of the Ferret valley, Arnuva, brings you to the beginning of your hike over the Ferret pass and into Switzerland.
The ascent is steady and straightfoward, with plenty of opportunity to stop and enjoy the views back to Mont Blanc and the Grandes Jorasses mountains, as well as the beautiful glaciers toward the end of the valley. After reaching the pass, you’ll descend to the tiny village of la Fouly. If our 3-star hotel in la Fouly is not available, we stay in a very friendly hiker’s inn with private rooms in nearby Ferret.
Day 8
Champex – One of the easier hikes on your Mont Blanc tour takes you through woods and typical Swiss countryside and up to the pretty, lakeside village of Champex.
If you’re in the mood for a bigger hike today, a much more strenuous alternate route leads over a high pass, to a hut perched along the edge of the Orny glacier, before descending to Champex. A fantastic challenge if you are inclined. Stay in a comfortable 3-star village hotel.
Day 9
Chamonix – On your final hiking day of the tour, from Champex an undulating trail leads through alpine pastures and pine forests, with sweeping views of the Rhone valley.
Weather permitting, a more rigorous possibility leads up to the high pass of Fenetre d’Arpette, one of the highest points along the tour and along the Trient glacier. Finish the day with a transfer from Col de la Forclaz to your luxurious 5-star hotel in Chamonix, where you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner and a final night in Chamonix.
Day 10
depart – Today we say au revoir, and depart for our post-Mont Blanc destinations.