For the Best of the Tour du Mont Blanc, you can fly to Geneva, Milan or Turin and make your way to Courmayeur where you stay in a pleasant and friendly hotel near the center of town. We can help with an airport taxi, if needed.

There is plenty to do in the village.  The Skyway Monte Bianco cable car can take you up to one of the most stunning viewpoints in the Alps.   Or simply stroll the bustling, pedestrian-only village core, filled with shops and stylish cafes. Meet your guide and enjoy a wonderful welcome dinner together.

Arrival: Geneva.  Plan to arrive by the day your tour starts.  You can book a private taxi from GVA to Courmayeur.  The trip takes 2½ hrs.  We recommend booking early with Mountain Dropoffs or Chamonix Valley Transfers.

After a great breakfast buffet, it’s time to hit the trail!  You’ll start with a dayhike high above town. One of the highlights of the TMB is the high traverse of Mont de la Saxe above Courmayeur, with incredible views of Mont Blanc and the towering Grandes Jorasses as you hike to the comfortable Bonatti hut. A more moderate hike follows an undulating traverse just above treeline directly to the hut. After relaxing at the hut, return to Courmayeur by bus.

If prefer a slower start to your tour, Courmayeur is also great for people-watching and relaxing, perhaps even taking a short trip on your own down to the Pre St. Didier Spa. You’ll again have dinner with your guide in Courmayeur tonight and discuss the following day’s hike into Switzerland.

Hiking to the back of the Italian Val Ferret, you’ll enjoy more great views while crossing the Grand Col Ferret and into Switzerland. The Grand Col Ferret is a modest pass, with grassy meadows great for savoring views back toward Mont Blanc.

When you’re ready to leave the pass, you’ll descend through tidy green fields with high cliffs and glaciers reaching down from the heights, to the tiny village of la Fouly, a quiet stop along the Tour du Mont Blanc. Stay in a comfortable 3-star hotel.

One of the easier hikes on your Mont Blanc tour takes you on a valley walk through woods and up to the pretty, lakeside village of Champex.  Although there are no passes to cross, the mountain and glacier views are beautiful, and the village of Champex itself is a real treat.

For strong hikers looking for a bigger day, a much more strenuous alternate route leads over a high pass, to a hut perched along the edge of the Orny glacier.  This really gets you up among the high peaks and on a quiet alternative trail.  Enjoy lunch or a drink at Orny hut before descending to Champex.  A chairlift takes the sting out of the descent. Stay in a comfortable 3-star village hotel.

An undulating trail known as the Bovine route leads through pine forests and alpine pastures (and plenty of cows), with sweeping views of the Rhone valley.  This is another pleasant and beautiful hiking stage of the TMB.

Weather permitting, a more rigorous possibility leads up to the high pass of Fenetre d’Arpette, one of the highest points along the tour with impressive views the Trient glacier.  This route isn’t for everyone – it’s quite steep at the top – but if you enjoy the challenge, it’s a great day.

Both routes finish at a small hiker’s inn at Forclaz or in nearby Trient.  You’ll have a private room with shared bathroom down the hall.  If the local inns are all full, we’ll arrange a taxi from here to Chamonix for an extra night there.

On your final hiking day of the tour, we hike across the Col de Balme into France where you are greeted with sweeping views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix valley. Absolutely stunning!

If you’re looking for a shorter day, there is a gondola that can take us down from the pass. Otherwise, we’ll hike along a beautiful side trail through alpenrose and wild blueberries with the brilliant glaciers of Mont Blanc ahead in the distance. Hike down to the village of le Tour where we catch a bus to Chamonix. Enjoy a final celebratory dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Chamonix.

Today you say au revoir, and depart for your post-Mont Blanc destinations.

Departure: Geneva.  Plan departure for the day your tour finishes.  You’ll need to book a private or shared shuttle from Chamonix to GVA, and the trip takes 1½ hrs.