Your Best of the Tour du Mont Blanc starts in Chamonix.  It’s best to fly to Geneva, then make your to beautiful Chamonix.  We start here since the route to Italy is way too time-consuming midday.  And because it’s awesome.  Enjoy your first views of Mont Blanc and settle in to your relaxing hotel.

There is plenty to do around Chamonix. The Aiguille du Midi cable car can take you high into the mountains, or the Montenvers train leads to striking glacier views at Mer de Glace.  We like to spend our first day simply strolling the pedestrian-only streets of Chamonix, a visual feast with cafes, outdoor gear stores, and seemingly something always going on.

We’ll include dinner in a favorite Chamonix restaurant tonight.

Arrival: Geneva.  Plan to arrive by the day your tour starts.  You can book a private or shared shuttle from GVA to Chamonix.  The trip takes 1½ hrs.  We recommend booking early with Mountain Dropoffs or Chamonix Valley Transfers.

A morning taxi gets you to Courmayeur quickly and easily where you head out on the trail. Perhaps our absolute favorite hike of the TMB is the high traverse of Mont de la Saxe above Courmayeur. You have to work hard for a couple hours to gain the ridge, but are rewarded with incredible views of Mont Blanc and the towering Grandes Jorasses as you hike to the Bonatti hut.

This is a grand panoramic hike and is a stunning introduction to the Mont Blanc region. Mont de la Saxe is a big hike, but there is a more moderate option as well, an undulating traverse just above tree line directly to the hut. Return to Courmayeur by bus for a 2nd night. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Start with a short transfer by bus to the back of the Italian Val Ferret, where you start your hike. 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 a mid-day break and a picnic lunch. You savor views back toward Mont Blanc while you contemplate the trail ahead.

When you’re ready to leave, you’ll descend through tidy green fields with high cliffs and glaciers reaching down from the heights. Walk in to the tiny village of la Fouly, and take a local bus to the beautiful lakeside village of Champex. Stay in a comfortable 3-star hotel.

You’ll have two great options today, the easier Bovine route or the much steeper route over the Fenetre d’Arpetta pass. If you’re keeping it mellow, an undulating trail known as the Bovine route leads through pine forests and alpine pastures and plenty of cows). Stop at a small cafe enroute for lunch or a drink, with sweeping views of the Rhone valley.

Weather and energy permitting, a more rigorous possibility leads up to the high pass of Fenetre d’Arpette, a tiny notch in a rocky ridge, and one of the highest points along the tour. The steep descent is accompanied by incredible views of the Trient Glacier. Finish your hike at a small hiker’s inn at Col de la Forclaz, where we will have a taxi take you to Chamonix.

Your final hiking day of the tour is a great one. Hike up to the Col de Balme pass separating Switzerland and France, where you’re greeted with spectacular views of Mont Blanc, Aiguille de Tour, Aiguille Verte and the entire Chamonix Valley. Truly a classic view and a great capstone to your tour.

If you’re looking for a shorter day, there is a gondola that can take you down from the pass. Otherwise, we send you on 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 you catch a bus back to Chamonix. Dinner is included at one of our favorite restaurants in Chamonix tonight.

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.