For the Tour du Mont Blanc, fly to Geneva travel independently to Chamonix, the world-famous resort and mountaineering center at the foot of Mont Blanc. There are convenient airport transfers that can bring you right to your hotel for your first night in France.

Enjoy the ambiance of this beautiful village with impressive views of Mont Blanc. Stay in a comfortable 3-star hotel in town. Dinner will be included tonight in one of our favorite local restaurants.

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.

One of the classic hikes in the region leads to Lac Blanc for an introductory dayhike. This high-mountain lake sits in the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Preserve, a rugged ridge across the valley from Mont Blanc, and commands one of the greatest mountain views anywhere. Make good use of local cable cars to enjoy more time hiking near the lake, and keep an eye open for bouquetin – a mountain goat with long curved horns that are frequently sighted in this region.

This hike is very similar to the Argientiere to refuge lac Blanc stage that you will see on many itineraries, but it’s so close to Chamonix, we prefer to stay there a 2nd night, in the heart of this thriving, fun village. Dinner will be on your own tonight (we’ll give suggestions).

Leaving Chamonix, your Mont Blanc circuit starts with a cable car above the scenic Voza Pass to the lovely Bionnassay Valley, a quiet, wooded region with impressive glaciers and waterfalls, and capped by blinding peaks.

An optional (but recommended) ascent leads over the higher Tricot Pass to the Miage Valley, before descending to the quaint village of les Contamines. Our home away from home here is the Hotel Gai Soleil, a friendly oasis with wonderful meals.

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. This a long day, but taken slow and steady, it’s not unusually hard, and there are many beautiful sights along the way to keep you going.

From the Bonhomme pass, descend to the tiny hamlet of les Chapieux. There are just 2 small hotels in Chapieux, and they book up early.  If you’re booking and they are full, we’ll arrange a taxi from les Chapieux to a nearby village for the night, and back in the morning.

You’ll either start hiking from les Chapieux, or will teturn to les Chapieux by included taxi in the morning.  Your hike leads on 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.

You might stop at the Elisabetta hut for lunch and have your choice of either the long high route to Col Checrouit, or continue down valley to la Visaille.  We’ll arrange a taxi to be on call for your trip to Courmayeur, so you don’t need to fight for space on the bus.  You’ll stay the next 2 nights in the medieval village of Courmayeur, in a pleasant and friendly 3-star hotel.  Dinner is on your own in town.

A second day in Courmayeur is a great way to break up the Tour du Mont Blanc. There is plenty to do in the village, cable cars take you up to high vantage points, or there are great dayhikes near town. If you didn’t hike via Checrouit yesterday, that’s a very scenic option. Head out on a beautiful hike, or just take the day to relax. For a big day, thee high traverse of Mont de la Saxe to Bonatti hut is hard to beat, with incredible views of Mont Blanc and the towering Grandes Jorasses. Return to town by bus.

If you’d prefer not to hike today, the nearby Pre St Didier spa is a great way to unwind half-way through your tour, or take the cable car up to Monte Bianco for high glacier views. Even more relaxing… spend some time in town. Courmayeur is a beautiful village, with cobblestoned pedestrian-only alleyways filled with comfortable cafes and stylish shops. Dinner will be on your own tonight. You’re in Italy… pizza anyone?

Start with a short transfer by private taxi from your hotel to Arnuava, near the top of the Italian Val Ferret, where you start hiking. You’ll enjoy more great views on your last morning in Italy while crossing the Grand Col Ferret and into Switzerland. You might sense the change to a new country, and a new culture.

Descend through tidy green fields with high cliffs and glaciers reaching down from the heights, to the tiny village of la Fouly, one of the quieter stops along the Tour du Mont Blanc. For those who need to shorten their trip, we often recommend skipping this night and taking a bus to Champex instead, but if you have time, la Fouly is a very nice stop as well. Stay in a comfortable local hotel.

One of the easier hikes on your Mont Blanc tour takes you through woods and up to the delightful, lakeside village of Champex. This is a nice moderate day passing pretty waterfalls and tiny villages. Champex is an inviting place to arrive early and relax along the lake. It was seemingly made for postcards.

If you’re up for a challenge though, we have one for you. A much more strenuous alternate route leads over a high pass, to a hut perched along the edge of the Orny Glacier. Enjoy a day truly in the high Alps before descending to Champex. We’ll give you directions for this adventurous detour in your route notes. Stay in a comfortable 3-star village hotel.

You have two choices today, the pleasant wooded Bovine route, or the high, rocky Fenetre d’Arpette. For the Bovine, an undulating trail leads through alpine pastures and pine forests, with sweeping views of the Rhone Valley. Stop at the rustic Bovine barn for a drink or snack along the way.

Weather permitting, we’ll also give you a more rigorous possibility leading up to the high pass of Fenetre d’Arpette, one of the highest points along the tour. After climbing, climbing, climbing you’ll reach the narrow Arpette pass – a small notch in a rocky ridge. Descend a steep trail along the Trient Glacier and finish the day at a small hiker’s inn at Col de la Forclaz.

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 the night.  In that case, you will have taxi included, a 3-star hotel in Chamonix, but dinner on your own tonight.

Your final hiking day of the tour is another great one, and a fitting finish to the trip. You’ll hike up to the Col de Balme pass separating Switzerland and France, coming back full circle to sweeping views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley.  If you’ve stayed in Trient, you’ll hike up to Col de Balme from there.  If you’ve transferred to Chamonix, you’ll do a loop hike to the pass from the French side.

A delightful side-trip to the nearby Posettes ridge leads to even greater views, with a meandering trail leading down through blueberries and alpenrose to the valley floor. Take a local bus for the short transfer back to Chamonix, and spend your last night of the Mont Blanc tour celebrating in there.

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.