Our deluxe, luxury TMB, with upscale hotels, private transfers, and world-class hikes of unequaled variety.
Self-Guided Deluxe Tour du Mont Blanc
Self-Guided Deluxe Tour du Mont Blanc
Our deluxe, luxury TMB, with upscale hotels, private transfers, and world-class hikes of unequaled variety.
- Self-Guided,
- Inn-To-Inn,
- Moderate to Challenging,
This is it, the Tour du Mont Blanc, the most popular inn-to-inn hike in the Alps. And we have the most luxurious TMB you will find anywhere.
Not just nice hotels, but the best hotels, plus private taxis and daily luggage transfers… you will travel in comfort. Hiking around Mont Blanc is a visual and cultural highlight in every way, but it doesn’t have to be a rustic experience. Why not make the TMB a truly luxurious tour with our deluxe version of this famous route?
On our deluxe Tour of Mont Blanc, you’ll hike through France, Italy and Switzerland, over high passes and through bucolic valleys. It’s beautiful and it’s invigorating. And in the evening, you’ll relax in style, some nights in modest village hotels and five nights in luxurious five-star hotels. It’s the perfect Mont Blanc experience for the hiker who likes their comforts as well.
Itinerary At a Glance
Days 1-4
France, St Gervais to les Chapieux
Start in St Gervais with 2 nights in true luxury here in the best hotel in town, the Armancette, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Enjoy a great day hike from the Col de Voza through the Miage valley on the TMB route and then onto les Chapieux, where a private taxi takes you to a 4-star hotel in Beaufort.
Days 5-6
Italy, Courmayeur
Cross the Seigne pass into Italy’s stunning Val Veny, Mont Blanc towering above. A private taxi brings you to your 4-star or 5-star Courmayeur retreat. You’ll have time for our favorite Courmayeur dayhike and to enjoy the delights of this medieval town before moving on.
Days 7-11
Switzerland, la Fouly to Chamonix
Hike across the Ferret pass to Switzerland, with a night in tiny lakeside Champex. After a vigorous hike to la Forclaz, another private taxi brings you back to Chamonix for 3 final nights of 5-star luxury. A private taxi takes you to the Geneva airport the next morning.
Included
Your tour includes 7 nights in 5 star luxury hotels, and 2 nights in 4-star hotels. We include all breakfasts and 4 dinners. Luggage transfers to all stops are included, as well as private taxis from Geneva to St Gervais and Chamonix to Geneva. You will also receive topo maps, detailed route descriptions, gps routes and sightseeing suggestions. We are always available by phone if you have questions during your tour.
Pricing reflects 1 private shuttle each way for your group.
Full Itinerary
Day 1
arrive in St Gervais
For the Deluxe Tour du Mont Blanc, fly to Geneva and we’ll arrange your private transfer to St Gervais, the quiet and atmospheric spa village at the foot of Mont Blanc near les Contamines.
Enjoy the ambiance of this beautiful village with impressive views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains. Stay in a luxurious 5-star hotel in town. We love the exquisite elegance of the Armancette, a 5-star chateau with just 19 rooms, memorable food and beautiful pool and spa.
Arrival: Geneva. Plan to arrive by the day your tour starts. Our deluxe tours include a private shuttle for your group from GVA to St Gervais The trip takes 1½ hrs. Please send flight arrival # and time when you have it.
Day 2
hike to les Contamines via Bionnassay and Miage
After a hearty breakfast at your hotel, your Mont Blanc circuit starts with the Tramway du Mont Blanc up to the scenic Voza Pass, where you hike through 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. We recommend the blueberry torte for dessert. A wooded descent then brings you to the quaint village of les Contamines, where you’ll have a short transfer back to the Armancette.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 8 miles; Elevation: 2180 ft up, 4260 ft down
- Breakfast
Day 3
hike to les Chapieux - taxi to hotel
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, on your biggest required hike of the tour.
An alpine hut near the pass makes a perfectly-placed stop for a mid-day break. Descend to the Valle des Glaciers and the tiny hamlet of les Chapieux. Since the local inns are all very simple and book up early, we will arrange a private taxi to take you to the mountain village of Beaufort, where you can stay in a comfortable 4-star hotel.
HIKE: 7-9 hours, 12 miles; Elevation: 4390 ft up, 3110 ft down
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Day 4
hike the Seigne pass to Courmayeur, Italy
A private transfer brings you back to les Chapieux to start hiking. 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.
As you hike down into the valley, you’ll pass the scenic Elisabetta hut, a great place to stop for lunch, before you continue on. Although it’s possible to walk all the way, we’ll arrange for a taxi to meet you at a restaurant partway down. You’ll still cover the best parts of the hike, and will ride in comfort into the medieval village of Courmayeur, where we have a couple impressive luxury hotels to choose from.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 12 miles; Elevation: 3430 ft up, 3010 ft down
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Day 5
Courmayeur, hike to Bonatti hut
A second day in Courmayeur is a great way to break up the Tour du Mont Blanc. The Pre St. Didier spa is also a luxurious way to recharge half-way through your tour. 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, cable cars take you up to high vantage points, or there are great day hikes near town. We like to relax with a cable car up to the stunning views of Col Checrouit and enjoy an afternoon at the nearby Maison Vielle restaurant. Or hike the extremely scenic balcony route to Bonatti hut, returning to Courmayeur by bus. Stay in the same hotel a second night.
HIKE: 5-7 hours, 9 miles; Elevation: 3520 ft. up, 1950 ft. down
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Day 6
cross the Ferret pass to Switzerland
A private morning transfer whisks you from Courmayeur to the end of the Ferret Valley, Arnuva, and brings you to the beginning of your hike over the Ferret Pass and into Switzerland.
The ascent is steady and straightforward, 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.
You’ll be met by a private taxi that will take you to Champex. Stay in a lake view room in the luxurious Hotel au Club Alpin in Champex. Dinner is on your own, but you will have a table reservation at Au Club Alpin’s restaurant.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 9 miles; Elevation: 2840 ft up, 3380 ft down
- Breakfast
Day 7
hike to Forclaz and taxi to Chamonix
An undulating trail leads on the Bovine route through alpine pastures and pine forests, with sweeping views of the Rhone Valley, leading to the popular hiker’s inn at Col de la Forclaz. Their outdoor terrace is a great place to unwind at the end of your hike.
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 a pretty descent along the Trient Glacier.
We will arrange for a taxi to meet you at Forclaz and take you to Chamonix. In Chamonix, we love the casual elegance of the 5-star Hameau Albert 1er as well as the Belle Époque charm of the 5-star Hotel Mont Blanc. We’ll include a dinner credit and reservations in one of our favorite restaurants in town.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 9 miles; Elevation: 2530 ft. up, 2290 ft. down (Bovine) or 7-9 hours, 9.5 miles; Elevation: 3940 ft up, 3740 ft down (Fenetre d’Arpette)
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Day 8
Chamonix, hike to lac Blanc
One of the classic hikes in the region leads to Lac Blanc for picture perfect views of the Mont Blanc mountains. The hut itself makes a great lunch destination. It’s popular, but unforgettable, and we’ll send you on some quieter trails to the hut.
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. Return to Chamonix for a 2nd night. Dinner will be on your own in Chamonix.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 6 miles; Elevation: 3020 ft. up, 1590 ft. down
- Breakfast
Day 9
Chamonix, hike to the Balme pass
For your final day of hiking, you’ll have a ton of great options. Perhaps out favorite hike to end the tour is the trail up the Posettes ridge to the Balme pass separating Switzerland and France. Enjoy gorgeous views of the Chamonix valley, numerous glaciers, Mont Blanc, and the cluster of giant mountains you just hiked all the way around!
Returning to Chamonix, enjoy one last evening at your hotel before heading out the next day. Dinner is again on your own to explore in Chamonix.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 8 miles; Elevation: 3420 ft up, 3050 ft down
- Breakfast
Day 10
depart
Today you say au revoir, and depart for your post-Mont Blanc destinations.
Departure: Geneva. Plan departure for the day your tour finishes. A private shuttle for your group to Geneva is included in your tour, and the trip takes 1½ hrs.
- Breakfast