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Tour du Mont Blanc Classic Route

9
Switzerland
10 Days
9B 10L 9D
€2,005 EUR
From€1,875 EUR
Tour du Mont Blanc Classic Route
Tour du Mont Blanc Classic Route
Tour du Mont Blanc Classic Route

Hike through France, Italy, and Switzerland on one of the world's greatest long-distance treks.

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Itinerary

Day 1: Les Houches to Les Contamines

You will meet your guide at Les Houches, at the TMB Archway at 9am. From here you will take the cable car to the Bellevue top station, where the trek begins. Today's hike takes you past the Bionassay glacier to the Col du Tricot.

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After a cosy night in the mountain hut, you will begin the day with a steep hike up to the famous Col du Bonhomme. In the afternoon you will hike across the Croix de la Bonhomme, to the small alpine village of Les Chapieux.

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After breakfast, you will leave Les Chapieux and walk along the river on a nice and easy path. You will leave the river side and climb up to the Col de la Seigne, which is the French-Italian border at 2516 meters above sea level and also the highest point of the day. From there you have a 400-meter descent to the Refugio Elisabetta Soldini and then onto Rifugio Monte Bianco where you will spend the night.

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A more relaxed day today, with great views of ambitious climbers tackling the south face of Mont Blanc itself. In the afternoon you hike down to the Italian mountain village of Courmayeur, with the option to take the cable car down for those who have tired legs.

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The final day in Italy will take you on a beautiful hike along the Val Ferret, which separates the Italian and Swiss valleys.

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A great hike from the Italian to the Swiss Val Ferret. You will ascend 700 meters to the Grand Col Ferret, the Italian-Swiss border and head down to the small village of La Fouly. For those who want, you can try their fantastic local cheese!

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A relaxing day today with a trek through nice alpine meadows and Swiss villages. You'll end the day in Champex-Lac, which is a picturesque Swiss village with a beautiful lake that you can swim in.

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After a great night in Champex you continue your hike and join the long but easy hike up to Bovine. From there you hike down to Trient by passing the Col de la Forclaz.

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Say goodbye to Switzerland, as you hike through the mountains and across the French border. You start nice and early with a steep hike up to the Col de Balme, which boasts some of the best views of Mont Blanc. For those who want, you can also hike up to the Col des Possettes and the Aiguillette des Possettes peak.

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The final day of your trek, with opportunities to climb over Lac Blanc on some adventurous ladders (you can also take the normal way which is a nice easy hike). Here you will have some of the best panoramic views of the entire trek. You will end your trek with a hike back down in the valley, or you can take the cable car down if you prefer, returning to Chamonix for 5pm.

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What's Included

Included
  • Qualified mountain guides.
  • Accommodation in mountain huts.
  • Food.
  • Any planned transport.
Not Included
  • International and local flights.
  • Tips and gratuities.
  • Visa fees.
  • Personal travel and rescue insurance.
  • Airport pick-ups or transfers to the meeting point.
Have a question?

If you have any questions about this trip or want to speak with an expert, get in touch.

We're ready to help.

Team Images
Team Images
Team Images

Rated 5.0

9 verified reviews

William
William

(Sep 2024)

Unfortunately due to medical issues, had to pull out of the trip early. The actual guide, not Grant, was absolutely amazing. She was knowledgeable, and helpful!! Unfortunately, I still have not received the letter that I requested stating that I was forced to pull out due to a medical issue.

Sophie
Sophie

(Sep 2024)

This was a fantastic trip - the scenery was amazing, our guide was knowledgeable, interesting and fun. We made great friends with each other in the group. You do need a fairly good level of fitness ( doing something cardio a few times a week)to get the most out of the holiday and be ready to share in dorms/ showers.

Jim
Jim

(Aug 2024)

I was on a Tour du Mont Blanc hike with Oli as the tour guide / hike leader from August 3 – 12, 2024 and I wanted to take this opportunity to complement Oli on how he led the group of 10 hikers over the course of 10 days. I do feel, as a hike leader of my hiking club, that Oli demonstrated a great deal of patience and excellent leadership skills during the 10 days we were together. As with any group who have not hiked together before, there were hikers who were faster than others and Oli took care to maintain a pace that was good for all members and often stayed with the slower group to ensure that no one felt that they were left behind. He made sure to give everyone a briefing each day on what to expect the next day and pointed out “points of interest” during the hike. He was also very patient with all members of the group and handled any questions or concerns with grace and patience. On a more humorous note, I think his picnic lunches were better that then the lunches prepared by the various refugios we stayed at. In summary, I felt that Oli made a challenging 10-day adventure, doable and enjoyable. Please pass on my compliments to Oli and let him know how much I appreciated his leadership.

Kirstie
Kirstie

(Jun 2024)

Amazing trip, our guide Nick was fantastic. Really knowledgeable and friendly.

Kelly
Kelly

(Jun 2023)

What an incredible experience which far exceeded all of my expectations! The trek and the views were unbelievable. We were very well looked after by our guide, Joel - very experienced and knowledgeable, and also really friendly and fun to spend time with. He had the balance right between chilled and relaxed, but also supportive and keeping us on track. I would absolutely recommend Joel and Happy Tracks to anyone wanting to experience this amazing trek.

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FAQs

Before you go

The longest day is around 8 hours of trekking with a rucksack, so you need a good level of physical fitness. We recommend training with any sport that you enjoy (e.g. running, swimming, tennis) at least 2x per week, for three months before your trek. Training hikes will also help, ideally for a full day with a 5kg - 7kg rucksack.

Please see the section above for trip inclusions and exclusions.

Clothing suitable for hiking in temperatures from +30C to +5C. The full kit list will be sent to you when you apply for the trip.

Absolutely! We also put you in touch with the other trekkers in the group before you go, with a Facebook group, if you want.

The following items must be brought by all participants:

Documents:
- Passport
- Travel insurance details
- Boarding passes for flights
- Driver’s license (if needed)
- Cash – Euro’s and Swiss Franc
- Credit/Debit Card

Sleeping:
- Sleeping bag liner

Footwear:
- Trekking boots: 3 or 4 season lightweight
- Lightweight shoes for the evenings

Clothing:
- Please make sure that you have non-cotton clothing for trekking.
- 1 x pair of synthetic under-top and bottom (Long johns or similar)
- 3 x t-shirts for the hike
- 1 x comfortable shirt for the evening
- 4 x socks for hiking
- 3 - 4 x pairs of underwear
- 1 x fleece
- Light down or Primaloft jacket
- Rain and windproof jacket with hood
- Rain and windproof trousers
- Hiking trousers: We recommend a pair that zip off into shorts.
- Comfortable trousers for the evening
- Hat and gloves
- Buff or scarf
- Swimming shorts/costume

Other:
- A daysack: 35 - 45 litres – All your kit should fit in this bag
- A 2nd rucksack or duffel (Optional for those who have chosen the luggage transfer service)
- Travel towel
- Dry Liner or Dry Bag
- Water bottle/thermos: At least 2L. Nalgene bottles best.
- Sunglasses
- Suncream
- Personal medication – inhaler, blister pads etc.
- General toiletries, contact lenses, glasses (if needed)

We can't advise you on this, but we recommend you check at http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx.

Along the way, you will have opportunities to buy drinks and souvenirs from small local villages. It is advised to have cash available if you intend on making a purchase.
The currency used in France and Italy is Euro’s. In Switzerland they use Swiss Franc but do accept euro. If using euro’s in Switzerland; be prepared to pay a worse exchange rate on everything you buy. We recommend changing your money before you arrive as it will be difficult to do so once you start trekking.
Most places accept the most common credit/debit cards (VISA, Mastercard, American Express), but you may incur a commission fee.

Yes, travel cover protects you in the case of unforeseen circumstances including cancellations, injuries, equipment loss, flight changes and other events that could negatively impact your trip.

We are not certified insurance agents and, therefore, cannot legally answer questions about insurance. However, we do suggest specialist adventure travel insurers like Rise & Shield. They cover 100s of activities and are easy to deal with if you need to make a claim. They also cover unique scenarios, like trekking at altitude or emergency evacuation in hard-to-reach places, that ordinary travel insurance doesn’t cover.

Other popular providers clients have previously used include the British Mountaineering Council (Trek policy, UK if a BMC Member), Snowcard (UK residents) and the Austrian Alpine Club (All nationalities, an annual policy comes with other benefits).
On your trip

A luggage transfer is available for €335. Just let us know before you go, and we can arrange everything.

If you opt for the luggage transfer service, the luggage will be accessible all but 1 night during the 10-day tour. One night we may stay at a refuge with no road access. On this night the guests have to carry a few extra items to stay overnight, and the bags will be transported to the next location.

Luggage for transfer must be in a soft duffel bag, 90cm or smaller and weigh no more than 15kg. Please be sure to attach a clear label.

Day 1:
Distance – 14km
Ascent – 750m
Time – 6-7 hours

Day 2:
Distance – 20km
Ascent – 1400m
Time – 8-9 hours

Day 3:
Distance –20km
Ascent – 800m
Time – 6-7 hours

Day 4:
Distance – 8km
Ascent – 500m
Time – 3 hours

Day 5:
Distance – 16-18km
Ascent – 1171m
Time – 7-8 hours

Day 6:
Distance – 18km
Ascent – 850m
Time – 6-7 hours

Day 7:
Distance – 16km
Ascent – 520m
Time – 5-6 hours

Day 8:
Distance – 16km
Ascent – 850m
Time – 6-7 hours

Day 9:
Distance – 16km
Ascent – 1000m
Time – 7-8 hours

Day 10:
Distance – 16km
Ascent – 1200m
Time – 7-8 hours

Distances may vary due to accommodation and route choice for the group.

Water:
During the summer, it can be quite warm in the Alps, so it is important to carry enough water. We strongly recommend taking between two and three litres of water. The tap water at the accommodations you will stay is usually drinkable but there are limited resources along the way to fill up your bottle. Your guide can give you advice on this for each day.

Food:
All meals are included for the duration of the trip. This is breakfast and dinner served at the accommodation and a picnic lunch.
We recommend bringing along some extra snacks for the trail and small snacks can be bought along the route too.

While trekking, you will have the chance to taste a great variety of local specialities. The breakfast is continental, often with a variety of juices, tea and coffee.

The three-course dinner in the evening is hearty, and the plates are quite big. During the day, a packed lunch will be freshly prepared for you.

If you have any food restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten intolerance etc), please make us aware of this when completing your registration form, found on your Skyhook dashboard.

On this long-distance trek, you will experience the mountain lifestyle and sleep in authentic places. Mostly you will be staying in mountain huts. These mountain refuges have shared dormitory style rooms, except from day 4 where we stay in twin shared rooms in a hotel. The location of the accommodation will either be high in the mountains or in a typical mountain village.

The accommodations offer many services, such as a hot shower and running water. For the night in the mountain hut, you’ll stay in bunk beds with a pillow and blankets (a thin and light sleeping bag liner is advisable for hygienic reasons).

The huts are dormitory-style with shared bathrooms. Number of beds in each room varies from hut to hut but is generally 8-10. Electricity, warm showers, and snacks are available. Most accommodations do not have wifi.

Unfortunately, there is no option to upgrade to a private room.

We'd recommend taking a shared transfer from the Airport up to Chamonix. That’s the cheapest and fastest way to do it. You can book a transfer directly with one of the companies below:
- www.chamonixfirst.com
- www.alpybus.com
- www.easybus.com

It is not mandatory but often expected. In the Alps, there is no fixed amount and it really depends on what you would like to give to show your satisfaction.

During the summer in the Alps (June – September) you can experience usually fair and quite warm weather. It is
often sunny and the temperatures can reach 30° Celsius. The weather in the mountains can be quite unpredictable and weather situations can change very quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to be always prepared for such a change. On a rainy-day, temperatures can drop quite low and it is necessary to have a good rain jacket and sometimes even a hat and a pair of gloves. See the kit list for full details.

Start:
You will meet in Les Houches at 9am . This will be on day 1 of your planned itinerary.
the meeting point is at the TMB start point in the main square. This is just 15 minutes by bus from Chamonix Centre (Bus number 1).
It is important that you do not miss your start time as you will not be able to meet up with the rest of the group until the evening of Day 1 on your itinerary.
End:
You will be dropped back off in Chamonix at 5 pm on day 10 of your itinerary.

Yes, whether you are vegetarian, vegan or have allergies. Just let us know before you go.
Other FAQs

The minimum age for this trek is 18 years.

Your host recommends the following accommodation in Chamonix:
- Hotel Le Faucigny
- Hotel Pointe Isabelle
- Hotel Oustalet
Cheaper dorm-style hotels are:
- Hotel Fleur des Neiges
- Chamonix Lodge

We hike the whole route except one section of around 12km between Chamonix and Les Houches. We start the hike in Les Houches and finish in the centre of Chamonix to fit the trek into 10 days and to avoid the incredibly long descent on this stage.

We take a maximum of 12 people in each group.

If you are staying in Chamonix before or after your trek, we recommend storing your luggage at your hotel.

We can also store luggage for €40 for the duration of the trek. Please bring the luggage and cash to the meeting point on day 1
Your head guide is Grant

All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip you'll be led by Grant and the guiding team based in Burnley.

By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

Grant

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