Complete Tour du Mont Blanc in Comfort (Extended)

With an extra two nights on the trail, this itinerary is perfect if you want to enjoy all of the Tour du Mont Blanc staying in comfortable accommodation in private rooms and enjoy a rest day in charming Courmayeur. The tour is rated moderate-strenuous with daily ascent/descent being 1,000m on average. Bag transfer is also included so you can walk with just a day pack.

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 18 Years

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a tough trek with considerable ascent and descent on each day. We would suggest that you are an experienced walker who is looking for a challenge. If you currently don’t enjoy an active lifestyle we suggest regular walking in hilly terrain supplemented by cardio vascular exercise for at least 6 months prior to your walk. A good gym or personal trainer will be able to draw up a personalised training programme.  The terrain is mountainous, rocky and rough underfoot. There are two sections that include the use of fixed ladders and footholds, and require some very light scrambling. This is on the Grand Balcon du Sud route between Tré-le-Champ and Lac Blanc/Le Flègére on Day 12 and again between Col du Brévent and Le Brévent on Day 13. Both sections can be avoided by taking an alternative route. These will be detailed in your route notes.

Minimum Age

The minimum age for this tour is 12 yrs, if you are staying in private rooms. If you are staying in dorm rooms, the minimum age is 18 yrs.

The majority of your nights are in small hotels (generally 3*) and some nights are in auberges/refuges in private twin rooms as hotels are not available in these locations. We carefully select small friendly hotels that offer great value, food and welcome. Full hotel details are listed in the detailed itinerary.

** If you are staying in dorm rooms at Refuge la Nova, Hotel La Grande Ourse, Gite Bon Abri and Refugio Bonatti, you will need to bring your own sleeping bag liner. These are small to pack and lightweight. They ensure hygiene in places receiving a high volume of hikers through the summer months.The huts have shared and mixed gender bathroom facilities.** 

Please note that the Tour du Mont Blanc is an extremely popular route and the accommodation is limited. In some places, we may need to book a hotel or guesthouse in a different location, meaning you will need to use public transport to get to your accommodation and back onto the trail the next day. We will provide all the information needed, should that be the case.

Please note that private facilities cannot be guaranteed throughout the entire tour. Accommodations with shared facilities are arranged in the Huts, Trient and can also be booked in La Fouly.

Private Rooms on the Tour du Mont Blanc

As the Tour du Mont Blanc season is short and as our 'Comfort' trips prove very popular every year, please be aware that there is no guarantee that private rooms will be available in the smaller accommodations. We will do all we can to accommodate your preferences

If you are a solo hiker, you will be booked into a dorm in the mountain hut (Les Chapieux, Bonatti, and Trient). The solo walker price has been calculated, taking this into account.

Single Rooms

A limited number of single rooms are available. A single supplement price is applicable. Single rooms are not available in mountain huts.

Solo Walkers

The Tour du Mont Blanc is available to solo walkers who are experienced and confident hiking in Alpine terrain. While the TMB has become increasingly popular over the past few years, it should not be underestimated. You will be walking in high-Alpine terrain subject to rain, fog, thunder/lightning storms and snow at any time of year. You must be confident walking alone on difficult terrain, over snow fields and navigating in poor visibility/weather conditions. Whilst this is a challenging walk, because of its popularity, there are more often than not other walkers in close proximity, which is why we can offer this tour to solo walkers. However, if you are a first-time Alpine solo walker, we recommend an alternative tour. We have a range of Alpine tours that would be more suitable for you. Please contact us for more information. If you are a solo walker, you will be booked into a dorm in the mountain hut as single rooms are not available in mountain huts. The solo walker price has been calculated with this discount already take into account.

Meals

Breakfast in the 3* hotels is a buffet selection with lots of sweet treats like pastries, home made jams fruit and cereals. Savoury tastes are also catered for with bread, cheese, ham and eggs available. Breakfasts in the mountain hotels and huts tend to be very basic; bread, butter, jams, coffee, tea and orange juice.  If you prefer something more substantial before hiking, we recommend carrying a few energy bars with you each day and supplement your breakfast with one of these. Packed lunch items can be bought locally from supermarkets or the local boulangerie. If you are staying in a hut or remote accommodation, order a packed lunch with them upon arrival. Allow about €10 per day for lunch. Drinks are not included but available at all overnight accommodation.

Dinner in the hotels will be at least three courses chosen from a fixed menu, and sometimes there is a choice available. Dinner in the mountain huts tend to be a convivial affair, and you will be seated with the other guests. Meal times are a real highlight in the huts, and you can enjoy the company of people from all over the world while you dine on good honest home cooked food. Dinner is typically soup with bread, a main course consisting of meat and rice or pasta, a side salad or vegetables, followed by a simple dessert or cheese. If you have any dietary requirements, please tell us upon booking and we can arrange this with the accommodations. In Chamonix, Bourg Saint Maurice and Courmayeur dinner is not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Savoyard specialities are mostly based on cheese. Dishes which shouldn’t be missed include fondue, tartiflette and raclette.

The Tour du Mont Blanc is comprehensively way marked at all junctions and by regular paint marks along the trail. We supply you with a guidebook and route notes so you should have absolutely no problem following the route. Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks, and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation will be simple, and you can’t get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account. We strongly recommend using this App, or at least having it on your phone ready to use should you ever be in any doubt about your direction. You should also polish up on your map and compass skills prior to departing, as weather and visibility can change very quickly in the mountains, and these kinds of skills never go out of fashion!

Our walks usually begin and end at a central point in town (such as a church, bus stop, etc.). Access routes to your accommodation are not included in our km daily figures. However, the Macs app will guide you to your accommodation.

Recommended Reading

Although not essential, if you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:

• map 3531 ET St Gervais by IGN
• map 3630 OT Chamonix by IGN

The season for the Tour du Mont Blanc runs from the start of July to mid-September. Please note that public transport in the area in the shoulder month of September is limited. This means that certain 'short cut' options will not be at your disposal during this month. Those hiking in these months should be prepared to walk the full distances each day. In the itinerary description, you will find the daily distances both with and without any possible short cuts.

Numerous gondolas/chairlifts/funiculars stop operating by early September (usually around the 10th). This will affect some of the walks. Please take that into account when booking. 

Furthermore, if you wish to travel in early July you need to BOOK EARLY as this tends to be the most popular time on the trail and books up quickly.

The last week of August sees Chamonix hosting the famous Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc race. We recommend avoiding the TMB at this time as the area is extremely busy and most accommodations full. 

By Air: Geneva is the best airport for the Chamonix valley. From here, you can catch a train if you wish, but the best option is to take a pre-booked shuttle through a company such as Mountain Dropoffs; use the discount code MACSTMB. Your Destination & Adventure Specialist will be happy to give you more information about this. 

By Bus: The Flix Bus is the quickest and most affordable way to get to and from Geneva Airport. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time (particularly on your return journey) as it is known for delays.

By Rail: TGV to Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet. www.voyages-sncf.com For the return, there are regular trains between Chamonix and St Gervais les Bains Le Fayet. 

By Road: Highway A40-E25 Mont Blanc-Chamonix, exit Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet. More information at www.viamichelin.fr 

Parking: In Les Houches you can park for free at the Bellevue Cable Car station. In Chamonix, free parking at the Aiguille du Midi & the parking Planards (Montenvers station).

From Chamonix, take a pre-booked shuttle such as Mountain Dropoffs back to Geneva airport. Alternatively, if you are travelling elsewhere in France, Chamonix has a train station. Timetables and information can be found at sncf.com

Travel during the walk

You will need to use the cable car from La Flégère to get to and from your accommodation in Chamonix on day 12/13. If you are finding the going too tough you can use lifts or public transport to skip several of the stages or big ascents/descents. Public transport and lifts/funiculars are not included and although your info pack has full details of each transfer you need to pay for these. The following transfers are necessary during your walk. You should allow about €40 for these transfers.

Day 12: Cable car from La Flégère to Chamonix 

Day 13: Cable car from Chamonix to La Flégère

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

Baggage transfer is included, allowing you to enjoy the trek with just a light day bag on your back. We ask that you limit your baggage to one compact bag per person with a maximum weight of  15kg per person.

Please note that while staying at Refugio Bonatti, your bags cannot be transferred due to the inaccessibility of the accommodation. You will need to carry your overnight things on these days and you will be reunited with your main bag the following day. If you would prefer not to have bag transfer, and prefer to carry everything on your back as you walk, this can also be arranged. Just ask your Adventure Sales Specialist for more information.