Fit for the experienced trekker, this hike gives you the feeling of the true TMB when you stay in the high mountains in the huts. This tour is a mix of small hotels and huts. In both the mountain huts and at some hotels along the tour you should expect to share dormitory rooms with fellow hikers and at the huts enjoy the fantastic comradery over shared meals at long tables in the dining rooms. Some hotels have private rooms. Most nights, your main luggage will be transferred to the next hut, so you hike with only your daypack. On a select few nights you will need to bring overnight belongings with you due to the rural locations of a few of the mountain huts and you will reunite with your main luggage the following night. If you prefer more privacy in the evenings, we recommend the ‘Tour du Mont Blanc in Comfort’ options where you can stay a great number of nights in small hotels or chalets.

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&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers

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 10 and again between Col du Brévent and Le Brévent on Day 11. Both sections can be avoided by taking an alternative route. These will be detailed in your route notes.

Your nights are in a mix of small hotels (generally 2/3*) and mountain auberges/refuges in shared mixed-sex dormitories. Mountain huts are spectacularly located and allow you to stay high in the mountains each night rather than dropping down into the valleys. In the huts, the beds are set up dormitory style and are either bunk beds or raised mattresses next to each other. The dorm rooms range from sleeping 4 to 20 people are mixed gender. The huts have shared and mixed gender bathroom facilities.

** We advise all customers staying in dorm rooms at Refuge la Nova, Hotel La Grande Ourse, Gite Bon Abri and Refugio Bonatti to bring their own sleeping bag liner. These are usually small to pack and lightweight and ensure better hygiene in places receiving a high volume of hikers through the summer months.** 

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.

Minimum age: 18. 

Single Rooms

If you require single rooms within a party a limited number are available, although a supplement is payable. 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.

Meals

Breakfast in the 2/3* hotels tend to be 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 usually 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 walking, 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 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 detailed 1:25 000 IGN maps, a comprehensive guidebook and route notes so you should have absolutely no problem following the route. We also provide you with access to the Macs Adventure App, which you can use to navigate on your cell. We strongly recommend using this App, or at least having it on your cell 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!

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 weekend of August sees Chamonix hosting the famous Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc race (August 28 to September 3 2023). 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 catch a train if you wish, but the best option is to take a pre-booked shuttle through a company such as Mountain Dropoffs. Your Macs specialist will be happy to book this for you.

By Rail: TGV to Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet and then catch the Mont Blanc Express service to Les Houches.www.voyages-sncf.com For the return, they are regular trains between Chamonix and St Gervais les Bains Le Fayet. 

By Road: Highway A40-E25 Mont Blanc-Chamonix, exit Les Houches. More information at www.viamichelin.fr Parking: In Les Houches there is free parking at the Bellevue Cableway station and parking is allowed and free in some surrounding streets close to your hotel. 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

The following transfers are necessary during your walk. You should allow about €40 for these transfers.

Day 10: Cable car from La Flégère to Chamonix

Day 11: 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 compact 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 as standard, allowing you to enjoy the trek with just a light day bag on your back. We ask that you limit your baggage to one bag per person with a maximum weight of 15 kg/33 lbs 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 one of your Destination and Adventure specialists for more information.