Tour du Mont Blanc Short Break

5 Days & 4 Nights

4.8

Tour du Mont Blanc Short Break

A taste of Europe's classic long distance trek over 5 days
Hike from Les Houches in France to Courmayeur in Italy
Take in glorious Alpine views of the famous Mont Blanc Massif
Sample delicious Savoyard mountain food including locally made cheeses
Stay in comfortable 3* hotels and one traditional mountain hut

Experience fantastic inn to inn walking on a section of Europe's most famous long-distance trail; the Tour du Mont Blanc. Hike from Les Houches to Courmayeur over three walking days, staying in comfortable accommodation each night. It’s the perfect hike for those who prefer their trekking in comfort, and are looking for a taste of the Alps without committing to a longer trip. The Tour du Mont Blanc is a trek filled with superlatives from beginning to end and the ever changing mountain panoramas will just blow you away. Hike through the Les Contamines Nature Reserve, where you will be sharing paths with TMB hikers from all over the world. Enjoy a refreshing beer on the sunny terrace of a mountain hut in the remote Vallée des Glaciers. Finish on a high note with a fabulous walk into Italy's Aosta Valley and spend your last evening in charming Courmayeur where you can raise a glass of Génépi (liquor made from alpine flowers) to an unforgettable break on the Tour du Mont Blanc.

From £820.00

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Itinerary

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Day 1 Arrive Les Houches Day 2 Walk from Les Houches to Les Contamines 10.8 miles / 17.5 km

Your Tour du Mont Blanc starts with either a climb from Les Houches out of the Chamonix Valley to Bellevue (1801m) or a quick 10 minute ride on the Bellevue telepherique (recommended).

At Bellevue you have the option of taking the challenging route via Chalet de Miage, which is dominated by the Dôme du Goûter and Aiguille de Bionnasay as you pass just beneath the snout of the Glacier de Bionnassay. After passing the idyllic Chalet de Miage you descend to Les Contamines.

The easier option winds through beautiful forests and through alpine pastures via Bionnassay to Les Contamines.

Walk 1 - Les Houches to Bellevue gondola top station + Bellevue gondola top station to Les Contamines via Bionnassay, 17.5km, 7 Hours Ascent/Descent: 1198m/1045m

Walk 2 - Les Houches to Bellevue gondola top station + Bellevue gondola top station to Les Contamines via Refuge Miage, 19.3km, 7:50 Hours Ascent/Descent:1480m/1319m

Optional Cable Car from Les Houches to Bellevue gondola top station. Reduces both routes by 2:30 hours and 800m of ascent

Overnight Les Contamines

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

La Chemenaz Chalet Hotel Restaurant | 3 Star | Hotel

Enjoying a peaceful location this family run chalet style hotel has 38 bedrooms, an outside swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi, large garden, a restaurant and bar.

Hotel Gai Soleil | 3 Star | Hotel

The charming Hotel Gai Soleil was once the owner’s family’s farm in the mountains. It has been renovated with care and furnished with an aim to preserve all its rustic character and warmth. You can relax among the various flowering trees and wild berries growing in the summer and enjoy the warmth of the full sun on the terrace in winter. From the hotel you’ll find a spectacular view of the Montjoie valley.

Le Hameau du Ptou | Chalet

"Le Ptou", a small independent traditional chalet accommodating located in the heart of the village of Les Contamines, just a few steps from the shops and the shuttle bus stop. All rooms are equipped with TV and WiFi access.

Day 3 Walk from Les Contamines to Les Chapieux/Refuge des Mottets 11.6 miles / 18.7 km

A gentle start from Les Contamines for the first 5km along the valley floor to the chapel at Notre Dame de la Gorge (shuttle transfer possible). Here the path turns upwards and climbs steadily on the Chemin Roman through the Contamines Montjoie Nature Reserve towards the distant Col du Bonhomme. The climb reveals increasingly rugged views of the high peaks and you quickly reach the rugged landscapes of the Col du Bonhomme (2329 m).

A further hour on rough and rocky ground brings up the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme. Here you can either climb over the Col des Fours (2665m) and descend steeply to Refuge des Mottets or alternatively descend to Les Chapieux.

There is a shuttle running between Les Chapieux and Mottets if you need to make your way between the 2.

Walk 1 - Les Contamines to Les Chapieux via Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (no Col des Fours), 18.7km, 7 Hours Ascent/Descent: 1395m/993m

Walk 2 - Les Contamines to Refuge des Mottets via Col des Fours - Optional High Route Variant, 20.7km, 7 Hours Ascent/Descent: 1615m/911m

Overnight Les Chapieux

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Refuge Les Mottets | Hut

The original farm buildings and new sleeping accommodation include dormitory (on the huts itinerary, solo walkers, and people choosing single room) and private rooms (on the in comfort itinerary), while meals are taken in the atmospheric main building.

Refuge La Nova | Hut

The Auberge is a simple mountain lodge and has private rooms (on the in comfort itinerary) and dormitory (on the huts itinerary, solo walkers, and people choosing single room) accommodation. Bathrooms are shared. There is a small farm shop next door, which is a good option for a picnic.

Les Chambres du Soleil | Hut

A small family-run hotel in the village of Les Chapieux with only 5 rooms, first opened in 1856 and run by Celine and Pierre. The scenery here is spectacular, you will be surrounded by upland pasturelands and have excellent views of the Mont Blanc Massif. The accommodation has dormitories (booked on the hut itineraries, solo walkers, and people choosing single room) and private rooms (booked on the comfort itinerary).

Day 4 Walk from Les Chapieux/Refuge des Mottets to Courmayeur 14.7 miles / 23.6 km Day 5 Onward Travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our greenest trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.

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Other Information

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Is it for me? Accommodation & Meals

Accommodation Information

You will spend three nights in charming, high-quality 3* hotels, most of which are family-run. One night is spent in an atmospheric mountain hut in private twin/double rooms with shared bathroom facilties. Private rooms in huts are very popular therefore we cannot guarantee that a private room will be available when you book. In this case you will be offered a dorm room with a small reduction in price. To ensure a private room in the mountain huts we encourage you to book as far in advance as possible. 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.

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.

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. 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 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 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.

Navigation What's Included When to go Travel & Transfers Info & FAQ

General Information

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 of1 bag per person and the weight of your luggage allowed is specific to the destination you will be travelling to. This is why 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 and/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.