Guide to Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc
AN 11 DAY ITINERARY
Read time 10 mins
If you’re dreaming of a long-distance hike in Europe, the Tour du Mont Blanc might be high on your list.
The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB for short) is the most famous multi-day hiking journey in Europe. The full circuit takes you on a 170 km journey, circumnavigating the Mont Blanc mountain range and accumulating 10,000m of ascent and descent. Hikers travel through three alpine regions within France, Italy, and Switzerland, on well-maintained trails, with stunning vistas unfolding daily.
I hiked the TMB classic route in 2021 with my youngest daughter Mia, over 11 days to celebrate her 18th Birthday in the high mountains of the Alps.
In this post, I will cover the classic itinerary, when to go, which direction to hike, whether to go guided or independent, and advice on planning, packing, gear, and accommodation – so that you can have a rewarding experience on this wonderful trail.
Evening view from Refugio Elisabetta
When to go
The TMB can be hiked from mid-June to September. Most mountain refuges open around June 1st and close around September 30.
The most popular time to hike the TMB is mid–July to mid–August, when the trails are busy, the days are long and the weather is settled. This means that you will need to book well ahead to secure accommodation. This is also the best time to camp on the TMB.
We hiked in late June and enjoyed warm and settled weather. There were still patches of snow on the high passes. We found that this added to the excitement and with hiking poles, posed no problem.
When not to go
Avoid hiking in late August when the UTMB ultra marathon takes place. It’s a popular event, Chamonix accommodation will be booked up and the race may make life difficult on the trail.
Getting to Chamonix
Fly to Geneva and get a shuttle road transfer to Chamonix. There lots of companies offering this service. We used Mountain drop-offs
11 Day Itinerary
This is the classic TMB route that is followed by the UTMB race. The average hiking per day is 15km–20km with 900m+ of elevation gain and descent.
Day 1 -Train from Chamonix station to Les Houches. The TMB begins! Hike from Les Houches to Contamines via col de Voza. Night at Refuge Nant Borrant
Day 2 - Cross the Col du Bonhomme. Night at Refuge Croix du Bonhomme
Day 4 - Croix du Bonhomme to Col du Fours and Seigne. Night at Rifugio Elisabetta
Day 5 - Pass Lac Combal and after Col Checroui descend to Courmayeur. Night at Hotel Berthod
Day 6 - Ascend to Bertoni hut, and Mont de la Saxe to spend the night at Rifugio Bonatti.
Day 7 - Trek past Elena, over Grand Col Ferret to La Fouly village. Night at Gite de la Léchère
Day 8 - Today is a little easier as you trek along the Val Ferret, to Champex. Night at Hotel Mont Lac
Day 9 - Trek from Champex on the classic Bovine trail to Col du Forclaz, and Trient. Night at Refuge du Peuty
Day 10 - Trek over the Col du Balme, and ascend to the Lac Blanc / Flegere area. Night at Refuge Flegere
Day 11 - Last day of the trek. Two Choices: Trek to Les Houches or avoid the long descent and trek straight into Chamonix from Refuge Flegere. Celebrate!
This is an itinerary based on our trip in 2021. Please use it as a starting point and do your own research.
Which Direction to hike the TMB?
The Tour du Mont Blanc can be hiked in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
We hiked in a counterclockwise direction as this was the route that our self–guided tour provider planned for us. We appreciated the awe–inspiring vista of the Grand Balcon Sud with its focus on Mont Blanc in the later stages. This is the route that the majority of people take.
There are good reasons for hiking counterclockwise though:
To avoid going in the same direction as the crowd (although we hiked early season and the counter-clockwise route did not feel crowded)
To see the best views of the Fenetre d’Arpette and Grand Col Ferret
Independent, self–guided, or a guided trek?
The answer to this question will come down to personal preference and your level of hiking experience and confidence.
We chose to go self-guided because my daughter and I have hiking experience but didn’t want the hassle of booking accommodation in mountain huts. We also left it quite late to book, which was another factor in deciding to go self-guided.
With the self-guided option, you trek independently but use a company to provide an itinerary and book your accommodation. They will provide you with extra information and a point of contact in the Alps for peace of mind. We paid £299 for this service from Icicle Mountaineering.
Here are a few pointers to help you decide:
Choose Independent if you can book early, plan your itinerary, and don’t mind the hassle of researching and telephoning mountain huts to book. Or if you want to combine camping with mountain hut accommodation.
Choose Self-Guided if you want to hike independently, but don’t want the hassle of researching your itinerary and booking your accommodation in mountain huts.
Choose Guided if you want a stress-free holiday, are less confident in navigating in the Mountains, or simply like the sociability of hiking with a group.
Key accommodation to book on the TMB
Accommodation in certain areas of the TMB gets booked up quickly. Book these places early to avoid hiking extra km or having to take public transport.
Elisabetta has spectacular views out of all refuges along the TMB, and some of the best food on offer during the hike. Key accommodation for your first day in Italy on the TMB.
A historic and popular mountain refuge in a key location on the route out of Courmayeur. There is little choice but to stay here, unless you want to add considerable extra km over a high pass–book early!
A well–placed refuge to stay the night after tackling the high pass of the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme.
Tip: if you can’t secure the accommodation you want and there are no alternatives, try choosing a different start point than Chamonix: your new dates might just be available. Or consider taking a lightweight camping setup and taking meals at the mountain huts.
Essential tips
Book accommodation early (ideally 6 months). We didn’t and had to make compromises, which made for some long and exhausting days followed by some ridiculously short days.
Be mentally and physically prepared. Whilst the TMB is an achievable hike for most people, it is a tough undertaking. Most sections are 15km–20km of hiking each day with 900m+ elevation gain and descent. To enjoy the experience, some hill training is in order.
Lightweight hiking poles are essential. Even if you don’t use poles on your local hills you will be thankful to have them along on the TMB. When you factor in the sharp elevation changes and a backpack, you will appreciate the extra support that poles give. They will allow you to power up hills, and save your knees on downhills. They are also handy if you need to hike through snow.
Gaia app The TMB is well signposted but there were a couple of times we relied on Gaia to keep us on track.
Pack light. Pack light. Pack light. My mantra–I find that the less I carry the more I enjoy the trail. My clothes for the TMB consisted of: one trail t-shirt, waterproofs, a warm layer, shorts, lightweight trekking trousers, 3 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of underwear, a sun hoody, and a top to relax in off-trail. Besides toiletries, charger, sunscreen, and first aid, the only luxury I carried was my camera. It's a relatively short time to be away. Going light makes me feel better on the trail.
Take a light backpack. There is no use having lightweight gear if you don’t have a light pack. We used the Salomon XA25 hiking rucksack.
Stay in the same hotel in Chamonix before and after the trip. You will be able to leave your main bag with luxury items in it for when you get back.
Watch the water situation on the penultimate section of the trek (counterclockwise direction towards Refuge La Flegere). This is the only dry section of the TMB and we got caught with low water.
Earplugs. There is always a snorer in a mountain refuge. Sometimes it's me!
A massage ball for your legs after a long day on the trail.
Enjoy Chamonix! For the gear shops, the gondola to Aiguille du Midi, the mountain athletes, and the atmosphere. It’s one of my favorite places.
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