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The Mont Blanc range from the Italian side, with a TMB sign on a rock
The Mont Blanc range from the Italian side

Tour du Mont Blanc
Self-guided trekking holiday

Details
11 days' trekking, 2 rest days
French, Italian and Swiss Alps
Intermediate (Walking grades)
Self-guided
Starting in Les Houches
Ending in Chamonix
Typical walk 16km, 1,000m ascent
Highest altitude 2,584m

Crossing a rocky stream on the TMB
A rocky stream (Photo gallery)

Accommodation
14 nights, staying in:
3-star hotels (5)
2-star hotels (4)
Auberges (2)
Mountain huts (3)

Included
Accommodation and itinerary
Breakfasts and 6 evening meals
Expert and unlimited advice
Routecards, maps, local info
Emergency card, language card

Dates
July to mid-Sept 2010
Choose any date to start on

Prices
£880 per person
(Single supplement £140)

Rifugio Bonatti, a fine Italian hut on the Tour du Mont Blanc
Rifugio Bonatti (Photo gallery)

Baggage transfer
Let us move your bags between stops. Please contact us for a price

A TMB trekker dropping to Argentiere
Above Argentiere (Photo gallery)


+ Trek all the stages, completing the whole circuit
+ Start on any date you choose
+ Expert, unlimited advice on all the options


Latest news January 2010
Our 2009 season is now long over... it went fast! We are all set for 2010 and taking bookings. Please join us.

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a trek of superlatives: the most famous trek in Europe, forming a circuit of Western Europe's highest mountain Mont Blanc (4,808m). Our circuit takes the standard 11 days, starting and finishing in the Chamonix valley.

Tour trekkers are treated to grandstand views of the Mont Blanc massif, but the route never strays from mountain walking terrain. Cross from France into Italy, then into Switzerland and finally back into France. On a typical day your route climbs up to reach a col with wide mountain views before dropping down to the next verdant valley. Here you find the hamlet, village or town that will be home for the night. Our normal schedule also stays in huts for three nights.

Our routecards follow the main Tour du Mont Blanc route, with some optional diversions such as that to Lac Blanc for views across to Mont Blanc. Two rest days are built in, based in Courmayeur and in the Chamonix valley with lots to explore. This holiday misses out nothing from the Tour and you will cover the whole circuit in one very satisfying fortnight.

Your accommodation reflects life as it's lived in these mountains and is a mix of comfy valley hotels and simple auberges, plus three huts, all chosen for their friendliness and location.


Map showing the route of Alpine Exploratory's Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided walking holiday

Options

We can adjust your TMB in various ways, as follows:

Faster treks
Each year many clients ask to complete their TMBs in fewer days. We can recommend itineraries of 9 or 10 stages, and sometimes fewer. Rest days can be skipped too. It's just as valid to take longer over the TMB, for shorter stages and more time to absorb the scenery.

More huts or auberges
As standard our TMBs have 3 hut nights; if you prefer more, we can readily book 5 or 6 nights in huts. It's tricky to complete the TMB entirely by staying in huts, because of their spacing, but with a slightly less even spread of stage lengths we can make your trek almost entirely based in huts or hut-like places. We can also make more use of auberges or dormitory accommodation, for a more basic trip. Please ask us for what you prefer.

No dormitories
If you'd like to avoid dorms, please let us know. We can certainly book such itineraries, and it doesn't necessarily mean missing out on huts.

Accommodation
Please let us know if you fancy a more comfortable or a more basic TMB. Our normal schedule is a good mix; at certain villages we can adjust your accommodation, booking more auberges or more smart hotels as you prefer. Our 'comfy' itinerary of mainly 3* hotels is a good starting point for many.

Happy clients

"We had a great 30th anniversary TMB hike and were able to easily find the route with the maps and the notecards where other hikers had some confusion.

"Everything went smoothly and there's not a thing I would have changed. We had a great mix of huts and small hotels and met a lot of friends along the way especially at the huts with the family style meals. We have already given your number to people on the trail and here in the States."

Ann McCarthy
(Tour du Mont Blanc, July 2009)

Next steps

Read more
Holiday Notes - our trip dossier
About our walking holidays (FAQs)
Our guide to the TMB

Holiday Updates
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See alternatives
Tour du Mont Blanc (Guided)
Walker's Haute Route

Please contact us
... to discuss the options, your dates and all aspects of the trek.
info@alpineexploratory.com
+44 (0)1942 826 270

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Alpine Exploratory specialises in self-guided walking and trekking holidays in the European mountains; we also offer guided walking, trekking and snowshoeing holidays plus a bespoke service, private group trips and private guiding.


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Address Alpine Exploratory, 9 Copperfield, Wigan, WN1 2DZ, United Kingdom Skype alpineexploratory
Email info@alpineexploratory.com Tel +44 (0)1942 826 270 Fax +44 (0)1942 233 829