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Tour du Mont Blanc Weekend
Arrival day: Arrive in Trient
Your trip starts on arriving at your auberge in Trient. This is a charming Swiss village with great views of the Trient glacier.
Auberge in Trient (dinner and breakfast)
Your trip starts on arriving at your auberge in Trient. This is a charming Swiss village with great views of the Trient glacier.
Auberge in Trient (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 1: Trient to Argentiere
Red 3 (grade)15.9km with 1140m ascent, 1190m descent
The highlight of today's walk is reaching the Col de Balme, from where there should be views of Mont Blanc (weather permitting) and a great stretch of the Chamonix valley. Descend from the Col to climb Aiguillette des Posettes before dropping into the Arve valley at Montroc. We detour from the TMB to the busy village of Argentiere.
Hotel in Argentiere (breakfast)
Red 3 (grade)15.9km with 1140m ascent, 1190m descent
The highlight of today's walk is reaching the Col de Balme, from where there should be views of Mont Blanc (weather permitting) and a great stretch of the Chamonix valley. Descend from the Col to climb Aiguillette des Posettes before dropping into the Arve valley at Montroc. We detour from the TMB to the busy village of Argentiere.
Hotel in Argentiere (breakfast)
Stage 2: Argentiere to La Flegere
Red 3 (grade) 9.9km with 1140m ascent, 510m descent
Back on the trail! We pick up the Tour du Mont Blanc for two days of hopefully some exhilarating views across to Mont Blanc. The route traverses the hillside on the North side of the valley. We can visit the famously picturesque Lac Blanc with its view of Mont Blanc.
Mountain hut (dinner and breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 9.9km with 1140m ascent, 510m descent
Back on the trail! We pick up the Tour du Mont Blanc for two days of hopefully some exhilarating views across to Mont Blanc. The route traverses the hillside on the North side of the valley. We can visit the famously picturesque Lac Blanc with its view of Mont Blanc.
Mountain hut (dinner and breakfast)
Stage 3: La Flegere to Les Houches
Red 3 (grade) 17.3km with 720m ascent, 1605m descent
The aim today is Les Houches and the end of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Along the way, some of the Tour's best views unfold on the climb to Le Brevent before the long descent to the valley. At Les Houches it is then a short bus ride to Chamonix to celebrate! We base your last night in Chamonix, despite it being off the TMB route, in order that you can enjoy the largest and most vibrant base in the valley.
Hotel in Chamonix (breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 17.3km with 720m ascent, 1605m descent
The aim today is Les Houches and the end of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Along the way, some of the Tour's best views unfold on the climb to Le Brevent before the long descent to the valley. At Les Houches it is then a short bus ride to Chamonix to celebrate! We base your last night in Chamonix, despite it being off the TMB route, in order that you can enjoy the largest and most vibrant base in the valley.
Hotel in Chamonix (breakfast)
Departure day: Depart from Chamonix
Relax over breakfast, explore Chamonix and depart for Geneva Airport. If you'd like to stay another day to explore Chamonix, please do just let us know. Or, if you are embarking on further travels in Switzerland or elsewhere in the Alps, again please just ask us for recommendations. Congratulations on the completing the TMB Weekend! ✈️
Relax over breakfast, explore Chamonix and depart for Geneva Airport. If you'd like to stay another day to explore Chamonix, please do just let us know. Or, if you are embarking on further travels in Switzerland or elsewhere in the Alps, again please just ask us for recommendations. Congratulations on the completing the TMB Weekend! ✈️
Options
Our 3-stage trip for a great long weekend trip, without any unnecessarily long days and with time to relax. The choice of accommodation along the way allows for many variants and trip lengths. We welcome you to ask if you would like more details!Add a rest day
As standard, we don't include a rest day on our TMB Weekend trip. However, we are happy to add additional nights in Chamonix before or after your trek.
Make the trip longer
As normal, your first stage starts from Trient. We can add stages at the start: for example, a 4-stage and a 5-stage trek also work very well. Alternatively, take 1 rest day in Chamonix and trek 2 days either side: Trient to Chamonix, and Chamonix to Les Contamines (using the cable car to descend from Refuge de la Flegere to Chamonix, and back again). As always, we are more than happy to book additional nights in Chamonix before or after your trip to allow you to explore this vibrant town. Please ask us for more details.
2025 Prices
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Tour du Mont Blanc Weekend 1 July to 18 Sept 2025 |
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| Hutty | Classic | Comfy | |
| Self-guided | |||
|
3 stages (4 nights) |
GBP 670 Singles 45 |
GBP 740 Singles 135 Main Trip |
GBP 840 Singles 220 |
|
4 stages (5 nights) |
GBP 735 Singles 90 |
GBP 825 Singles 180 |
GBP 935 Singles 265 |
|
4 stages 1 rest day (6 nights) |
GBP 800 Singles 110 |
GBP 910 Singles 225 |
GBP 1,030 Singles 320 |
| Options | |||
|
Baggage transfer |
Please ask us |
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Accommodation
Where we stay
Our Classic mix of accommodation gives a great mix of 2 family-run hotels (2 or 3*), 1 hut and 1 auberge, carefully selected to give the best possible alpine hiking experience.
Avoiding Dormitories
If you'd like to avoid dorms, this is certainly possible. Our normal trek includes one night in a dormitory in Refuge de la Flegere, however this can be avoided by taking the cable car down into Chamonix to spend the night in a hotel.
Comfy
Our Comfy mix upgrades the 2* hotel in Chamonix to a 3* option, the 3* hotel in Argentiere to a 4* hotel, and we would swap your hut night for an additional night in Chamonix. You would still stay in an auberge in Trient where we would try for private rooms, but with shared bathroom facilities.
Hutty
Our Hutty mix of accommodation gives a more basic and economical trip. On our hutty Tour du Mont Blanc weekend, we would book dormitory places in an auberge in Trient and would swap the hotel night in Argentiere for an auberge in Tre-le-Champ, giving 3 nights in dormitories.
Single Room Supplement
If you would like to stay in single rooms rather than sharing a double, twin or triple room we add our single room supplement. This covers the additional cost of booking single occupancy rooms. The single supplement is only applied to nights where single rooms are available, and is not applied to hut nights which do not offer single rooms. In the auberge, we may be able to book single rooms or if not, we will book the smallest room available.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
Our Classic mix of accommodation gives a great mix of 2 family-run hotels (2 or 3*), 1 hut and 1 auberge, carefully selected to give the best possible alpine hiking experience.
Avoiding Dormitories
If you'd like to avoid dorms, this is certainly possible. Our normal trek includes one night in a dormitory in Refuge de la Flegere, however this can be avoided by taking the cable car down into Chamonix to spend the night in a hotel.
Comfy
Our Comfy mix upgrades the 2* hotel in Chamonix to a 3* option, the 3* hotel in Argentiere to a 4* hotel, and we would swap your hut night for an additional night in Chamonix. You would still stay in an auberge in Trient where we would try for private rooms, but with shared bathroom facilities.
Hutty
Our Hutty mix of accommodation gives a more basic and economical trip. On our hutty Tour du Mont Blanc weekend, we would book dormitory places in an auberge in Trient and would swap the hotel night in Argentiere for an auberge in Tre-le-Champ, giving 3 nights in dormitories.
Single Room Supplement
If you would like to stay in single rooms rather than sharing a double, twin or triple room we add our single room supplement. This covers the additional cost of booking single occupancy rooms. The single supplement is only applied to nights where single rooms are available, and is not applied to hut nights which do not offer single rooms. In the auberge, we may be able to book single rooms or if not, we will book the smallest room available.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
Route
Our approach to the Tour du Mont Blanc Weekend
Our routecards stick to the generally accepted Tour du Mont Blanc route from Trient in Switzerland to Les Houches in France, with some optional scenic diversions such as that to Lac Blanc for spectacular views across to Mont Blanc. Our standard schedule walks the Tour in the normal anti-clockwise direction, which we believe gives the best views and ascent vs decent profiles.
The Terrain
The Tour du Mont Blanc is a popular trail in the Summer and the good solid footpaths reflect this. The terrain along this section of the trail is perhaps a little harder on average than a full TMB, because the last two stages are rockier than the norm requiring careful foot placement and good balance.
In a small number of places you’ll meet ladders to aid progress up steep and rocky sections. These sections can be avoided by following alternative routes given in your routecards. In early or late summer there is a good chance of snow patches lying on the higher paths, but the lower paths are likely to be snow-free.
Is it for me?
The Tour du Mont Blanc Weekend is suitable for normal fit mountain walkers who are happy to walk for up to 8 hours a day over rocky and sometimes exposed ground. Although the hike has some big ascents and descents, they are gradual and are more a test of stamina.
We would recommend this hike for anyone who has done some walking in the mountains before and is looking to get a flavour of Alpine hiking over a short period. Due to the 2 long descents this route is probably not recommended for those who do not enjoy a long downhill, although both can be avoided by using cable cars.
The route is well signposted and waymarked, aiding navigation, though a map and compass will be needed for navigation in bad weather. We provide all of the maps needed, along with our detailed routecards. A level of self-sufficiency on the TMB is also necessary as transfer bags (optional) cannot be delivered to the hut, requiring you to pack your overnight things in your day pack for this night.
Difficulty
We grade our TMB weekend as a Red 3. There are no glacier crossings, via ferrata or rock climbing, however there are a few sections of steep and rocky ground. In particular there are three sections on the standard route where metal ladders or steps have been installed to make the route easier across rocky ground. The hardest two of these sections can be avoided by alternative routes, but none of them should present problems to regular hillwalkers.
We explain the relative difficulties of the route and the variants in your routecards, giving you the freedom each day to choose your route and tailor it to your ability. Although it is possible to shorten some days by selecting different stopping points, the distances are generally dictated by the location of the villages and huts along the trail. Some days (but not all) can be shortened or skipped by taking buses and/or cable cars and your routecards advise where this is possible. Please do ask us for more details.
Tour du Mont Blanc Walking Guide - more about the trail
The making of our Tour du Mont Blanc - photos from our research trips
How to get there
Your holiday starts in the Swiss hamlet of Trient and ends in the major resort of Chamonix. The most convenient airport is Geneva with several transfer options available. To reach Trient we suggest the Swiss trains to Martigny and then bus to Trient, and from Chamonix we suggest a minibus transfer or the Swiss trains. As well as Geneva, Zurich and Basel airports also work albeit with longer transfer times.
Travel to and from the trip is not included in the holiday price. We do however take care to give the most useful notes possible about all of the available travel options. We supply these both on booking in your Trip Notes and in your info pack. We also offer personalised tips at any point; please do just ask us for advice and we’d be happy to help!
Included
- Bespoke accommodation itinerary - tailored to suit your particular requirements
- Breakfast every morning
- Dinner at the huts and auberges (on 2 nights for our main trip, more on our 'hutty' trips)
- Detailed Routecards TMB9-11 of the Exploratory system, printed on waterproof paper
- The 1 topographical map needed
- Downloadable GPX Tracks covering the route
- Expert advice and local information
- A comprehensive 'Season Update' following our pre-season recce
- Full support during your trip from the Alpine Exploratory team (9am until 9pm in the Alps)
Not included
- Travel to and from your trip
- Local transport whilst on the trip unless specified
- Travel insurance
- Lunches, snacks, drinks and evening meals in the towns (this would be 2 nights on our main trip)
- Baggage transfers (available as an extra)
Baggage transfer
Let us move your bags for you! We offer a baggage transfer service to all stops except the 1 hut night. When staying at the hut, your bag simply goes ahead to the next hotel. Please contact us for a price, or feel free to ask questions about baggage transfer on the route.
Got questions about the Tour du Mont Blanc Weekend?
Feel free to ask us any questions you have about any aspects of your planning and preparations! Lucy, Steph, Nicky, Rob, Evie, Ben and Amy will reply with expert advice. We spend a lot of time walking our routes and more broadly exploring ski and hiking trails around the world so do feel free to ask anything at all.
 
Enquiry Form
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If you prefer, please feel welcome to email or call us. Thanks!
| Contact Alpine Exploratory | |
| info@alpineexploratory.com | |
| Phone | +44 (0)131 214 1144 |
| Our times |
9am to 5pm UK time Monday to Friday |
| Australia | 02 8319 2266 |
| Canada | 416-548-4819 |
| New Zealand | 04 889 4515 |
| USA | 646-757-1102 |
Open to the world
Since Alpine Exploratory started in 2005 we have loved getting to know our clients from around the world. Along with the UK, our best-represented countries are the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Please use our national-rate numbers for a cheaper call to contact our office in Edinburgh.
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View from the Balcon du Sud on the route up to Lac Blanc, Stage 10
Alpine Exploratory
+44 (0)131 214 1144
