Tour du Mont Blanc: Three Countries on Foot

The Tour du Mont Blanc is the king of European multi-day treks — a 170-kilometer circuit around the Mont Blanc massif that crosses France, Italy, and Switzerland through some of the most dramatic alpine scenery on earth. This version covers the highlights over 8 days with comfortable mountain-lodge stays, skipping the flat valley sections by shuttle to keep every hiking day spectacular. No tent, no stove, no 50-pound pack — your luggage transfers between lodges while you walk with a daypack.

1. Day 1

   Arrival in Chamonix

   Fly into Geneva and transfer to Chamonix (1.5 hours). Check into Le Hameau Albert 1er, a Relais & Châteaux chalet-hotel with spa, Michelin-starred dining, and a garden facing Mont Blanc. Afternoon: ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car (3,842m) — the highest cable car in Europe, with a glass-floored observation deck suspended above the Vallée Blanche and views of Mont Blanc's summit. Evening: welcome dinner at Albert 1er — Savoyard tasting menu (raclette foam, Beaufort cheese soufflé, polenta with cèpe mushrooms, and tarte Tatin).

   • Stay: Le Hameau Albert 1er, Chamonix — Mont Blanc-view room
   • Scenic: Aiguille du Midi cable car
   • Culinary: Albert 1er Michelin dinner

2. Day 2

   Chamonix to Les Contamines: Trek Day 1

   Begin the TMB. Hike from Les Houches (cable car up for the first ascent) through alpine meadows with views of the Bionnassay Glacier. The trail traverses the Montjoie Valley to Les Contamines-Montjoie (approximately 5–6 hours, moderate). Check into a mountain auberge. Dinner: tartiflette (potatoes, reblochon cheese, lardons, and cream — the Savoyard trekker's fuel) and a carafe of Savoie wine.

   • Trekking: Les Houches to Les Contamines (5–6 hours)
   • Culinary: Tartiflette dinner

3. Day 3

   Col du Bonhomme to Courmayeur: Into Italy

   The TMB's first major pass — climb to the Col du Bonhomme (2,329m) and the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2,479m), then descend through the Vallée des Glaciers. Shuttle to Courmayeur on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. Check into Auberge de la Maison, a Relais & Châteaux hotel in the Italian Alps — stone and timber, a spa, and a kitchen that shifts from Savoyard to Italian the moment you cross the border. Dinner: tagliatelle with porcini, fontina fondue, and panna cotta — suddenly you're in Italy.

   • Stay: Auberge de la Maison, Courmayeur
   • Trekking: Col du Bonhomme pass crossing (6–7 hours)
   • Culinary: Italian mountain dinner (porcini, fontina)

4. Day 4

   Val Ferret: Italian Alps

   Trek through the Val Ferret on the Italian side — gentler terrain than yesterday, with wildflower meadows, the Grandes Jorasses glacier visible across the valley, and small mountain hamlets where farmers sell cheese from their barn doors. Lunch at Rifugio Bonatti, one of the most beautifully positioned mountain huts in the Alps — named for the legendary climber Walter Bonatti, with the Grandes Jorasses filling the window. Dinner at the Courmayeur lodge.

   • Trekking: Val Ferret traverse (5–6 hours)
   • Culinary: Rifugio Bonatti mountain lunch

5. Day 5

   Grand Col Ferret: Into Switzerland

   The TMB's most dramatic border crossing — climb to the Grand Col Ferret (2,537m), where the trail leaves Italy and enters Switzerland. The descent into the Val Ferret (Swiss) reveals a new landscape: darker forests, tidier chalets, and the Trient Glacier hanging above. Arrive in La Fouly or Champex-Lac. Check into a Swiss mountain hotel. Dinner: Rösti, raclette, and chocolate mousse — the cuisine shifts again with the flag.

   • Trekking: Grand Col Ferret pass (6–7 hours)
   • Culinary: Swiss Rösti and raclette dinner

6. Day 6

   Champex to Trient: Alpine Lakes

   Walk the balcony trail above the Rhône Valley with views of the Grand Combin and the distant Matterhorn (on clear days). The trail passes through larch forests and open meadows. Optional: the Fenêtre d'Arpette variant — a more demanding route over a high col with glacier views. Arrive in Trient. Mountain refuge dinner: cheese fondue and dried meats.

   • Trekking: Champex to Trient (5–6 hours)
   • Culinary: Fondue dinner

7. Day 7

   Col de Balme: Return to France

   Climb to the Col de Balme (2,191m) — the Franco-Swiss border, where the view opens to reveal the entire Mont Blanc massif from the French side, the Chamonix valley far below, and the Aiguille du Midi needling the sky. Descend to Le Tour and shuttle to Chamonix. Afternoon at leisure — spa, shopping on Rue des Moulins, or a final cable-car ride. Farewell dinner at Le Cap Horn in Chamonix — Savoyard fondue, Beaufort gratin, and a celebratory Génépi digestif (herbal liqueur made from alpine artemisia).

   • Trekking: Col de Balme (5–6 hours)
   • Culinary: Farewell Savoyard fondue and Génépi

8. Day 8

   Departure

   Transfer to Geneva Airport (1.5 hours). Your Byline concierge confirms flight details.