A world's best trek with the Mont Blanc experts for over 40 years
The Tour du Mont Blanc—a classic 10-day circuit of Western Europe’s highest peak (15,781')—is one of the world’s most famous treks, and we’ve been leading hikes here for over 40 years. See chiseled peaks and glistening glaciers while hiking inn-to-inn through three countries: France, Italy, and Switzerland. At night, kick back and enjoy a hearty meal with fresh bread, local artisanal cheese, and fruity red wine.
Activities
10 days moderate to strenuous hiking (max. elev. 8,300')
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Classic 10-day circuit of the Mont Blanc massif—every mountain hiker’s “must-do”
- Three countries, three cultures, three cuisines—all on one great trip!
- Take in views of spectacular peaks and glaciers every single day
- Comfortable hotels and family-style meals, including elaborate picnic lunches in beautiful settings
- Best guides in the Alps region—all work exclusively for Mountain Travel Sobek!
Duration: 12 days Start Location: Geneva, Switzerland End Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Download Detailed ItineraryBRIEF Itinerary
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Day 1 : Arrive in Geneva, transfer to Chamonix
Meet at the airport in Geneva, Switzerland. Transfer to the mountain-ringed resort town of Chamonix, France.
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Day 2 : Warm-up Hike Above Chamonix
Hiking in Chamonix for spectacular views of the Mer de Glace (second largest glacier in the Alps), the Drus, and the Grandes Jorasses.
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Day 3 : Chamonix to Les Houches (France)
Enjoy fabulous views of the north face and glaciers of Mont Blanc while hiking to Les Houches, a traditional unspoiled French village with picturesque wooden chalets.
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Day 4 : Les Houches to Les Contamines (France)
Leaving Les Houches, we climb in the forest to the small pass of Bellevue overlooking the Chamonix Valley. Then it’s down through the thickly wooded hillside and typical alpine hamlets to the charming small town of Les Contamines (3,829'), a charming mountain village with picturesque wooden chalets and a fine old church.
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Day 5 : Hike the Roman Road to Les Chapieux (France)
Hike into Italy via grassy trails and old Roman roads, crossing three passes en route.
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Day 6 : The Vallée des Glaciers to Courmayeur (Italy)
Transfer to the “Vallée des Glaciers” for a relatively easy hike over the Col de la Seigne (8,245'). We then make a descent into Italy and transfer to Courmayeur (3,800'), where we spend the night.
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Day 7 : Courmayeur to La Vachey (Italy)
A hike with remarkable views of Mont Blanc, which appears Himalayan in scale—the mountain rising in a breathtaking abruptness from the Veny Valley to the summit 10,000 feet above.
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Day 8 : La Vachey to Champex (Switzerland)
Cross the Grand Col Ferret (8,300') into Switzerland. Descend to La Fouly (5,280'), then transfer to Les Champex.
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Day 9 : Champez to Col de la Forclaz (Switzerland)
Hike high above the Rhône Valley, then follow an old smuggler's path to the Col de Balme (7,188') and the border with France. Great views of the Mont Blanc massif with the Chamonix Valley stretched out below.
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Day 10 : Col de la Forclaz to the Vallorcine Valley (France)
Hike along an old smuggler’s path to the border with France where there is a simply wonderful view of the Mont Blanc massif with the Chamonix valley stretched out in front of us. We will make our way down to the Vallorcine Valley east of Chamonix to stay at a historical inn whose attic harbored Jews fleeing persecution during World War II.
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Day 11 : Back to Chamonix (France)
From Le Col De Montets (4,800') we will hike to Les Cheserys (7,130'), enjoying views of the Le Tour and Argentiere glaciers, and all the Mont Blanc range. Descend to Chamonix.
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Day 12 : Return to Geneva - Fly home!
Return to Geneva and depart.
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DATES: Best time to go: June - September Departures: Jul 9 - 20, 2013 Aug 6 - 17, 2013 Sep 17 - 28, 2013 |
PRICING:
2013 Prices |
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Hotel Les Aiglons
ChamonixFive minutes from the town centre, at the foot of the Midi summit, three star Les Aiglons Resort & Spa has undergone a full renovation.
Resolutely contemporary whilst breaking down the barriers of traditional mountain resort hotels, three star Les Aiglons Resort & Spa has undergone an audacious redesign and decoration, with warm and modern colours, natural materials, glass and light…
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Hotel du Bois
Les Houches, FranceA warm, welcoming atmosphere and individual service makes the Hotel & Chalet du Bois a place that feels like home. We welcome you with a smile and offer you quality service, where the little things matter. A peaceful retreat to get away from the noise and stress of big cities.
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Hotel La Chemenaz
Les Contamines-Montjoie, FranceLa Chemenaz chalet hotel is located in the french alps, in the Haute-Savoie at Les Contamines-Montjoie village resort (Village 1,100m - highest skiing 2487m), very close to the Lay ski lifts, which lead to the whole of the Contamines-Hauteluce ski domain.
All the comfort, services, and the specific hotel location to spend one of the best stay at Les Contamines-Montjoie, in the heart of the Mont Blanc massif country, in wintertime or summertime as well...
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Auberge de la Nova
Les Chapieux, France
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Hotel du Col de La Forclaz
Trient, Switzerland
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Hotel du Buet
Vallorcine Chamonix Mont BlancFor 120 years in the hands of the Chamel Family, "Hotel du Buet" is renowned for its warm mountain atmosphere.
Next to the Buet train station, it's the starting point for the ascent of the Buet, the Berard Valley and many ski touring and trekking trips. -
Hotel Glacier and Sporting
Today, Isabelle and Yves Biselx continue the family hotel tradition and look forward with pleasure to receiving you! The fifth generation with their three sons, Adrien, Térence et Timothée, seems well prepared to assure the future.
The Hotel du Glacier and the family Biselx a happy couple for over 100 years. Therefore, don't miss to visit us, we'll tell you a lovely story …
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Hotel Berthod
CourmayeurThe ancient residence of the Berthod and De Morò families, Hotel Berthod is owned and run as a family establishment, and guests can expect a customized welcome. Just steps away from Courmayeur's main street, outfitted with indoor spa facilities and cozy, personalized rooms.
Properties shown are representative of the accommodations we use on this trip, may not be inclusive of all accommodations we use, and are subject to change.
Expert leadership is the key to an exciting, unforgettable experience. Our trips feature gifted leaders for whom leading trips is a true vocation. Besides showing you wonders you’d never find on your own, they make sure everything runs smoothly and safely without a hitch. They are knowledgeable about all aspects of your trip, and take great pleasure in sharing their insights with you. More than just guides, they positively elevate your experience by being teachers, companions, and the best of friends. You’ll be in good hands with them every step of the way. Leader assignments will be confirmed in the Final Bulletin sent to you three weeks prior to departure.
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Jean-Marc Vaillant
As a member of the Compagnie des Guides, Jean Marc began guiding for MTS several years ago. He is what the French call polyvalent (“able to do many things”). His talents range from being a licensed pyrotechnic specialist, snowboard manufacturer, journalist, musical group crew, and theater worker. If this weren’t enough, in addition to his passion for hiking, he also teaches children the skills of mountain biking, skiing, and snowshoeing. Jean-Marc has led over 60 trips to the Alps and proudly carried the Olympic torch to the 2008 Ticino winter games.
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Laurent Langoisseur
Laurent Langoisseur hails from Normandy, France, having grown up in Argentan (a small village that became famous in August 1944, “tournai sur dives”). At the age of 12, Laurent read La Grande Crevasse by Roger Frison-Roche, and became fascinated by the guiding and climbing descriptions of the Chamonix-Mont Blanc area. At 16, Laurent visited the area and was hooked. At 19, Laurent joined the French alpine troops, and after a year of service, moved to Chamonix. In 1991, he obtained his European Mountain Leader (certification), and in 1995 he was awarded the coveted patch of the Compagnie des Guides. An avid sports enthusiast and inexhaustible hiker, Laurent has hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc more close to 100 times. He is also an accomplished mountaineer, having summated Mont Blanc 3 times, as well as several other mountains over 13,000’. When he is not hiking and climbing, Laurent can be found running long distances for fun. Laurent recently completed a 48-mile race in 6 hours; and has also finished 48 miles in 9 hours with 10,000’ of ascent/descent. Laurent has been guiding for MTS since 1995, and is a Senior guide on our Tour du Mont Blanc, Mont Blanc Express, Mont Blanc to Matterhorn (Haute Route), GR5, Gran Paradiso, and French Riviera trips, as well as any other trip we can get him on! His knowledge of the culture, history, plants, birds, and the name of every single peak and glacier along the trail is a wonderful complement to his guiding skills. When he isn’t guiding for us, he teaches First Aid and Mountain Rescue to mountain and hiking guides; and during the winter, he’s a ski patrol monitor in the mountains above Chamonix.
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Stéphane Berger
Stéphane is a true man of the mountains, with a Savoyard father and Swiss mother. He grew up in Chamonix, then left the valley to follow his first love, architecture. But the call of the wild proved too strong: numerous travels in North Africa, Siberia, and the Himalaya opened a new door to him—the profession of hiking guide. Nowadays Stéphane lives in a chalet in Chamonix from where he escapes frequently to travel the mountain areas of the world. “Steph” has now been a member of the Compagnie des Guides for many years, with over 100 trips to the Alps under his belt.
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Florence Simond
A native of Chamonix, Florence is a descendant from two of the area’s oldest families. After growing up in the Chamonix Valley, “Flo” spent several years in the south of France, and then traveled abroad to South America and Asia. She returned to her ancestral home, where the mountains now form an integral part of her life. She has led nearly 50 trips to the Alps, not counting how many times she has done this trip for her own fun! In addition to being an accomplished hiking guide, Flo is a skier and climber. As a member of the Compagnie des Guides, she follows in the footsteps of her forefathers.
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Beatrice Mugnier
Beatrice is a native of Chamonix, France, and has been guiding professionally in the Alps since 1989. She comes from a family of mountain climbers. Her Grand father was also a professional mountain guide. Aside from being an expert hiking guide, Beatrice is also an avid climber and accomplished skier, and is a ski instructor during the winter months. She loves the mountains, and will share her enthusiasm and her great experience with you during your trip.
photo credits: ©Tara Starr-Keddle
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