Athletic: 7 days
For experienced hikers happy to cover a lot of km each day. The stages are long, the pace demanding, but the satisfaction of completing the TMB in a week is unmatched. Excellent fitness and real alpine hiking experience are a must.
Preparing for your Tour du Mont-Blanc means planning every stage ahead: fitness, route, refuges, gear and weather. Good organisation lets you make the most of this 170 km trek across France, Italy and Switzerland, while avoiding unpleasant surprises.
Some areas are known as “dead zones”, meaning there is no mobile network.
Dead zones: from the Pont Romain (Les Contamines) to the Col de la Seigne, via the Vallée des Chapieux and back down to the Lac Combal.
The Tour du Mont-Blanc is accessible to many hikers, provided they are well prepared. It does not require technical skills, but it does call for a good knowledge of the mountains, endurance and the ability to walk several days in a row with significant ascents and some weight on your shoulders. The key is to adapt your pace: a first trek is prepared differently from a sporting goal.
The TMB is usually hiked in 7 to 12 days, depending on your pace and your fitness.
For experienced hikers happy to cover a lot of km each day. The stages are long, the pace demanding, but the satisfaction of completing the TMB in a week is unmatched. Excellent fitness and real alpine hiking experience are a must.
The most popular format. Stages of 15 to 20 km a day, a comfortable pace that leaves time to take in the scenery, catch your breath at the passes and enjoy the atmosphere of the refuges in the evenings. Ideal for regular hikers who want to make the most of it without rushing.
For those who want to experience the TMB to the fullest, without watching the clock. Shorter stages, time to observe, photograph, linger over a panorama or explore a variant route. The best way to come home with memories that will last a lifetime.
From mid-June to mid-September, depending on snow conditions and when the refuges open. July and August offer the most stable conditions for doing the Tour du Mont-Blanc, while June and September require more planning.
A note for June and September: signposting may be incomplete and covered by snow, and shuttle buses do not always run (check the timetables in the "Access, transport and conditions on the TMB" section). It is important to know how to read a GPS or an IGN map. There is a real risk of snow at the passes and of stream crossings in early June (most passes are above 2,500 metres).
In the mountains, conditions on the TMB can change quickly. Before each stage, check the weather and trail conditions so you can adapt your route safely. See: La Chamoniarde.
Travel light with the right gear:
Watch out for changing weather: pack warm and waterproof clothing, and boots with Vibram® soles and a waterproof membrane (Gore-tex®).
The Tour du Mont-Blanc can be reached by train and bus from France, Switzerland and Italy. The main starting points, such as Chamonix, Les Houches, Courmayeur and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, make it easy to arrange your arrival without a car.
Chamonix and Les Houches are the main access points on the French side.
Vallée de Chamonix: Buses connect the different stages of the route
Martigny / Le Fayet train: Martigny / Vallorcine / Chamonix / Les Houches / Saint-Gervais
Les Contamines-Montjoie: Village centre - Notre-Dame de la Gorge shuttle
Regional bus (Y84): Sallanches / Saint-Gervais-les-Bains / Contamines-Montjoie
Les Chapieux: Les Chapieux / Ville des Glaciers / Les Lanchettes shuttle
Les Chapieux / Bourg-Saint-Maurice shuttle
Please note: dogs are not allowed on the shuttles; they cannot be booked in advance.
Courmayeur is easily reached from Chamonix through the Mont-Blanc tunnel. Local buses then serve the Val Veny and Val Ferret valleys.
Val Veny: La Visaille / Place Mont-Blanc bus; free shuttle
Val Ferret: Verrand / Place Mont-Blanc / Arp Nouvaz bus; free shuttle
Bus connection through the Mont-Blanc tunnel available:
The Swiss section of the TMB (La Fouly, Champex-Lac) is well served by Swiss buses and trains. The network is reliable and makes it easy to adapt certain stages of the route.
La Fouly / Champex bus.
Martigny / Le Fayet train: Martigny / Vallorcine / Chamonix / Les Houches
