Tour du Mont Blanc Hiking Tours

The Tour du Mont Blanc is among the most legendary hikes in the Alps. The trail itself begins and ends in Chamonix and takes a broad loop around the stately Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe. The route passes through the most majestic mountain passes of France, Italy, and Switzerland, with the glaciated giants of the Mont Blanc Massif hanging high above.

Cozy accommodations await you in the remote villages below after days of truly epic hiking. Highlights of the tour include visiting the mountaineering hubs of Chamonix and Courmayeur, sweeping views of the entire Mont Blanc Massif including the awe-inspiring Grand Jorasses, and the accomplishment of completing one of the most iconic hikes in Europe.

The region’s nature is spread across multiple unique biomes, with pastoral farmland in the valleys flowing seamlessly into the dense larch forests on the lower slopes and finally climbing into the high alpine zone above the treeline. The trail itself is a fairly strenuous one, with long ascents and descents over some of the highest passes in Europe, occasional scrambling through rocky fields, and more bucolic sections through mountain meadows, also known as alps. Many of the days afford the opportunity to stop at high mountain huts for a homemade lunch, while other lunches will be spent picnicking with the company of cows and the peaks above.

Read More

Culturally, the Tour du Mont Blanc is split into three sections defined by the three countries the tour passes through. Moving from Italian coffee in the morning to a hearty Käseschnitte for lunch in Switzerland is a divine experience. The section through France is spent primarily in the villages surrounding Chamonix, where you will get to experience the beating heart of mountaineering culture. In Italy, the village of Courmayeur is a quieter mirror of Chamonix, with a hearty helping of Italian cooking to close out the day. The Swiss section of the tour is by far the most remote, with the Swiss Villages of Champex and Trient being little more than a small collection of chalet-style buildings and more reserved tourist accommodations.

Historically the Tour du Mont Blanc is set in the birthplace of Alpinism, with the Swiss town Zermatt having the only other legitimate claim. In these valleys, English expatriates and luminaries traveled to experience the might of the high mountains throughout the 1800s. The original approach to climbing these staggering peaks is best considered as: through any means necessary. The most comedic of these more extravagant attempts is the attempted ascent of the Dent du Geant which involved a team of porters dragging a cannon to a high pass to fire a grappling hook at the unapproachable summit. The attempt was a resounding failure. Over the decades the ethos surrounding climbing changed, as visiting mountaineers learned to respect the sanctity and nature of this unique region, leading to Alpinism itself, the current climbing ethic.

TMB Note: Due to the astounding popularity of the Tour du Mont Blanc, it is recommended to book this route far in advance to increase your chances of getting the best accommodations and closest adherence to the original route. For those that wish to travel a similar trek without the crowds, we recommend our Hiker’s Haute Route, which follows the last handful of days of the TMB in reverse before traveling deep into Switzerland to reach its climax beneath the Matterhorn itself.

Chamonix, France

Mont Blanc is an icon; much more than a mountain. Huge enough and complex enough to always have something to offer cutting edge alpinists since the 1700s. And lucky for the rest of us it is so big and strategically placed on the French, Italian and Swiss borders that it is visible from the higher peaks of every Alpine country...

View trip details

Price

$5450*

Guided Tour Date

July 22-29, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Aiguille Chardonnet and Verte

The world famous Haute Route crosses the highest mountain range in Western Europe, the Pennine Alps, and links the Mont Blanc region in France with the rugged canton of Valais in southwestern Switzerland. Starting in the bustling alpine center of Chamonix, France, beneath the mighty massif of Europe’s highest summit, Mont Blanc (15,781 feet), the trail crosses eastward into Switzerland...

View trip details

Price

$6600*

Guided Tour Date

July 4-15, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains. This photo was taken while hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc with Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures.

Outside Magazine named Ryder-Walker's Tour du Mont Blanc trek one of the 25 Best Hikes in the World. Hike across the borders of France, Italy and Switzerland during our ten-day Tour du Mont Blanc. Taking advantage of some little-known variations to the standard route, we lead you from the mountain-chic cafés of Chamonix, to remote mountain hamlets en route to...

View trip details

Price

$5800*

Guided Tour Date

June 19-28 & Aug 21-30, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September: Selling pre-booked dates only.

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
The Mer de Glace and Mont Blanc above Chamonix, France

This self-guided trek links the villages of the Mont Blanc region and the western Swiss Valais, crossing through the highest mountain range in western Europe, the Pennine Alps. You hike through two distinct cultural regions, the French speaking and German speaking Alps. Starting in the bustling alpine center of Chamonix, France beneath the dramatic flanks of Europe's highest summit, Mont...

View trip details

Price

$3050*

Guided Tour Date

July 4-15, 2023

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Hiking the self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc with Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures

Outside Magazine named Ryder-Walker's trek one of the 25 Best Hikes in the World. Mont Blanc (15,781 feet) rises more than 12,000 vertical feet above the famous resort village of Chamonix, France. The epitome of everything that is “alpine” in the Alps, Mont Blanc beckons hikers and climbers from around the globe with its snow-white glaciers, sheer cliff walls, and...

View trip details

Price

$3500*

Guided Tour Date

June 19-June 28, 2024 and August 21-30, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September: Fixed tour dates only.

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Aiguille Chardonnet and Verte

For those who want to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc, but have a limited amount of time, we offer the Tour du Mont Blanc Vitesse. Vitesse means "speed" in French, and this shortened TMB itinerary covers the greatest highlights of our standard itinerary in five hiking days instead of eight. Our abbreviated TMB begins in Courmayeur, Italy, hikes around...

View trip details

Price

$2640*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September: Only per-reserved dates offered.

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Chamonix To Champex Mini Trek

Highest mountains in western Europe, the Pennine Alps, offer a sensational opportunity for hikers to explore a spectacular alpine world. From Chamonix, beneath the Mont Blanc range, with its granite spires and glaciated peaks, a network of trails connects you to Champex. Our shorter hike is part of the Hiker's Haute Route, first walked in 1903 and dubbed the High...

View trip details

Price

$1590*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June - Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained

Hear It From Our Guests

“The hiking was challenging, the food incredible, and the accommodations top-notch (even the hut night)! We feel really good about and totally satisfied with another fine Ryder-Walker experience and those wonderful memories will last forever! We’re already trying to figure out our next Ryder-Walker Adventure.”
Bill Yeast and Elizabeth DinselGuided TMB
“Amazing!! Thank you…This trip is ridiculously awesome and will totally write you guys great reviews when we get home. I think I just had one of the best dinners in my life tonight. Thank you for organizing this trip. You guys rock!”
Andy FernandezSelf-Guided TMB

NEED SOME HELP DECIDING? CHOOSE YOUR HIKING STYLE!

Recent Posts

The Best Multi-Country Hiking Tours

The Best Multi-Country Hiking Tours

Ryder-Walker's Multiple Country Treks Ryder Walker’s tours are all culturally and environmentally unique, however some of our tours have the extra distinction of visiting multiple countries in the same trek.... read more →
Two girls hiking in the Alps

A Girls Trip in the Alps

Earlier this summer, a group of ladies embarked on our self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc trip. From the video and images below, it sure looks like they had the trip... read more →

Photos from Mont Blanc

Here's a group shot of our Alpino Vino Wunderbar guests on the flanks of Mont Blanc. Our group took the Panoramic Mont Blanc cable car, one of the highest cable car... read more →

Find Your Trek