France, Italy & Switzerland: The Mont Blanc Circuit

Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.

A Country Walkers representative will greet you at the Geneva Airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel in Chamonix. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure.

6.5 miles (about 3.5 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,745-ft. elevation gain

After savoring your first delicious and abundant breakfast at your Chamonix hotel, meet your leaders at 8:00 a.m. in the lobby. They’ll be wearing Country Walkers shirts.

Chamonix is the mountaineering capital of the Alps, so it is apt that you begin your exploration of the legendary Mont Blanc Circuit here. Following a morning meeting, you travel ten minutes along a scenic road to the hamlet of Les Tines to start your first hike.

As you ascend among these storied peaks – a mighty range of jagged pinnacles and graceful slopes – you have an excellent introduction to the unique flora of this alpine wonderland. Flowers of the martagon lily, masterwort, and gentian blanket the mountainsides, all protected species for the role they play in this fragile ecosystem. At higher elevations, strata seems painted onto rock faces, revealing the glacial forces that shaped these magnificent vistas.

In the Valley of the Glaciers, arrive at the Refuge des Mottets, once a cattle farm for local ranchers. Today, this retreat at the foot of the spectacular Glacier Needle welcomes hikers overnight. But you’re here to enjoy lunch in its welcoming, rustic café adorned with mountaineering equipment.

After, continue your hike among spectacular mountain panoramas that evoke the spirit of alpine exploration. Your destination is the Montenvers train station, a charming stone structure on a terrace that overlooks the Mer de Glace – the Sea of Ice – the longest and largest glacier in France and the second longest in the Alps. After time to admire its enormous breadth winding through the valley, you board a train back to Chamonix. This evening, toast the adventures to come during a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

7 miles (about 5 hours of walking), challenging, 2,460-ft. elevation gain/loss

After breakfast, travel to Les Houches, a charming commune straddling the River Arve. You’ll see plenty of long-haul hikers in this ski resort town, as it is the official start and end point of the Tour de Mont Blanc. Continue by shuttle up the hillside to the district of Le Bettey, from where you begin a stunning walk.

Traverse alpine woodlands, magnificent alpine meadows, high alpine pastures and beautifully crafted chalets. After a couple of hours, arrive at the rustic Chalet de Chailloux,  which seems to have been built with a view in mind. Admire the Mont Blanc massif from its vast, sloping “front lawn” of emerald-green vegetation.

You have several options to explore a bit, taking in the stunning vistas of Mont Blanc and the Bossons Glacier from various perspectives. Following a hearty picnic lunch, descend back to Le Bettey and travel 45 minutes to lovely Les Contamines-Montjoie. This village of restored old farm buildings was once home to chamois hunters and, today, is a popular mountaineering and ski resort.

Settle into a cozy, family-run hotel nestled in the Montjoie Valley. There’ll be time to relax before gathering for an exceptional dinner of local specialties in your hotel’s dining room.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

11 miles (about 7 hours of walking), challenging, 4,395-ft. elevation gain, 3,260-ft. elevation loss

After an early breakfast, you travel by minibus to the end of the valley and start the most challenging hike of the tour. The trail begins at the Baroque chapel of Nôtre Dame de la Gorge, a pilgrimage site at the foot of the Gorge du Bon Nant. From the church, you walk along an old Roman road that climbs steadily through a beautiful coniferous forest. Leaving the woods, you cross broad, level Alpine pasture, passing rustic chalets as you make your way to La Balme. Continue ascending, occasionally pausing for a snack of tasty Alpine chocolate and views of the dramatic valley below.

By midday, you reach the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (8,180 feet), where you stop to take in the breathtaking panorama. With the most difficult part of the day complete, you break for a trailside picnic before meandering down to the valley.

The day’s final walking destination is Les Chapieux, a summer village at the southern limit of the Mont Blanc massif. A return minibus journey takes you to your hotel in a Savoyard village. Here, you stroll out for dinner at a local restaurant after, perhaps, unwinding in the sauna or swimming pool.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

10 miles (about 6.5 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,645-ft. elevation gain, 3,050-ft. elevation loss

Today you say au revoir to France and buongiorno to the Aosta region of Italy, tracing the footsteps of countless Roman legionnaires. A short drive takes you to the beginning of your hike at La Ville des Glaciers. After 2.5 hours, you reach the Col de la Seigne (8,300 feet). This “hill,” with a broad, flat landscape, represents a watershed between the ancient glaciers that extended along the Aosta and Savoy slopes. Following a descent along an easy, winding trail, you reach a spectacular setting beneath the Aiguille of Combal to stop for lunch. Although you’re in Italy, this valley enjoys a certain regional autonomy, and its friendly population speaks French.

You continue on foot to La Visaille, at the base of the spectacular Glacier of Miage, whose snowcapped domes you saw for the first time two days ago. After another short drive, you are in the resort town of Courmayeur, Italy’s elegant counterpart to Chamonix, and your home for the next two nights. After settling into your comfortable in-town hotel, you reunite for a dinner of Italian mountain specialties at a nearby local restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is a rest day, and you have the opportunity to explore the charming Italian resort town of Courmayeur. You may choose to peruse the local shops for souvenirs, sit on a sidewalk terrace to taste a delicious gelato, or simply relax in the hotel’s sauna or Jacuzzi. If you prefer to walk, your leaders offer a hike in the surrounding area (the mileage and level of difficulty will vary depending upon the group’s interests) with a stop for an independent lunch. Another option in Courmayeur is to ride the Skyway cable car, a new aerial lift reaching the closest point to the summit of Mont Blanc. Your leaders can assist with logistics.

This evening, you are again free to dine on your own at one of the town’s lively pizzerias or trattorias.

Included Meals: Breakfast

8.5 miles (about 5.5 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,600-ft. elevation gain, 2,830-ft. elevation loss

Following a hearty buffet breakfast, a 20-minute drive takes you to Arnouva and the start of today’s hike. Exploration of the Val Ferret continues along a winding footpath with a view of the Pré de Bar, the imposing granite peaks of Mont Dolent (12,545 feet), and the Grandes Jorasses. Along the way, you may stop for a rest at the Rifugio Elena for a steaming cup of rich hot chocolate. The climb continues through meadows that are home to Alpine wildlife—from talkative marmots to agile chamois may be frolicking on the glacier after you cross the Grand Col Ferret (8,321 feet). This pass, in use for several centuries, serves as the Italian-Swiss border between Val D’Aosta and the canton of Valais. The descent brings you along a trail with a profusion of wildflowers and the sound of Swiss cowbells echoing across the hillside. This area is truly Heidi country; its tidy chalets with geraniums spilling from the window boxes greet you as you enter the sleepy village of Ferret.

A final minivan shuttle delivers you to Champex, a tranquil Swiss summer resort on a lake with the same name. Upon arrival at your comfortable family-run hotel, there is time to relax, swim, or take advantage of the Jacuzzi before dinner on your own tonight.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

8.5 miles (about 4 hours of walking with cable car descent or 6 hours of walking without cable car descent), moderate, 2,860-ft. elevation gain, 915-ft. elevation loss with cable car descent or 3,080-ft. elevation loss without cable car descent

Today starts with a short drive as you leave Switzerland. The trail rises gradually from the secluded valley of Trient, where the imposing village church stands out like a beacon in this green, lush environment. You pass through a tranquil spruce forest with many switchbacks before arriving at the Col de Balme in France. This pass offers tremendous views over the whole of the Chamonix valley, flanked by the Aiguille Verte and Aiguilles Rouges (the “green” and “red” needles, or peaks) surrounding Mont Blanc. The red rock peaks are named after the distinctive color of the granite in the morning sun. Upon descending to the village of Tour, you have the option of using a cable car or continuing to walk on the slopes of the Balme ski area.

Your home tonight is in the village of Argentière—literally “silver” in French, as it was once the site of a silver mine. After settling into your traditional hotel located in the town’s center, your leaders will provide you with recommendations to several nearby restaurants for dinner on your own.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

7 miles (about 6 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,770-ft. elevation gain, 1,560-ft. elevation loss, including a cable car descent

Following a few miles’ taxi ride, you set off on the final stage of the circuit. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of the trail, and the stunning Chéserys Lakes are the highlight. Most people seek the famed reflection of the mountains in the still waters of these mountain lakes. Often frozen until the end of June, by August, these lakes are free from ice and snow, and the views of the Mont Blanc massif from this vantage point are breathtaking.

Over lunch, you work together to identify the various peaks that have been part of your journey this past week. Afterward, you descend along a rocky trail for two hours to La Flégère cable car, giving you panoramic views as you ride into the valley. Then, it is a leisurely walk along the glacier-fed Arve River to Chamonix, where an inviting, heated swimming pool awaits your arrival back at the hotel. Reuniting for a farewell feast at a restaurant in town, you can indulge to your heart’s content after completing 60+ miles of hiking.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After saying goodbye to your group this morning in Chamonix, you are free to enjoy a day in this relaxing town. Head to the hotel spa, do any final shopping or embark on additional sightseeing. (Lunch and dinner are on your own.)

Included Meals: Breakfast

Au revoir! After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation is provided to Geneva Airport based on your departure time.

Included Meals: Breakfast

6.5 miles (about 3.5 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,745-ft. elevation gain

Your leaders will meet you at 8:00 a.m. in the lobby of your meeting hotel in Chamonix. They’ll be wearing Country Walkers shirts.

Chamonix is the mountaineering capital of the Alps, so it is apt that you begin your exploration of the legendary Mont Blanc Circuit here. Following a morning meeting, you travel ten minutes along a scenic road to the hamlet of Les Tines to start your first hike.

As you ascend among these storied peaks – a mighty range of jagged pinnacles and graceful slopes – you have an excellent introduction to the unique flora of this alpine wonderland. Flowers of the martagon lily, masterwort, and gentian blanket the mountainsides, all protected species for the role they play in this fragile ecosystem. At higher elevations, strata seems painted onto rock faces, revealing the glacial forces that shaped these magnificent vistas.

In the Valley of the Glaciers, arrive at the Refuge des Mottets, once a cattle farm for local ranchers. Today, this retreat at the foot of the spectacular Glacier Needle welcomes hikers overnight. But you’re here to enjoy lunch in its welcoming, rustic café adorned with mountaineering equipment.

After, continue your hike among spectacular mountain panoramas that evoke the spirit of alpine exploration. Your destination is the Montenvers train station, a charming stone structure on a terrace that overlooks the Mer de Glace – the Sea of Ice – the longest and largest glacier in France and the second longest in the Alps. After time to admire its enormous breadth winding through the valley, you board a train back to Chamonix. This evening, toast the adventures to come during a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

7 miles (about 5 hours of walking), challenging, 2,460-ft. elevation gain/loss

After breakfast, travel to Les Houches, a charming commune straddling the River Arve. You’ll see plenty of long-haul hikers in this ski resort town, as it is the official start and end point of the Tour de Mont Blanc. Continue by shuttle up the hillside to the district of Le Bettey, from where you begin a stunning walk.

Traverse alpine woodlands, magnificent alpine meadows, high alpine pastures and beautifully crafted chalets. After a couple of hours, arrive at the rustic Chalet de Chailloux,  which seems to have been built with a view in mind. Admire the Mont Blanc massif from its vast, sloping “front lawn” of emerald-green vegetation.

You have several options to explore a bit, taking in the stunning vistas of Mont Blanc and the Bossons Glacier from various perspectives. Following a hearty picnic lunch, descend back to Le Bettey and travel 45 minutes to lovely Les Contamines-Montjoie. This village of restored old farm buildings was once home to chamois hunters and, today, is a popular mountaineering and ski resort.

Settle into a cozy, family-run hotel nestled in the Montjoie Valley. There’ll be time to relax before gathering for an exceptional dinner of local specialties in your hotel’s dining room.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

11 miles (about 7 hours of walking), challenging, 4,395-ft. elevation gain, 3,260-ft. elevation loss

After an early breakfast, you travel by minibus to the end of the valley and start the most challenging hike of the tour. The trail begins at the Baroque chapel of Nôtre Dame de la Gorge, a pilgrimage site at the foot of the Gorge du Bon Nant. From the church, you walk along an old Roman road that climbs steadily through a beautiful coniferous forest. Leaving the woods, you cross broad, level Alpine pasture, passing rustic chalets as you make your way to La Balme. Continue ascending, occasionally pausing for a snack of tasty Alpine chocolate and views of the dramatic valley below.

By midday, you reach the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (8,180 feet), where you stop to take in the breathtaking panorama. With the most difficult part of the day complete, you break for a trailside picnic before meandering down to the valley.

The day’s final walking destination is Les Chapieux, a summer village at the southern limit of the Mont Blanc massif. A return minibus journey takes you to your hotel in a Savoyard village. Here, you stroll out for dinner at a local restaurant after, perhaps, unwinding in the sauna or swimming pool.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

10 miles (about 6.5 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,645-ft. elevation gain, 3,050-ft. elevation loss

Today you say au revoir to France and buongiorno to the Aosta region of Italy, tracing the footsteps of countless Roman legionnaires. A short drive takes you to the beginning of your hike at La Ville des Glaciers. After 2.5 hours, you reach the Col de la Seigne (8,300 feet). This “hill,” with a broad, flat landscape, represents a watershed between the ancient glaciers that extended along the Aosta and Savoy slopes. Following a descent along an easy, winding trail, you reach a spectacular setting beneath the Aiguille of Combal to stop for lunch. Although you’re in Italy, this valley enjoys a certain regional autonomy, and its friendly population speaks French.

You continue on foot to La Visaille, at the base of the spectacular Glacier of Miage, whose snowcapped domes you saw for the first time two days ago. After another short drive, you are in the resort town of Courmayeur, Italy’s elegant counterpart to Chamonix, and your home for the next two nights. After settling into your comfortable in-town hotel, you reunite for a dinner of Italian mountain specialties at a nearby local restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is a rest day, and you have the opportunity to explore the charming Italian resort town of Courmayeur. You may choose to peruse the local shops for souvenirs, sit on a sidewalk terrace to taste a delicious gelato, or simply relax in the hotel’s sauna or Jacuzzi. If you prefer to walk, your leaders offer a hike in the surrounding area (the mileage and level of difficulty will vary depending upon the group’s interests) with a stop for an independent lunch. Another option in Courmayeur is to ride the Skyway cable car, a new aerial lift reaching the closest point to the summit of Mont Blanc. Your leaders can assist with logistics.

This evening, you are again free to dine on your own at one of the town’s lively pizzerias or trattorias.

Included Meals: Breakfast

8.5 miles (about 5.5 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,600-ft. elevation gain, 2,830-ft. elevation loss

Following a hearty buffet breakfast, a 20-minute drive takes you to Arnouva and the start of today’s hike. Exploration of the Val Ferret continues along a winding footpath with a view of the Pré de Bar, the imposing granite peaks of Mont Dolent (12,545 feet), and the Grandes Jorasses. Along the way, you may stop for a rest at the Rifugio Elena for a steaming cup of rich hot chocolate. The climb continues through meadows that are home to Alpine wildlife—from talkative marmots to agile chamois may be frolicking on the glacier after you cross the Grand Col Ferret (8,321 feet). This pass, in use for several centuries, serves as the Italian-Swiss border between Val D’Aosta and the canton of Valais. The descent brings you along a trail with a profusion of wildflowers and the sound of Swiss cowbells echoing across the hillside. This area is truly Heidi country; its tidy chalets with geraniums spilling from the window boxes greet you as you enter the sleepy village of Ferret.

A final minivan shuttle delivers you to Champex, a tranquil Swiss summer resort on a lake with the same name. Upon arrival at your comfortable family-run hotel, there is time to relax, swim, or take advantage of the Jacuzzi before dinner on your own tonight.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

8.5 miles (about 4 hours of walking with cable car descent or 6 hours of walking without cable car descent), moderate, 2,860-ft. elevation gain, 915-ft. elevation loss with cable car descent or 3,080-ft. elevation loss without cable car descent

Today starts with a short drive as you leave Switzerland. The trail rises gradually from the secluded valley of Trient, where the imposing village church stands out like a beacon in this green, lush environment. You pass through a tranquil spruce forest with many switchbacks before arriving at the Col de Balme in France. This pass offers tremendous views over the whole of the Chamonix valley, flanked by the Aiguille Verte and Aiguilles Rouges (the “green” and “red” needles, or peaks) surrounding Mont Blanc. The red rock peaks are named after the distinctive color of the granite in the morning sun. Upon descending to the village of Tour, you have the option of using a cable car or continuing to walk on the slopes of the Balme ski area.

Your home tonight is in the village of Argentière—literally “silver” in French, as it was once the site of a silver mine. After settling into your traditional hotel located in the town’s center, your leaders will provide you with recommendations to several nearby restaurants for dinner on your own.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

7 miles (about 6 hours of walking), moderate to challenging, 2,770-ft. elevation gain, 1,560-ft. elevation loss, including a cable car descent

Following a few miles’ taxi ride, you set off on the final stage of the circuit. It’s one of the most beautiful parts of the trail, and the stunning Chéserys Lakes are the highlight. Most people seek the famed reflection of the mountains in the still waters of these mountain lakes. Often frozen until the end of June, by August, these lakes are free from ice and snow, and the views of the Mont Blanc massif from this vantage point are breathtaking.

Over lunch, you work together to identify the various peaks that have been part of your journey this past week. Afterward, you descend along a rocky trail for two hours to La Flégère cable car, giving you panoramic views as you ride into the valley. Then, it is a leisurely walk along the glacier-fed Arve River to Chamonix, where an inviting, heated swimming pool awaits your arrival back at the hotel. Reuniting for a farewell feast at a restaurant in town, you can indulge to your heart’s content after completing 60+ miles of hiking.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Au revoir! After a plentiful buffet breakfast, you are free to continue your exploration of Chamonix or depart for your next destination.

Included Meals: Breakfast