Compare Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek by Exodus Travels vs Hiking Below and Beyond Mont Blanc: Switzerland, Italy and France by Road Scholar
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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4.5 | Great
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| Duration | 15 days | 13 days |
| Price From | $ 4,665 | $ 3,999 |
| Price Per Day | $ 311 | $ 308 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | No |
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| Meals Included | Included in the trip are all breakfasts and 12 hotel/restaurant dinners. On days 7 and 14, dinner is not included and needs to be bought locally. We take our evening meals in the hotel in which we are staying or in a nearby restaurant. These meals are usually arranged as a menu for the whole group and, as they are based on special negotiations made by us, represent better value than eating independently. Please note that should the times of flights change to arrive earlier, or depart later, additional meals will not be included. Please also note that no refund will be given for meals not taken or taken other than where designated. Typical meals Continental breakfast: this will normally include coffee, tea, hot chocolate, French bread, croissants and conserves. Lunch: No lunches are provided but can easily be bought locally from either shops or the hotel/refuge. You may wish to bring (or buy locally) snack bars for an extra energy boost during the day. Evening meal: we endeavour to make dinner something to look forward to, and each day there will be a freshly prepared menu for the whole group, consisting of a soup, salad or similar, a main course of meat, fish or vegetarian served with a selection of vegetables and carbohydrates, and a dessert. Beer, wine, bottled water, other drinks, coffee or tea are not included in the price of evening meals taken in restaurants. Vegetarians: We happily cater for vegetarians but please inform us at the time of booking. Vegans: If you adhere to a vegan diet, you may find the variety of food offered to be limited, since veganism is relatively uncommon in this region. |
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| Description |
If you enjoy the comfort of a bed every night, we offer the Mont Blanc Circuit as a fully accommodated walking holiday, with all nights spent in a variety of lodgings from family-run two- and three-star hotels to basic inns or pensions. We include 10 walking days and three rest days, in which we cross the borders of Switzerland, Italy and France and enjoy unrivalled views of the Alps and Mont Blanc itself. Overall the trekking will feel tough with long walking days but the three rest days are incorporated to give you time to rest the legs whilst enjoying three fascinating alpine towns. Courmayeur is an old worldly Italian gem with windy pedestrian streets lined with chic shops and delightful cafes, bars and restaurants. A short, free, bus ride away is the luxurious QC Therm Spa and wellness centre, a lovely treat. Les Contamines and St Gervais are charming alpine towns with interesting local markets, electric bike hire and gondoliers taking you up to stunning view points. The last free day is in Chamonix, the vibrant heart of the Mont Blanc massif, with a wide choice of activities to try, including paragliding and taking the Aiguille du Midi cable car up to 12,605ft (3,842m) for spectacular, close-up views of Mont Blanc. The itinerary follows the same route as our camping version (trip code TWB). With your qualified International Mountain Leader (IML) guiding the way, you will complete the famous circuit, and your baggage is transported for you by our support vehicle. We offer the comfort of a bed in quaint, picturesque accommodations on route so you can enjoy your walking holiday in comfort. In most places we use a hotel for just one night, before moving on the next day; occasionally we settle in for a few nights and use local transport to take us to the next point of the circuit.Admire spectacular views of Mont Blanc from the iconic surrounding trails |
Explore some of the world’s most picturesque vistas as you walk amid wine regions in Switzerland, pristine glaciers in France and quaint Italian villages in the European Alps. |
Day 1 Start Chamonix
Chamonix may well be among the best-known ski resorts in the world, but it’s also where we come together as a group for the first time. We’ll gather at the hotel in the evening for a welcome briefing, where we’ll chat about the trek, meet each other and get to know our expert tour leader. Accommodation: Richemond Hotel (or similar)
Day 2 Lac Blanc and the Grand Balcon Sud from Chamonix to les Frasserands
From our hotel in Chamonix, we walk to Les Praz and take the cable car to La Flégère. The trail today is named the Grand Balcon and is on the opposite side of the valley from Mont Blanc, affording excellent views of the whole massif lying to our south. Initially we contour and then climb to reach the high point of the day, Lac Blanc (7715ft/2,352m). The trail descends and then contours high above the valley before dropping steeply to the hamlet of Les Frasserands and Montroc. In the afternoon, there is a very short section of ladders/steep steps with handrails to descend. We return to our hotel in Chamonix in the afternoon. Accommodation: Richemond Hotel (or similar)
Day 3 Over Col de Balme into Switzerland; night at Col de la Forclaz
We travel back to Montroc at the top of the Chamonix valley where we begin our ascent to the Aiguillette de Posettes (7,200ft/2,201m), descend a little and then climb towards the Col de Balme from where we follow one of the paths across the border from France to Switzerland. Excellent views all morning of Aiguille d'Argentière and Aiguille du Tour and its glacier. After lunch we walk through to the small Swiss hamlet of Trient. Good views of the Trient Glacier. A sting in the tail today as we finish with a steep climb from Trient to our hotel at the Col de la Forclaz. Accommodation: Hotel Col de la Forclaz (or similar)
Day 4 Follow Bovine Route to Champex
We leave the Col de la Forclaz, where we can look directly down into the Rhône valley and the Swiss town of Martigny and follow a historic path used to take the cows to high pasture, the 'Bovine route' (6,720ft/2,049m). Our trail takes us through meadows and high-alpine pastures before we descend to the charming town of Champex set beside a picturesque alpine lake. Accommodation: Hotel Splendide (or similar)
Day 5 Head up the Val Ferret to La Fouly
Now on the east side of the main Mont Blanc Massif we walk south, descending through woods to the Val Ferret and on to Issert and other small, pretty, alpine farming villages. This is quite a good day for flowers, including orchids. We continue up the valley to the remote village La Fouly (5,250ft/1,600m). This is at the foot of Mont Dolent, whose summit is at the meeting point of France, Switzerland and Italy. Accommodation: Auberge des Glaciers (or similar)
Day 6 Follow river La Drance; climb to the highest point of the tour at Grand Col Ferret and into Italy. Overnight at La Palud
Still following the same valley and the river La Drance, we climb to the Grand Col Ferret (8,320ft/2,537m), the highest pass of the tour. Now in Italy, the valley is also called Val Ferret. The mountain views from the Col are stunning with the Grandes Jorasses dominating the scene. We walk down the valley to Arp Nouva then travel by bus to our hotel in La Palud near Courmayeur. Accommodation: Hotel Astoria (or similar)
Day 7 Rest day
The nearby ex-spa towns of Courmayeur and Entrèves have picturesque older sections, which are worth a visit, especially for the keen photographer. There is a cable car from Entrèves to Point Helbronner (11,350ft/3,461m) and on across the glacier to Aiguille du Midi (and in fact on down to Chamonix). This is a splendid (optional) excursion, which gives close-up views of all the big peaks. Alternatively you might wish to relax and recover in the spa baths at Pre Saint Didier a short bus ride from Courmayeur. It is recommended to book in advance for the spa to avoid disappointment, by clicking https://www.qcterme.com/en/pre-saint-didier/qc-terme-pre-saint-didier Accommodation: Hotel Astoria (or similar)
Day 8 Climb to Bonatti refuge and traverse high above the spectacular Ferret Valley around Mont de la Saxe to Courmayeur
We start with a short bus ride to pick up the TMB and from the road climb up to the Bonatti refuge (6,640ft/2,025m). Today we follow a beautiful contouring path around Mont de la Saxe to Courmayeur. The views of the south Mont Blanc massif are exceptional as are those of the towering peaks of the Grandes Jorasses and the glaciers which crowd the northern flank of the Val Ferret. In the afternoon we have a long, steep descent to Courmayeur from where we take a short bus ride into the spectacular Val Veny. Accommodation: Hotel Astoria (or similar)
Day 9 Cross the Col de la Seigne back to France, descend through la Ville des Glaciers to Les Chapieux
Today we are heading for the Val Veny and the start of our walk at La Visaille. We’ll reach this by bus to then start climbing gently along good paths beneath the massive glacier de Miage and pass Lac Combal before the gradient becomes steeper as we follow the old Roman road and head for today's pass: the Col de la Seigne (8,250ft/2,516m), which marks our re-entry into France. A fairly steep descent brings us through la Ville des Glaciers and finally after quite a long walking day to Les Chapieux, a remote hamlet inhabited only during the summer months. Accommodation: Auberge de la Nova (or similar)
Day 10 Ascend to Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, then contour across to the Col du Bonhomme
We have now reached the southwest corner of the circuit and turn north to climb once again. Today is a longer day; first we make a steep climb to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (8,130ft/2,478m) and then contour around to the Col du Bonhomme. We then descend (again on a Roman road) to Les Contamines. A short bus ride down the valley takes us to the pretty village of St Gervais, the perfect place for a day off. Accommodation: Hotel Val Joly (or similar)
Day 11 Free Day
A well-earned rest day. There are many options to fill your day including taking the cog railway to Le Nid d’aigle – the Eagles Nest – a popular start point to climb Mont Blanc, or browsing around the local market of Les Contamines. There are plenty of optional walks in the area or one can simply relax around the pleasant town of St Gervais or even treat yourself to a rejuvenating spa. Accommodation: Hotel Val Joly (or similar)
Day 12 Over Col de Tricot to the Chamonix Valley; overnight at Les Houches
Today is a challenging day with plenty of ups and downs. From St Gervais we have a 10-minute transfer to re-join our route before ascending to the Chalets de Miage. From here we take a trail that climbs steeply to the Col de Tricot (6,950ft/2,119m) before descending very close to the snout of the Glacier de Bionnassay. Good views of the north side of the Mont Blanc Massif. Eventually we make another ascent to reach the Col de Voza where we re-enter the Chamonix Valley and make our final descent to the village of Les Houches. Accommodation: Hotel St Antoine (or similar)
Day 13 Best views of Mont Blanc today; long ascent to the Brevent, descend to Chamonix
We cross to the north side of the Chamonix Valley and climb steeply through pine forest and then on open mountainsides to reach the high point of the day at Brevent (8,290ft/2,525m). This is a long walking day but will probably afford the best views of the French side of Mont Blanc and its neighbouring peaks that we shall have on the whole trek. We descend to Plan Praz and take the cable car to Chamonix for a well-deserved beer. Accommodation: Hotel Richemond (or similar)
Day 14 Free day in Chamonix
Free day in and around Chamonix. There are several good walks in the Chamonix valley. Chamonix itself is also a great place to spend a day. The most popular excursions, weather depending, would be the spectacular ascent by cable car to the Aiguille du Midi or the Montenvers cog railway. Accommodation: Hotel Richemond (or similar)
Day 15 End Chamonix
We enjoy our final breakfast as a group together, before going our separate ways. It’s a good chance to reflect on your adventures together, swap numbers, and, perhaps, start planning your next trek.
Day 1 In Transit In Flight
Day 2 Arrivals Villars sur Ollon
Hotel check-in is at 2:00 p.m. Approximate transfer time: 1.5 hours.
At leisure.
Welcome dinner at the hotel. Water is included in the program cost at all meals. Unless otherwise noted, dinners on this program are typically a three course set menu.
Day 3 Villars, Switzerland Villars sur Ollon
Up to 6 miles of walking for 4 hours on natural forest trails and on cobblestones. The trail has a gentle ascent and descent, and some parts may be slippery if wet.
We start from Villars and transfer by bus to Solalex (4820 feet), a beautiful mountain pasture under the breathtaking cliff, Miroir d’Argentine. Discover local geology and then walk through pine forests and alpine meadows to Barboleuse (3973 feet).
After lunch, gently walk to Gryon (3655 feet) and enjoy a visit of this picturesque village full of history. Return to Villars via train.
At leisure.
At the hotel. On this program, breakfasts will offer a typical European style breakfast buffet with breads, cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee, tea and water.
At a local restaurant in Barboleuse.
At the hotel.
Day 4 Bretaye, Switzerland, Alpine Farm Villars sur Ollon
Up to 5 miles of walking for 3.5 hours on natural and mountain trails. The trail goes up and down with a total gain of approx. 165 feet and an elevation loss of approx. 230 feet.
Begin the morning with local transportation to Bretaye (5922 feet), the starting point of today's walking field trip. Hear a field lecture on Bretaye Lake. Walk across alpine meadows with the stunning Swiss Alps at every turn until we reach an alpine farm. Meet the farmer and learn the details of alpine farming and cheese making.
Continue hiking through forested trails to the bus stop, where we board the bus back to Villars.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
Fondue at the farm.
At the hotel.
Day 5 St. Bernard Pass, Transfer to Cogne, Italy Cogne
Up to 1 mile of walking for 2 hours on natural trails and cobblestones.
Following breakfast, transfer by private coach down to the Rhone Valley and up to the incredible St. Bernard Pass (8114 feet), an ancient Roman transalpine route and more recently the path of Napoleon's army into Italy in 1800. En-route there is an excursion to the St. Bernard Museum, the first hospice founded as early as 1049 and appropriately named after Saint Bernard. This name later became famous for the St. Bernard dogs, loyal companions to the monks and mainly used as rescue and watchdogs. Learn about the "History of the Great St. Bernard Pass and the St. Bernard Dogs" during a field lecture.
Continue on the winding road down to the French speaking Valle d’Aosta in Italy and on to Cogne (5032 feet), the main gateway to the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso, founded in 1922. Upon arrival, attend an orientation, stroll through the town, including a visit of the Maison Gérard Dayné, which is one of the best examples of Aosta Valley traditional architecture. Have a welcome drink at the hotel before dinner.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
At a local restaurant.
Dinner at the hotel.
Day 6 Valnontey, Italy, Alpe Vermiana Cogne
Up to 6 miles of walking for 4.5 hours on forest trails and on cobblestones.
This morning there will be a short transfer by local transportation to the hamlet of Valnontey, where your walking field trip begins. Our hike will take us up through coniferous and larch forests in a continuous ascent (total gain of 1880 feet). Experience fabulous views as you walk closer to the permanently snow-covered Gran Paradiso Mountains before descending the same way through Valnontey. Today's field lectures include "Alpine Garden in Valnontey" and "Liqueurs Made of Local Herbs."
Spend the afternoon learning how to cook the traditional polenta and tasting local wine.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
Picnic lunch above Valnontey.
At the hotel.
Day 7 Lillaz, Italy, Urtier River, Gimillan Cogne
Up to 8 miles of walking for 4.5 hours on natural and mountain trails with a gradual descent.
Transfer by local transportation to the village of Lillaz (5304 feet) and the Lillaz waterfall. The walking field trip begins here, continues along the Urtier River and ends in Cogne. Enjoy the beautiful views of the mountain peaks and glaciers.
Local transportation to the old village of Gimillan (5900 feet), built on a natural terrace. From there, walk across alpine meadows and take in the panoramic views of the majestic mountains of the Gran Paradiso National Park. Learn about Gimillan and the national park during a field lecture. Return to Cogne by public bus.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
At the hotel.
At a local restaurant.
Day 8 Aosta, Italy Cogne
Up to 2 miles of walking for 2 hours on cobblestones.
Transfer by public bus to the attractive mountain town of Aosta (1912 feet), founded by the Romans in 25 BC - primarily a military camp, and called the “Rome of the Alps.” The setting of this town is pure enchantment, surrounded by mountains. The Roman layout of the streets of Aosta, with its narrow cobbled streets and overhanging upper stories, give the town a very alpine flair. Hear a lecture called "Aosta and Cogne – Past and Present."
Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most, before returning by public bus to Cogne. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
Explore local fare on your own in Aosta.
At the hotel.
Day 9 Courmayeur, Italy, Transfer to Chamonix, France Chamonix
Up to 1 mile of walking for 2 hours on cobblestones and in town.
Private coach transfer to Chamonix with an excursion stop and walk in Courmayeur, a striking and fashionable resort located at the foot of Mont Blanc. Continue through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix (3395 feet).
After check-in, rejoin the group for a walking field trip of Chamonix. Today's field lecture covers the past and present of Chamonix, and Michel Paccard, first climber of Mont Blanc (15,780 feet) in 1786.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
At the hotel.
At the hotel.
Day 10 Scenic Circular Trail to the Swiss Border Chamonix
Up to 5 miles of walking for 3.5 hours on natural and mountain trails.
Take a short ride by local bus to the village of Le Tours and then by cable car to "Les Autannes" (7200 feet). From there, start a circular hike with only minor elevation changes to "Refuge de Col de Balme" (at the Swiss border). From this point, we can enjoy wonderful views over the whole valley and the Mont Blanc range. Learn about the Chamonix Valley and Mont Blanc during a field lecture.
Walk down to "Charmillon," the intermediate station of the cable car (elevation loss of 1130 feet) and continue back by cable car and local bus to Chamonix.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
Picnic on the trail.
At the hotel.
Day 11 Aiguille de Midi, France Chamonix
Up to 1 mile of walking for 1 hour on natural trails.
Today ride the cable car up Mont Blanc, enjoying the marvelous views as it first climbs to Plan de l’Aiguille (7600 feet) and then to Aiguille de Midi (12,604 feet). The panorama on a clear day is simply one of the best in the Alps, with views of mountains as far as the eye can see. If the sky is clear, you may even get a glimpse of the Matterhorn! This is a wonder that attracts people from all over the world. Hear a field lecture on the Aiguille du Midi and Mont Blanc. Walk from the middle station Plan de l'Aiguille (7600 feet) to the Lac Bleu Lake. Return to Chamonix by cable car.
Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do more of what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
Explore local fare on your own.
Farewell drink and dinner at the hotel.
Day 12 Transfer to Geneva, Switzerland Geneva
Up to 2 miles of walking for 2 hours on packed snow, natural trails, and on cobblestones. At La Mer de Glace there are over 400 steps up and down.
Take a morning excursion to La Mer de Glace (6279 feet). The Montenvers rack railway starts from Chamonix and in 20 minutes reaches the bottom of the Mer de Glace, France's largest glacier (approx. 4 miles long, 656 feet thick). Then a cable car takes you to the ice cave. This historic site marked the start of Alpine tourism in the 19th century and offers a panoramic view of famous peaks such as Les Drus and Les Grandes Jorasses.
Transfer by private coach to the hotel in Geneva, Switzerland. Spend the remainder of the day exploring Geneva. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. You may want to see the large fountain Jet d'eau, the European headquarters of the United Nations, Palais des Nations, or Saint Peter's Cathedral. There are also many museums and gardens to see in Geneva. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions or give directions.
At leisure.
At the hotel.
Explore local fare on your own in Chamonix.
Explore local fare on your own.
Day 13 Departures In Flight
Transfer to the Geneva Airport. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures.
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
