Tour du Mont Blanc: around the massif in eleven days

Stage routesFrance / Italy / Switzerland

Tour du Mont Blanc: around the massif in eleven days

Eleven days circling Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland, sleeping in refuges.

On foot · Stage by stage · 168 km · 11 stages · 2 min read

What the Tour du Mont Blanc is like

It circles the massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, Les Houches back to Les Houches, via Courmayeur, the Ferret valley and Champex. It is not technical but it is demanding: almost 9,000 metres of climbing spread across passes around 2,500 metres.

Most walk it anticlockwise; the other way you meet fewer people. The passes are cold even in August.

Key facts

TypeOn foot
Distance168 km
Total climbing8,917 m
Start and finishLes Houches → Les Houches
On foot11 days, 15 km a day on average
When to goLate June to mid September. Earlier there is snow on the cols and the refuges are shut.
Pick your stages

From where to where?

The whole route is 11 stages. Pick where you start and finish: always in a stage town.

Usual: 11 days.

KEAGO MAP
ⓘ© MapTiler · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Route profile168 km · 11 stages
0 m1,250 m2,500 m1234567891011

Altitude of each stage town; each stage's climbing is in its details.

11 days, 168 km and 8,917 m of climbing: about 15.3 km a day and 10 nights on the way.

  1. Les Houches → Les Contamines16 km · 646 m D+Eat: Bellevue
  2. Les Contamines → Les Chapieux18 km · 1316 m D+Eat: Refuge de la Balme
  3. Les Chapieux → Rifugio Elisabetta15 km · 1004 m D+Eat: Col de la Seigne
  4. Rifugio Elisabetta → Courmayeur18 km · 460 m D+
  5. Courmayeur → Rifugio Bonatti12 km · 860 m D+Eat: Grand Col Ferret
  6. Rifugio Bonatti → La Fouly20 km · 895 m D+
  7. La Fouly → Champex-Lac15 km · 420 m D+Eat: Bovine
  8. Champex-Lac → Trient16 km · 742 m D+
  9. Trient → Tré-le-Champ13 km · 1069 m D+Eat: Argentière
  10. Tré-le-Champ → La Flégère8 km · 733 m D+
  11. La Flégère → Les Houches17 km · 772 m D+

Create your account and build Les Houches to Les Houches in 11 days.

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  • Carry it on your phone, map and times included
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How to plan it

It is 11 stages and 168 km, about 800 metres of climbing a day. Slower walkers use the Les Houches and La Flégère lifts on the descents; strong ones do it in eight days with the high variants.

Refuges decide the trip: bookings open in winter and by March few spaces are left for August, so book them before flights. Most include half board, and cards fail in several. Buses at Les Contamines, Courmayeur and Champex let you cut it short.

Stages

  1. Les Houches → Les Contamines16 km · +646 mEat: Bellevue, Bionnassay · Nature reserve and bell tower
  2. Les Contamines → Les Chapieux18 km · +1,316 mEat: Refuge de la Balme · Grazing valley and its cheeses
  3. Les Chapieux → Rifugio Elisabetta15 km · +1,004 mEat: Col de la Seigne, Val Veny
  4. Rifugio Elisabetta → Courmayeur18 km · +460 mVal Ferret and the Skyway
  5. Courmayeur → Rifugio Bonatti12 km · +860 mEat: Grand Col Ferret
  6. Rifugio Bonatti → La Fouly20 km · +895 mA Neuve glacier
  7. La Fouly → Champex-Lac15 km · +420 mEat: Bovine, Col de la Forclaz
  8. Champex-Lac → Trient16 km · +742 mPink chapel and glacier
  9. Trient → Tré-le-Champ13 km · +1,069 mEat: Argentière, Planpraz
  10. Tré-le-Champ → La Flégère8 km · +733 m
  11. La Flégère → Les Houches17 km · +772 mNorth face of Mont Blanc

One stage a day, town to town. Approximate distance and climbing: every GPX varies a little.

Frequently asked questions

How long is Tour du Mont Blanc: around the massif in eleven days?168 km in total, with around 8,917 m of climbing.
How many days does it take?11 days on foot (15 km average per stage).
Where do people usually sleep?The usual overnight points are Les Contamines, Les Chapieux, Rifugio Elisabetta, Courmayeur, Rifugio Bonatti, La Fouly. The stage table lists them section by section.
Where does Tour du Mont Blanc: around the massif in eleven days start and end?It starts in Les Houches and ends in Les Houches. You can start or finish at any stage end.
When is the best time to go?Late June to mid September. Earlier there is snow on the cols and the refuges are shut.

In Keago this route becomes a plan: one card per stage with time and duration, the daily track, each night's accommodation with link and location, the meals, and both travel tickets where the whole group can see them. Everyone confirms and you know who is missing.

Create your account and keep building your Tour du Mont Blanc: around the massif in eleven days plan.

It is free and takes a minute.

  • Save the plan and pick up where you left off
  • Carry it on your phone, map and times included
  • Send it to your group with one link
  • Download the itinerary and the calendar
Create my accountI already have an account