Hiking Tour du Mont Blanc: A 4-Day Mini-Trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the most popular treks in the world, but not everyone has the time - or the fitness level - to complete the whole journey. We've got you covered with everything you need to know to complete a 4-day, mini-trek alternative.
Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is an incredible experience. It’s one of the most popular long-distance trails in the world, and with the breathtaking views on offer as you wind your way through the Alps of France, Italy, and Switzerland, it’s easy to see why. But trekking the TMB offers more than just views – the grit and determination required to complete this course provides a journey of self-actualization that can be truly life-changing. However, the TMB is not for the faint of heart – it’s a difficult course of over 170 km (105 miles) that can take more than 10 days to complete. Not everyone has that kind of time (or endurance), and that’s ok! We’re here to encourage you not to let this get in the way of experiencing a taste of what hiking the TMB can offer.Â
On our visit to Chamonix in August 2024, we completed a four-day mini-trek of the Tour du Mont Blanc that was incredibly fulfilling. In this post we’ll discuss everything you need to know to do the same – why it’s worth your time, all the logistics for the route, how to prepare for the hike, and a day-by-day overview of the journey.
Wondering what else to do in Chamonix during your visit? We’ve got a full city guide for you here, as well as in-depth guides on visiting Aiguille du Midi, the Grotte de Glace, and paragliding through the French Alps.
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What is the Tour du Mont Blanc?
The Tour du Mont Blanc is an epic, 170 km (105 miles) journey around the Mont Blanc massif, Europe’s highest mountain. Over 11 stages, this trail traverses dramatic landscapes across France, Italy, and Switzerland, gaining over 10,000 m (32,808 ft) of elevation – higher than Mount Everest, if you can believe it! It’s usually completed in 9 to 11 days, although, each year the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc ultra-marathon race is held in August, and the record for the fastest circuit is just an unfathomable 19 hours and 37 minutes.
The TMB is one of the most popular multi-day treks in the world, and for good reason. It’s easily accessible, with multiple entry points attached to popular destinations like Chamonix, France and Courmayeur, Italy. Modifications are also easy, with various cable car and bus transit options that can shorten the length or cut down on elevation gain. The trail is well-marked and well-serviced, with amenities like frequent fresh water and refuges where you can grab a meal or spend the night. And best of all, it is stunningly beautiful. From high mountain passes to lush valleys, snow-covered peaks to flower-filled meadows, glacial lakes and charming alpine villages, you’ll see it all along this historic route.
Hiking Tour du Mont Blanc - Challenges of the Full Monty
As mentioned, the full route of the TMB is 170 km (105 miles) with 10,000 m (32,808 ft) of elevation gain. This is no small feat, and requires a pretty high level of fitness. You don’t need to be an elite athlete, but you’ll need to be able to hike for 6-10 hours per day over steep and rugged terrain with a pack on, and a heavy one at that, if you’re camping. The trek requires extensive planning, and at least two weeks of vacation to manage it, including your travel time to and from Chamonix. In addition, hiking Tour du Mont Blanc comes with costs, particularly if you choose to stay in refuges over camping. The longer your trek, the more expensive these stays will add up to be, and it may break the bank for some budget travelers.
Though we absolutely think hiking the full Tour du Mont Blanc is worth it – and plan to do so ourselves one day – this just isn’t feasible for everyone for a variety of reasons. During our trip to Chamonix, we only had a few days to spare, so we crafted a four-day trek to give us a taste of the TMB. It was a taste that definitely made us want to come back for more, but it was also the perfect entry point to multi-day trekking and still super fulfilling.
Our Alternative - the Four-Day Mini-Trek
Our four-day mini-trek follows the traditional Stage 1 from Les Houches to Les Contamines and half of Stage 2 from Les Contamines to Refuge La Balme, then backtracks along a Stage 1 variant from Refuge La Balme to Refuge de Miage and from Refuge de Miage to Les Houche (learn more about the traditional TMB stages here). This small loop only includes a short repeat section (about 2 hours), and we actually enjoyed the Stage 1 variant far more than the standard route. We’ll include detailed distance and elevation stats in the day-by-day overview below, but overall this mini-trek covers approximately 43.6 km (27.1 miles) with about 2,156 m (7,075 ft) of elevation gain. Note that these are rough estimates, as my fitness watch died at several points on the journey and distances vary across online resources.
We chose to camp along the journey as we trekked with our dog, Cali, but there were refuges or hotels near where we stayed each night (we’ll include the names below). We also made use of the Bellevue cable car to cut out some of the initial elevation gain, which we’ll cover in Day 1. Â
Key Planning Decisions
Before you start picking dates for your journey and putting together your packing list, there are a few key decisions you’ll need to make that will dictate the type of experience you’ll have.
When Should You Hike the TMB?
Hiking Tour du Mont Blanc is most enjoyable between mid-June and mid-September, and most popular in July and August. It’s difficult to complete the hike outside of these months, as many facilities along the trail will be closed. The trail will be busiest during July and August, but not so busy as to ruin the experience. In fact, it can enhance it, as trekking together on this life-changing journey fosters a unique and special camaraderie with the people you meet along the way. If you’d prefer a quieter trek, aim for June or September. Start your planning process about 6 months ahead of time.
Do You Need a Guide?
Guides are not required, but they are available. This may be preferable for you if you’re new at long treks, uncomfortable with navigation, or uninterested in arranging your lodging. However, a guided trek comes with a hefty price tag – top tour companies start at $3,300 and range as high as $4,800. These costs cover your guide, accommodations, any cable car or bus transfers, daily luggage transfers, and most meals.
Camping or Refuges?
One of the most important decisions you need to make before you start planning your journey is whether you are going to camp or stay in refuges. Hotels and refuges are available on every leg of the trek, and staying in refuges can mean a much easier hike (since you can get by with a pretty small pack). However, the refuges aren’t cheap (about 50-80 EUR or ~$57-$91 per night for a half-board dorm, and even more for a private room), and space is limited. If you choose to go this route, you’ll need to plan your trip well in advance, as many refuges fill up four or even six months in advance.
On the other hand, the Tour du Mont Blanc offers some of the most beautiful campsites in the world, and camping will save you a fair chunk of change as well. The campsites are called bivouacs, which implies that tents aren’t allowed, but don’t worry – this isn’t the case. Most bivouacs are first-come, first-served and free. Those savings will come with a price tag of another kind though – a big, heavy pack. Both choices have pros and cons, and the decision will inevitably come from your budget and personal preferences for the hike – do you want to travel fast and light? Or dive deeper into nature?
Can You Bring Your Dog?
Yes! As long as you are doing our four-day trek, that is. We brought Cali with us, and it was so fun doing the hike with her. Dogs are welcome on most of the full TMB, with the exception of Stages 10 (Tré le Champ to Refuge la Flégère) and 11 (Refuge la Flégère to Les Houches), which pass through protected nature reserves in France. Keep in mind though, if you do decide to hike with Fido, you’ll most likely need to camp, as pretty much all of the refuges do not allow dogs.
Exit Points
There are only so many exit points along the TMB, and each of them will require a different plan. Are you hiking down to a town and taking a bus or train? Is there a cable car station you’ll need to hike to? What are the hours of operations for these modes of transit? At what point on the TMB do you leave the main trail? If you’re following our four-day mini-trek, we’ve laid out these details for you, but if you plan to deviate from our route, make sure to spend sufficient time planning out your TMB exit point. We’d also suggest identifying a backup exit point just in case something goes awry along the way – minor trekking injuries are not uncommon when hiking Tour du Mont Blanc.
Preparing for Your Journey
Sufficient preparation is essential to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable time hiking Tour du Mont Blanc.  This is super critical to do beforehand as you won’t have cell service to do research or modify plans on the fly.  It’s important to take plenty of time researching across multiple sites to understand the logistics and demands of each leg – we recommend the official TMB website and this well-established TMB trek-planning site to start with. Buy a map and review it in detail. Write down your route plans for each day, including distance, elevation, where you plan to sleep, and what amenities are available in that location to determine what you’ll need to pack in terms of food and supplies. Make sure to fully map out your exit points as well. When it comes to packing, consider the below lists:
Packing List: Staying in Refuges
 If you’re staying in refuges, your packing list can be a bit lighter:
In Your Pack
- Water bladder – two liters is sufficient for the main trail due to frequent water stations, but these are more spread out on variant trails, so three liters is safer. You will not need a filtration system.
- GPS – though not required as the trails are well-marked, a GPS will provide support and peace of mind on the journey. Make sure to download your route in advance (we used AllTrails).
- Snacks – you’ll need snacks for the daytime between stops. We recommend calorie-dense trail snacks like Cliff bars, nuts, and dried fruit. Breakfast and dinner will be included at your refuges.
- Sanitary needs – while there are frequent bathrooms along the trail (so you likely won’t need a poop trowel), toilet paper, a Shewee for the ladies, and a bag to carry your waste and other garbage in are recommended. Thankfully, there are frequent trash bins as well, so you won’t need to carry it for too long at a time.
- Headlamp – handy for the evenings, and as a safety precaution in case you get lost or run behind schedule.
- Â Passports – for hotel and refuge check ins, and as a precaution if you’re crossing any borders (not applicable on our four-day mini-trek).
On Your Person
- Hiking boots – we highly recommend these over trail runners or normal sneakers for ankle support, grip, and waterproofing. Many sections of the trail are over loose rock, so the ankle support will really come in handy.
- Sun protection – sunglasses, a hat, and sun block will be key.
- Layers – temperatures vary widely over the day (as high as 30º C or 86º F during the day and as low as 10º C or 50º F at night), so you’ll need to be prepared with lots of layers. I wore shorts and a t-shirt during the day and pants, thermals, a puffy, and a beanie at night.
- Trekking poles – these are highly recommended, but not required. If you don’t have your own, you can rent them from any number of local shops for 5-10 EUR (~$6-$11) per day.
Packing List: Camping
If you’re camping, you’ll want all of the above items, plus more in your pack:
Food Needs
- Camp food – due to availability of restaurants and refuges along the way, as well as shops in towns like Les Contamines or Courmayeur where you can restock on supplies, you don’t need to pack meals for each day you’ll be hiking Tour du Mont Blanc. For our four-day mini-trek, we suggest two trekking meals for dinner and four breakfasts.
- Cookstove and gas – make sure your gas tank is filled and compatible with your stove before your journey. Note that not all types of gas tanks are easily refilled in Chamonix – we couldn’t get our white gas tank filled anywhere, and were forced to go without. We recommend a stove that can use a butane/propane tank, for which gas can be found commonly in outdoors stores in town.
- Note – if you’re following our four-day mini-trek, you can get by without a stove by buying meals at refuges where possible, or asking for hot water to cook your trekking meals when not. Not all refuges will serve dinner to non-guests.
- Cookware and Eating utensils – pack your pot and spork! You can skip the pot if you’re following our note above.
- Cash – expect to use cash at most refuges if you’re buying meals or drinks along the way.
Other Camp Items
- Ultralight tent – ultralight is pricier, but your back will thank you for the lesser weight. On a trail this long and strenuous, it’s practically a must.
- Ultralight sleeping bags – any temperature rating will do.
- Ultralight sleeping mats and pillows
- Biodegradable soap, wet wipes, tooth brush, and tooth paste
- Power bank – to recharge your devices at night. Bring a power cord to recharge your bank at refuges when possible.
- Dog – if you’re bringing your pet on the journey, make sure to pack them food, a water bowl, poop bags, and their leash and harness.
Day-by-Day Trek Overview
Now that you’ve got all the information you need to plan your four-day mini-trek, let’s get into the day-by-day overview of what you can expect when hiking Tour du Mont Blanc!
Day 1: Les Houches to Les Contamines-Montjoie
- Distance: ~15.3 km (9.5 miles)Â
- Elevation gain: ~318 m (1,043 ft)
- Hike Duration: 5.5-6.5 hours
- Where to Stay – Camping: Camping le Pontet
- Where to Stay – Hotel/Refuge: Chalet Nant Rouge
Today, you’ll be accessing the Tour du Mont Blanc via the Bellevue cable car, saving you about 800 m (2,625 ft) of punishing elevation gain without much to offer in terms of views. If you’re starting your journey in Chamonix, you’ll first want to catch the 01 bus to the Les Houches-Bellevue stop.
Pro tip: We highly recommend the bus over the SNCF train, as the train station is 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from the cable car station – an additional 20 minute walk – whereas the bus drops you off right in front.
You’ll be taking this same cable car to get back to Les Houches at the end of your trek, so you can buy the round-trip lift tickets for 23.5 EUR (~$27).
Once you’ve reached the top of the lift, head to the right, following the trail signs for Col du Voza, Bionnassay, Le Champel, Tresse, and Les Contamines. This is a long day, but relatively undemanding, as you’ll spend much of your day walking paved roads through small French hamlets. It’s a good warm-up, but likely won’t be your favorite day. There are still some stand-out moments though, like a passage through a lovely wooded area with waterfalls and your arrival into the charming town of Les Contamines.
Once in town, drop by Le Carnotzet for a hearty, traditional Savoyard meal like croziflette served by the friendly local owner, then head to your lodging for the night. As we were camping this trip, we stayed at Camping le Pontet, a full-service campground with toilets, showers, a cafe and bar, and even a full amusement park for the kids – literally, this campsite had everything from a mini-golf course to paddleboats, a ropes course and even trampolines. Camping cost 5 EUR per tent and 7 EUR per person, for a total of 19 EUR (~$22) for the both of us and Cali for the night.
Day 2: Les Contamines-Montjoie to Refuge La Balme
- Distance: ~6.6 km (4.1 miles)Â
- Elevation gain: ~550 m (1,803 ft)
- Hike Duration: 4-4.5 hours
- Where to Stay – Camping:Â Bivouac La Balme
- Where to Stay – Hotel/Refuge:Â Refuge La Balme
Day 2 is a shorter day, as we chose to only trek the first half of the traditional Stage 2 (which ends in Le Chapieux), but it is a punishing one. You’ll be trekking uphill pretty much all day today. Your reward at the end is spectacular, though, finishing on a gorgeous plateau with stunning 360º views. Stick with it and take breaks when you need to.
Continue on the path from Camping le Pontet (or pass through it if you lodged in Les Contamines-Montjoie) and follow the signs for Notre-Dame-de-la-Gorge, Nant Borrant, and La Balme. Work your way through the steep incline until you reach the lush valley that will take you the rest of the way to Refuge La Balme. Stop here for a post-hike beer even if you’re not staying the night, but unfortunately, you’ll only be able to get dinner if you are a guest. Thankfully, the staff was more than happy to fill our trekking meals with hot water so we could eat at the bivouac site! This was an excellent place to camp, with gorgeous views and amenities like fresh water, trash bins, and bathrooms close by. Take advantage of the shorter day to get some rest after your grueling ascent!
Day 3: Refuge La Balme to Refuge de Miage
- Distance: ~14.8 km (9.2 miles)Â
- Elevation gain: ~583 m (1,913 ft)
- Hike Duration: 5.5-6.5 hours
- Where to Stay – Camping: near Refuge de Miage
- Where to Stay – Hotel/Refuge:Â Refuge de Miage
Time to head back! Today you’ll begin the Stage 1 variant through Col de Tricot after backtracking to Les Contamines-Montjoie. Start your day by turning around and heading back to Les Contamines-Montjoie the way you came, following signs for Nant Borrant, Notre-Dame-de-la-Gorge, and Les Contamines to stay on track. This piece will be nearly all downhill, so it’s an easy start to your day. Once you reach Les Contamines-Montjoie, stop by Bérangère Brewery for a tasty lunch.
Once you’re fueled up, you’ll begin an upward trek onto the Stage 1 variant via Col de Tricot. You’re in for another punishing climb, and unfortunately you’ll be hitting it at midday, so make sure your water bladder is full before you depart. Follow signs for Truc and Chalets de Miage. After the first couple of hours, you’ll enter a shaded forest, which will make the rest of your hike much more enjoyable. Shortly after you exit the forest, you’ll encounter Auberge du Truc, a hilltop refuge run by local farmers with cows ambling about. We stopped here to soak in the views with a beer before trekking the final mile into the valley where our campsite near Refuge de Miage awaited.
Pro tip: Official TMB maps designate Auberge du Truc as the bivouac site for this part of the trail, but this is incorrect. The actual bivouac site is near Refuge de Miage.
Somehow, Refuge de Miage and the bivouac site there were even more gorgeous than Refuge La Balme. It’s nestled in a small valley with soaring, snow-capped peaks surrounding it and a stream running through it – talk about picturesque. We were too late for dinner at Refuge de Miage (though they would normally have served us), but we were offered wine and hot water for our trail meals. This bivouac also had accessible bathrooms, trash bins, and fresh water, so it was another comfortable evening under the stars.
Day 4: Refuge de Miage to Les Houches
- Distance: ~6.9 km (4.3 miles)Â
- Elevation gain: ~706 m (2,316 ft)
- Hike Duration: 4.5-5 hours
- Where to Stay РHotel: R̩sidence Le Cristal de Jade
With your return ticket in hand, make your way back down to Les Houches and then grab the same 01 bus back to Chamonix. We highly recommend capping off your day with a hearty burger and a beer or two at La Maison des Burgers. If you’ve planned your visit to coincide with the UTMB like we did, you can even watch the racers completing their final mile to the finish line from the comfort of your seat, in awe of how they finished the whole route so damn fast.
Wrapping Up...
Hiking Tour du Mont Blanc is an unforgettable experience, whether you complete the whole route or just a mini-trek like we did. But planning it sure is a lot of work! We hope this guide helps make your planning a bit easier, and that this four-day route encourages you to put aside your fears and go for it. Comment below what your favorite part of the TMB was!
As a reminder, we’ve got a full travel guide for your visit to Chamonix here, along with in-depth guides on riding the Aiguille du Midi cable car, visiting Grotte de Glace, and paragliding through the French Alps. Embrace your adventurous side and plan a trip to Chamonix – you won’t regret it!
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