Self-guided · France · Italy · Switzerland
Seven days
around the
roof of Europe.
The classic circuit around Mont Blanc — three countries, glaciated cols, balcony trails facing the giant of the Alps — walked in seven days on a quieter reverse-direction routing that skips the busiest sections.
- Days
- 7
- Distance
- 110 km
- Ascent
- 5,900 m
- Grade
- Moderate to challenging
“An amazing and very memorable experience”Bhagyashree & Akhil · Tour du Mont Blanc
Read the reviewsTrip Essentials
Walked in reverse
We run the circuit anti-clockwise, against the direction most groups take. You pass the crowds on the passes rather than queuing behind them all week.
Walking solo?
Both Mont Blanc trips are available to solo walkers with a private room every night — something several of the larger operators won't offer.
Read the solo detailsThe walk
The Tour of Mont Blanc,
done in a week.
The Tour of Mont Blanc is the great circumnavigation of the highest mountain in western Europe. Traditionally walked in eleven or twelve days, this seven-day version compresses the trail into a single, focused week — full days on the mountain, one country a day for the first three days, and every night in a booked bed with a hot meal waiting.
You walk anti-clockwise, in the opposite direction to most groups, which means you meet the crowds on the passes rather than trudging along behind them. The balcony trails above Chamonix, the Grand Col Ferret into Italy, the panoramic Mont de la Saxe, the Col de la Seigne back into France — every day a genuine mountain day, glaciers within reach, the north face of the Mont Blanc range never far off the shoulder.
Everything is booked before you leave: gîtes, mountain refuges, small family-run hotels in the valleys, and — if you want it — luggage transfer between each night. You walk with a daypack and a good map. The rest is handled.
The route, day by day.
A fixed self-guided package: every stage, every night's accommodation and every luggage transfer is arranged before you set off.
- 01
Le Tour → Col de Balme → Trient
5.5 h · +850 m / −1050 m · 13 kmFrom the village of Montroc, a short walk to Le Tour and an easy climb via the Chalets de Charamillon or the Posettes balcony trail to the Col de Balme (2,200 m) on the French–Swiss border. Wide views over the Argentière, Le Tour and Mont Blanc glaciers, then a descent through Swiss pasture to Trient. Night in a gîte.
- 02
Trient → Bovine or Fenêtre d'Arpette → Champex
6.5–7 h · up to +1400 m / −1200 m · 14–16 kmTwo options for the day. The Bovine route contours through pastures with wide views over the Rhône valley. The Fenêtre d'Arpette route (2,665 m) is the high-mountain classic — a steeper day alongside the Trient glacier with an airy pass at the top. Descend to the lake at Champex. Night in a gîte.
- 03
Grand Col Ferret → Italian Val Ferret
6 h · +1000 m / −850 m · 14 kmShort bus transfer to La Fouly, then a long climb through the pastures of La Peule to the Grand Col Ferret (2,537 m). Optional detour to the summit of the Tête Ferret. Descend into the Italian Val Ferret with exceptional views of the Grandes Jorasses. Night in a gîte or refuge.
- 04
Mont de la Saxe → Courmayeur
7.5 h · +650 m / −1450 m · 19 kmAscend to the hamlets of Sécheron and Armina, then follow the exceptional balcony trail of the Mont de la Saxe directly facing the south face of the Mont Blanc massif. Descend to Courmayeur and a short shuttle to a refuge above the town.
- 05
Col de la Seigne → Vallée des Glaciers
6–8 h · +400–950 m · 16–19 kmUp the Val Veny to the Elisabetta refuge, with a possible detour to the glacial Lake Miage. Continue climbing to the Col de la Seigne (2,516 m) — the Italian–French border. A higher variant runs via the Balcon de Chécroui and Mont Fortin. Night in a refuge at Les Mottets or Les Chapieux.
- 06
Col des Fours → Col du Bonhomme → Les Contamines
7.5 h · +900 m / −1500 m · 17 kmClimb to the Col des Fours (2,665 m), the highest point of the whole tour. Descend to the Col du Bonhomme and then via the old Roman road to the chapel of Notre Dame de la Gorge. Short free bus into Les Contamines-Montjoie. Night in a hotel or gîte.
- 07
Bionnassay Glacier → Col du Tricot → Les Houches
6–8 h · up to +1400 m / −1550 m · 14–17 kmThe final day. Climb to the Bionnassay glacier via the village of Champel, or take the high option over the Col du Tricot (2,120 m) with a spectacular close view of the Dômes de Miage and the Mont Blanc. Descend to Les Houches in the Chamonix valley. Trip ends in the afternoon.
Solo walkers
Walking solo
You can walk this trip on your own, in your own room every night.
Mountain refuges don't have single rooms — you either share a dormitory or share a twin — so solo walkers go on a hotel-based version of the trip. You get four nights in small hotels and two in comfortable gîtes, all with a private bathroom, instead of the mix of gîtes and refuges on the shared itinerary. The price is £1,839 per person.
Days 1 and 2 are different. You meet at 10:00 at the Flégère gondola in Les Praz, Chamonix, rather than at Montroc-le-Planet station.
- 01
Les Praz de Chamonix → Lac Blanc → Argentière
6.5 h · +450 m / −1150 m · 9 kmThe Flégère gondola lifts you onto the Balcons du Mont Blanc and up to Lac Blanc at 2,300 m, one of the great viewpoints of the whole massif looking straight across at Mont Blanc and the Aiguille Verte. Descend through forest to the village of Argentière. Night in a hotel.
- 02
Trient → Bovine or Fenêtre d'Arpette → Champex
6.5–7 h · up to +1400 m / −1200 m · 14–16 kmA short transfer takes you over into Switzerland to Trient, where you pick up the standard route: either the Bovine trail contouring above the Rhône valley, or the higher Fenêtre d'Arpette at 2,665 m alongside the Trient glacier. Both end at the lake in Champex.
Days 3 to 7 are the same as the shared itinerary above, and the trip still finishes at Les Houches.
Departures for the solo version run on Mondays and Tuesdays. Tell us your preferred dates on the enquiry form and we'll confirm availability.
Where you'll stay
A good bed at the end of every day.
A mix of family-run mountain gîtes, high-mountain refuges and small valley hotels — every night pre-booked. Comfort is five nights in gîtes in a twin or double room, plus one night in a four-person room. All accommodation has hot showers. Classic accommodation is dormitory-style in gîtes and refuges.
Getting there
Nearest airport: Geneva (about 1 hour 15 minutes by transfer or train). We can help arrange the transfer to Montroc and the onward journey from Les Houches at the end.
What's included?
A fixed self-guided package — accommodation, luggage transfer and route notes all taken care of before you arrive.
Six nights on a half-board basis — dinner, bed and breakfast
Route notes, IGN maps and a printed guidebook for the group
Digital route notes on your phone
Day 7 transfer from Les Contamines to La Gruvaz
All planning, booking and support before and during the walk
Daily luggage transfer between accommodations (1 bag per person, 10kg max)
One soft sports-type bag per person, 10kg maximum. Drivers cannot accept oversized or overweight bags. An extra bag can be held and forwarded to the finish for €6 per day.
Not included
- Picnic lunches
- Bus transfers on the trail (approx. €25–30 per person)
- Cable car on day 1 (approx. €18 per person)
- Tourist taxes, which some accommodation may ask you to pay locally
- Personal expenses, drinks, souvenirs, cancellation insurance
- Guiding — this is a self-guided tour, you are responsible for your own safety
Reviews from walkers
What it's like to travel with us.
Every review here comes from someone who actually travelled with us — we only ask once the trip's over, and we don't edit what they say.
From walkers on our other trails.
Different routes, same team doing the planning, the bookings and the hand-holding — so these say a lot about what to expect here too.
“An amazing and very memorable experience”
We had a really wonderful experience and are very happy that we went ahead with the trek. It was challenging at times, but overall it was an amazing and very memorable experience. The scenery, the trails and the whole journey were absolutely beautiful. Bhagyashree did have some issues with her knee during the trek, which made a few sections difficult. We didn't let that stop us — we completed most of the trek and, wherever necessary, adapted our plans and took a bus or train for certain stretches rather than putting too much strain on her knee. Managing the trek despite the knee issue made the achievement feel even more special.
Thank you once again for all your help and guidance in planning the trek. Will definitely recommend Big Trail Adventures to all.
“Solo or in a group, I would do this again tomorrow!”
One of the best experiences I have had. I did this solo and felt supported all the way with the BigTrailAdventures team, especially in inclement weather. The vistas were incredible and overnight accommodation was faultlessly organised. Pushing myself during the day ( I ran rather than walked the trail), and then being fed and watered in a hotel in the evening was a treat.
The planning was exceptional and all details were covered.
There is a special time every day when you are overcome with the beauty of the nature that you are seeing, the sweeping vistas and the gratitude for being able to experience this. It rejuvenates your soul.
“Awesome support from start to finish”
The hike, which challenged me in different ways each day, was great. There was so much to see in every direction. The Highlands are simply stunning, clouds and all. The stays were good for the most part, some better than others (one night my room was above the kitchen so it was quite noisy until late into the night and the haunted Inn was a bit much for me :)). The Rowardennan Hotel and Craig Nevis guesthouse were my favorites. All of them offered great breakfasts and most had dinner options with good selections as well.
The planning was amazing. No glitches, except for one minor one at the start where the luggage van changed their drop off location without my knowledge. Thankfully Craig was there in the morning and quickly figured out where they were and even dropped off my luggage for me. Everything else was planned and executed perfectly; my itinerary for each day included great detail of what to expect. The app was awesome and my friends and family loved tracking me every day with the GPS. I had read that the West Highland Way is very popular in spring (when I initially had planned to go) and late summer. It took a lot of back and forth communication about potential dates but Craig very patiently worked it all out. All communication was prompt and thorough. I very much appreciate all the support I received prior and during my adventure!! Thank you Craig!
There are so many moments I will carry with me for a long time, like my first glimpse of the Highlands, all the water everywhere, the coos, day 2 along Loch Lomond when I wished I was a mountain goat and was grateful that it did not rain, arriving at Kingshouse after 19 miles, midges (haha), and so much more.
This route. These nights.
One clear price.
You are booking the itinerary above: your walking days, your overnight stays and the support that carries you between them.
Organising this trail for friends? Build a group trip with individual payments
- Free cancellation to 60 days
- Confirmation within 24 hrs
- ABTOT financially protected
We'll start planning your trip right away. Not happy with anything? We'll adjust it or refund you — no questions asked.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Big Trail Adventures (member 5690). Protection is provided for non-flight packages. Full details in our booking conditions.
Things walkers ask us.
Is it really self-guided? What if something goes wrong?
Yes — you walk without a guide, with detailed route notes and a paper map. You'll also have a WhatsApp contact for the whole trip and 24/7 emergency support in case of weather changes, injury or a booking issue. Big Trail Adventures is your first point of contact from the moment you enquire.
How fit do I need to be?
Level 3 out of 4. Expect five to seven hours of walking a day with 600 to 1,200 metres of ascent, on good but sometimes steep mountain paths. If you already do long walks in the hills — a full Lake District horseshoe, a Snowdonia day — you'll be fine. Regular cardio in the months before helps.
Can I book for one person?
Yes, and you'll have a room to yourself every night. Mountain refuges don't have single rooms, so solo walkers go on a hotel-based version of the trip instead — more nights in small hotels, fewer in refuges, a private room throughout. The price is higher as a result, and on the seven-day trip the first two days follow a slightly different route. Full details are in the "Walking solo" section above.
When can I start?
The season runs 13 June to 15 September 2027. Departures for two people sharing are possible on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays; solo departures run on Mondays and Tuesdays. Snow patches can linger on the higher passes and north-facing slopes into late June. Good boots, gaiters and walking poles are essential early in the season. Give us three or four preferred dates on the enquiry form and we'll come back with what's available.
When do I get my maps and route notes?
Your travel documents are sent out one month before departure. The paper pack includes an IGN map with the route marked, a printed road book, a card holder and your accommodation list. Digital route notes are available to every walker in the party via an app, with download details sent by email.
Do you handle payments and refunds?
Yes. You book with Big Trail Adventures, pay us, and we handle the rest. Cancellation terms are set out in our booking conditions.
Is the Tour of Mont Blanc tour self-guided?
Yes. This is a self-guided trip: you walk the 110 km route independently, with no guide and no group. Accommodation for all 6 nights is booked for you, route notes and maps are provided, and there is local support in the region if anything goes wrong.
Do I need a guide or can I walk it alone?
No guide is needed. The route is walked on marked paths with the notes and mapping supplied in your pack. You choose your own start date within the season (13 June – 15 September 2027) and walk each day at your own pace.
Who arranges the accommodation?
We do. A mix of family-run mountain gîtes, high-mountain refuges and small valley hotels — every night pre-booked. Comfort is five nights in gîtes in a twin or double room, plus one night in a four-person room. All accommodation has hot showers. Classic accommodation is dormitory-style in gîtes and refuges.