Tour du Mont Blanc Highlights
Chamonix, France
Trekking and Culture
Make It Your Adventure
Turn any trip into a private experience for your group, or let us design a custom itinerary just for you! Whether it’s friends, family, or colleagues, we’ll make your journey unforgettable.
Sitting astride the borders of three different countries (France, Switzerland and Italy) the Mont Blanc massif is massive! Mont Blanc, at 15,536 feet is the highest mountain in Western Europe. The rich alpine and cultural history of the area, the panoramic peaks, glaciers and alpine meadows, the windswept passes and the friendly small mountain towns all combine to make the circuit around Mont Blanc one of the premier hiking routes in Europe. The circuit is comprised of over 120 miles of trails which originally were trade routes and now link the seven valleys that surround Mont Blanc. Not surprisingly with this topography the hiking is challenging with long ups and long downs. The rewards are well worth the effort - breathtaking views, alpine hospitality and an international hiking community of which we are a part! We will not be trekking every single mile around Mont Blanc, but we will be completing the circuit and hitting all of the best highlights.
Maximum group size: 12
Highlights
- Spending a week immersed in an area of incredible natural beauty, where the mountains and glaciers are both majestic
- Riding the spectacular lift system to the stunning Aiguille du Midi
- Exploring the charming towns of Chamonix, France, Courmayeur, Italy, and Champex, Switzerland - climbing and hiking villages of the world
- Circumnavigating around the highest mountain in the Alps as we hike from France into Italy, Italy into Switzerland, and finally back into France
- Staying at diverse Alpine accommodations, from historic hotels to small, locally run inns
Inclusions
- One Adventures in Good Company guide (depending on group size) and a local guide
- Eight nights accommodation
- All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 9 (water/coffee/tea included with breakfast), with the exception of dinner on Day 5 as outlined in itinerary.
- All transportation listed on the itinerary
Not included: Transportation to Chamonix (the nearest airport is Geneva, Switzerland and from there it is easy to arrange a shuttle), 1 dinner, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (except water with meals), personal snacks, guide gratuities, emergency/evacuation/medical mandatory insurance, additional activities not listed on the itinerary.
Trip Info
This trip is rated a 5, the most difficult rating AGC uses. It is appropriate for women who have hiking experience, are in excellent physical condition, have no significant knee problems and do not have a fear of heights or exposure issues. The trek is done without vehicle support over steep, often rugged terrain at elevations between 8,000 – 10,000 feet. Each day will see substantial altitude gains and losses in remote and mountainous areas. Participants need to be prepared to hike up to 9+ hours per day. There are no shorter options for any of the days (other than skipping a day and arranging transportation to the next lodging when possible) and you must be able to complete the hiking days in recommended times. If you have any question about your physical condition, please contact the office. Rating: 1 2 3 4 [5].
NOTE: For this trip, emergency/evacuation/medical insurance is required. This insurance can be added as an option after you have chosen your base insurance, and before the final payment section. This insurance should cover medical and helicopter evacuations.
This trip combines hiking in a spectacular alpine area with immersion in the world of high mountain hiking and mountaineering - offering epic alpine scenery — glaciers, mountains, rivers, lakes, meadows and wildlife. In addition to the sheer beauty of the trip, the TMB is also a living history lesson - along the way you’ll see churches still intact from the 18th century and walk the same paths that Roman soldiers used 2,000 years ago. And finally (and maybe the best part), experiencing the culture of the high mountains and the welcoming community of France, Italy, and Switzerland.
We will spend 8 nights in 2- and 3-star small tourist class hotels** that offer double rooms with private baths. Most of the hotels are family run, and therefore have a local, community feel. Regarding dietary issues/allergies: Please note that due to the ‘community’ aspect of meals in the smaller hotels, most dietary issues cannot be accommodated. Vegetarian is easily accommodated; all other dietary issues will need to be discussed with the office and bringing supplemental food along may be required. We will NOT be able to accommodate for food preferences, only allergies, as the family run (and very remote) hotels cannot provide for every single food preference.
**Due to the nature of the accommodation on this trip there will be two nights when you may be in larger rooms of more than two people with shared washing facilities. It may be that on at least one of those nights you will be in a larger dormitory style room. It cannot be ruled out that this may be mixed gender, although we strive to secure a room for the exclusive use of our group members.
Trip Resources
Below is the proposed itinerary for the trip. As is true on any adventure travel trip, plans for any specific day may be modified due to weather considerations, unforeseen circumstances, new opportunities, and group interests.
Elevation: 3700ft
Overnight: Hotel du Glacier, Champex (B, L, D)
Elevation: 2,542 ft
Overnight: Hotel de la Forclaz or similar, Trient Village (B, L, D)
Elevation: 3,936 ft
Overnight: Heliopic Hotel & Spa or similar, Chamonix (B, L, D)
4.8
(17 reviews)*These are the unfiltered reviews of women who have been on this trip in answer to the question "What made this trip special for you?". We take reviews very seriously and often tweak itineraries based on feedback. Please feel free to contact us about any questions you have.
Everything about this AGC adventure was spectacular! The guides, my fellow hikers, the food, lodging, trails and scenery. This was truly a trip of a lifetime, most memorable!
The views, the physical and mental challenge, the guides with their incredible experience and skill, and the energy of the women participating
Everything! Breathtaking scenery, challenging hiking, fabulous company, incredible logistic organization behind the scenes to make the trip smooth by Sharon and Lindsay, Lindsay's contacts that got us the best accommodations in the two, more rustic overnights, and most of all Sharon and Lindsay who combined incredible hard work to make it comfortable for us while being completely present and delightful during the all day hikes. Very very high bar set for my first, but not last, AGC trip.
Everything was so seamless - I didn't have to think about anything beyond putting one foot in front of another! Everyone was incredibly kind and considerate. The plans were exactly as I expected and the team set great expectations when it came to accommodations and food.
The landscape was stupendous. The food was terrific. The accommodations delightfully varied and never disappointing. The trails were selected to maximize the visual, physical, and social experience and avoid danger, overstrain, and monotony. The guides made strategic and in the moment risk/reward decisions that ensured positive experiences for the group. They problem-solved individual participants' physical and emotional challenges with skill and tact. Our local guide, Lindsay, was highly informative regarding the terrain, its history, and its flora. Both guides shared valuable knowledge about the skills, equipment, etc., related to hiking in the environment. They made sure that those who felt trepidation were supported, while also offering freedoms and challenges to those with more experience and capacity.
The mountains, challenging trail of the Alps and wonderful hiking companions.
Besides the beauty of the Alps, which was breathtaking, the guides: Janie and Lindsay along with the women on the trip made this an unforgettable experience for me. The history and culture of the area shared by the guides was some of my favorite memories.
The guides were amazing and the women on the trip were all very nice and such strong hikers. The trails and scenery was also great.
Very challenged, with help and encouragement from Janie and Lindsay, I made it
The trek was beautiful, guides were great-having Lindsey there to provide local info and guidance was unbelievably valuable I really think less ‘other’ activities and more of the TMB would be much better. Once you’re in Europe a couple more days is nbd
The destination was EPIC. The weather = perfect. The Guides were excellent managers and very knowledgable about the area. All 12 of us got along great and supported each other. The lodgings (mountain Refugio huts) turned out better than expected. The scenery was breathtaking.
The participants on the trip were wonderful and the local guide was extraordinary.
Wow! This trip was amazing. The scenery on the trek was so beautiful I can’t put it into words and the hiking was challenging. Two of my favorite things! And I can’t go without saying that Sharon and Lindsay make it special too. They had a wonderful dynamic and went above and beyond to make this trip a huge success.
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What dietary preferences or restrictions can you accommodate on this trip?Regarding dietary issues/allergies: Please note that due to the ‘community’ aspect of meals in the smaller hotels, most dietary issues cannot be accommodated. Vegetarian is easily accommodated; all other dietary issues will need to be discussed with the office and bringing supplemental food along may be required. We will NOT be able to accommodate for food preferences, only allergies, as the family run (and very remote) hotels cannot provide for every single food preference.
- What do I do with my luggage during the trek?Your luggage will be transported from hotel to hotel for you. You will only hike with what you need during the day (water, layers, snacks, etc) and then you will be reunited with your bag once we arrive at the hotel in the afternoon.
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I will be coming by myself. Do I need to pay a single supplement?
You only need to pay a single supplement if you want to guarantee you have your own room. Otherwise we’ll pair you up with someone and then switch roommates every time we switch lodging.
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