Mont Blanc Highlights

Beautiful alpine walking on the best of the Mont Blanc Circuit

The Mont Blanc Circuit is one of the finest walking routes in the Alps. It is a series of paths linking the seven valleys that surround the highest mountain in western Europe, Mont Blanc. It normally takes a fortnight to complete, but if you have less time, this one-week tour takes in the most outstanding sections with beautiful mountain highlights each day. Throughout this walking holiday, we are based in a delightful chalet with en suite rooms, comfortable living areas (inside and out) and delicious, home-cooked meals. We use a mix of private bus and local trains/buses to travel out each day to rejoin the next stage of our walk. At the end of each day we return home for afternoon tea, or for those who wish, a dip in the chalet’s bubbling whirlpool bath.

Did you know you can travel by train to this trip? Find out more here

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• We stop almost daily in locally run refuges where you can usually have a coffee and a big slice of cake. These are all locally owned establishments and our business is an excellent source of income for them.
• There is a delightful Saturday market in Chamonix with plenty of local shops and cafes en route which we encourage our travellers to patronise in order to support the local economy.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for re-usable bottles.
• Recycling and waste management are well established in the areas we operate.
• We only walk on official paths that have for the most part been constructed to be resistant to erosion.
• We rewild 100 square metres per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• We have a single arrival and departure fight for all trips and a single transfer from the airport for all trips. There are usually 4 to 6 trips arriving each week so combining these into a single transfer as opposed to multiple transfers helps reduce the carbon footprint.
• Where practical we take public transport. The Chamonix valley have a train and bus service that we use and this is included in the price of the trip.
• Walking trips like this have very little detrimental impact on the environment and the locals, as it is a quiet, low impact activity requiring comparatively few resources to support.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: we do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: please bring a re-usable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Visa

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter France, Italy or Switzerland. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations
• United Kingdom: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html

Vaccination

There are no specific health risks.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts, five picnic lunches and six dinners are included in the price of the trip. All food is home cooked in the chalet using local ingredients.

Typical meals

• Breakfast: buffet breakfasts will usually consist of cereal, eggs, orange juice, croissants, fresh French bread, butter, jam, tea and coffee.
• Lunch: picnic lunches will normally include bread, fresh salad, cold meats or tinned fish, cheese and fresh fruit.
• 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. The price of the evening meal does not include wine, beer, bottled water or soft drinks.
• Vegetarian, gluten and dairy-free diets: Although we serve a single menu each night for the whole group, we will happily shop for and prepare alternative menus for vegetarian, gluten- and dairy-free diets, but please inform us at the time of booking.

Please note: to reduce food wastage we shop to exact quantities for the whole week in advance, so if you have requested a certain diet please remain with that diet for the whole trip.

Weather

From late May to late October, you can expect fair weather, but all mountain ranges create their own weather patterns and the Alps are no exception. It can and does rain and can be surprisingly cold at times, especially at higher altitudes. Expect daytime temperatures between 15C and 25C (59F and 77F) in the valleys (although it can sometimes reach 30C/86F in July/August), 5C and 20C (41F and 68F) at altitude (though it will feel colder if wet and windy) and 5C to 15C (41F to 59F) in the valley at night; possibly a little lower early and late in the season. There is always the possibility of snow, even in August.

Is this trip for you?

This itinerary includes five days of hill walking with transport to and from start/end points of walks. The maximum altitude is 7,717ft (2,352m), with an average of 5,003ft (1,525m). Some days are quite long, sometimes involving an ascent of 3,000ft-3,120ft (900m-950m) followed by a similar descent. This will mean steadily walking uphill for two to four hours and then the same down again. The paths are rocky and steep in sections but generally well maintained. Due to the quality of the trails, the general ‘civilisation’ of the area and the relative shortness of the trek, we rate it as an Activity Level 3 (Moderate). That said, for those new to hill walking the trekking may feel quite tough, so we recommend 5mi-6mi (6km-9.5km) hilly routes as training.

Walking hours stated are given as approximates only and include lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the pace of your group. However, in general, days average about six to seven hours and up to 9mi (14km) in distance. The trek should be within the capabilities of anyone in good health, who is reasonably fit. We will be walking mountain paths throughout however and this trip is not advised for severe vertigo sufferers.

Spring and autumn departures: Late spring and early autumn are great times to visit Chamonix and walk in the mountains, especially for those keen on photography. The air is clear, the colours are vibrant and the paths are quiet and peaceful. Chamonix itself is very much open for business but the bustle of the high season is replaced by a more laid-back vibe. Although the itinerary will be similar and we will continue to walk spectacular sections of the Mont Blanc Circuit, we may need to lightly adjust some of the days due to lying snow or a river crossing not being open. Lac Blanc and the Grand Balcon Sud walk will also follow a lower route due to the gondolier being closed before 10th June and after 16th September. Cafés on the mountain may be closed for some departures.

Although some days may be little harder or a little easier, we try to ensure that any alterations are as minimal as possible, stay within the grading and overall theme of the trip, and most importantly still including the best highlights of the area.  The lift schedule can occasionally change, which means they may run on the first/last departures. If this is the case, there may be lift costs that are payable locally.

September and October 2023 departures: From 4th September 2023, for an estimated 15 weeks, the Mont Blanc tunnel that connects France and Italy will be closed for maintenance works. This means that we are unable to visit Italy on all departures from 2nd September - 7th October 2023. Instead, we will have a fabulous walk into Switzerland that follows a panoramic balcony path to the turquoise reservoir of the Emosson dam.

The itinerary for all departures may also be altered or modified from time to time depending on the weather, the conditions of the route, the abilities and/or wishes of the group, or other local factors. The leader will discuss these changes with you if and when they occur.

Due to the popularity of this tour, on some weeks we may use more than one chalet. If we do, the groups will be completely separate (although will share the airport bus transfer). Please note we may adjust your itinerary order to ensure the groups are following different walks each day.

Download our Fitness Training Guide for more information on our Activity Levels.

Please note: on this trip it is essential to have helicopter evacuation cover within your travel insurance.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.