Tour du Mont Blanc Week

A fast and light way to complete the Mont Blanc Circuit

The Mont Blanc Circuit – also known as the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) – is deservedly one of the world’s classic walks, circumnavigating the highest mountain in western Europe. This exciting itinerary concentrates on some of the most spectacular sections, enabling us to produce a hard and exhilarating one-week trip for the trekking enthusiast. Overnighting in simple family-run accommodation, we trek clockwise around the Mont Blanc massif, enjoying hearty local cuisine from three countries, phenomenal views and some of the best walking in Europe.

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

People, Place & 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 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 reusable 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 1,075sqft (100sqm) 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 four to six 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 has 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 reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Visa

France

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter France. 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/europe/france
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/france
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/France.html

Italy

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Italy. 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/europe/italy
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/italy
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

Please note: it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times in Italy.

Switzerland

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter 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/europe/switzerland
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/switzerland
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/switzerland/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Switzerland.html

Vaccination

France

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Italy

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Switzerland

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts and dinners are included except dinner in Chamonix on Day 7 of the itinerary.

Typical meals

• Breakfast: Usually coffee, tea, cereal, yoghurt, fresh fruit, bread and conserves.
• Lunches: No lunches are provided but can easily be bought locally from either shops or the hotel/refuge.
• Evening meal: Generally, a first course of soup, salad or charcuterie, a main course of meat with one or two vegetables or rice or pasta, a dessert course. Drinks are not included in the price of evening meals.
• Vegetarians: We happily cater for vegetarians but please inform us at the time of booking.
• Vegans: You may find the variety of food offered to be limited, since veganism is relatively uncommon in this region.

Weather

Expect fair weather from late June to early October, but all mountain ranges create their own weather patterns and the Alps are no exception. It can and does rain and it can be surprisingly cold at times, particularly on the high passes. Expected daytime temperatures are:

• 15C-25C (59F-77F) in the valleys, although it can sometimes reach 30C (86F) in July/August
• 5C-15C (41F-59F) on the passes, though it will feel colder if wet and windy
• 5C-15C (41F-59F) in the valley at night, possibly a little lower early and late in the season

There is always the possibility of lying snow, especially in the early season, and snowfall even in August and September when we may find new snow on the passes. On late season treks (September), the days are shorter and we need to make early starts to make the most of the available daylight hours.

Is this trip for you?

This trip has been rated Activity Level 5 (Challenging).

Some of the days are long, quite often involving ascents of 3,000ft-4,000ft (900m-1,200m), equivalent to three to four hours walking uphill, followed by similar descents, amounting to eight to nine hours of walking each day (including rest stops and lunch). Although the paths are well maintained, there are sections that are rough underfoot.

As this is a group holiday, you need to be confident your fitness will allow you to enjoyably walk at a consistent and steady pace that matches the group average, therefore allowing the group to finish the day at a reasonable time. You will also enjoy the trek a great deal more if your fitness allows you to walk the route in relative ease. You will have to carry your own gear with you (there is no vehicle support), but this need not weigh more than 17lb-22lb (8kg-10kg) if you pack carefully.

The route throughout is non-technical, although there is a short section with a fixed sloping ladder and metal footsteps to help traverse what would be a steeper section. We will be walking mountain paths throughout, however, and this trip is not advised for severe vertigo sufferers.

If you cannot walk during the itinerary and want to opt out of a day, please note this can sometimes be a little tricky dependent on where on the circuit you are. To reach the next point you need to take a public bus (which run at limited times) or taxi (which can be expensive in more remote locations).

All ascents, descents and distances listed have been measured by our local partner using satellite-based mapping software. Please note, GPS measuring devices can give differing results, especially in mountainous terrain and on winding paths.  Measurements stated throughout these Trip Notes are given to help you understand the types of terrain and distances you will encounter. Timings stated include lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the group pace.

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

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.