Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB): route, stages, refuges and best season

The TMB is a long-distance trail that circles the Mont Blanc massif without ever reaching the summit, unlike the Goûter or Trois Monts ascent routes. It should also not be confused with the UTMB: the latter is a timed foot race held in late August on a similar route, while the TMB is walked at your own pace over several days, with nights in mountain refuges.

The table below compares the three formats on the criteria that matter for choosing between them.

In short: the TMB suits a hiker who wants to explore the massif with no technical gear, the ascent suits those aiming for the summit with alpine preparation, and the UTMB suits a runner qualified for a timed race on a similar route.

The classic start is at Les Houches, hiked counter-clockwise through Italy then Switzerland before returning to France. The table below details the fast 7-day version; most hikers prefer a more relaxed 9 to 11-day pace, with shorter 15-20 km daily stages.

The Col de la Seigne (2,516 m) marks the crossing from France into Italy, with views over the Val Veny ridges. The Grand Col Ferret (2,537 m) opens the route into Switzerland, with an exceptional panorama over the entire Mont Blanc massif.

From the Grand Col Ferret, the route crosses from the Italian Val Ferret into the Swiss Val Ferret and reaches La Fouly (1,600 m, canton of Valais), a village facing the A Neuve glacier and the Dolent and Tour Noir peaks — this is the classic 6th stage of the TMB, from the Walter Bonatti refuge to La Fouly, with a view of the Pré-de-Bar glacier along the way. On stage 5 of the table above (Refuge Elena → Champex, 28 km), La Fouly marks this turning point before the climb to Champex-Lac (1,500 m, lake at 1,470 m, commune of Orsières), a resort nestled between Mont Catogne (2,598 m) and the Breya (2,200 m). Developed as a tourist stop in the early 20th century and locally nicknamed the "little Swiss Canada" for its forests and chalets, Champex-Lac is the iconic stage three-quarters of the way through the route, the starting point for the Val d'Arpette or Bovine pass route toward Tré-le-Champ.

The tour is walked from refuge to refuge, with a half-board night generally costing between €40 and €70 in a dorm, and €80 to €120 in a private room where available.

The optimal window runs from late June to early September, when the passes are generally free of snow and all refuges along the route are open and staffed. Outside this window, some high-altitude sections can remain snow-covered and require suitable gear.