Tour du Mont Blanc

Train from Geneva or St-Gervais to Les Houches (Mont Blanc Express). The Bellevue cable car cuts the first 700 m if legs are still finding their rhythm.

En route: Auberge de Bionnassay (family-run, mid-way). End of day: Refuge Nant Borrant or Refuge de la Balme above Les Contamines — book 3–4 months ahead for July / August (refuges.info & montourdumontblanc.com). In-town: Chalet-hotel Le Prieuré (Chamonix), La Ferme du Bon Papa (Les Contamines).

Best 15 Jul – 5 Sep. Afternoon thunderstorms build fast on Col de Voza — aim to be off the col by 14:00. Check meteofrance.com/montagne (Massif Mont-Blanc) the night before; refuge wardens confirm at breakfast.

Follow the white-red GR TMB flashes throughout. Download the day's GPX below for offline use in Xymove, OsmAnd or Gaia. Cellular is patchy above Col de Voza — carry the offline pack.

Long day but never technical. Buses run back to Chamonix from Les Contamines if the descent is enough. Carry sunscreen — the Col de Voza is exposed.

Navette (shuttle) from Bourg-Saint-Maurice via Cormet de Roselend to Les Chapieux — mandatory in high season (private cars turned back). Reserve on tmbtour.com the day before.

Refuge des Mottets (Ville des Glaciers) for a soulful French farewell — Beaufort cheese made on-site. Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini (Italian side) opens the Val Veny leg with polenta and grappa. Both must be booked well ahead.

Col de la Seigne holds snow into early July. Ideal window 20 Jul – 5 Sep. Wind on the pass can be fierce — carry a shell even on blue days. Live web-cam at Rifugio Elisabetta helps calibrate the morning start.

White-red GR flashes to the col, then yellow Sentiero TMB signs on the Italian descent. Download the day's GPX below — the balcony above Rifugio Elisabetta has several trace variants.

Long ascent day, best for confident walkers 14+. No technical exposure, but altitude (2516 m) is felt. Split into two half-days with a night at Refuge des Mottets if the family rhythm needs it.

Courmayeur is reached by bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel from Chamonix (45 min). Start from the Villair chairlift to skip the steep first hour.

Rifugio Bonatti for the alpenglow on the Grandes Jorasses — reserve 4–6 months ahead via rifugiobonatti.it. Half-board with soup, polenta and homemade cake. In town: Auberge de la Maison (Courmayeur) for a quiet post-hike wine.

The balcony is south-facing and dry; usable 20 Jun – 20 Sep. Storms come from the west over the Col Ferret — watch that horizon. Val Ferret bus continues to work as an escape until 18:30.

Yellow Sentiero TMB signs (Alta Via 1 shares the tread). Download the day's GPX below — the balcony has a lower and upper variant; ours takes the upper for the Grandes Jorasses view.

Wide balcony path, minimal exposure. Ideal for confident walkers 12+. Carry water — the traverse is dry and sunny.

La Flégère cable car from Les Praz (10 min shuttle from Chamonix). First bin at 8:15 in high season — go early for empty lake reflections.

Refuge du Lac Blanc for the sunrise (basic, unforgettable) — book via refugedulacblanc.fr, 30-bed dortoir + private cabins, open mid-Jun to mid-Sep. In Chamonix, Hameau Albert 1er for a quiet post-hike bath.

Best 25 Jun – 15 Sep. The last cable car down is 17:00 — check the day's timetable at compagniedumontblanc.fr. Storms roll in fast from the Col des Montets; a light shell is essential.

Well-signed as TMB variant / Grand Balcon Sud. A few chain-assisted rocky steps are marked with white-red flashes. Download the day's GPX below — offline is useful in the boulder field before the lake.

Short, spectacular, moderate. A few chain-assisted rocky steps near the top. Bring a picnic — the refuge terrace is limited.