Tour du Mont Blanc Itinerary: 7 or 10 Days, Stage by Stage, Self-Guided
Published November 9, 2026
“The TMB is usually hiked in 7 to 12 days, depending on your pace and your fitness,” says the refuge wardens’ association, which runs the official booking site. Here is the itinerary day by day in 7 and in 10 days, from the stage times the Courmayeur tourist office publishes, then booking the refuges self-guided, the buses that shorten the loop, the fitness it takes and when to go.
7, 9-10 or 11-12 days: the three formats
The association sorts the Tour into three paces:
- “Athletic: 7 days”: “For experienced hikers happy to cover a lot of km each day.”
- “Balanced: 9-10 days”: “The most popular format. Stages of 15 to 20 km a day, a comfortable pace that leaves time to take in the scenery, catch your breath at the passes and enjoy the atmosphere of the refuges in the evenings.”
- “Contemplative: 11 - 12 days”: “For those who want to experience the TMB to the fullest, without watching the clock.”
The Chamonix tourist office says “seven to ten days”. To compute, Bardy uses the only source that publishes the time, distance and ascent of every stage: the Courmayeur tourist office. Over Bardy’s 10 stages, from Les Houches counterclockwise, its figures add up to 164.5 km (102.2 mi), 11,130 m (36,500 ft) of ascent and 63 hr 15 min of walking, breaks not included. The same stages grouped in 7 to 10 days (Bardy’s calculation):
| Days | Walking a day (average) | Longest day | Days of 10 hr or more | Distance and ascent a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | 9 hr | 11 hr 40 min | 4 | 23.5 km (14.6 mi), 1,590 m (5,210 ft) |
| 8 days | 7 hr 55 min | 11 hr | 3 | 20.6 km (12.8 mi), 1,390 m (4,560 ft) |
| 9 days | 7 hr | 10 hr 40 min | 2 | 18.3 km (11.4 mi), 1,240 m (4,060 ft) |
| 10 days | 6 hr 20 min | 10 hr 30 min | 1 | 16.4 km (10.2 mi), 1,110 m (3,650 ft) |
The 10-day itinerary, stage by stage
The association writes that the Tour “is usually walked in 10 to 11 stages, each a day’s walk between two accommodation. Every stage has its own character, with distances of 10 to 20 km and ascents that can exceed 1,000 m.” In 10 days, each day follows one of Bardy’s stages, placed on the stage points of the official site:
| Day | From → to | Walking | Distance | Ascent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Houches → Les Contamines-Montjoie | 5 hr 20 min | 18.5 km (11.5 mi) | 1,490 m (4,900 ft) |
| 2 | Les Contamines-Montjoie → Les Chapieux | 6 hr | 18.2 km (11.3 mi) | 1,350 m (4,440 ft) |
| 3 | Les Chapieux → Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny) | 5 hr | 14 km (8.7 mi) | 980 m (3,200 ft) |
| 4 | Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny) → Courmayeur | 5 hr 40 min | 16 km (9.9 mi) | 520 m (1,700 ft) |
| 5 | Courmayeur → Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret) | 5 hr | 12.1 km (7.5 mi) | 1,090 m (3,590 ft) |
| 6 | Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret) → La Fouly | 7 hr 30 min | 18.7 km (11.6 mi) | 890 m (2,900 ft) |
| 7 | La Fouly → Champex-Lac | 5 hr | 14.9 km (9.3 mi) | 520 m (1,690 ft) |
| 8 | Champex-Lac → Trient (Col de la Forclaz) | 6 hr 40 min | 12.9 km (8 mi) | 1,230 m (4,020 ft) |
| 9 | Trient (Col de la Forclaz) → Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour) | 6 hr 35 min | 13.8 km (8.6 mi) | 1,100 m (3,600 ft) |
| 10 | Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour) → Les Houches | 10 hr 30 min | 25.5 km (15.9 mi) | 1,970 m (6,460 ft) |
One day stays long even in 10 days: the last, from the Chamonix valley back to Les Houches by La Flégère, 10 hr 30 min. The Courmayeur tourist office cuts it in two at La Flégère; Bardy’s version follows the stage points of the official site and adds them up.
The 7-day itinerary
In 7 days, Bardy groups the published stages into days as even as possible, never cutting a stage. With the Courmayeur times, that is 9 hr of walking a day on average and 4 days of 10 hours or more:
| Day | From → to | Walking | Distance | Ascent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Houches → Les Contamines-Montjoie | 5 hr 20 min | 18.5 km (11.5 mi) | 1,490 m (4,900 ft) |
| 2 | Les Contamines-Montjoie → Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny) | 11 hr | 32.2 km (20 mi) | 2,330 m (7,640 ft) |
| 3 | Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny) → Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret) | 10 hr 40 min | 28 km (17.4 mi) | 1,610 m (5,290 ft) |
| 4 | Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret) → La Fouly | 7 hr 30 min | 18.7 km (11.6 mi) | 890 m (2,900 ft) |
| 5 | La Fouly → Trient (Col de la Forclaz) | 11 hr 40 min | 27.8 km (17.3 mi) | 1,740 m (5,710 ft) |
| 6 | Trient (Col de la Forclaz) → Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour) | 6 hr 35 min | 13.8 km (8.6 mi) | 1,100 m (3,600 ft) |
| 7 | Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour) → Les Houches | 10 hr 30 min | 25.5 km (15.9 mi) | 1,970 m (6,460 ft) |
Change the number of days to see the itinerary move:
Tour du Mont Blanc indays
Longest day: 10 hr 40 min of walking · ≈ 4,068 ft of climbing per day on average
- Day 1Les Houches → Les Contamines-MontjoieStage 1 · 5 hr 20 min of walking · 11.5 mi · 4,902 ft gainNight: Refuge de Nant Borrant
- Day 2Les Contamines-Montjoie → Les ChapieuxStage 2 · 6 hr of walking · 11.3 mi · 4,439 ft gainNight: Auberge-Refuge de la Nova
- Day 3Les Chapieux → Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny)Stage 3 · 5 hr of walking · 8.7 mi · 3,199 ft gainNight: Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini
- Day 4Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny) → Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret)Stages 4 to 5 · 10 hr 40 min of walking · 17.4 mi · 5,289 ft gainNight: Rifugio Bonatti
- Day 5Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret) → La FoulyStage 6 · 7 hr 30 min of walking · 11.6 mi · 2,904 ft gainNight: Chalet Le Dolent
- Day 6La Fouly → Champex-LacStage 7 · 5 hr of walking · 9.3 mi · 1,690 ft gainNight: Pension en Plein Air
- Day 7Champex-Lac → Trient (Col de la Forclaz)Stage 8 · 6 hr 40 min of walking · 8 mi · 4,019 ft gainNight: Refuge Le Peuty
- Day 8Trient (Col de la Forclaz) → Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour)Stage 9 · 6 hr 35 min of walking · 8.6 mi · 3,596 ft gainNight: Gîte-Refuge Le Moulin
- Day 9Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour) → Les Houches (finish)Stage 10 · 10 hr 30 min of walking · 15.9 mi · 6,463 ft gain
Bardy’s calculation on the 10 published stages (Autour du Mont-Blanc, Tour du Mont-Blanc): the days group whole stages, 10 days at most, each night at a stage end. Published walking times added up, without breaks. Published elevation gains added up. Times: Courmayeur tourist office, Tour du Mont Blanc (stages 6, 10: published sections added up). Estimated times from the Courmayeur tourist office, including the Champex → Trient stage by the Fenêtre d’Arpette; the Bovine variant is shorter. No managing body publishes a 10-day split of the TMB: these stage ends are Bardy’s calculation on the stage points of the official TMB website.
Self-guided: booking the refuges
The association’s platform, Mon Tour du Mont-Blanc, “lists all the refuges and guesthouses that are members of the Association des Gardiens du Tour du Mont-Blanc”. Bookings for the 2027 season opened on October 15, 2026. Its FAQ: “Yes, booking is strongly recommended, and even essential in high season.” For June or September, “availability can be more flexible, but it’s still advisable not to leave it to the last minute.”
On cost: “expect to pay around €65 to €95 per night for half-board in a dormitory, or between €500 and €900 for accommodation on a 7 to 10-day trek.” A booking can be changed online “up to 30 days before your arrival date”; cancelled more than 30 days before, “you will be refunded 80% of the deposit paid”, and nothing after that unless an insurance covers it. Its booking guide warns against “Booking without checking the elevation gain. Two refuges can look close on a map and still make for a very demanding day on the ground.” The nights of each stage, with their contacts, are on the Tour du Mont Blanc page.
Buses that shorten the loop
- Ferret to Champex-Lac, Switzerland: “For hikers wishing to shorten this stage of the Tour du Mont-Blanc, the TMR buses provide an easy way to reach Champex-Lac from Ferret.” CHF 12 or EUR 14 for an adult; “Both routes run daily until 27 September.” It saves the 5 hr stage from La Fouly to Champex-Lac.
- Free shuttles in Val Veny and Val Ferret, from Courmayeur, and a bus between Chamonix, Courmayeur and Aosta through the Mont Blanc tunnel, both listed by the association.
- Trains and buses in Switzerland: “The Swiss section of the TMB (La Fouly, Champex-Lac) is well served by Swiss buses and trains.”
The fitness it takes
The association: “The TMB is a mid-mountain trek accessible to anyone in good physical condition, with previous hiking experience and appropriate training beforehand. It requires good endurance to walk 5 to 8 hours a day for several consecutive days. It is also important to train with an 8 to 10 kg rucksack. The elevation gain is significant throughout the trek: every day there is a pass to climb and descend.” It recommends “a 2-day / 1-night taster stage before taking on the full Tour.”
When to go and what to pack
“The classic season runs from mid-June to mid-September, when the passes are free of snow and the refuges are open. Patches of old snow may still remain in June and early July.” In early June, “waymarks may be hidden under the snow or missing”, and “In June and September, some refuges may not yet be open or may have already closed for the season.” The Tour du Mont Blanc packing list gives the pack month by month, and the Tour du Mont Blanc page computes it for your own dates.
FAQ
How many days do you need for the Tour du Mont Blanc?
The refuge wardens’ association writes: “The Tour du Mont-Blanc generally takes 7 to 12 days depending on your pace. Experienced hikers can complete the classic route in 7 days. A 9 or 10-day itinerary is suitable for regular hikers”. It calls 9-10 days “The most popular format.”
How long is the Tour du Mont Blanc?
About 170 km with “approximately 10,000 metres of elevation gain”, says the association. By the stage figures of the Courmayeur tourist office, Bardy’s 10 stages add up to 164.5 km (102.2 mi), 11,130 m (36,500 ft) of ascent and 63 hr 15 min of walking without breaks.
Can you hike the Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided?
None of the official texts Bardy read requires a guide. The association writes that the trek “does not require technical skills, but it does call for a good knowledge of the mountains, endurance and the ability to walk several days in a row with significant ascents and some weight on your shoulders.” Self-guided hikers book the refuges themselves.
How much do the Tour du Mont Blanc refuges cost?
The association says: “expect to pay around €65 to €95 per night for half-board in a dormitory, or between €500 and €900 for accommodation on a 7 to 10-day trek.”
When should I book the Tour du Mont Blanc refuges?
Bookings for summer 2027 opened on 15 October 2026 for all the association’s member refuges. Its FAQ: “Yes, booking is strongly recommended, and even essential in high season.”
Read next
Sources
- Mon Tour du Mont-Blanc (refuge wardens’ association), “Get ready”
- Mon Tour du Mont-Blanc, “The route”
- Mon Tour du Mont-Blanc, FAQ
- Mon Tour du Mont-Blanc, “Booking a refuge: the complete guide”
- Mon Tour du Mont-Blanc, “Booking openings: what you need to know for the season”
- Courmayeur tourist office, Tour du Mont Blanc (stage times, distances and ascents)
- Chamonix tourist office, “The Mont Blanc”
- TMR, Tour du Mont-Blanc bus (Ferret – Champex-Lac)