At a glance

Why Mont Blanc Northern Circuit?

The Tour du Mont Blanc is widely considered the most spectacular long-distance trail in Europe. Circling the Mont Blanc Massif — the highest peak in the Alps at 4,808 metres — through France, Italy and Switzerland, it crosses six alpine passes, traverses glacial valleys, drops into sun-warmed Italian villages and climbs into a Swiss high country of cowbells and remote meadows. The mountain at its centre is never far from view: ice-capped, granite-walled, constantly changing in the light.

What makes the TMB remarkable is not just the scale of the scenery but its variety. No two days feel the same. The trail moves through utterly different landscapes — the forested descent to Les Contamines, the remote boulder fields above Les Chapieux, the dramatic southern face of Mont Blanc revealed at Col de la Seigne, the peaceful Swiss Val Ferret, the Bovine alpine pasture where Hérens cows greet walkers with their cowbells. Three countries, three cultures, three styles of mountain hospitality.

GirlsTrek’s itinerary takes nine days to do the circuit justice. Two days in Chamonix to arrive, acclimatise and be properly dazzled by the Aiguille du Midi. Six days on the circuit itself. A celebration dinner back in Chamonix on the final evening, and a morning farewell. It is, without question, one of the great walking experiences on earth.

Chamonix: The Starting Point

Chamonix sits at the foot of Mont Blanc in a valley that has been the capital of mountain adventure since the first tourists arrived in the eighteenth century to marvel at the glaciers. It is a town that takes mountains seriously. Every other shop is an equipment supplier, every second person is a climber or guide, and the sight of the Aiguilles — the extraordinary granite needles of the Mont Blanc Massif, soaring above the town never quite becomes ordinary.

Day 1 is arrival and a short day hike giving your legs their first taste of the alpine trail before the circuit begins. Day 2 combines time in the afternoon to explore the plethora of outdoor shops with the trip’s great pre-circuit experience: the Aiguille du Midi cable car. Rising 2,800 metres from Chamonix town to the summit station at 3,842 metres, this is one of the most dramatic cable car rides in the world — arriving at a knife-edge ridge above the clouds with Mont Blanc directly above and the entire Mont Blanc Massif laid out in every direction. It is both a spectacular sight and an excellent orientation for what the next six days will put underfoot.

The Circuit: Six Days Around Mont Blanc

The TMB circuit covers approximately 83 km with around 5,300m of total elevation gain across six days. Daily stages range from 11 to 16 km with 700–1,300m of elevation change. This is sustained alpine walking — not technical, but physically serious. The trails are well-marked and well-supported, but the terrain is mountain terrain: uneven underfoot, exposed at the passes, and subject to rapid weather changes.

Day 1 — Chamonix (6 km) 82 m gain / 82 m loss

Arrive in Chamonix for a 3 pm check in at the hotel. This afternoon we will take a short walk up to the Petit Balcony Sud. Afterwards we have a welcome dinner in the village.

Day 2 — Chamonix

The Aiguille du Midi rises to 3,842 metres above Chamonix, and the cable car that reaches it is one of the most dramatic rides in the world. In less than 20 minutes, two stages of cable car lift you from the valley floor to a knife-edge granite pinnacle high above the clouds — a vertical ascent of 2,807 metres, the greatest in the world. At the top, a network of viewing platforms and glass-floored walkways puts you at eye level with the summit snowfields of Mont Blanc, less than 1,000 metres above. On a clear day the panorama takes in the entire Mont Blanc Massif, the Matterhorn, and on exceptional days, as far as the Pyrenees.

After our adventure you have the afternoon free to enjoy the town of Chamonix and make any last minute purchases. Every outdoor outfitter you can imagine has a concept store in town. If you are ready to update your trekker wardrobe they will oblige!

Day 3 — Val Montjoie: Les Houches to Les Contamines (12 km) 700m gain / 1,300m loss

In the morning we will take the valley train to Les Houches. The circuit begins here, reached from the summit of the Bellevue cable car where the first panoramic view of the Mont Blanc Massif, the Aiguilles Rouges, the Fiz and the Aravis sets the tone immediately. Leaving the Chamonix Valley, the trail descends through alpine meadows and forest into the Val Montjoie, arriving at the village of Les Contamines for the first overnight. Elevation gain 700m, loss 1,300m, distance 12 km.

Day 4 — Beaufortain: Notre Dame de la Gorge to Les Chapieux (16 km) 1,300m gain / 900m loss

Starting from the Baroque church of Notre Dame de la Gorge — a landmark of the TMB and a beautiful opening to the day — the trail climbs to Col du Bonhomme (2,329m) where Val Montjoie gives way to the Beaufortain Massif, its views stunning in all directions. A further climb to Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2,479m) before descending to the remote valley of Les Chapieux, the southernmost point of the Mont Blanc circuit. Elevation gain 1,300m, loss 900m, distance 16 km.

Day 5 — Val Veny: Les Chapieux to Courmayeur via Col de la Seigne (15 km) 800m gain / 900m loss

Heading northeast, the trail crosses Col de la Seigne (2,504m) — the Franco-Italian border — and the revelation is extraordinary: the south face of the Mont Blanc Massif unfolds in a panorama of rocky walls and icy peaks that stops walkers in their tracks. This is Mont Blanc from the Italian side, and it is completely different from what Chamonix shows. The day ends in Courmayeur, the Italian counterpart to Chamonix — a handsome mountain town where the food, the coffee and the evening atmosphere are distinctly and deliciously Italian. Elevation gain 800m, loss 900m, distance 15 km.

Day 6 — Champex Valley: Arnuva to Champex via Grand Col Ferret (15 km) 800m gain / 900m loss

From Arnuva in the Italian Val Ferret, the trail climbs to the Grand Col Ferret (2,537m) — the border between Italy and Switzerland — and crosses into a completely different world. Switzerland receives the group with peaceful alpine meadows overlooked by the distant snow-capped peaks of the Dolent massif and their glaciers. The descent to La Fouly in the Swiss Val Ferret is followed by a transfer to Champex, a lovely village above its own lake, for the Swiss overnight. Elevation gain 800m, loss 900m, distance 15 km.

Day 7 — Col de la Forclaz: Champex to Col de la Forclaz via Bovine (14 km) 800m gain / 700m loss

From Champex, the trail ascends to the Bovine alpine pasture and the Col de Portalo (2,049m), with views across the Rhône Valley and its vineyards to the high peaks of the Bernese Oberland. The highlight of this stage is the alpine pasture of La Giète (1,885m), where Hérens cows — the iconic breed of the Mont Blanc region, adorned with cowbells — graze in meadows that feel entirely removed from the twenty-first century. The day ends at the Col de la Forclaz, key passage between the Rhône and Trient valleys. Elevation gain 800m, loss 700m, distance 14 km.

Day 8 — Chamonix Valley: Col de la Forclaz to Chamonix via Col de Balme (11 km) 900m gain / 900m loss

The final circuit stage climbs to Col de Balme (2,191m) — the border between Switzerland and France — where Mont Blanc appears in full magnificence for the last time on the circuit: the complete massif, perfectly framed. A balcony path leads through the alpine meadows of Charamillon before descending to the village of Le Tour, where a bus transfer returns the group to Chamonix. The circuit is complete. The celebration dinner that evening — back in the town where it all began, at a proper Chamonix restaurant — is exactly what nine days of mountains deserves. Elevation gain 900m, loss 900m, distance 11 km.

Day 9 — Chamonix

 We have a final breakfast together before departure.

“Have you ever visited a place you have never been before and it felt like you were coming home? That is how Chamonix feels to me.” Frith = GirlsTrek founder

Courmayeur: The Italian Night

Every walker who has done the TMB remembers the night in Courmayeur. After two days of increasingly remote French alpine landscape and the drama of the Col de la Seigne, arriving in this elegant Italian mountain town feels like arriving in a different world entirely — which it is. The restaurants here are genuinely good, the coffee is an improvement on France in the way Italian coffee always is, and the atmosphere of a town that takes both mountains and dining seriously produces an evening that often becomes the trip’s most memorable.

GirlsTrek stays in Courmayeur or in the Italian Val Ferret, depending on availability — either provides the Italian experience that this section of the TMB is famous for.

Is This Trip Right for You?

The Tour du Mont Blanc is an ambitious European walking itinerary. It suits women who are:

•        Moderately experienced hikers comfortable with consecutive days of sustained walking. Their is significant daily elevation change each day.

•        Genuinely fit from months of consistent preparation, including hill and stair training . GirlsTrek provide a training program.

•        Ready for variable mountain weather, the Alps can change rapidly, and exposed passes require the right gear

•        Drawn to the combination of wild landscape, cultural variety and the particular pleasure of crossing international borders on foot

•        Interested in mountain culture. The French, Italian and Swiss approaches to alpine life are each distinct and each worth experiencing

•        Travelling with a friend or friends or solo and wanting an exceptional group to share one of the world’s great walking experiences with

This is not a trip for women brand new to multi-day hiking. The daily distances and elevation changes require fitness and strength. The terrain is genuine mountain terrain, and six consecutive days of this requires a level of fitness and mental resilience. We encourage you to contact us to talk about the trip and the experiences you have had before.

Practical Information

Getting there

Fly into Geneva Airport (GVA), which is the closest major international airport to Chamonix. Chamonix is approximately 1.5 hours by road from Geneva; transfers are straightforward by shuttle, (Alpy Shuttles) bus or private transfer. The trip ends in Chamonix, making a return flight from Geneva equally convenient. GirlsTrek will provide full pre-departure logistics guidance.

What to bring

Waterproof hiking boots or trail shoes broken in well before departure are essential. Waterproof jacket and overtrousers, warm insulation layers for the passes (temperatures at 2,500m can be close to zero even in summer), trekking poles (strongly recommended for the descents), sunscreen and sunglasses, and a well-fitted daypack of around 20–25 litres. The circuit is hut-to-hotel; and a luggage transfer is arranged between most stages. A full trip-specific packing list is sent with your booking confirmation, with expert advice and discounts at Paddy Palin Outdoors and LNDR activewear.

Weather

The TMB season runs from late June to mid-September, with July and August the warmest and most crowded. Late June and September offer quieter trails, cooler temperatures and equally spectacular conditions. Alpine weather is famously changeable: clear mornings can become stormy afternoons. The passes above 2,000m are exposed and require appropriate layering regardless of the season. Morning departures and flexibility in the schedule allow GirlsTrek to respond to conditions as they develop.