How many days do you need for the Tour du Mont Blanc?

The official site says 7 to 12, usually 10 to 11 stages. This guide splits it into 11 days of 7 to 14 miles. In 2019 I did the loop alone in five and a half days, but I was going fast.

When is the best time to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc?

Mid-June to mid-September, when the passes are clear and the refuges are open. July 14 to August 15 is the busiest stretch. My trips were in July and August, with clear, warm days.

When do Tour du Mont Blanc refuge bookings open for 2027?

Bookings for summer 2027 open on the official platform, montourdumontblanc.com, on October 15, 2026. A few refuges, like Elisabetta and Bonatti, book on their own sites. Book the smallest refuges first.

Can you camp on the Tour du Mont Blanc?

Only in a few places. Italy bans camping, and bivouac below 2,500 m, Switzerland mostly bans it outside campsites, and France allows a one-night bivouac in some communes.

How do you get to the start of the Tour du Mont Blanc?

Fly to Geneva. Shared shuttles and FlixBus reach Chamonix in about 1.5 hours, or take the train via Saint-Gervais to Les Houches. It's a loop, so you finish where you started.

The Tour du Mont Blanc film: France, Italy and Switzerland

France, Italy and Switzerland · 11 days · 117 miles

Tour du Mont Blanc Hiking Guide

11 days hut to hut around Mont Blanc.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
One-page trip sheet

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The route

My GPS recording of 11 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Tour du Mont Blanc route: 11 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Les Houches, Le Brévent, Champex-Lac, Les Chapieux and Rifugio Bonatti. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (EU-DEM, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 11 days
Distance: 117 miles
Climbing: About 33,800 ft (10,300 m) up
Season: Mid-June to mid-September
Nights: Refuges, gîtes and small hotels
Start and end: Les Houches

What's inside

All 11 days. Stats, time to allow, where to sleep, what I did there in 2019, 2022 and 2026, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that stretch in my films.
GPX files from my own recordings. One file per day plus four variants I walked (Col de Tricot, Col des Fours, Val Veny, Les Grands) and the full loop with refuge and bus-stop waypoints.
Booking the refuges for 2027. How the official platform works (bookings open October 15, 2026), which refuges you book direct, what to book first, and the Croix du Bonhomme closure.
Buses and lifts. Every bus, shuttle and lift that shortens a day or gets you off the trail in France, Italy and Switzerland, with 2026 dates and prices.
The refuges. Where to sleep at the end of each day, 2026 half-board prices, which ones take cards, and the camping rules country by country.
Other ways to do it. How to do it in 9 or 10 days, the variants, and the six-day highlights version I hosted in 2026.
Costs, gear and safety. A budget for 11 nights, what I carried on three very different trips, forecasts and rescue numbers for all three countries.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole loop.

About this trip

I've walked the Tour du Mont Blanc three times: alone in 2019, as a trail run with a group in 2022, and as a group hike in 2026. This guide turns that into the trip most of you will actually do: the classic loop counter-clockwise from Les Houches in 11 days, hut to hut, with my GPS files, a map for every day, the 2027 refuge booking, the buses and lifts in three countries, and what happened on each stretch on each of my trips.

Watch the film on YouTube (1.2M views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I've done this loop three times: solo with a small pack in 2019, running in 2022, and hiking with my bags sent ahead in 2026. No tent or stove needed. Here's what I carried, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.

What I carried

Pack (2019)a small packMine was much smaller than some people's, even with a camera.
Stove (2019)noneI did not cook my food. I bought bread, sausages, cheese and Twix in towns and ate a proper meal at restaurants and refuges.
Navigation (2019)my phone with AllTrails, and audiobooks
Running (2022)a running vest with water, and polesThe operator moved our bags between nights.
Hiking (2026)a daypack and an umbrellaOur luggage went ahead each day with the operator. On sunny days I walked with the umbrella for shade.

What I'd take now

My current kit for a hut-to-hut TMB.

PackHyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 Hyperlite25 to 35 liters is plenty: you don't carry food or a tent.
Sleeping-bag linerNaturehike ZY20 Sleeping Bag Liner AmazonRequired almost everywhere.
Rain shellArc’teryx Beta AR Jacket Arc’teryxThe passes are over 2,300 m and can be cold or wet any month.
Warm layerArc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryx
ShoesOboz Katabatic LT Low GTX AmazonShoes with good grip.
PolesBlack Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles AmazonThey help on the long descents (Days 4, 6 and 11).
UmbrellaSix Moon Designs Silver Shadow Carbon AmazonShade on sunny days, as I did in 2026.
Sun hatPATH Projects Muir Cap 2.0 PATH Projects
SunglassesGoodr OG Sunglasses Amazon
MicrospikesYatta Life Ice Spikes AmazonIn June or early July: snow can linger on the Col du Bonhomme.
HeadlampNitecore NU20 Classic Amazon
Power bankNitecore NB20000 Amazon
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offImport my GPX files and download them offline. Offline maps need the paid plan.
Phone dataAiralo eSIM Airalo · $3 offMobile data without a SIM swap. There's no signal from above Les Contamines to Lac Combal.

Filming kit

What I filmed with: the 2019 film on a Sony with a drone, the 2022 run on an iPhone and a drone. My setup is smaller now (below). Check the drone rules in Weather and safety before you fly: the reserves and parks on the route have their own.

Camera (2019)Sony a7 III Amazon
Lens (2019)Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM Amazon
Drone (2019)DJI Mavic 2 ProNo longer made.
Phone (2022)Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Drone (2022)DJI Air 2S Amazon now the Air 3S

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
DroneDJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 4, Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayeur page from the Tour du Mont Blanc Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 4 free, plus my packing list

Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayeur

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 77-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How many days do you need for the Tour du Mont Blanc?: The official site says 7 to 12, usually 10 to 11 stages. This guide splits it into 11 days of 7 to 14 miles. In 2019 I did the loop alone in five and a half days, but I was going fast.
When is the best time to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc?: Mid-June to mid-September, when the passes are clear and the refuges are open. July 14 to August 15 is the busiest stretch. My trips were in July and August, with clear, warm days.
When do Tour du Mont Blanc refuge bookings open for 2027?: Bookings for summer 2027 open on the official platform, montourdumontblanc.com, on October 15, 2026. A few refuges, like Elisabetta and Bonatti, book on their own sites. Book the smallest refuges first.
Can you camp on the Tour du Mont Blanc?: Only in a few places. Italy bans camping, and bivouac below 2,500 m, Switzerland mostly bans it outside campsites, and France allows a one-night bivouac in some communes.
How do you get to the start of the Tour du Mont Blanc?: Fly to Geneva. Shared shuttles and FlixBus reach Chamonix in about 1.5 hours, or take the train via Saint-Gervais to Les Houches. It's a loop, so you finish where you started.