iRISE ADVENTURE TRIPS
TOUR DU MONT BLANC
TREK FRANCE, ITALY AND SWITZERLAND
September 5-12, 2025
Trek surrounded by stunning Alpine landscapes, stay in charming mountain villages AND cross through 3 countries—France, Italy, and Switzerland! Magnifique! Bellissimo! The Tour du Mont Blanc is a mountain lover’s dream!
We’ll pick you up in Geneva, Switzerland* and head through the Swiss and French Alps to Chamonix – one of the most iconic mountain towns in the world, nestled at the foot of Mont Blanc in the heart of a dramatic U-shaped valley! You’ll have time to relax and explore this resort town (where the first Winter Olympics were held in 1924) before we gather for our Welcome dinner and briefing.
The day begins with a cable car ascent from Les Houches to Bellevue (1800 m) where we’ll start our hike beneath the tumbling Bionnassay Glacier. After crossing the Himalayan bridge over the glacier-fed river, we hike into the forest and down the ancient moraine to the hamlet of Champel (1207 m). After a refreshing break we continue into the forest across the hillside to Chalets de Miage (1550 m), where we stop for our picnic lunch in a postcard-perfect setting. From here, we continue up to Chalet du Truc (1720 m) and then on to Les Contamines (1167 m), a charming town with an extraordinary gastronomical heritage, where our local auberge for the night is located.
This morning we’ll follow in the footsteps of the ancients as we hike on an old Roman road, making our way steadily uphill and passing a chapel with Renaissance frescoes adorning its interior. We'll be reminded of why this area is such a magnet for hikers and climbers as we follow varied terrain through forests, gentle glens and the treeless gorge of the Nant Borrant on our way to our lunch spot, the Col du Bonhomme (2329 m). In the afternoon we’ll descend a steep grassy trail leading to the remote hamlet of Les Chapieux (1154 m) where we’ll overnight in a charming auberge.
Today we’ll go from bonjour to buon giorno as our path leads us out of France and into Italy! We’ll transfer from Les Chapieux to the trailhead at the Vallée des Glaciers, climb east over the Col de la Seigne (2515 m) and finally descend into Italy to reflective Lac Combal. If the weather cooperates, the views along our route will take your breath away! The dramatic southern face of the Mont Blanc range is fully exposed above us as we hike down to La Visaille, from where we transfer to Val Ferret.
We begin our highlights of the Tour du Mont Blacn trek this morning from the Bonatti hut towards Switzerland. Alpine meadows, rushing streams and stunning views of the Val Veny serve as our backdrop as we hike to Switzerland via the Grand Col Ferret (2536 m)! Mont Dolent towers above and its summit is the meeting point of the borders with France, Italy and Switzerland. You'll continue to be amazed by fabulous close-up views of rocky spires and sparkling glaciers. Our grassy path ultimately leads us to the quiet but scenic village of La Fouly (1610 m), and a short transfer will bring us to our hotel in the charming Alpine village of Champex, Switzerland.
In the morning, we’ll transfer to Trient where our path follows an old smuggler's route back into France. We’ll hike to Col de Balme (2190 m), the border between Switzerland and France, and eat our picnic lunch while gazing down at the Swiss countryside behind us and the Chamonix Valley ahead. The views of Mont Blanc are absolutely phenomenal! From the Col des Montets, we take a transfer to our hotel, just north of Chamonix.
In the morning, we’ll take a short drive to the Col des Montets where we begin our hike along the Grand Balcon to the spectacularly situated Lac des Cheserys with the many glaciers and peaks of the entire range in view. Finally, we’ll close the loop of our Tour du Mont Blanc adventure at La Flégère (1875 m), and the cable car will carry us down into the valley over Alpine pastures to Les Praz. In the evening, we’ll all gather together to raise a toast to an excellent adventure and enjoy a farewell fondue dinner in Chamonix!
After breakfast, we’ll head back to Geneva and connect with homeward-bound flights*, ending our unforgettable, action packed adventure around one of the most famous mountain ranges in the world!
Visit our partners at WHOA TRAVEL for a detailed description of WHAT TO EXPECT!
