Highlights of the Tour du Mont Blanc in Comfort

Make your own way to Les Houches, a resort located 6 km/3.8 miles from Chamonix which nestles under the Mont Blanc massif. This evening you will have a meet and greet with our local team before enjoying your evening meal. Accommodation: Stay in a very comfortable 2* chalet-style hotel facing the Mont Blanc range. All rooms have bath/shower, WC and telephone. The hotel has a shaded garden and a lounge. Food is home made with seasonal products and regional specialties.

Today will certainly get the legs and heart working. A steady climb from Les Houches (950m) via Col de Voza (1653 m) and below the tip of the Bionassay glacier to the Col de Tricot (2120 m). There is a very steep descent from the col to the Chalets de Miage (1550m), followed by a short climb over Truc before descending further through forest to Les Contamines (1170m). Les Contamines is a ski resort in winter and has several restaurants and bars, also a well-stocked supermarket. Many walkers start by taking the cable car up from Les Houches to Bellevue; this avoids the long trek and makes for a more enjoyable start to your Tour du Mont Blanc walking holiday. Accommodation: A modern 4* hotel with a swimming pool, bright restaurant and a welcoming lounge-bar area.

Ascend to the Col du Bonhomme (2329m) and then traverse to the slightly higher Col de la Croix de Bonhomme (2479m) before descending to Les Chapieux. Les Chapieux is a tiny and remote settlement, 15 km/9 miles from the nearest village of Bourg St Maurice. There is a little shop in the hamlet where you may wish to purchase some Beaufort cheese for your lunch tomorrow. Accommodation: You'll stay at a very welcoming family-run guesthouse with a restaurant, outdoor bar and a lovely garden. The evening meal is included and offers home-cooked, local specialities. Packed lunches are available. NB Due to limited options, single travellers stay at a family hotel in Bourg St Maurice - this stay excludes dinner and includes a return taxi transfer from/to Les Chapieux. Please note that on the 13 July departure, all travellers spend the night in Bourg St Maurice.

Today is the toughest day in terms of distance, and perhaps the most tiring one overall, but can be shortened considerably at both ends by using buses. It is an exceptionally scenic day with, in good conditions, fantastic views of Mont Blanc, Mont Tiondu, Aiguille des Glaciers and Aiguille Noire de Peuterey amongst many others and of course some great glaciers dripping like candle wax from the mountains. These include Glacier des Glaciers, Glacier de la Lee Blanche, and glaciers Miage, Brouillard, Freney and Brenva. Your first objective of the day is to cross the Col de la Seigne (2516m) into Italy. The Elisabetta refuge is a popular lunch stop. There is a choice of routes onwards, a high route via Lac Checrouit or a shorter route via La Visaille. There is a local bus service along the Val Veni from Cantine de la Visaille to La Saxe and Courmayeur, reducing the distance by some 10km. From La Saxe or Courmayeur you can walk or catch the bus up to La Palud (1370m). The first 7km of the day can also be avoided by taking the local bus up towards Refuge des Mottets. Accommodation: You stay at a comfortable modern 3* hotel. All rooms have private facilities. There is a large terrace, a bar and a TV lounge. It is a short bus ride to the historic town and modern shopping centre of Courmayeur but it is also possible to walk to Courmayeur via La Saxe.

Today we recommend that you start the day taking the public bus from La Palud to Arnuva, which will cut about 10 km of walking by a road. Then you start your climb, passing close by Mont Dolent and cross the Grand Col Ferret (2537m) to enter Switzerland. From Grand Col Ferret, descend through alpine meadows past the summer pastures and barns of La Peula (refreshments available) to the tiny village of Ferret and optional onward walk to La Fouly (1595m). Take a local bus to Som-la-Proz and connecting bus up to Champex-Lac - a pleasant resort town at the northeastern end of the Mont Blanc range. Accommodation: a charming family-run 3* hotel, all rooms have ensuite facilities.

Begin your day with a steady ascent through tranquil woodland trails, eventually emerging into alpine pastures dotted with the barns of Bovine (1987m). From here, take in sweeping views down to the Rhône Valley and the Swiss town of Martigny. The rustic Bovine chalet is a popular stop, offering refreshments and local fare. On a clear day, it's the perfect place to relax on the grass and soak up the scenery. Your path then descends gently to the Col de la Forclaz (1526m), where in season, you might sample a slice of the region’s famed tarte aux myrtilles (blueberry pie). From the col, there’s the option to continue to the Chalet du Glacier for superb views of the Trient Glacier; a worthy extension if energy allows. The final descent brings you into the quiet village of Trient, nestled in the Val Trient and surrounded by rugged peaks. In the afternoon, you’ll be met for a timed transfer across the Swiss-French border to Argentière in the Chamonix Valley, a charming mountain village and your base for the night. Accommodation: Stay in a comfortable hotel in the centre of Argentiere.

Leave Argentière on a gradual ascent through forest along the Chemin des Grands Bois, before climbing more steeply to reach the Grand Balcon Sud – a stunning high-level trail with expansive views across the Chamonix valley towards Mont Blanc. You can continue along the Balcon route or, if you’re feeling strong, detour up to the Lacs des Cheserys and further to Lac Blanc (2352m) – one of the Alps’ most iconic viewpoints, with its mirrored waters and mountain refuge. Rejoin the Grand Balcon Sud and descend to La Flégère (1877m), where you can either take the gondola or walk down to Les Praz de Chamonix, then make your way to the hotel by bus or on foot through Chamonix. Alternatively, stay high and continue walking along the Balcon trail to Plan Praz, with another option to descend by cable car or footpath. Accommodation: Stay in a newly renovated, comfortable 4* hotel in Chamonix.

It's the end of your Tour du Mont Blanc walking holiday. Depart Chamonix for your onward journey.