Tour du Mont Blanc Hike: map, stages, weather and gear
The exact gear list for this trek, built on the real weather along the route: the night at the highest sleeping point, the heat at the low point, rain and snow month by month, then each stage and where to sleep there.
- Distance
- 106 mi
- Duration
- 10 stages from Autour du Mont-Blanc, Tour du Mont-Blanc
- Elevation gain
- ≈ 3,281 ft per day
- High point
- 8,255 ft Col de la Seigne
- Nights
- In huts highest: Refuge Elisabetta, 7,201 ft
- Season
- Jun → Sep
- Start
- Les Houches
- Field data
- 10 hikers including 3 with no commercial link
Tour du Mont Blanc in June: what to pack?
10 required items and 16 advised for a June departure, the first month of the season. Every threshold comes from the route’s weather and from what 10 hikers really had in their packs.
- RequiredSleeping bag linerRequired in most huts (blankets provided)
- RequiredRain jacket 20,000 mmRain on 62% of days, 0.24 in on wet days: waterproof rating of 20,000 mm or more
- RequiredRain pantsRain on 62% of days
- RequiredInsulated jacketEvenings and nights down to 32°F
- RequiredSunscreen SPF 50UV 13, elevation 8,743 ft: SPF 50
- RequiredSunglasses cat. 3UV 13: category 3
- RequiredWater 1.5 L3 h without a water source on the driest stretch at 68°F: carry 1.5 L
- RequiredWaterproof shoesRain on 62% of days: waterproof membrane; high or low cut, whichever suits your foot
- RequiredHeadlamp 100 lmSafety, in case you get caught out after dark
- RequiredPack 25–40 L10 days with nights in huts: 25 to 40 L, rated to carry 17.6 lb
- AdvisedPack coverKeeps your pack dry (not needed if the pack has a built-in cover)
- AdvisedBeanieNights at 32°F
- AdvisedGlovesMornings at 32°F
- AdvisedHat UPF 40UV 13: neck and face covered
- AdvisedFirst-aid kitIn the mountains, the French Sports Ministry and the FFRandonnée (French hiking federation) say to carry a first-aid kit; at minimum adhesive bandages, a roll bandage and medical tape (France’s Ministry of Sports), plus your own medications
- AdvisedEmergency blanketIn the mountains, the French Sports Ministry and the FFRandonnée (French hiking federation) say to carry an emergency blanket; emergency blanket or survival bag
- AdvisedWhistleIn the mountains, the French Sports Ministry says to carry a whistle; to call for help: six blasts in a minute, a minute’s pause, then repeat; many packs have a whistle on the sternum strap, check yours before buying one
- AdvisedTick removerTicks from April to November, mostly below 4,921 ft: Santé publique France, the French public health agency, says to bring a tick remover; a tick hook, fine-tipped tweezers or a tick card, and never any product on the tick
- AdvisedPower bankThe Alpine clubs (CAS, ÖAV, DAV) put it on their checklists for hut tours; 10,000 mAh or more; on a plane, 100 Wh at most, in the cabin and never in checked baggage, 2 at most per person, and don’t recharge it on board
- AdvisedPaper mapThe FFRandonnée (French hiking federation) lists the 1:25,000 map as necessary equipment; paper, covering the whole route, at 1:100,000 or finer; an app complements it but doesn’t replace it
- AdvisedCompassThe FFRandonnée (French hiking federation) lists a compass as necessary equipment; baseplate compass, for taking a bearing on the map; needle balanced for the northern hemisphere or global, kept away from magnets (jackets, gloves) that deflect it
- AdvisedMerino socks10 days: merino picks up less odor
- AdvisedTrekking poles3,281 ft of climbing per day, with a loaded pack: easier on your knees downhill
- AdvisedBase layerIn the pack of 10 of 10 hikers (3 of 3 with no commercial link)
- AdvisedWater filterIn the pack of 8 of 10 hikers (3 of 3 with no commercial link); stream water needs treating; the water to carry is counted between two drinking-water points, a filter lets you carry less
- AdvisedPack linerIn the pack of 5 of 10 hikers (3 of 3 with no commercial link); a liner or waterproof stuff sacks; waterproof according to the brand, roll-top closure
Tour du Mont Blanc: your pack, for your dates.
Change the month, the length or the type of night: we recalculate the weather and build the gear list, product by product, with the price and the weight.
Tour du Mont Blanc: the weather month by month
10-year normals (2015-2024), brought to the route’s elevation. Nights are the coldest expected at Refuge Elisabetta (7,201 ft), days the hottest at Courmayeur (4,016 ft). For a departure within 9 days, the tool above uses MET Norway forecasts instead of normals.
| Month | Nights | Days | Rainy days | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | down to −4°F | up to 43°F | 44% | possible |
| February | down to 3°F | up to 50°F | 44% | possible |
| March | down to 7°F | up to 50°F | 48% | possible |
| April | down to 12°F | up to 57°F | 48% | possible |
| May | down to 23°F | up to 64°F | 60% | possible |
| June | down to 32°F | up to 75°F | 62% | — |
| July | down to 39°F | up to 81°F | 46% | — |
| August | down to 37°F | up to 81°F | 45% | — |
| September | down to 28°F | up to 73°F | 46% | possible |
| October | down to 23°F | up to 66°F | 44% | possible |
| November | down to 5°F | up to 55°F | 47% | possible |
| December | down to 0°F | up to 43°F | 43% | possible |
Sources: Copernicus ERA5-Land and ERA5, WorldClim 2.1 for rain. A rainy day counts from 0.06 in. Details are on the Transparency page.
Tour du Mont Blanc in how many days?
Pick your number of days: Bardy groups the 10 published stages and gives you the walking time of each day and where to sleep that evening.
Tour du Mont Blanc indays
Longest day: 10 hr 30 min of walking · ≈ 3,642 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) → CourmayeurStage 4 · 5 hr 40 min of walking · 9.9 mi · 1,699 ft gainNight: Courmayeur (lodging not read)
- Day 5Courmayeur → Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret)Stage 5 · 5 hr of walking · 7.5 mi · 3,589 ft gainNight: Rifugio Bonatti
- Day 6Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret) → La FoulyStage 6 · 7 hr 30 min of walking · 11.6 mi · 2,904 ft gainNight: Chalet Le Dolent
- Day 7La Fouly → Champex-LacStage 7 · 5 hr of walking · 9.3 mi · 1,690 ft gainNight: Pension en Plein Air
- Day 8Champex-Lac → Trient (Col de la Forclaz)Stage 8 · 6 hr 40 min of walking · 8 mi · 4,019 ft gainNight: Refuge Le Peuty
- Day 9Trient (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 10Chamonix 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.
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Tour du Mont Blanc: map, stages and where to sleep
The trail’s route and its stage points, then each stage with the lodgings from the official list, their price when published and the booking link.
- Start and finish · Les Houches
- Les Contamines-Montjoie
- Les Chapieux
- Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny)
- Courmayeur
- Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret)
- La Fouly
- Champex-Lac
- Trient (Col de la Forclaz)
- Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour)
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.
Stage 1 · Les Houches → Les Contamines-Montjoie
Refuge de Nant Borrant (staffed hut) · 35 beds · open June to September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Gîte le Pontet (hikers’ hostel) · 76 beds · open June to October (year not published)
€5.40 (the gîte’s campsite, empty TMB tent, per night (summer 2027))
Chalet CAF des Contamines (hikers’ hostel) · open June to September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Stage 2 · Les Contamines-Montjoie → Les Chapieux
Auberge-Refuge de la Nova (hostel) · 65 beds · open early June to late September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Refuge des Mottets (staffed hut) · 80 beds · open June to September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme (staffed hut) · 105 beds
⚠ Closed for works since August 17, 2026: it should reopen in 2029.
Stage 3 · Les Chapieux → Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny)
Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini (staffed hut) · 76 beds
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Reservation required · Call +39 0165 84 40 80 · info@rifugioelisabetta.com
Cabane du Combal (staffed hut) · 23 beds · open June to September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Rifugio Maison Vieille (staffed hut) · 40 beds
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Gîte Le Randonneur (hikers’ hostel) · 32 beds · open June to September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Stage 4 · Refuge Elisabetta (Val Veny) → Courmayeur
No dormitory in Courmayeur on the official TMB list: only hotels in town.
Stage 5 · Courmayeur → Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret)
Rifugio Bonatti (staffed hut) · 80 beds · open May to October (year not published)
€80 (dormitory, half board, tourist tax included (2027 season, may vary slightly))
Rifugio Elena (staffed hut) · 40 beds · open mid-June to mid-September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Chalet Val Ferret (hikers’ hostel) · 40 beds
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Refuge Chapy Mont-Blanc (staffed hut) · 25 beds · open June 12, 2027 to September 19, 2027
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Stage 6 · Rifugio Bonatti (Val Ferret) → La Fouly
Chalet Le Dolent (hikers’ hostel) · 30 beds · open year-round (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Gîte de la Fouly (hikers’ hostel) · 17 beds · open June to September (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Stage 7 · La Fouly → Champex-Lac
Pension en Plein Air (hikers’ hostel) · 62 beds · open year-round, by reservation (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Reservation required · Call +41 79 579 99 75 · contact@pensionenpleinair.com
Relais d’Arpette (staffed hut) · 100 beds · open May to October (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Gîte Bon Abri (hikers’ hostel) · 54 beds
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Chalet La Grange (hikers’ hostel) · 16 beds
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Stage 8 · Champex-Lac → Trient (Col de la Forclaz)
Refuge Le Peuty (staffed hut) · 23 beds · open May 11 to October 1 (year not published)
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Stage 9 · Trient (Col de la Forclaz) → Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour)
Gîte-Refuge Le Moulin (hikers’ hostel) · 38 beds · open June to September (year not published)
€60 (half board, per person per night (2027 rates); tourist tax €0.80 extra)
Gîte d’alpage Les Écuries de Charamillon (hikers’ hostel) · 19 beds · open June to September (year not published)
€65 (half board in a dormitory, per person (summer 2026 rates))
€60 (half board in a private furnished tent, per person (summer 2026 rates)) · €10 (tent pitch, per person (summer 2026 rates))
Reservation required · Book · Call +33 4 50 54 17 07
Auberge la Boërne (hikers’ hostel) · 31 beds
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Refuge de la Flégère (staffed hut) · open June 12 to September 18, 2027 inclusive
2026 price not published: ask the lodging.
Stage 10 · Chamonix valley (Tré-le-Champ, Argentière, Le Tour) → Les Houches (finish)
Prices and opening dates read on October 26, 2026; Bardy can’t see availability: book through the official link. Stages from Autour du Mont-Blanc, Tour du Mont-Blanc.
Before you go
The rules written in the trek’s official texts, with their source.
Regulated bivouac in Haute-Savoie
From June to September, for nights in a tent
On the French side, in the Aiguilles Rouges reserve, from June 1 to September 30, tents are allowed only in the designated zones (Chéserys lakes, Brévent lake), from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m., by reservation; at the Bellachat hut, book with the hut keeper. In the Contamines-Montjoie reserve, from June 15 to September 15, only on the La Balme and Pont de la Rollaz areas, from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. These rules are set every year: check the ones for your year
Sources: Aiguilles Rouges order, 2026; Contamines-Montjoie order, 2026; reservations (Aiguilles Rouges)
Bivouac in the Aosta Valley
For nights in a tent
On the Italian side, the Region allows wild camping only above 8,202 ft, from sunset to sunrise, and always bans tents near huts. The Italian stages of the TMB (Elisabetta, Courmayeur, Bonatti) are all lower
Read more on Tour du Mont Blanc
- Tour du Mont Blanc Packing List by Month: What to Pack for the TMBA Tour du Mont Blanc packing list that changes with the month: hut bedding, snow on the high passes, camping rules in France and Italy, and the pack computed on 10 years of weather.
- Tour du Mont Blanc Itinerary: 7 or 10 Days, Stage by Stage, Self-GuidedThe Tour du Mont Blanc day by day in 7 and in 10 days from the published stage times, the three formats of the refuge wardens, booking the huts self-guided and what they cost, the buses that shorten the loop and when to go.
Frequently asked questions
Tour du Mont Blanc: how many days does it take?
Bardy’s version has 10 stages, from Autour du Mont-Blanc, Tour du Mont-Blanc, with about 3,281 ft of elevation gain per day. 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. To do them in fewer days, the “Tour du Mont Blanc in N days” module groups the stages and gives each day’s walking time.
Tour du Mont Blanc: how hard is it, and how much climbing?
Bardy gives no difficulty rating: no single grading covers every trek. The figures that make it up: 106 mi in 10 days, about 3,281 ft of elevation gain per day; high point: Col de la Seigne, 8,255 ft; highest night: Refuge Elisabetta, 7,201 ft.
Tour du Mont Blanc: when is the best time to go?
Bardy uses the season from June to September. Over those months, based on 10 years of weather normals, the coldest night drops to 28°F at 7,201 ft (September), and snow stays possible in September.
Tour du Mont Blanc: what is the weather month by month?
Based on 10 years of normals (2015-2024) brought to the route’s elevation, nights at the highest sleeping point (Refuge Elisabetta, 7,201 ft) drop to −4°F in January, the coldest month, and days at the low point (Courmayeur, 4,016 ft) climb to 81°F in July. During the season, the share of rainy days ranges from 45% in August to 62% in June. For a departure within 9 days, the tool uses MET Norway forecasts instead of normals.
Tour du Mont Blanc: what gear should you bring in June?
In June, Bardy counts 10 required items, including sleeping bag liner, rain jacket 20,000 mm, rain pants and insulated jacket, and 16 advised. Every threshold comes from the route’s weather and from the packs of 10 hikers who filmed it.
Tour du Mont Blanc: how should you dress in June?
In June, nights drop to 32°F at 7,201 ft and days climb to 75°F at the low point (4,016 ft), based on 10 years of normals. Bardy’s gear list includes: rain jacket 20,000 mm, rain pants, insulated jacket, waterproof shoes, beanie (advised), gloves (advised), hat UPF 40 (advised), merino socks (advised) and base layer (advised).
Tour du Mont Blanc: what budget should you plan?
Bardy does not price the whole trip: not the transport, not the food, not the total for the nights. What it calculates: the June gear list, all bought new, the cheapest item line by line at the prices Bardy tracks, comes to $1,696 for a man and $1,694 for a woman (6 lines are left without a product and are not counted). What you already own comes off the list in the tool. The 2026 prices of the nights, when the lodging publishes them, are in “Where to sleep”.
Tour du Mont Blanc: where to sleep?
Bardy lists 26 lodgings across the 10 stages, with their published price and the official booking link. Some of them require a reservation.