Tour du Mont Blanc: 11 stages and when to book
A full circuit of the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy and Switzerland. Well waymarked, refuges the whole way, one of the most approachable big treks in the Alps. The climbs are relentless and the cols are exposed.
Start and finish: Les Houches.
The 11 stages
| Day | Stage | Distance | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Houches → Les Contamines | 17.1 km | 1,070 m |
| 2 | Les Contamines → Les Chapieux | 19 km | 1,360 m |
| 3 | Les Chapieux → Rifugio Elisabetta | 14 km | 1,100 m |
| 4 | Rifugio Elisabetta → Courmayeur | 15.5 km | 580 m |
| 5 | Courmayeur → Rifugio Bonatti | 12 km | 1,080 m |
| 6 | Rifugio Bonatti → La Fouly | 20 km | 980 m |
| 7 | La Fouly → Champex | 15.5 km | 510 m |
| 8 | Champex → Trient | 16 km | 850 m |
| 9 | Trient → Tré-le-Champ | 13.8 km | 1,220 m |
| 10 | Tré-le-Champ → Refuge La Flégère | 6.5 km | 730 m |
| 11 | Refuge La Flégère → Les Houches | 18.5 km | 900 m |
The line is the Tour du Mont Blanc main-line relation in OpenStreetMap, one closed loop cut at the standard eleven stage ends. Distances, ascent and times are the published stage plan’s, except on days 1 and 9, which are measured on this line: on day 1 the plan’s figures are for the Col de Tricot variant while the line takes the Col de Voza, and on day 9 the line goes over the Aiguillette des Posettes and climbs more than the plan says. Elevation comes from a terrain model.
Book these first
The refuges and gîtes of the Association des Gardiens du TMB open the next summer on one date: 15 October 2026 for summer 2027.
- Rifugio Bonatti
- Rifugio Elisabetta
- Refuge du Lac Blanc
- La Flégère
Half board is usually compulsory and often the only food available.
Several refuges take cash only, carry euros and Swiss francs.
When to go
Refuges open late June to late September. Snow lingers on high cols into July.
- JanuaryWinter, not a hiking route
- FebruaryWinter, not a hiking route
- MarchStill full winter
- AprilThawing, but not walkable
- MayPossible with experience, not for a first trek
- JuneEarly season, quiet, some snow
- JulyPeak season, best conditions, most people
- AugustPeak season, best conditions, most people
- SeptemberArguably the best month
- OctoberLate season, most refuges shut
- NovemberWinter conditions returning
- DecemberWinter, not a hiking route
The full plan, if you want it
Every night of the tour with the places that book on the platform and the ones that do not, a fallback in the same valley, each refuge’s cancellation rules, and a calendar that reminds you on the right days. PDF in English, Dutch and French. Every date carries its source. It books nothing for you.
The TMB 2027 booking plan · €29Tour du Mont Blanc 2027: when refuge bookings open, and in what order to book →
What the Tour du Mont Blanc costs in 2027 · The TMB packing list, with real weights
Page updated 29 September 2026.