Ten days walking around one mountain. And that mountain never lets you out of sight.
Tour du Mont Blanc is a circuit around Western Europe's highest peak—170 km, three countries, over 10,000 meters of elevation gain. This is not a trek. This is a grind. Every morning you climb a pass, every afternoon you drop into a new valley. Day two, do it again. Ten thousand meters of elevation over ten days is like climbing Ben Nevis seven or eight times in a row, pack on your back, no cable car, and Mont Blanc instead of a viewing platform.
Why this circuit specifically? Because it is the grandfather of all Alpine treks. The first circuit around the massif was completed in 1767 by a naturalist, who subsequently posted a reward for the first ascent of Mont Blanc, setting off an entire mountaineering craze. Since then, everyone circumnavigates Europe's roof—from Victorian ladies on mules to UTMB ultramarathoners who finish the circuit in under one night with a 46-hour-30-minute time limit. You get ten days. You will enjoy it more.
Terrain and character? The classic route runs counterclockwise, starting and ending in Les Houches above Chamonix. It is not rock or via ferrata—these are broad Alpine trails, passes, and balconies above glaciers. But those passes demand their toll. Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, then Col de la Seigne (2,516 m) where you cross from France to Italy, and the highest point of the classic route, Grand Col Ferret (2,537 m) on the Italy-Switzerland border. Those seeking more tackle variants over Fenêtre d'Arpette or Col des Fours—both topping 2,665 meters.
And the views are no joke. Beyond Grand Col Ferret leap legendary faces: Mont Dolent, Aiguille de Triolet, and above all the north face of Grandes Jorasses (4,208 m)—one of the Alps' most feared walls. You hike past glaciers of Miage, Lée Blanche, and Trient. On the penultimate day comes Lac Blanc—a lake where, on windless days, the entire Mont Blanc massif mirrors back at you. A photograph you have seen a thousand times, even if you have never been.
Stages and huts. From Les Houches to the Miage valley (Refuge de Miage). Over the Bonhomme pass to Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme. Into Italy to Rifugio Elisabetta in Val Veny beneath Lée Blanche. Across the Mont de la Saxe balcony to Rifugio Bertone, hanging opposite Grandes Jorasses. Over Grand Col Ferret to Rifugio Elena and down to Switzerland. Through the green meadows of Val Ferret to Chalet La Peule. Through the Trient valley to its hut. Over Col de Balme back to the French border at Refuge du Col de Balme. Around Lac Blanc to Refuge du Lac Blanc. On day ten, close the loop in Les Houches with Chamonix beneath your feet.
Who is this for? A fit hiker who can walk 15–20 km daily with 700 to 1,000 meters of elevation gain. Technically mild difficulty, decent physical demand. You don't need to climb. You do need to walk day after day.
When to go? From late June through mid-September when passes are snowfree and huts are open. Otherwise it is closed and cold up high.
How to book? Here is where it gets tricky—and without sugar coating. Huts on the TMB are not run by a single Alpine club. Most are private or national; you book each one separately: by email and inquiry form (Elisabetta, Lac Blanc) or through their own online systems. Popular huts open reservations for the next season in late September and October—and the most sought beds vanish within days, sometimes hours. Book months ahead. If you arrive in May planning to leave in July, you will sleep outside.
Ten days walking around one mountain. And when you close the loop in Les Houches, you realize the mountain now walks around you.
Pick a start date — for every night on the route you instantly see the free beds and book directly through the official Alpenverein system.
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