Deluxe Tour du Mont-Blanc Guided

Arrive in Geneva, and transfer to Chamonix, the world-famous resort and trail running epicenter in France. A private airport pickup is included, making this an easy and relaxing hour-and-a-half journey. Enjoy your first impressive views of Mont Blanc, with time to relax in the spa of the deluxe Alpina Eclectic Hotel. Later, you’ll join the group for our trip meeting, followed by dinner at one of Chamonix’s top restaurants.

Before setting out on our run of the Tour du Mont-Blanc, we’ll enjoy a warm-up day on a few of the many excellent trails in the Chamonix valley. We’ll run one of Chamonix’s dramatic “balconies,” with big views of the glaciers of Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles Rouges National Nature Reserve. There’ll be time to relax at the hotel spa before dinner at another of Chamonix’s top restaurants.

Setting off on the Tour du Mont-Blanc, undulating trails lead us up to alpine pastures and pine forests, over the dramatic Tricot pass and through the quiet and quaint Miage valley on one of the prettiest corners of the tour. Passing through a tiny hamlet of stone houses where cows and horses graze peacefully surrounded by hanging glaciers, we’ll run to the village of Les Contamines. From there, we’ll take a quick taxi ride to the incredible 5-star Hotel Armencette.

Following an old Roman trail, we continue the tour with a long, steady ascent across two lofty passes, Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and Col du Bonhomme. After refueling at a high mountain hut near the pass, we’ll descend into the Vallée de Glaciers. Instead of staying in a dorm room in the more basic accommodations that exist along the trail here, we’ve opted for a short taxi ride to the town of Bourg-St-Maurice to assure a comfortable night’s rest in one of the better hotels in town.

We’ll start the day with a private taxi to the trailhead. Then, leaving France, a gradual ascent through quiet alp pastures leads us to the Col de la Seigne and into Italy. Here you’re greeted by a vast vista of the Veny valley and the Mont Blanc range. The rocky, triangular Aiguille Noire de Peuterey is particularly impressive from this vantage point, and Mont Blanc itself dominates the view ahead of you. We’ll continue down the valley and into the medieval village of Dolonne, with narrow, cobblestoned alleyways that lead us across the river and into lively, pedestrian-friendly Courmayeur. We’ll spend the night at the historic five-star Grand Hotel Royal e Golf, a local landmark for more than a century, where a secluded outdoor pool awaits.

After a comfortable, five-star night, we’ll enjoy a second day in Courmayeur, giving you a chance to rest and soak in the hot spring spa at nearby Pré Saint Didier or relax at the Royal Golf, making use of the spa, scheduling a massage, relaxing at the private outdoor pool, or making use of many other comforting touches.

For those who want to run, the area around Courmayeur is filled with beautiful, quiet single track and huts serving delicious treats, cappuccino, and wine! Your guide will work with you to design a route that’s perfect for your needs today. 

Courmayeur is a pedestrian-friendly, atmospheric village with bakeries, gelaterias, and no shortage of sidewalk cafes. It’s great for people-watching as you pass a leisurely day. If you feel like taking in the view, the nearby Helbronner Skyway cable car ascends high above the valley to the upper reaches of Mont Blanc– Monte Bianco in Italian– for close-up views of some of the highest peaks in the Alps. Dinner will be on your own tonight in Courmayeur.

Today, we’ll say goodbye to Courmayeur, and head up to Rifugio Bertone, overlooking Courmayeur, far below. From there, we’ll run some of the best single track trails on the tour, stopping at the famous Rifugio Bonatti.

After the break, it’s time to tackle the ascent of Grand Col Ferret, one of our highest points on the trip, on the Italian-Swiss border. From here, we’ll run beautiful, rolling green single track filled with contented cows. We’ll then descend to the tranquil hamlet of La Fouly. A remote village, we’ve opted for the best accommodations here in lieu of a long taxi transport, so tonight we’ll stay in a simple and rustic hotel, allowing us to run directly to the hotel, and run right onto the trail the following morning.

Today’s run leads us along the Ferret river and through quiet Alp hamlets, finally climbing to the pretty lakeside village of Champex-Lac, where we’ll enjoy a lunch break. Next, it’s through woods and meadows and past farms, as we climb with views of Switzerland’s Rhône valley and the historic city of Martigny, far below. We’ll enjoy a break at a high mountain cafe before descending to the nearby hamlet of Trient. Here, we will take a short taxi ride to our 4-star hotel, back in Chamonix.

An optional Swiss PostBus to Champex is available for those who prefer a shorter day.

We’ll head back to Trient to start our last day running around Mont Blanc. We begin with a climb to the Col de Balme pass on the border with France. We’ll enjoy gorgeous views of Mont Blanc and the entire Chamonix valley as we cross the pass and descend to the village of Le Tour. We’ll finish with a run through the Chamonix valley, with the option to hop on a bus or train for the ride back to town, where we enjoy a delicious celebratory dinner at one of Chamonix’s highly rated restaurants.

Today we say “au revoir” to the Tour du Mont-Blanc and the Vallée du Trail, and depart for our post-Mont Blanc destinations. A private shuttle will be arranged to take you to the Geneva Airport.