The Tour du Mont-Blanc — or simply the “TMB” — is our most popular guided and self-guided trip, and with good reason. Circling Western Europe’s highest peak, the 170 km (105 mile) route links together France, Italy, and Switzerland in a trail runner’s dream.
You’ll climb high mountain passes, descend through alpine meadows, and refuel in welcoming villages — with Mont Blanc towering above it all. The route also doubles as the course of the legendary race, making it a must-do for trail runners worldwide.
Whether you want an authentic hut-to-hut adventure, a balanced mix of comfort and challenge, or a premium experience with every detail handled, Run the Alps offers a TMB trip that’s right for you.
Quick facts about the TMB
Distance: ~170 km / 106 miles
Elevation Gain: ~10,000 m / 32,800 ft
Countries: France, Italy, Switzerland
Best Season: Mid-June through mid-September
Highlights: Iconic Mont Blanc views, alpine passes, glaciers, refuges, meadows, and plenty of culture
Our four Tour du Mont-Blanc trips
Run the Alps offers four unique ways to experience the Tour du Mont-Blanc.
Essentials TMB
Simple. Authentic. Adventurous.
8 days – 7 nights
Our most budget-friendly way to experience the full TMB. Stay in shared mountain huts, enjoy hearty meals, and keep things flexible and authentic.
Run the full TMB with a warm-up day in Chamonix and a rest day in Courmayuer, staying in 3* and 4* hotels with nearly all meals included. Thoughtful touches along the way make this journey as comfortable as it is challenging.
Run the full TMB, stay in the region’s finest hotels, with private Geneva transfers, catered apéros, and gourmet dining. The most comfortable and convenient way to run the TMB.
Run the full TMB in four challenging days, staying in 3* and 4* hotels with all meals included and a few thoughtful extras. Designated for experienced, time-pressed trail runners.
3 These are the meals provided on our guided trips. Meals on our self-guided trips may differ slightly – please refer to the individual tour pages.
Why Run the Alps?
Local Experts: We focus exclusively on trail running trips to the Alps. Our team has lived, raced, and run here for years.
Inclusive for All Levels: We have trail running vacations for every level of runner – and, on our guided tours, will never leave anyone behind.
Small Groups: Our guest-to-guide ratio is as good as, or better than, any other tour provider we know. It’s usually a maximum of 7:1, which allows us to give every runner the attention they deserve.
Fitness & Training Our TMB trips are either Level 3 (Essentials, Classic, Deluxe) or Level 4 (Express). They are designed for experienced trail runners with at least a few years of consistent trail running under their belt. For training resources head here.
Gear Lightweight trail shoes, weather layers, hydration vest, and poles are recommended. A full packing list is included in your pre-trip materials.
Travel Logistics All our TMB trips start and finish in Chamonix, France. On our Classic, Deluxe, and Express Tours an airport transfer is provided from the nearest airport – Geneva, Switzerland. For the Essentials Tour, we’ll provide you with information so you can book your travel to Chamonix directly.
FAQs
How difficult is the TMB?
The TMB is challenging but achievable for well-prepared trail runners. On our Level 3 tours (Essentials, Classic, Deluxe), you’ll be covering 10-20 miles with one mountain pass each day. On our Level 4 Express tour, you’ll be covering 20-30 miles and two or three mountain passes each day.
What kind of accommodations will I stay in?
On the TMB, your accommodations can range from rustic mountain huts to 5* hotels, depending on your trip tier.
When’s the best time to run the TMB?
The best time to run the TMB is June–September. July and August bring the most stable weather, but also the most crowds.
What’s the difference between guided and self-guided?
Guided trips are led by licensed International Mountain Leaders who support from arrival to departure. On self-guided trips we provide detailed route materials, luggage transfers, accommodations, and on-the-ground support via our Whatsapp helpline.
Can I bring a non-running partner?
Yes! Non-running companions can join you. They can hike, sightsee, and enjoy the mountains alongside your TMB adventure. Learn more here.
Trail races near the Tour du Mont-Blanc
Use our Alps Race Finder to find your perfect Trail Race near the iconic TMB in Chamonix, France or Courmayeur, Italy.
For self-guided guests, it may be possible to add a race to your itinerary. Please get in touch and we can discuss your options.
This trip was filled with magic and more. Was it the stunning views or flawless, fun and tough trails? Awesome, kind and knowledgeable guides or amazing tour mates? The fabulous food? It was all these things and more. It’s kind of hard to put into words how wonderful this trip was and how much it meant to me. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done but I’d do it over again ASAP! The Alps are true magic and I cannot wait to come back and see more. It’s not “goodbye”, it’s “I’ll be back”!
This is my 3rd tour with the RTA, and I am looking forward to doing more running with them. Everything was thoughtfully designed and expertly executed. Our guide - Bruno Yates is just great, both on the trails and off. Thank you!
Run the Alps were able to put together an express TMB for me in with very short notice. Planning and communication before I left was fantastic. I was a little nervous about doing it on my own but I needn't have worried as all I needed to do was turn up and enjoy myself as everything was organised and seamless. I used the app on the tour which was really useful. I had the most wonderful 4 days in the mountains and it was over too soon. I can't wait to come back and do another one.
Working with Run the Alps was an amazing experience. We decided to run the TMB for our 50th birthday and not much planning on our part. The Run the Alps team took care of everything and made the adventure easy to do with the lodging, routes, transports, restaurant suggestions and some on the fly consulting and rerouting due to weather. It was an amazing trip with some hard running!!
Run the Alps provided a really great way to tour the TMB while just wearing a running vest, I'm 66 I did the self guided tour with an old friend who I ran the UTMB with 10 Years ago, every thing worked just as they said it would, airport shuttles, bags dropped, room reservations, town and village info. good recommendations of what to see and eat while there, interesting side trips, they are all real pros, it was a perfect experience/adventure for us.
Run the Alps was a best-in-class experience all-around. It really met or exceeded my expectations from pre-booking all the way through. Super people throughout, including Steph, Giles, Coline.
Really enjoyed this trip. The logistics were absolutely great! Everything happened as we were told and bags always arrived. Our coldest and wettest day was coming into Les Chapieux. We had to wait many hours for the taxi to Bourg St. Maurice, and no cell phone service to call and reschedule. The restaurant staff did call for us but they were only able to move the time up a little. the taxi pickup time is definitely something to think about and try to get closer to when you might arrive.
We spent six days trail running TMB, which made for some big days, but we had nothing to worry about except running because Run the Alps took care of EVERYTHING. From our first email to the final day of our trip, Stephanie and the team exceeded our expectations. We picked a self-guided trip and we couldn't have done it without Run the Alps. I have never had a trip run as smooth as this one did. I highly recommend trail running TMB and I highly recommend you do it with Run the Alps!
The app was amazing and saved me more than once, Consulted it often when signs not clear or just for reassurance. The hotels and the transfers were just what was needed. There were no glitches. Rooms and food as advertised. The What’sapp helped my partner when her flight home got cancelled.
Then the hike itself was just amazing!!!
Don’t hesitate to use Run the Alps if you are going to circumvent Mount Blanc. They did a fabulous job from when we signed up until when we left.
This adventure seemed unattainable for someone who does trail running just for fun. The challenge of the route is already daunting, but coupled with the logistics of lodging, transportation, bag transfers, meals, and course descriptions made it seem impossible! Run the Alps made it seamless so all we had to do was eat, drink, run and sleep! The app was particularly helpful throughout …an unexpected perk we really appreciated. We hardly used the actual maps at all.
Run the Alps put together a wonderful experience for me. They do much more than just booking hotels and providing maps. I went early in the season after a big snow winter, and Doug helped replan my routes as he got new information to make sure that I was safe. They were very responsive to questions I had during the tour. Logistics all went smoothly.
The experience of completing this tour was so rewarding. Every challenge came with an exceptional reward even when we ran into bad weather including snow and wind. The views are breathtaking and some things you could never tire of looking at. Accommodations, meals, luggage transfers were all seamless which left it easier to getting from point to point each day.
This was a fantastic trip. The perfect balance of a big adventure without having to do all the planning and logistics on your own. The route was amazing and the guides were a delight.
I chose Run the Alps for a self guided 10 day trip for Tour du Mont Blanc. From my initial interaction via the chat feature of their web site with Doug to my signing up for the tour and asking a lot of questions from Stephanie, the Run the Alps team had been very responsive and very helpful, which is essential due to all the logistics from lodging to food to the routes for the day. They also had suggestions for every day’s route in case severe weather occurs.
10/10 …If I could, I would do ALL of the Run the Alps tours. Running through the fairytale mountain scenery, meeting other runners, sampling delicious pastries and meals, having the experience of a wonderful guide (although a self guided tour would also be phenomenal) … you really can’t go wrong :-)
I think that this was the best holiday we have ever had. Everything ran like clockwork. Our bags were always waiting for us and all the accommodation was good.
Run the Alps completely took the stress out of planning a running trip through 3 countries so all we had to do was show up, run and eat our way around Mt Blanc. The logistics were smooth, the hotels were great and unique, the communication and recommendations were perfect. It was a wonderful experience.
My husband and I booked the Tour du Mont Blanc trip with Run the Alps for our anniversary. This trip had been a dream for many years and the experience exceeded our expectations. The communication and details were excellent the entire time. I would love to do another trip with Run the Alps in the future.
In summary, this trip fully exceeded my high expectations. While the run/hike was arduous, it was all doable because of the RunTheAlps team, most specifically our guide Paul. What a difference maker!
We enjoyed all the views, the climbs & decents, and every step along the way. The organization took away worries and handled all of the details before and during the adventure. I highly recommend this team for a fabulous adventure-vacation.
This trip did not disappoint! Led by guide Giles Ruck, this was one of the most entertaining, picturesque, and active vacations ever. The strategic alternating of fast-packing to huts followed by nights at hotels, offered 8 days of strenuous fun and breathtaking scenery.
Food as always plays such an important part of any Run the Alps Tour du Mont-Blanc trip. The fruit tarts, cakes, cookies, crepes, and meals make this a culinary tour as much as a running tour.
Depending on what you’re looking for in a multi-day trail running adventure, you just might find these routes preferable to the Tour du Mont-Blanc (TMB).
During a big, loud, impressive, epic UTMB Mont-Blanc®, Run the Alps’ friend - photographer Peter Maksimow - took a look at the side of Chamonix that wasn’t so focused on the races.
