Mont Blanc Highlights — Self-Launched Chamonix Hiking Week
8 days · Chamonix, France
Intrepid Travel charges £3,090
No-markup version: ~£905 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Intrepid's 8-day Mont Blanc Highlights trek: a week based in Chamonix doing the classic valley hikes — Bionnassay Glacier, Col de Balme/Posettes, Lac Blanc, Mer de Glace and Brévent — using public cable cars, the Montenvers train and signposted GR trails instead of a guided group. Walking routes and distances mirror the operator's, so you get the same views with total flexibility on dates and pace. Note: alpine terrain — you need solid fitness, hiking boots, a waterproof shell and willingness to check weather forecasts each morning (the tourist office and the Chamonix Météo boards post conditions; skip high routes in storms). Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Chamonix — valley legs & trip admin
Chamonix
Fly or train into Geneva, then take the FlixBus/BlaBlaCar Bus or a shared AlpyBus transfer over to Chamonix (~£15–25, 1h30). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the town centre, buy a Carte d'Hôte from your accommodation (gives free valley bus/train travel within the Chamonix valley), and pick up a free hiking map plus the IGN 3630 OT topo map at the tourist office. Stretch your legs with a flat 1-hour walk along the Arve river or up to the Chamonix parish church viewpoint, then do a gear check: boots, poles, shell, 1–2L water. Eat at a local crêperie or grab a savoyard plat du jour for ~£14–18.
🚌FlixBus/AlpyBus Geneva Airport–Chamonix ~£15–25; valley buses free with Carte d'Hôte
🛏Chamonix hostel or budget guesthouse (dorm ~£30–38/night, private budget room ~£55–70)
- →Self-transfer Geneva → Chamonix by FlixBus or shared shuttle
- →Tourist office map and weather briefing
- →Evening valley stroll
- →Gear check
Bellevue cable car, Bionnassay Glacier & Tête de la Charme
Chamonix – Bionnassay
Take the valley bus to Les Houches (free with Carte d'Hôte, ~20 min) and ride the Bellevue cable car up to 1,802m (~£18–20 return; check the lift's seasonal dates). Follow the signposted GR5/TMB path toward the Bionnassay glacier viewing point, then push up to the Tête de la Charme summit (approx. 8 km, 4 hours, ~350m ascent as per the operator's own specs). Descend past the hamlet of Bionnassay with its 17th-century church, then bus back to Chamonix. Optional: the small Bionnassay museum is free/cheap and opens in high season.
🚌Free Chamonix valley bus to Les Houches; cable car ticket bought on the spot
🛏Same Chamonix hostel/guesthouse
- →Bellevue cable car (self-booked at the lift station)
- →Hike to Tête de la Charme summit
- →Bionnassay glacier viewpoint
- →Visit Bionnassay village
Col de Balme & Col du Posettes — the Swiss border ridge
Chamonix – Le Tour / Swiss border
Bus to Le Tour (free), then take the Charamillon and Télésiège des Autannes lifts to ~2,200m (~£20–24 return) — or walk up from Le Tour if you want the extra ascent. Hike the Balme pastures up to Col de Balme (2,191m) with the Swiss border marker and Aiguille du Tour views, then traverse the rolling Posettes ridge back down through alpine meadows to Tré-le-Champ or Le Tour. Roughly 12 km and 6–7 hours of walking; the route is waymarked in yellow and is easy to follow on the IGN map. Lunch: bring a picnic or use the refuge at Col de Balme (~£12). Watch the last bus down the valley — check the schedule in the morning.
🚌Free valley bus + Charamillon/Autannes lifts ~£20–24 return
🛏Same Chamonix hostel/guesthouse
- →Hike Col de Balme
- →Posettes ridge traverse
- →Swiss border marker and Aiguille du Tour views
- →Refuge lunch stop
Flex day — Aiguille du Midi, rafting or rest
Chamonix
No fixed hiking today — a buffer for bad weather or tired legs. Best option: the Aiguille du Midi cable car to 3,842m (~£60–75 return; book a timed slot online via the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc site a day ahead and check you're acclimatised — it's a huge altitude jump). Alternatives: half-day white-water rafting on the Dora Baltea/Arve (~£45–60), a rental mountain bike for the valley trails (~£25–35 half-day), a tandem paragliding flight (~£100–130), or the free flat walk along the Petit Balcon Sud. Spend the evening wandering Chamonix's pedestrian centre and eating tartiflette.
🚌Local buses/trains free with Carte d'Hôte; lifts self-booked online
🛏Same Chamonix hostel/guesthouse
- →Optional Aiguille du Midi cable car
- →Optional rafting, mountain biking or paragliding
- →Free Petit Balcon Sud walk
Flégère cable car & Lac Blanc
Chamonix – Lac Blanc
Bus to Les Praz, then the Flégère cable car up to 1,877m (~£20–25 return). Follow the well-marked GR trail via Lacs des Chéserys up to Lac Blanc (2,352m) — the postcard reflection of the Mont Blanc massif. About 9 km, 5 hours, ~260m ascent from the lift top. The Lac Blanc refuge serves soup and omelettes (~£12) but is often rammed in July–August, so carry a picnic too. Descend the same way, or extend to the Aiguillette des Houches if you're feeling strong. Ladders and some fixed chains on the upper section — fine if you're steady on your feet, not one for vertigo sufferers in wet weather.
🚌Free valley bus to Les Praz; Flégère lift ~£20–25 return
🛏Same Chamonix hostel/guesthouse
- →Flégère cable car round trip
- →Hike Lac Blanc via Lacs des Chéserys
- →Picnic at Lac Blanc
- →Optional extension to Aiguillette des Houches
Mer de Glace & Montenvers
Chamonix – Mer de Glace
Walk from town to the Montenvers rack railway station and ride up (~£30–38 return). From the Montenvers terrace, hike the signposted trail down toward the Mer de Glace glacier tongue, then along the glacier trail to the ice cave and back up (or take the cable car + 550 steps if the cave is open). Short version: ~6 km, 5 hours with the train return. Big version: skip the train down and do the full loop back to Chamonix via the Chapeau/Blaitière trails — ~15 km, 8 hours with ~950m of descent. Do not go onto the glacier itself without a guide and glacier gear.
🚌Walk to station; Montenvers train ~£30–38 return
🛏Same Chamonix hostel/guesthouse
- →Montenvers rack railway
- →Mer de Glace glacier viewpoint hike
- →Optional full downhill loop to Chamonix
- →Glaciorium exhibition (cheap add-on)
Brévent, Bel Lachat & Brévent Lake
Chamonix – Brévent
The best finish: ride the Planpraz cable car and then the Brévent téléphérique to 2,525m (~£35–42 return, or ~£25 to Planpraz only). Hike the balcony path past Bel Lachat refuge and the small Brévent lake, with a non-stop front-row view of the Mont Blanc massif and the Aiguilles. Short version ~4 km, 3 hours returning by lift; long version ~10 km, 6 hours walking all the way back down to Chamonix through the forest. Keep a bit of budget for a relaxed final dinner in town — fondue or a mountain restaurant plat ~£20–28.
🚌Brévent/Planpraz lifts ~£35–42 return
🛏Same Chamonix hostel/guesthouse
- →Planpraz/Brévent cable cars
- →Hike Brévent pass and Bel Lachat refuge
- →Brévent lake viewpoint
- →Final dinner in Chamonix
Col des Montets farewell walk & departure
Chamonix – Col des Montets
Check out, leave your bag at the hostel, and take the free valley bus (or the Mont Blanc Express train to Montroc-le-Planet) up to Col des Montets at 1,461m. Do the easy 1-hour signposted loop through flower meadows on the Tour du Mont Blanc balcony path, with a stop at the alpine garden (small entry fee in season). Back to Chamonix for lunch, collect your bag, then bus or shared shuttle back to Geneva Airport (~£15–25).
🚌Free valley bus or Mont Blanc Express; shuttle to Geneva ~£15–25
🛏None — departure day
- →Bus/train to Col des Montets
- →Short signposted meadow walk
- →Alpine garden visit
- →Transfer to Geneva
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£905 | £3,090 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,185 per person (71%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£905
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Mont Blanc Highlights — Self-Launched Chamonix Hiking Week cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £905 per person for 8 days in Chamonix, France. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £3,090 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £905 — a saving of roughly £2,185 (71%) per person.
How long is the Chamonix, France trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Chamonix, France.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a hiking, adventure, budget trip through Chamonix, France, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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