Tour du Mont Blanc 4 Days Self-Guided Trail Running

Kick off the day by catching the Chamonix Valley bus to Les Houches. You have two options to start the day: either follow the path up to Col du Voza on foot or take the Bellevue cable car for a quicker ascent to the Bellevue Plateau (Distance saved: 5.2kms / 818m ascent). For those who want to stop at the Archway and official starting point, hop off at the Les Houches Marie bus stop. If you'd rather start with the Bellevue gondola, get off at the Bellevue bus stop instead.

From the top of Bellevue, it’s a short and well-marked trail to reconnect with the Col du Tricot variant trail. This variant is only to be taken in good weather conditions. If the weather is less than perfect you should follow the lower trail via Le Champel.

via Le Champel: From Col de Voza make your way down towards Bionnassay. From here follow the signs for Le Champel, crossing over the bridge over the Torrent de Bionnassay along the way. At Le Champel turn left onto the trail that leads you to Chalets de Miage, traversing the hillside. Once you reach the Chalets you can stop for refreshments if you wish before continuing up over Auberge du Truc. From Auberge du Truc follow the sign for Les Contamines, passing by Macherey and Les Granges de la Frasse.

via Col du Tricot: From Bellevue plateau cross the railway tracks and follow the path through wide alpine meadows with incredible views of the Bionnassay glacier. Soon, you’ll reach the iconic Himalayan suspension bridge—an exciting crossing with epic scenery all around. From here, it’s a steady climb to the grassy saddle of Col du Tricot, where you're rewarded with stunning views over the Miage Valley and across to Col du Bonhomme. You’ll spot Refuge Miage below, and maybe even the smugglers' route toward Refuge Plan Glacier to your left. The descent from the col is steep—take it slow and use your poles. Once down in the valley, it’s just five-minutes to reach Refuge Miage. The trail climbs gently again, leading you out of the Miage Valley and up towards Auberge du Truc. From Auberge du Truc follow the sign for Les Contamines, passing by Macherey and Les Granges de la Frasse.

From Les Contamines, continue along the river to Notre Dame de la Gorge, where the trail heads back into the wild. If you're running in July or August, you can save your legs a bit by hopping on the shuttle (navette) from outside the Tourist Office to the chapel (Distance saved: 5kms / 1-2 hrs of road walking).

At Notre Dame de la Gorge, take a moment to admire the beautiful chapel nestled beside the rushing water before starting the climb. The trail here is steep and dramatic—an ancient Roman road made of stone slabs that winds its way up through the forest, often running alongside the roaring gorge. After crossing the old Roman bridge and soaking in views of the gorge below, you’ll continue your ascent for about an hour to reach Refuge Nant Borrant.

From Refuge Nant Borrant, the trail continues upward past Refuge de la Balme and onto the more rugged terrain leading to the Col du Bonhomme (2,329m). After the pass, there’s a steady traverse with spectacular alpine views before the final push to Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2,483m). From Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme the route descends steadily from the refuge to the valley floor and the small hamlet of Les Chapieux.

Approximate time and distances:

35.0 km / 3,157 m / 2,608 m / 8-10 hours

*Option to save 10kms / 800m elevation with shortcuts.

From Les Chapieux, you have a choice:
Run: Follow the river upstream for about 1 hour to Refuge des Mottets.
Shuttle Bus (Navette): Save some energy and catch the bus. You can take it all the way to the Refuge Mottets parking area, then walk 5–10 minutes downhill to the refuge. Or, hop off earlier at Ville des Glaciers to visit the local cheese farm, then follow the gentle TMB trail down to the refuge (Distance saved: to Ville des Glaciers 4.5kms / to Parking des Mottets: 6kms).

From Refuge des Mottets, begin the steady climb up to the Col de la Seigne (2,516m), marking the border between France and Italy. It’s a gradual ascent on a well-defined trail, and a rewarding one—at the top, the views open up dramatically and Mont Blanc comes back into sight.

From the col, it’s an easy descent down to Rifugio Elisabetta, perched on a rocky spur between the Glacier d’Estellette and Glacier de la Lée Blanche. The trail then continues gently downhill, following a wide, straight stretch of old Roman road through the Vallée de la Lée Blanche. After about an hour, you’ll reach the photogenic Cabane Combal, a charming A-frame refuge set in an open valley framed by rugged peaks.

From this junction near Cabane Combal you have another choice:
Shuttle Bus: From the junction, it’s 2–3 km to La Visaille, where you can catch the Val Veny bus to Courmayeur and skip the final section of the day (Distance saved: From La Visaille 8.9kms / 635m ascent / 1390m descent).
Walk: The trail then climbs steadily out of the Val Veny floor to a high spur from Mont Favre. Looking back, you’ll see the massive moraine of Glacier Miage dwarfing Cabane Combal, and on a clear day, views stretching back to Col de la Seigne.

From there, the trail traces the south side of Val Veny, rising and falling along the mountainside with stunning views of Monte Bianco and jagged peaks across the valley. You’ll then enter the Courmayeur ski area, following a scenic traverse until signs for Plan Checrouit point you toward a steady descent into Courmayeur.

During peak season (Aug–Sept), you can skip the tough descent from Rifugio Maison Vieille by taking the chair lift and cable car to Dolonne, just a 10-minute stroll from town—a great option if your legs are tired or you're keen to relax in Courmayeur a little sooner. (Chairlift: Distance saved: 1.5kms and 270m descent / Gondola: Distance saved: 2.5kms and 500m descent)

Approximate time and distances:

29.6 km / 1496 m / 1839 m / 7-9 hours

*Option to save upto 15kms / 700m up / 1390m down with shortcuts.

From Courmayeur there are two options:
Shuttle Bus: You can take the Val Ferret shuttle bus from Courmayeur PMB (place Monte Bianco) to Arp Nouvaz (Distance saved: to Arp Nouvaz (end of the valley - start of Grand Col Ferret) 17.5kms / 1236m+ of ascent).
Run: From Courmayeur head toward the Church of Saint Pantaleon and follow the uphill road, Strada del Villair, all the way to the car park where the TMB trail begins. From here, it’s a steep climb through the forest to Rifugio Bertone—perfect for an Italian coffee with a view.

From Bertone you have two options - both options bring you to Rifugio Bonatti:
via Col Sapin variant:
If the weather’s good and it’s after early season (post–July 7th), you can take the Col Sapin variant. For those really looking to push themselves it offers quieter trails and jaw-dropping scenery—well worth the effort, with unreal views of the southern buttress of the Mont Blanc Massif.
via Main Trial:
From Bertone, the main trail continues along a gently undulating balcony path toward Rifugio Bonatti.

From Rifugio Bonatti, the trail climbs gently for a short distance before crossing a wooden bridge over the river. You’ll then rejoin the balcony path, continuing to traverse the mountainside with open views of the Val Ferret below. The trail then descends to the valley floor near Chalet Val Ferret. This is a good spot to regroup, grab a bite and put your feet in the river before the tackling the Grand Col Ferret.

From the Grand Col Ferret (2,537m), marking the border between Italy and Switzerland, you'll descend into the Swiss side of the Val Ferret. The trail winds down gently with sweeping views before reaching Gîte Alpage de la Peule, a traditional working dairy farm. From here it’s not far to the hamlet of Ferret.

From here you can choose to:
Shuttle Bus: Either from Ferret or La Fouly (a further 2kms) to Champex Lac (Distance saved to Champex: 14.8kms/ 578m ascent.)
Run: From La Fouly, follow the TMB trail down the valley, staying left of the river to Praz de Fort. Cross to the right side, continue to Issert, then cross back to the left and follow signs up to Champex. Pass the lake on your left and head up the road, turning left at the sign for Relais d'Arpette.

Approximate time and distances:

48.7 km / 2432 m / 2008 m / 9-11 hours

*Option to save up to 35kms / 1400m up / 1000m down with shortcuts.

From Relais d’Arpette you have two options that take you to Col de Balme:
Fenetre d’Arpette & Les Grands Variant: For adventurous hikers, this variant is one of the toughest and most technical parts of the TMB. It demands focus — but if you start early and get good weather, the views and sense of accomplishment at the top are well worth it. The two variants marry up at Chalet du Glacier where you can continue on the Les Grands variant which is a lesser-known TMB route, but well worth the effort. It climbs above the tree line with stunning views of the Trient Glacier, then follows a scenic high trail around Les Grands Otanes before rejoining the main route at Col de Balme.

Bovine Route: The trail passes by Plan d'Au before climbing steadily to the Alpage de Bovine. From here the trail cuts around the mountain with amazing views out over the Valais, before descending to Col de la Forclaz, and then to Trient, a cute village of no more than a handful of houses. Pass through Trient and head up towards the Col de Balme.

From Col de Balme you have another choice:
Le Tour Gondola: Le Tour Autannes Chairlift & Charamillon Gondola - If you choose this route, expect a 20-minute walk along the road from Le Tour to Montroc. You can also just take the bus from Le Tour to Montroc, rather than continuing on foot (Distance saved: 2.8kms / 720m down).
Walk: From the Swiss side, head down into France towards Col des Posettes. Climb the ridge to L’Aiguillette des Posettes (2201m), where you’ll get great views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Valley. Continue along the ridge, but avoid it in bad weather due to lightning risk. Descend steeply to Tré-le-Champ, then follow the trail to reach Montroc Train Station.

Approximate time and distances:

28.3km / 2345 m up / 2614 m down

*Option to save upto 7kms / 260m up / 1090 m down with shortcuts.