Mont Blanc Highlights

This is a walking trip, and you must be in a good physical shape to fully enjoy it. On most of the walking days, we will walk for up to 5 hours.

To avoid long and difficult climbs, cable car lifts have been included on 4 walking days. These rides will reward you with breathtaking views, but please be aware you will be very high off the ground.

Be sure to bring the appropriate gear required for alpine hikes. See the ‘Packing’ section of the Essential Trip Information for more detail.

This trip visits points over 2500 m, where there is a risk of being affected by Acute Mountain Sickness. Please be aware of the symptoms and let your leader know if you or any of your fellow travellers experience any.

On this trip you must pack as lightly as possible because you will be expected to carry your own bag and although you won't be required to walk long distances with your luggage (max 30 minutes), we strongly recommend keeping the weight under 15 kg (33 lb). Most travellers carry their luggage in a backpack, although an overnight bag with a shoulder strap would suffice. You'll also need a day pack/bag to carry water and a camera for daytrips.

1. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1. Please see Joining Point Hotel listed in the Essential Trip Information for this itinerary.
2. Your adventure ends on Day 8 after breakfast. There are no activities included on that day.
3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

LUGGAGE
Alongside your main piece of luggage, we recommend bringing a small to medium backpack (25-30 litres) for day walks. A backpack with a waist strap will be the most comfortable option for all included walks.

ESSENTIALS
Lightweight, comfortable and quick-drying clothing is recommended. Laundry facilities may not be available every day.

• Warm layers such as a light jacket, fleece and base layers.
• Breathable, non-cotton t-shirts.
• Long hiking pants or zip-offs.
• Nylon hiking shorts.
• Wind and waterproof outer layers (jacket and trousers).

Hiking boots with a good grip, ankle support and waterproof membrane that are comfortable to wear for an entire day.

Walking poles for support on steep uphill sections and longer descents.

Comfortable shoes or sandals for shorter walks or time spent not hiking.

A water bottle that holds 1 – 2 litres.

Sun protection – sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, bandana.

Torch, flashlight or headtorch.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
For general packing considerations, check out our ultimate packing list:

You’re in for a hiking trip and a good level of fitness is essential. We don't ask travellers to complete a physical participation form for this trip however we do ask you read through the trip notes carefully to ensure that this trip is the right trip for you. You must be comfortable hiking up to 8-9 hours a day, with many steep uphill sections, uneven, rocky terrain and in unpredictable weather.

If you’re already a regular exerciser, it might be an idea to up your game a little. Run those extra laps, or take few longer walks, ideally with a day pack on your back. If you’re not exercising so regularly (2-3 times a week), it’s important to start in the weeks leading up to your departure (4-6 weeks prior at least). Your best choice would be to start walking regularly 2-3 times a week including at least one longer walk (up to 15 km). It’s important to not only walk on flat surface, so if you cannot access a hilly terrain easily, walking up and down the stairs is a good replacement. Top that up with some general fitness exercises and any other cardio related classes and you will see a huge progress in your fitness levels.

Hotel Le Prieure, 149 allée Recteur Payot Mont Blanc, Chamonix, 74400, FRANCE, Phone: +33 450532072

Hotel le Prieure has a lovely bar with a fireplace and a piano on the ground floor, restaurant with a terrace facing Mont-Blanc as well as massages and treatments rooms. In your room you will find a safe, double glazing, tea/coffee tray, free Wi-Fi, flat screen satellite TV, telephone, welcome set in the bathroom, hair dryer, balcony with view of Mont-Blanc or Aiguilles de Chamonix.

Alternate Joining Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this joining point.
09 Jun 2025 (ZFXM250609)
20 Jun 2025 (ZFXM250620)
07 Jul 2025 (ZFXM250707)
14 Jul 2025 (ZFXM250714)
28 Jul 2025 (ZFXM250728)
04 Aug 2025 (ZFXM250804)
11 Aug 2025 (ZFXM250811)
18 Aug 2025 (ZFXM250818)
01 Sep 2025 (ZFXM250901)
08 Sep 2025 (ZFXM250908)
Lykke Hôtel
39 rue des Allobroges Mont-Blanc
Chamonix
74400
FRANCE

Shuttle bus services from Geneva Airport offer the most appropriate way of getting to Chamonix in terms of time and efficiency. The journey between Geneva Airport and Chamonix in nine or 13-seater minibuses takes approximately 1h 40min and cost €17 - €20 (subject to change). Minibuses would operate every 2-3 hours throughout the day. There are no direct train services from Geneva to Chamonix. Travelling from Geneva to Chamonix by train will require a minimum of 1 change.
From Chamonix Sud Bus Station, your hotel could be reached by foot (400 metres, 5 min walk).

Hotel Le Prieure, 149 allée Recteur Payot Mont Blanc, Chamonix, 74400, FRANCE, Phone: +33 450532072

Hotel le Prieure has a lovely bar with a fireplace and a piano on the ground floor, restaurant with a terrace facing Mont-Blanc as well as massages and treatments rooms. In your room you will find a safe, double glazing, tea/coffee tray, free Wi-Fi, flat screen satellite TV, telephone, welcome set in the bathroom, hair dryer, balcony with view of Mont-Blanc or Aiguilles de Chamonix.

Alternate Finish Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this finish point.
09 Jun 2025 (ZFXM250609)
20 Jun 2025 (ZFXM250620)
07 Jul 2025 (ZFXM250707)
14 Jul 2025 (ZFXM250714)
28 Jul 2025 (ZFXM250728)
04 Aug 2025 (ZFXM250804)
11 Aug 2025 (ZFXM250811)
18 Aug 2025 (ZFXM250818)
01 Sep 2025 (ZFXM250901)
08 Sep 2025 (ZFXM250908)
Lykke Hôtel
39 rue des Allobroges Mont-Blanc
Chamonix
74400
FRANCE

Breakfasts included: 7

Lunches included: 5

Dinners included: 4

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There's no obligation to do this though.

BREAKFASTS
There are some continental breakfasts included on this trip which may simply include bread/toast or pastries, butter, jam, coffee/tea/juice (or similar).

VEGETARIANS
Vegetarians might find the menu selection in Europe less varied than they would see at home. Vegetarianism is not as common in this region and generally the choices are basic, involving vegetables, soups, salads, bread, cheese, fruit, yoghurt, eggs etc. Vegans and those on gluten-free diets may find this region very challenging and may need to supplement meals with their own supplies from supermarkets and markets. Wherever possible we will cater for dietary needs for any included meals, but there may be times when those with special requirements may need to provide their own.

As this is a walking trip, it will be a good idea to stock up on snacks you can fuel on during the day; mixed nuts, energy bars and sweet fruit are usually the best choice for this sort of activity.

SUMMER
Summer temperatures can be extreme in many of the regions visited (over 40°C/104°F), which can be uncomfortable. It’s important to use sun protection and drink plenty of water. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.

SHOULDER SEASON
In contrast, weather in shoulder season can be unpredictable, and snow is not unheard of at higher altitudes. If you travel at the start or towards the end of the European season please pack accordingly with warm and/or waterproof clothes (preferably layers). The advantage of travelling during this time is that there are less tourists around.

Weather in the mountains is unpredictable. Conditions are often more extreme and can change very quickly up in the hills and mountains. A fine and clear day can turn cold, wet and windy with very poor visibility setting in within minutes. Always carry a rani jacket with you and extra layer of clothing, as well as sunglasses and sunhat.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

Local Operator: +33(0)7 82 83 55 04

OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.

TWIN SHARE BASIS
Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own.

CHECK-IN TIME
Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.

PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.

FACILITIES
Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.

As this is a walking trip the majority of distances will be covered on foot. Some stretches may be done by public bus or private vehicle.