Introduction

The Tour du Mont Blanc is undeniably one of the most spectacular trails on the planet. Spanning 11 stages and over 10 variants, it winds through majestic valleys, charming hamlets, rugged mountain passes, and past crystal-clear rivers. It is the kind of landscape that stays with you long after your boots are cleaned and put away.

But let’s be real: 11 full days of intense trekking isn’t for everyone. And we know exactly how that feels. We set out with grand ambitions, but a combination of heavy, overloaded backpacks and nagging knee pain forced us to adjust our plans.

That experience taught us something valuable: you don’t need to complete the entire loop to have a life-changing adventure. If you are unsure about committing to the full two-week journey, or simply want to test your limits without jumping into the deep end, the Half TMB is a fantastic, manageable alternative. It gives you all the high-altitude thrills and stunning scenery, just in a more bite-sized package.

At a Glance: The Half TMB

• Total Distance: Approximately 63.1 km.
• Total Elevation Gain: Roughly 4,397 meters.
• Total Elevation Loss: Roughly 3,798 meters.
• Highest Point: Tête Nord des Fours (2,756 meters).
• Duration: 4 days of hiking (with a 5th day for departure).
• Countries Covered: France and Italy.

About the Half TMB

Introduction

Le Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the most spectacular trails in the world. The trail consists of 11 stages and over 10 variants. Along the way, hikers can choose their preferred option. Its route passes through beautiful valleys, adorable hamlets, charming landscapes, rugged mountains, crystal clear rivers, and white snow.

But 11 stages are not for everyone, and we know what we are talking about, as we had to stop our TMB due to overweight backpacks and knee pain. But that’s why we are confident the half TMB is also a cool way to test yourself.

The official stages

Likewise, you can hike the TMB both clockwise and anti-clockwise. However, hikers traditionally do it anti-clockwise, starting in Les Houches (France). Just a few people chose the clockwise option and would start in Champex (Switzerland). For the Half TMB, we will follow the first 4 stages.

• Stage 1: Les Houches to Les Contamines
• Stage 2: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux
• Stage 3: Les Chapieux to Rifugio Elisabetta
• Stage 4: Rifugio Elisabetta to Courmayeur
• Stage 5: Courmayeur to Rifugio Bonatti
• Stage 6: Rifugio Bonatti to La Fouly
• Stage 7: La Fouly to Champex
• Stage 8: Champex to Col de la Forclaz/Trient
• Stage 9: Trient/Col de la Forclaz to Tre-le-Champ
• Stage 10: Tre-le-Champ to Refuge La Flegere
• Stage 11: Refuge La Flegere to Les Houches

Weather

To be honest, mountain weather is unpredictable and changeable. Most weather apps and news sources won’t be very reliable in advance. To clarify, we hiked it at the end of June, and all the days were sunny, with only one rainy night. While our weather forecast was different.

Best time to Hike the Half TMB

Officially, the TMB is open from mid-June to mid-September.

• Mid-June is a great time to hike the TMB as the trail will be almost empty. But you will have to deal with a snow-covered section on the trail, or you won’t be able to use the variant you wanted to.
• The end of June is probably the best time to be on the TMB. Most of the snow is already melted, and what’s left is trekkable. Plus, the crowd will not be there yet. And you will not need to organize everything in advance. (That is the time we chose)
• Mid-July and August are the busiest times on the trek, but also the ones when the trail will be fully available.
• September will again be less crowded. But the weather will also become colder, with a higher chance of rain. 

How difficult is the Half TMB

It is a demanding trail, you are looking at long days with breath-taking views. Most importantly, you will ascend to the mountain and descend to the valley. And above all, some days you will walk over 1000m up/down. What can affect your trail the most is your decision about whether to stay in the refuge or camp. As a camper, you will have to carry more gear, and your backpack will be heavier.

Food & Water

Firstly, the TMB passes through many villages. So you will be able to buy food regularly and will not need to carry it in your bags. If you do not want to bother, you can also eat in shelters along the way. Most of them offer a lunch menu. And if you stay overnight, they even offer a lunch box. 

Secondly, if you are a vegetarian, you can also find alternatives. But vegans will have a harder time and will probably have to cook their own meals. Thirdly, you can easily find water along the road, so there’s no need to carry 3L of water with you, as there are many wells around. Plus, most of the shelters will refill it for you.

The money stuff

In short, in towns, most of the places accept credit cards, but up in the mountains, cash will be the only means of payment.  Be sure that you carry enough of it with you. Meanwhile, in Italy and France, the currency is the euro. Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc but often accepts euros.

Mobile network

Well, on most of the trek, you will be able to get a cellular network, but don’t expect to be online all the time. For example, from Col des Fours to Col Chécrouit, there’s no network coverage. But that’s not a big deal as the trail is really well marked there.

Wild Camping

Wild Camping is not recommended at all and often prohibited:

• In Italy, wild camping is strictly prohibited; avoid it. The local authorities and people do not joke with it. Italian law says: free camping is forbidden (allowed only above 2.500 m from sunset to dawn)
• In Switzerland, it is the same: wild camping is strictly prohibited. And people would denounce you to the authorities.
• In France, it is another story. And you can wild camp without too much trouble. As the local law says, ‘free camping is allowed only at high altitude between sunset and sunrise’. But without a clear altitude.

The half tmb or half Tour du Mont Blanc

Introduction

The official start of the TMB and the half TMB is in “Les Houches” in France. We started from there and finished in “Courmayeur” in Italy. From there, it is possible to take a bus through the Mont Blanc tunnel and return to “Chamonix” and “Les Houches” in France.

It is possible to do the half TMB in 5 days, but you can also add some variants.

Overview

• Day 1: Les Houches – Col de Voza – Bionnassay – Champel – Tresse – Les Contamines-Montjoie
• Day 2: Les Contamines-Montjoie – Notre-Dame-de-la-Gorge – Nant Borrant – La Balme – Col du Bonhomme – Col de la Croix du Bonhomme
• Day 3: Col des Fours – Tête Nord – La Ville des Glaciers – Mottets – Col de la Seigne – la Casermetta – Refuge Elisabetta
• Day 4: Refuge Elisabetta – Lac Combal – Arp-Vieille supérieure – Lac Chécrouit – Col Chécrouit – Plan Chécrouit – Dolonne – Courmayeur
• Day 5: Courmayeur – Chamonix – Return

Half TMB – Day by Day

Day 1: Les Houches – Les Contamines

To begin the Half TMB, you can arrive in Les Houches in the morning and start hiking the TMB around 11 am. You will have enough time to do it. We left by car around 5 am and arrived in Les Houches around 11 am.

You can park your car in the official parking located behind the cable car station of “Le Prarion”. It is a free parking spot located at “31 Chemin du Verney du Fouilly, 74310 Les Houches”. Once you are there, you will see a sign “TMB parking”. Follow it until you see the end of the road. (Do not park near the cable car station)

If you arrive from Chamonix, there are free shuttle buses to Les Houches.

Otherwise, it might be a good idea to arrive one day early and stay overnight in Les Houches. Either at a campground in the Houches or in a hotel.

There are many places where you can start the TMB based on where you are staying. Generally, it is behind the Bellevue cable car or Le Prarion cable car station. First, you need to find a sign that says TMB, followed by each time one of those destinations: Col de Voza – Bionnassay – Champel – Tresse – Les Contamines-Montjoie

TMB Stage 1 Hiking Stats:

• Distance: 15,7 km
• Highest point: 1,671m
• Lowest point: 1,000m
• Elevation gain: 1,110m
• Elevation loss: -978m

At night, stay at the camping or gite Le Pontet

Located 40 minutes (3-4km) from Les Contamines. Luckily, you can take the free shuttle from Les Contamines, which will drop you off in front of the camping area.

• Service: Toilets, hot showers, electricity at the shower area, sinks, café/bar, covered and open area for cooking.
• Online: 4G coverage of the area
• Cost: 17€ for two with our tent.

Variant 1: Bivouac Nant Borrant

If you continue along the TMB trail for another 1h or so, you will arrive at the mountain hut of Nant Borrant. There you can stay overnight. Next to it, you will find a wild camping area marked “Bivouac” where you can camp for free.

• Service: Dry toilets, drinkable water, and meals available at the shelter.

Variant 2: Refuge de la Balme

Continue for an additional 1h to get to the Refuge de la Balme. Right under it, you will find a wild camping area marked “Bivouac” where you can camp for free. So, you also have the option here to camp or stay in a shelter.

• Service: Public toilets, drinkable water, sinks, meals available at the shelter

Day 2: Les Contamines – Col de la Croix du Bonhomme

Les Contamines-Montjoie – Notre-Dame-de-la-Gorge – Nant Borrant – La Blame – Col du Bonhomme – Col de la Croix du Bonhomme

Follow the standard route until the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme. There, you will spend the night to take the Col des Fours variant of the TMB.

TMB Stage 2 Hiking Stats: (Official/Variante)

• Distance: 18,1 km/13,6km
• Highest point: 2,482m
• Lowest point: 1,139m
• Elevation gain: 1,464m
• Elevation loss: -1,055m/-185m

At night, stay in the wild camping area near the Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme.

• Service: Dry Toilets, hot showers for 3€, electricity in the shelter kitchen, sinks, café/bar, covered and open area for cooking, kitchen available for free at the shelter, drinkable water.
• Online: 3G coverage of the area
• Cost: Free, 3€ for the shower.

Variant 1: Les Chapieux

Give up on the Col des Fours and keep on until Les Chapieux located some 5-6km further and some 900m lower. This will allow you to follow the original TMB route. Your next day will be Les Chapieux to Rifugio Elisabetta.

Stay in the wild camping area near the tourist office, where you will have access to a toilet and sink. Or stay in the Auberge refuge de la Nova.

From there, the next morning, you could take the bus to Refuge des Mottets and save up to 2 hours of walking. Be aware that the bus only runs during the peak season, July and August.

Day 3: Col de la Croix du Bonhomme – Rifugio Elisabetta

Col des Fours – Tête Nord – La Ville des Glaciers – Mottets – Col de la Serigne – la Casermetta – Rifugio Elisabetta

Firstly, walk back behind the refuge to reach the beginning of the variant route. Secondly, hike until you arrive at the place marked “Col des Fours”; from there, you will see a higher summit. That is our next destination, Tête Nord des Fours, located at 2756m. Once up there, admire one of the wildest landscapes of the TMB before hiking down to Col des Fours. If you are hiking in June, the trail down will possibly be covered with snow.

Thirdly, once all the way down the valley. Join the Ville des Glacier to cross the bridge and get back on the official TMB route.  Then, walk past the Refuge des Mottets to hike the Col de la Seigne. There you will enter Italy and trail down to Rifugio Elisabetta for the night.

Stage 3 Hiking Stats: (Official/Variante)

• Distance: 13,8 km/17km
• Highest point: 2,512m/2,727m
• Lowest point: 1,579m/1,777m
• Elevation gain: 1,175m/1,214m
• Elevation loss: -540m/-1454m

Mountain Huts:

• Service: Toilets, hot showers for 2€, electricity in the common area, sinks, café/bar, restaurants, drinkable water
• Online: No coverage of the area
• Cost: 48€ per person in a dormitory half-board, 62€ per person in a double room half-board, 2€ for a shower. Cash Only.

Variant 1: Stay in Refuge des Mottets

You are looking to get over two great mountains here:

1. Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2412 m) to Tête Nords des Fours (2756) to La Ville des Glaciers (1700 m)
2. Refuge des Mottets (1864m) to Col de Seigne (2516m) to Rifugio Elisabetta (2195m)

With over 996m ascent and 1377m descent, it can be a long day. You could cut it in half if you stay in Refuge des Mottets.

Variant 2: Stay in Cabane du Combal

Hike one more hour down the valley after Rifugio Elisabetta to reach Cabane du Combal.

• Service: Toilets, hot shower, electricity, sinks, café/bar, restaurants, drinkable water
• Online: No coverage of the area

Variant 3: Camping Val Veny

Trail for another 2h after the Cabane du Combal. (You need to leave the TMB route here, cross the bridge before the Cabane du Combal, and keep walking in the valley. During the high season in July/August, a bus is available along the way.

Val Veny has 3 campgrounds located one next to another:

• Camping Hobo,
• Camping Aiguille Noire,
• Camping Monte Bianco La Sorgente.

Service:

• Toilets, hot shower, electricity, sinks, café/bar, restaurants, drinkable water.
• Online: 3G Network

The next day, you can either take the bus or walk back to Lac Combal. And read our day 4 guide or keep your way to Courmayeur directly, but you will be skipping a beautiful TMB stage.

Day 4: Rifugio Elisabetta – Courmayeur

Once more, follow the traditional route of the TMB but leave it to see the Cabane du Combal and the Miage Lac/Glacier. Once done, return to the traditional route all the way to Courmayeur. Be aware that if you are hiking in Mid-July or August, you can cut down to Courmayeur by taking the cable car. This will save you 1 h 30 of hiking.

Stage 4 Hiking Stats: (Official)

• Distance: 15 km
• Highest point: 2,424m
• Lowest point: 1,176m
• Elevation gain: 648m
• Elevation loss: -1,625

Stay at Hotel Stella Del Nord located a bit before Courmayeur

• Service: Toilets, hot showers, electricity in the room, sinks, café/bar, restaurants, drinkable water, free sparkling and mineral water, free tea and biscuits, breakfast.
• Online: 4G coverage and WIFI
• Cost: 80€ + 2€ staying fees

Variant 1: Camping Grande Jorasses

When you arrive in Courmayeur, you will pass the bus station. From there, take the free shuttle 924 toward Val Ferret to Camping Grande Jorasses.

• Service: Toilets, hot showers, electricity, sinks, café/bar, pizzeria, drinkable water.
• Online: 4G coverage

Day 5: Return

Depart from Hotel Stella Del Nord, walk down to the Courmayeur bus station SAVDA. The ticket office is right behind the station. Get a 15€ ticket to Chamonix (9 am, 11 am, 12 am, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm – There may be more departures in July/August).

The ride takes 45 minutes and will end at the Chamonix Bus Sud station. From there you can take the bus 1 to Les Houches.

Variant 1: Add one more stage

Not enough yet? You could keep hiking stage 5 of the TMB from Courmayeur to Rifugio Bonatti, or even to Hotel Chalet Val Ferret. From there, you can always take the bus 924 back to Courmayeur.

You have completed half of the Tour du Mont Blanc (or almost). Any further would mean you would need to hike the entire TMB.

Cost of the half Tour du Mont Blanc

Without taking into account the transportation or the food, and if you follow the same route we did, you will be spending 2 for the half TMB:

• Camping Le Pontet: 17€
• Shower in Refuge Col de la Croix du Bonhomme : 6€
• Rifugio Elisabetta : 128€
• Hotel Stella del Nord: 82€
• Bus: 30€

To sum up, the total cost for 2 will be 263€.