We now offer self-guided trail running tours on the Tour du Mont Blanc! To discover the birthplace of mountain sports, look no further than Chamonix, situated at the base of the highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc, which stands at 15,774 ft. This self-guided Runcation takes you on a run circumnavigating Mont Blanc on the famous Tour du Mont Blanc trail, one of the most iconic long distance walking routes in Europe. It's also the route for the world famous ultramarathon Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) run each August.
The TMB wraps 170 km around the massive Mont Blanc massif, climbing and descending a total of 33,000 feet through 3 countries and more breathtaking views than you can count. As you traverse the mountain you’ll spend the night in charming mountain refuges (typically 2-3 nights in a 3-star hotel and the rest in mountain huts based on booking package and availability), which will offer a comfortable place to spend the evening with breathtaking locations and a delicious sampling of Italian, Swiss, and French cuisine, wine, and coffee throughout the trip.
This retreat adventure is open to any age, any level of runner. We take care of all logistics, booking, and private baggage transport. You’ll received customized gpx files for the Tour du Mont Blanc along with a detailed itinerary and options to shorten or take variants some days due to weather conditions or preference. Do the TMB on your own in a 8-day or 10-day option, averaging either 13 miles or 11 miles per day. Our most popular self-guided TMB are custom tours where you request a specific number of days, style of accommodation (upgrade to pirvate rooms in hotels when available), and more. Email RuncationTravel@gmail.com to request a custom trip.
Optional 12-week training package available from an experienced running coach to ensure you're trained and ready to go for this adventure of a lifetime!
Trip Difficulty: Level 2-3
https://runcation.org/which-trip-is-right-for-me
This retreat adventure is open to ages 15 and up of any pace of running. Must be able to complete 105 miles over the duration of the tour including dramatic elevation gain and loss of 33,000 feet over the course of the trip. Must be prepared to run/hike the uphills and run/jog the downhill and flat sections. Optional 12-week training package available from an experienced running coach to ensure you're trained and ready to go for this adventure of a lifetime!
Roundtrip transportation from Geneva airport to Chamonix as an optional trip add-on
All accommodations and bookings
Trip logistics of route planning, lodging, and transportation reservations
Baggage transport from hut-to-hut on your days on the TMB
A detailed and interactive map and gpx file
Half board (breakfasts and dinners) included at mountain huts and breakfasts at hotels
Trip packet with detailed itinerary, packing list, and weather resources
Our standard 8-day self-guided typically (depending on availability at time of booking) includes 2-3 nights in a private room at a 3-star hotel and 4-5 nights in shared dormitory accommodation in mountain huts. To request a specific style of accomodation, including comfortable hotels or mountain huts, create a custom self-guided TMB (email RuncationTravel@gmail.com for info)!
International airfare
Alcoholic beverages and meals
Accommodations in Chamonix
24-hr assistance on the trail (see our guided trail running tours for this)!
Travel Insurance
Small local tourist tax to be paid in cash upon checkout (~1-3 euros per person)
Extra expenses due to a change in itinerary or in case of you having to shorten the day or trip as a whole (including personal return trips to the airport/next destination/etc.)
Passport:
Must have a valid passport valid through 6 months upon date of travel.
Travel Insurance:
Must have travel insurance prior to start of trip.
Room info at the Refuges:
Rooms are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. If you are inclined to participate, book or contact the organizer ASAP as rooms will book up in advance by other vacationers. You must contact Runcation Travel about availability before booking.
Fitness/Pacing:
This trip requires participants to be able to run/hike for 6-20 miles on trails at a time in mountainous/high altitude climates. Training for this trip is highly recommended, and you can participate in the 12-week group training program designed specifically for this trip as a package add-on to ensure you're able to tackle the trails and get maximum enjoyment of this running retreat!
Weather:
Although the weather in the summer is often ideal, weather in the mountains is variable and trail conditions are subject to change. Route subjective to change based on the safety of conditions and climate of the trail.
Baggage Transfer:
Baggage transfer will arrive by 5pm each day.
Trip Difficulty: Level 1-3 (depending on # of days and rest days)
https://runcation.org/which-trip-is-right-for-me
Mountain Hut Experience:
This trip includes staying in Tour du Mont Blanc mountain huts. To learn more about the mountain hut experience, click below:
https://runcation.org/mountain-hut-experience
Sample Day 1: After breakfast, get an early start on the road to your Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) adventure. Starting from downtown Chamonix, you'll ascend through towns and farms selling goat cheese, old chapels, and amazing views contrasting green hills contrasted against the Bionnassay Glacier.
Shared dormitory in mountain hut with half board (breakfast and dinner) included
~15-16 miles/+4,400 ft/ -4,160 ft*
*Please note, exact mileage and ascent/descent info each day subject to change based on availability at time of booking, but this is a sample itinerary
Day 2: Your second day on the trail is one of the most spectacular as you travel from Les Contamines to Valle des Glaciers. On the way you'll run through the Reserve Naturelle des Contamines-Montjoie, crossing streams and meadows. If the weather is good, you can take the variant over the highest point on the TMB Col des Fours (2665m) before descending into Valle des Glaciers.
Shared dormitory in mountain hut with half board (breakfast and dinner) included
~ 11.5 miles/+4,200 ft / -3,618 ft
Day 3: Today you'll cross the border from France to Italy at the spectacular crossing of the Col de la Seigne. Enjoy more views of the snowcapped peaks of the Col de la Seigne before stopping for coffee and lunch at a rifugio which sits on a spur overlooking the Vallon de la Lée Blanche. Descend into a charming and chic Italian mountain town with plenty of cafes and restaurants to celebrate making your way halfway around Mont Blanc!
Double accommodation in 3-star hotel with breakfast included (no dinner)
~ 18.5 miles/+5,000 ft / -6,000 ft
Day 4: Today you're free to rest and relax in the lively mountain town of Courmayeur, Italy. Enjoy an aperol spritz, gelato, go for a swim, take a hike, get a massage, spend the day running, or all of the above! the famous Italian mountain town of Courmayeur!
Double accommodation in 3-star hotel with breakfast included
Day 5: After a delicious breakfast, you’ll head out for your longest day on the trails, but the views of today are a highlight of the TMB. You’ll leave Courmayeur behind before making your entrance into Switzerland, first by passing through the famous Val Ferret before crossing the Italian-Swiss border up the climb of the Grand Col Ferret. You’ll cover 20 miles before we arrive to our next stop on the tour, the sleepy Swiss town of La Fouly.
Shared dormitory in mountain hut with half board (breakfast and dinner) included
~ 20-21 miles/+6,000 ft / -6,000 ft
Day 6: Enjoy a shorter day on the trails as you make our way to the Swiss town of Champex. As you descend from high mountains into forested valleys, you'll experience the pastoral nature of the region as you start to enter the flower-laden chalets and barns of Les Arches. Stop at the lake and rent a paddle boat or enjoy a lakeside beverage before descending to your Gite for the evening.
Shared dormitory in mountain hut with half board (breakfast and dinner) included
~ 9 miles/+1,800 ft / -3,500 ft
Day 7: After breakfast, you’ll hit the trails towards the Col de la Forclaz by way of the Val d'Arpette, a remote valley with alpine meadows and wildflowers. The writer Frison-Roche wrote of the valley, "This is scenery straight from a geograhy atlas, showing in one picture the habitat, the fauna, the flora and the mountain-formation...The Val d'Arpettaz is so satisfying; there you can still breathe the gentle air of solitude." After a long day's journey youu’ll pass the town of Tré-le-Champ before reaching our your mountain hut serving traditional Savoyard cuisine and sitting at 4,600 feet at the gateway to the upper Chamonix Valley.
Shared dormitory in mountain hut with half board (breakfast and dinner) included
~ 17 miles/+5,800 ft / - 6,800 ft
Day 8: For your final full day on the trails, you’ll enjoy an early breakfast and coffee at the refuge before setting off for the final 9-12 miles of the route. On this day you’ll use the impressive path of the Grand Balcon Sud, which provides one of the most spectacular views of the Mont Blanc range along the way. You’ll continue with some of the most impressive views of the tour finishing our epic circumnavigation of the TMB with a steep and winding descent to your original starting point back to Chamonix, France
~ 10.5 miles/+3,100 ft / - 4,100 ft
Bags will arrive back into Chamonix by 5pm
