The self-guided hiking tour around Mont Blanc is among the most iconic classic must-do treks. The Mont Blanc massif is without a doubt one of the most beautiful sights in the Alps. Even though the route does not take you all the way to the top of the emblematic summit, it guides you from France to Italy and Switzerland revealing its many faces. Do not let this fool you, the walk is fairly demanding but undoubtedly rewarding. You will contemplate alpine peaks and beautiful glaciers during the day and enjoy French and Italian cooking and Swiss hospitality as you rest in the comfort of your accommodations along the way. The trails are well-marked with red and white stripes in France and higher parts in Switzerland and a black diamond shape on a yellow background in the valleys of Italy and Switzerland. The markings are with good density and facing both directions. Even so, you will be walking under the guidance of a well-elaborated Roadbook to ensure a marvelous experience.

Why we have chosen the clockwise direction? The first Cicerone guide book to the Tour of Mont Blanc described the route in the anti-clockwise direction, which made this course more popular for years afterwards, although its later editions described the circuit in both directions. Walking in clockwise direction has loads of merits, the most persuasive being that by travelling ‘against the flow’ one meets different people at each night’s rest, while during the first hour or two of the walking day the path is virtually empty, then comes a wave of trekkers followed by another period of calm. Further to that when following the original anti-clockwise trend there are nearly always other walkers in view. For many hikers this is distracting. As for the steepness or otherwise of ascents and descents, there’s little to choose between the two options.

Walking Grade/ Difficulty