Things to do in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Ski season, with February the best snow bet and the worst crowds and prices, and March the connoisseur month.
Peak school holiday skiing, with the highest prices and longest lift queues of the winter.
Longer days, north facing powder and prime Vallée Blanche conditions in many years.
Summer alpine season for hiking, paragliding and the Tour du Mont Blanc, with afternoon storms in July and August.
Dead shoulder weeks in late spring and autumn, with many lifts, refuges and restaurants closed or reduced.
Worst month for a first trip, wet, dark and mostly closed before the ski season.
What's on
- Kandahar World Cup Downhill, Les Houches January or February in some years
World Cup downhill racing on the Kandahar piste at Les Houches, not held every year.
- Marathon du Mont-Blanc late June
Trail races based in Chamonix that fill town and trails for a weekend.
- CosmoJazz Festival July
Jazz concerts in town and at altitude venues around the valley.
- UTMB Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc last week of August
The biggest trail running event in the world, filling Chamonix with runners and spectators.
Best things to do in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Aiguille du Midi
Two cable cars climb to 3,842m for terraces over three countries and the Step into the Void glass box.
Montenvers - Mer de Glace
The red cog railway climbs to the Mer de Glace glacier, its ice cave and an exhibition on glacial retreat.
Brévent Cable Car
The lift to Planpraz and Le Brévent gives the classic sunny view straight across to the Mont Blanc massif.
Parc animalier de Merlet
Ibex, chamois and marmots roam a mountain enclosure above Les Houches with Mont Blanc behind them.
Musée Alpin Chamonix
A small museum that explains the first Mont Blanc ascents, guiding history and the first Winter Olympics.
QC Terme Chamonix
A large spa with outdoor pools facing Mont Blanc, best on a weekday when it is not crowded.
Glacier des Bossons
A signed path climbs from Les Bossons village to viewpoints over a glacier that tumbles to the valley floor.
Place Balmat
The central square with statues of the first Mont Blanc climbers, the start of the best town walk.
Where to stay in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Chamonix Centre
first trips, non-skiers, restaurants and nightlife
Walk to the Midi, Brévent and Montenvers lifts, the guides office and most restaurants, at the highest prices.
Chamonix Sud
value apartments, groups and the bus station
Near the Midi lift and bus station with lively newer hotels, a walk from the old centre streets.
Les Praz
quiet, Flégère access and repeat visitors
A calm village at the Flégère gondola and golf course, with sleep and parking in place of town nightlife.
Argentière
strong skiers and a real village feel
A proper village at the foot of Grands Montets on the train line, quiet outside peak seasons.
Chamonix outskirts
budget and solo travellers
Residential streets a walk from downtown with hostel kitchens and a social mountain base.
Think twice about
- Vallorcine
Beautiful but too quiet outside peak season, with few restaurants and a long ride to town on the valley timetable.
- Servoz
A pleasant commuter village with almost no visitor infrastructure, so cheap listings there are cheap for a reason.
- Chamonix Sud apartment blocks
Concrete, busy road development that is functional and safe but the least charming place to wake up in the valley.
Best restaurants in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Restaurant Albert 1er
One-star tasting menus built on Haute Savoie and Piedmont produce, served over three hours.
Le Cap Horn
French cooking with Japanese and seafood inflections in a large, stylish Rue des Moulins dining room.
La Maison Carrier
Traditional Savoyard cooking by a wood fire in a rebuilt farm building, booked by locals as well.
La Calèche
The classic centre fondue room, with cowbells, vintage skis and large Savoyard portions for groups.
Munchie
Swedish run Asian fusion on Rue des Moulins, the antidote to three straight nights of cheese.
Bighorn Bistro & Bakery
American and global fusion plates with strong gluten free and vegetarian options in Chamonix Sud.
Poco Loco Chamonix
A tiny, long running burger joint serving big burgers at the closest thing to seasonaire prices.
La Crèmerie du Glacier
A forest crémerie at the foot of Grands Montets, famous for croûte au fromage and mountain lunches.
Outdoor things to do in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Brévent-Flégère
Sunny, south facing skiing above town for all levels, with the best lunch terraces facing Mont Blanc.
Les Grands Montets
The steep, north facing expert domain above Argentière, known for powder, bumps and glaciated descents.
Balme
Gentle, sunny slopes above Le Tour and Vallorcine, the best domain for beginners and first days back.
Les Houches
Tree lined family skiing down valley that keeps visibility on white out days and hosts World Cup downhill.
Vallée Blanche
A guided glacier descent of about 20km from the Aiguille du Midi, serious terrain with crevasse risk.
Lac Blanc
A rocky hike from Flégère to a refuge lake at 2,352m that reflects Mont Blanc on calm mornings.
Grand Balcon Sud
A sunny balcony path between Flégère and Planpraz with Mont Blanc in view the whole way.
Tour du Mont Blanc
The 170km circuit of Mont Blanc through three countries, walked in stages or as a full refuge trek.
Best hotels in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Le Hameau Albert 1er
A family run Relais and Châteaux hamlet with a pool, spa and gardens, five minutes from the centre.
Pointe Isabelle
A smart central hotel named for a pioneering woman alpinist, with a terrace bar, sauna and ski storage.
Auberge du Manoir
A small rustic inn near the centre with glacier views, a garden and a breakfast guests praise.
Plan B Hotel - Living Chamonix
A social living hotel by the bus station and Midi lift, with a big bar and group friendly rooms.
Hôtel Les Lanchers
A chalet hotel minutes from the Flégère gondola, with a bistro bar, sauna and mountain view rooms.
Les Grands Montets Hotel & Spa
A five star chalet hotel and spa in Argentière, built for skiers on the Grands Montets domain.
Chamonix Lodge
The valley best known hostel lodge, with dorms, a communal kitchen and a mountain lover atmosphere.
Is Chamonix-Mont-Blanc expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €190 a person |
| Splurge | €420 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Aiguille du Midi: weeks ahead
- QC Terme Chamonix: a few days ahead
- Vallée Blanche: weeks ahead
- Tour du Mont Blanc: months ahead
- Fly Chamonix: a few days ahead
- Le Hameau Albert 1er: weeks ahead
- Les Grands Montets Hotel & Spa: weeks ahead
- Restaurant Albert 1er: weeks ahead
- Book the Aiguille du Midi timed ticket days to weeks ahead and go on the first clear morning.
- Book Vallée Blanche guides, Mont Blanc refuges and Tour du Mont Blanc refuges weeks to months ahead.
- Book Albert 1er weeks ahead and other top restaurants, spa entry and ski rental in season.
Is Chamonix-Mont-Blanc safe?
- Check the avalanche bulletin and mountain forecast daily and hire a guide for glacier travel.
- Altitude at 3,842m causes breathlessness and nausea, and is a reason to descend if symptoms worsen.
- Be off summer summits by early afternoon for thunderstorms and carry water on shadeless hikes. Emergency number 112.
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Going up the Aiguille in cloud or saving it for the last day.
- Expecting a pristine Mer de Glace instead of a retreating, debris covered glacier with many stairs.
- Buying the wrong lift pass, or skiing the Vallée Blanche unguided by following tracks.
Getting around Chamonix-Mont-Blanc: public transport and more
- Paid lodging should give a guest card for free valley buses and the train between Servoz and Vallorcine.
- Buses link the ski areas because the pistes mostly do not, so build bus time into ski days.
- Geneva Airport is about an hour by road in good conditions, longer in snow and on peak Saturdays.
Who Chamonix-Mont-Blanc suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
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