Is a Guided Tour du Mont Blanc or Self-Guided Tour du Mont Blanc for you?

Whether you go on a guided tour du mont blanc or self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc, you are signing up for the trip of a life time! Both our guided and self-guided trips include baggage transfers and accommodation. Our guided trips also include all food, drinks and two expert guides. Our self-guided trips also includes all breakfasts and dinners (except for dinner in Chamonix as there are no half board hotels).

To help decide whether a guided Tour du Mont Blanc or self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc is for you, we’ve put together a few questions to help point you in the right direction:

Do you prefer to do your own thing or are you a sociable soul?

Our guided Tour Du Mont Blanc trips are typically 10-12 people with 2 guides and we spend a lot of time together. We hike together and eat meals together and have just a few hours of free time each day. This creates a fantastic sense of camaraderie and many guests form long lasting friendships. Whilst many people thrive in a group environment, if you are the sort of person that prefers to be on your own and hike at your own pace, then a self-guided trip will be better for you.

Vail hiking group on guided tour du mont blanc
This incredibly fun group joined me on a Tour du Mont Blanc in September 2018. They were all friends from Vail, Colorado and had been hiking together for years. Alpenwild also put together custom and private groups on request. Just get in touch and we can tailor the perfect trip for you!

Can you read a map?

The Tour du Mont Blanc is incredibly well sign-posted and in good weather it is almost impossible to get lost…unless you are too busy taking in the incredible views! However – in bad weather it is important to have a map and compass handy to ensure you are taking the right trail. It can also be helpful to have a GPS for peace of mind. Our self-guided trips come with a guide book and detailed instructions to help you find your way.

pic nic on a guided tour du mont blanc
An advantage of our guided tour du mont blanc trips are the incredible pic nic lunches prepared for you by our guides each day.

Do you want to stay in hotels or mountain huts?

On our guided Tour du Mont Blanc trip, we use taxis on some days to pick us up from the end of the trail and take us to a hotel for the evening. This allows us to stay in a hotel every night. In comparison, our self-guided itinerary includes a few evenings in mountain huts. The mountain huts on the Tour du Mont Blanc are at a very high standard and in stunning locations. Although many people really enjoy the mountain hut experience, if you would rather have your own room and an en-suite bathroom every night, then a guided tour du Mont Blanc Trip may be better suited for you.

Are you interested in learning about the local history and nature?

Alpenwild guides are hand-picked for their expertise and knowledge on local history, culture and nature. As of 2019, our guided Tour du Mont Blanc trips will also include presentations and guided walks by a local expert Naturalist who specialises in alpine ecology.

Tour du Mont Blanc mountains
Alpenwild guide, Ella Alpinger, pointing out the major peaks and glaciers on the Mont Blanc Massif on a Tour du Mont Blanc in early July 2018.

Parlez-vous Francais?

The Tour du Mont Blanc passes through France, Switzerland and Italy. Whilst many people in Europe speak some English, knowing some of the local language will make your life easier and help you make friends along the way! If you are on an Alpenwild guided trip, then your guide will speak a good standard of French. If you are self-guided, you may want to learn some before you go. French is the first language on the French and Swiss parts of the tour and the second language for most people you will meet in Italy.

Find out more

Speak to one of our local specialists

Read about our Guided Tour du Mont Blanc

Read about our Self-Guided Tour du Mont Blanc

Jennifer Stretton
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