Intermediate · anticlockwise
11days
The classic TMB in 11 days
The benchmark itinerary, starting from Les Houches and walking anticlockwise: one stage a day, staying at the traditional…
166 km · 9,440 m ascent
Easy-going · anticlockwise
14days
The relaxed TMB in 14 days
Shorter days, a rest day in Courmayeur and nights in exceptional places: La Balme, Lac Blanc and Bellachat.
168 km · 9,710 m ascent
Easy-going · anticlockwise
12days
The TMB in 12 days
The classic itinerary with a more gradual start: the first two stages are spread over three days, with nights in Bionnassay and…
166 km · 9,430 m ascent
Challenging · anticlockwise
10days
The TMB in 10 days
The overnight stops of the classic itinerary as far as Tré-le-Champ, then a final day that strings together the ladders, the…
166 km · 9,450 m ascent
Challenging · anticlockwise
9days
The TMB in 9 days
Nine longer days for well-trained hikers, staying at Les Mottets and in Courmayeur to save two days on the classic itinerary.
166 km · 9,430 m ascent
Very challenging · anticlockwise
8days
The TMB in 8 days
Eight days of 14 to 25 km, with nights at Nant Borrant, Les Mottets and the La Peule alpine pasture: the full tour on foot, with…
166 km · 9,430 m ascent
Very challenging · anticlockwise
7days
The express TMB in 7 days
Seven days to complete the loop, using lifts and buses in the right places. For fast, very well-trained walkers only.
166 km · 9,440 m ascent
Very challenging · anticlockwise
10days
The TMB via the variants in 10 days
Col de Tricot, Col des Fours, the Mont de la Saxe ridge, Fenêtre d'Arpette, Les Grands and Lac Blanc: the tour via its mountain…
173 km · 10,960 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
11days
The TMB in private rooms, without dorms
The classic 11-day itinerary, with at least one place to stay offering private rooms every evening. Two nights are spent off the…
166 km · 9,440 m ascent
Intermediate · clockwise
11days
The TMB clockwise in 11 days
The tour in reverse, from Les Houches towards the Brévent and Switzerland: fewer people on the trails as you walk against the…
166 km · 9,440 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
11days
The TMB starting from Chamonix
Start from Chamonix without going via Les Houches: the La Flégère cable car, in Les Praz, drops you right on the route, and the…
166 km · 9,440 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
11days
The TMB starting from Courmayeur
Start the tour in Italy, straight onto the Val Ferret balcony: convenient from Turin, Milan or Aosta, and often easier for…
166 km · 9,440 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
11days
The TMB starting from Champex (Switzerland)
Start in Switzerland, at Champex-Lac, which you can reach by train and bus from Geneva or Lausanne via Martigny and Orsières.
166 km · 9,440 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
4days
Partial TMB in 4 days: Les Houches – Courmayeur
The first part of the tour, from France to Italy over the Col du Bonhomme and the Col de la Seigne, returning by bus through the…
67 km · 3,790 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
3days
Partial TMB in 3 days: Courmayeur – Champex
The Italian-Swiss heart of the tour in three days: the Val Ferret balcony facing the Grandes Jorasses, the Grand Col Ferret and…
46 km · 2,390 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
4days
Partial TMB in 4 days: Champex – Les Houches
The end of the tour, from Switzerland to the Chamonix valley via Bovine, the Col de Balme, the ladders and the Brévent: four…
53 km · 3,260 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
7days
Partial TMB in 7 days: Les Houches – Champex
From France to Switzerland via Italy: the first seven stages of the tour, from the Col du Bonhomme to the Grand Col Ferret. It…
113 km · 6,180 m ascent
Intermediate · anticlockwise
7days
Partial TMB in 7 days: Courmayeur – Les Houches
The second part of the tour, from Italy to France via Switzerland: the Val Ferret, the Grand Col Ferret, Champex, the Col de…
99 km · 5,650 m ascent
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Plan my itineraryCompare at a glance.
| Itinerary | Days | Distance | Total ascent | Ascent / day | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The classic TMB in 11 days | 11 | 166 km | 9,440 m | 860 m | Intermediate |
| The relaxed TMB in 14 days | 14 | 168 km | 9,710 m | 750 m | Easy-going |
| The TMB in 12 days | 12 | 166 km | 9,430 m | 790 m | Easy-going |
| The TMB in 10 days | 10 | 166 km | 9,450 m | 950 m | Challenging |
| The TMB in 9 days | 9 | 166 km | 9,430 m | 1,050 m | Challenging |
| The TMB in 8 days | 8 | 166 km | 9,430 m | 1,180 m | Very challenging |
| The express TMB in 7 days | 7 | 166 km | 9,440 m | 1,350 m | Very challenging |
| The TMB via the variants in 10 days | 10 | 173 km | 10,960 m | 1,100 m | Very challenging |
| The TMB in private rooms, without dorms | 11 | 166 km | 9,440 m | 860 m | Intermediate |
| The TMB clockwise in 11 days | 11 | 166 km | 9,440 m | 860 m | Intermediate |
| The TMB starting from Chamonix | 11 | 166 km | 9,440 m | 860 m | Intermediate |
| The TMB starting from Courmayeur | 11 | 166 km | 9,440 m | 860 m | Intermediate |
| The TMB starting from Champex (Switzerland) | 11 | 166 km | 9,440 m | 860 m | Intermediate |
| Partial TMB in 4 days: Les Houches – Courmayeur | 4 | 67 km | 3,790 m | 950 m | Intermediate |
| Partial TMB in 3 days: Courmayeur – Champex | 3 | 46 km | 2,390 m | 800 m | Intermediate |
| Partial TMB in 4 days: Champex – Les Houches | 4 | 53 km | 3,260 m | 820 m | Intermediate |
| Partial TMB in 7 days: Les Houches – Champex | 7 | 113 km | 6,180 m | 880 m | Intermediate |
| Partial TMB in 7 days: Courmayeur – Les Houches | 7 | 99 km | 5,650 m | 810 m | Intermediate |
Clockwise or anticlockwise?
The vast majority of hikers walk the loop anticlockwise (Les Houches → Les Contamines → Italy → Switzerland): it is the direction used in guidebooks, the first climb is more gradual and the finale via Lac Blanc and the Brévent is magnificent. Walking clockwise means you meet groups instead of following them, but it starts with a big climb to the Brévent.
Where to start?
The loop can start anywhere. Les Houches remains the most common starting point (easy access from Geneva and Chamonix), but Courmayeur and Champex are excellent alternatives if you are coming from Italy or Switzerland, or if the huts on the first stages are full on your dates. From Chamonix, the La Flégère cable car also drops you right on the route.
Over several trips?
The tour is easy to split into shorter trips: three (Les Houches – Courmayeur, Courmayeur – Champex, Champex – Les Houches) or two, with the split at Courmayeur or Champex. Each split point is linked to Chamonix by public transport.