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Guide updated on 9 November 2026

How to book TMB huts for 2027: a step-by-step guide

When 2027 TMB hut bookings open, the official platform, huts to book direct (Bonatti, Elisabetta, Lac Blanc), cancellation and tips for finding a bed.

On the Tour du Mont Blanc, booking your accommodation has become the most strategic part of planning. With an estimated 75,000 to 90,000 hikers every summer, the key huts are fully booked very early for July and August.

When do bookings open for summer 2027?

Bookings for the 2027 season opened on 15 October 2026 for all the huts and gîtes belonging to the Association des gardiens du Tour du Mont-Blanc (the TMB hut wardens’ association), on the official platform montourdumontblanc.com. That is the usual timing: mid-October of the previous year.

Huts that handle their own bookings set their own timetable, which is rarely published in advance. The Refuge du Lac Blanc usually opens bookings in spring; a third-party website gives 5 January 2027 for the Refuge de la Flégère, without official confirmation.

The official platform: montourdumontblanc.com

It lists around forty places to stay (44 when we checked) in France, Italy and Switzerland: huts at Les Contamines, Les Chapieux and Les Mottets, in the Val Veny and the Italian Val Ferret, and at La Fouly, Champex and Trient. It is simple to use:

  1. create an account, then choose your dates, starting point and number of hikers;
  2. compare availability stage by stage and put together your itinerary;
  3. pay a deposit online; you can make changes from the “My bookings” area up to 30 days before arrival.

Cancellation: more than 30 days before arrival, 80% of the amount paid is refunded; 30 days or less before, nothing is refunded. The platform offers cancellation insurance and rescue insurance (€2.75 per day, covering up to €50,000 in costs).

Huts to book direct

Several very popular huts are not on the platform:

  • Rifugio Bonatti: booking form on its official website; sending a request does not confirm your stay, as the hut replies afterwards. No deposit required, according to its published terms.
  • Rifugio Elisabetta: booking required, by phone or email; paying in cash is recommended.
  • Refuge du Lac Blanc: booking required on its website, only 40 beds.
  • Refuge de la Flégère and Chalet des Contamines (FFCAM): on their respective websites.

Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme closed. The hut has been closed for renovation since 17 August 2026 and is due to reopen in 2029. In 2027 and 2028, split the second stage at Nant Borrant or La Balme.

Our 5-step strategy

  1. Keep your dates flexible: the busiest period runs from 14 July to 15 August. Late June and September offer far more choice.
  2. Book the bottlenecks first: Elisabetta, Bonatti, Lac Blanc, then the isolated huts (Mottets, La Balme, Nant Borrant). Build the rest of your itinerary around them.
  3. Have a plan B for every stage: each night there is almost always an alternative down in the valley, reachable by bus or on foot (see our where to stay pages).
  4. Consider going clockwise or starting elsewhere: the official website notes that the clockwise direction sometimes has more availability. Starting from Courmayeur or Champex also shifts your schedule.
  5. Keep track of everything in a spreadsheet: dates, amount paid, cancellation terms and contact details for each place. You will need it if bad weather forces you to move a stage.

What if everything is full?

Cancellations are common, especially as the 30-day deadline approaches. Check the platform regularly, call the huts directly a few days beforehand, and don’t hesitate to sleep down in the valley, getting around by bus and lift. Our full list of accommodation also covers hotels and gîtes that are not on the platform.

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