Chamonix lies at about 1,035 metres in a narrow valley under Mont Blanc, at 4,805 metres the highest summit in Western Europe. The lifts do the climbing for you: on the south side they rise towards the glaciers and the granite needles of the Mont Blanc massif, on the north side to the Aiguilles Rouges, the balcony opposite with the lakes and the best views of the big mountain. Walking, flying and skiing all start from the same small town.
The country guide already covers the Mont-Blanc Express into the valley, the Aiguille du Midi cable car and a guided ascent of Mont Blanc. This page adds the glaciers you can reach without ropes, the classic hikes, the gondola into Italy, the Vallée Blanche and a rest day in the pools. Almost everything here depends on lifts that run in summer and winter and close in between, so check the season first.
Take the Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace and its ice cave
Montenvers, Chamonix
2 to 3 hoursBook ahead
A red rack railway climbs to face France's longest glacier, where a cave is cut into the ice by hand every year.
What it is
The red rack railway leaves from beside Chamonix station and climbs to Montenvers at 1,913 metres, facing the Mer de Glace, the longest glacier in France, with the Drus and the Grandes Jorasses above it. From there a new gondola takes you down towards the ice, where a cave is cut into the glacier by hand every year. Back at the top, the Glaciorium explains glaciology and the history of the Mer de Glace.
How to do it
In 2026 the full package of train, gondola, cave and exhibitions cost €49.70 for adults, or €31.50 for the train alone. From mid-September to 1 November it ran 08:30 to 16:30; it then closes for a few weeks before reopening for the winter.
Good to know
The last stretch to the cave is about 580 steps, a measure of how much the glacier has thinned, so the cave is not accessible with reduced mobility.
Hike to Lac Blanc for the reflection of Mont Blanc
Lac Blanc, Aiguilles Rouges
About 3 hours of walking, plus the liftsNo booking needed
A still lake at about 2,350 metres mirrors the Mont Blanc massif from the Aiguille Verte to the Grandes Jorasses.
What it is
Lac Blanc, at about 2,350 metres in the Aiguilles Rouges, is the Chamonix postcard: a still lake that mirrors the Mont Blanc massif, from the Aiguille Verte to the Grandes Jorasses. A refuge at the lake serves drinks and meals in season.
How to do it
Most people ride the Flégère lift from Les Praz and walk from its top station: about 7 km there and back with 500 metres of climbing, roughly three hours of walking. From the top of the Index chairlift the path is shorter, about 2.9 km, but rockier, around two hours and three quarters there and back.
Good to know
Both lifts run only in summer and in good weather, so check the day's openings. Swimming is banned in Lac Blanc and the Chéserys lakes by prefectoral order, and the paths are crowded in August: start on the first lift.
Time needed
About 3 hours of walking, plus the lifts
Best time
An early start on a clear day, July to mid-September
Walk the Grand Balcon Nord from Plan de l'Aiguille to Montenvers
Plan de l'Aiguille to Montenvers
About 2.5 hours of walking, half a day in allNo booking needed
An easy balcony path runs under the granite spires of the Aiguilles de Chamonix and ends looking down on the Mer de Glace.
What it is
The Grand Balcon Nord is the easiest way to walk along the foot of the Aiguilles de Chamonix without technical ground. The view runs across the valley to the Aiguilles Rouges, and the last section looks down on the Mer de Glace.
How to do it
Ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car to its halfway station, the Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,310 metres, and follow the balcony path north-east under the granite spires to Montenvers at 1,913 metres: about 5.7 km and two and a half hours, mostly downhill, with 140 metres of climbing and 523 of descent. At Montenvers, take the rack railway down to Chamonix; the Mont Blanc Multipass covers both lifts.
Good to know
The path is listed as open from mid-June to the end of October, depending on snow and on the lifts running. Wear proper boots: snow lingers early in the season.
Ride up the Brévent to face Mont Blanc across the valley
Le Brévent, Chamonix
2 hours, or a day with a hikeNo booking needed
Two lifts climb to 2,525 metres for the best single view of the Mont Blanc massif, straight across the valley.
What it is
The Brévent faces Mont Blanc head-on from the north side of the valley, which makes it the best single viewpoint for the whole massif and its glaciers. Planpraz is also the paragliders' take-off.
How to do it
A gondola from the upper edge of town climbs to Planpraz at 2,000 metres, and a cable car continues to the summit at 2,525 metres, where a terrace and a restaurant look straight across at the Bossons glacier and the Aiguille du Midi. In 2026 a return to the top cost €43 for adults, and the lift is part of the Mont Blanc Multipass. Walkers can return on foot from Planpraz or follow the Grand Balcon Sud to La Flégère.
Good to know
In summer 2026 it ran from mid-June, 08:20 to 18:00 in high summer, and it reopens for skiing in winter.
Cross the glaciers to Italy on the Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola
Aiguille du Midi to Pointe Helbronner
Half a day from ChamonixBook ahead
Small cabins float high above the crevasses of the Vallée Blanche to the Italian border, the only way to cross the massif without mountaineering.
What it is
From the top of the Aiguille du Midi, the Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola floats across the glaciers of the Vallée Blanche to Pointe Helbronner on the Italian border, in small cabins high above the crevasses. It is the only way to cross the massif without mountaineering.
How to do it
You first ride up the Aiguille du Midi, so buy the combined ticket: in 2026 a Chamonix to Helbronner return cost €125.50 for adults. At Helbronner, the Skyway Monte Bianco cable car descends to Courmayeur if you want to carry on into Italy.
Good to know
The gondola runs only in summer and in good weather, from early or mid-summer to late September; in 2026 it closed on 28 September, with reopening announced for mid-May 2027 at the earliest. Go on the first cars of a clear morning, before the queues and the afternoon cloud.
Fly a tandem paraglider from Planpraz over the valley
Planpraz, Chamonix
15 to 30 minutes in the air, about 2 hours in allBook ahead
Run a few steps off Planpraz with a qualified pilot and glide about 1,000 metres down with Mont Blanc in front of you.
What it is
Chamonix is one of the great paragliding valleys of the Alps, and a tandem flight with a qualified pilot needs no experience at all. The usual launch is Planpraz, the mid-station of the Brévent lift at 2,000 metres: you meet your pilot at the bottom of the gondola, ride up together, take a few running steps down the slope and glide about 1,000 metres down to a landing field in the valley, with Mont Blanc in front of you the whole way.
How to do it
A standard flight lasts 15 to 30 minutes depending on the air, and schools also sell longer flights and, for some, high-mountain launches from the Aiguille du Midi. Planpraz tandems cost from about €100 to €150 per person in 2026, usually without the lift ticket.
Good to know
Flights are moved when wind or weather turn, so book early in your stay and leave room to reschedule.
Ski the Vallée Blanche from the Aiguille du Midi with a guide
Aiguille du Midi to Montenvers
A full dayBook ahead
Ski more than 20 km off-piste from the Aiguille du Midi down the Géant glacier and the Mer de Glace, with a guide.
What it is
The Vallée Blanche is the most famous off-piste descent in the Alps: more than 20 km from the top of the Aiguille du Midi, at 3,842 metres, down the Géant glacier and the Mer de Glace to Montenvers or, with enough snow, to Chamonix. It is not a marked run. Crevasses and seracs make a mountain guide essential, and the day starts on the snow ridge below the cable car exit, roped up with crampons on.
How to do it
The Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix runs it daily from late January to early May in good conditions: its 2025 rates were €155 per person in a group, or €390 for a private guide for one or two, from age 15, with harness, avalanche transceiver and cable car reservations included and skis, crampons and lunch extra.
Good to know
You need to ski confidently off-piste. In low snow you return by the Montenvers train.
France's highest rack railway climbs through forest and pasture to the Nid d'Aigle, where climbers start the normal route up Mont Blanc.
What it is
The highest rack railway in France climbs from Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet, the main-line station at the entrance to the valley, through forest and pasture past the Col de Voza and Bellevue to the Nid d'Aigle, at about 2,400 metres, facing the Bionnassay glacier. The Nid d'Aigle is also where climbers start the normal route up Mont Blanc, so you share the train with mountaineers.
How to do it
In summer it runs all the way up, about hourly from Le Fayet; in 2026 the high season ran from July to 27 September and an adult return cost €40. Seats are reserved on the Tramway's own website or at the station, so book ahead in July and August.
Good to know
In winter it stops at Bellevue for the ski area of Les Houches and Saint-Gervais.
A chairlift or a forest path brings you to a café beside the Bossons icefall, with seracs up close and no equipment needed.
What it is
The Bossons glacier falls from Mont Blanc almost to the valley floor, and the Chalet du Glacier des Bossons, a café beside its icefall, is the easiest place to see a glacier's seracs up close without equipment.
How to do it
Start from Les Bossons, just south of Chamonix, with its own stop on the valley train and a bus stop at Glacier des Bossons. In summer a chairlift from 320 route des Tissières does most of the climb: in 2026 it ran from 13 June to 13 September, 08:30 to 17:30, for €17 return, and it is part of the Mont Blanc Multipass. The chalet is two minutes from the top station. Or walk the whole way up from the ski jump car parks, through fields and forest on the Chemin du Chens.
Good to know
The path is listed as open from April to mid-November. Good with children.
Time needed
2 to 3 hours
Best time
June to mid-September, when the chairlift and chalet are open
Soak in the pools of QC Terme with Mont Blanc above
QC Terme Chamonix
3 hours to a full dayBook ahead
When weather shuts the high lifts, soak in pools that look up at Mont Blanc, the infinity pool lined up with the Bossons glacier.
What it is
When the weather shuts the high lifts, or after a long day on the mountain, Chamonix's answer is QC Terme, an Italian-run wellness centre of some 3,000 square metres. Its indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, steam rooms and relaxation areas look up at Mont Blanc, and the infinity pool lines up with the Bossons glacier.
How to do it
It opens every day, 09:00 to 22:00, and to 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. The tourist office lists a day pass at €52 on weekdays and €58 at weekends in high season, with cheaper entries from 17:30 and from 19:30, and a pass with lunch.
Good to know
Children under 14 and pregnant women are not admitted, and under-18s must come with a parent. Book a slot online at weekends and on bad-weather days, when the whole valley has the same idea.
About 40 minutes from Saint-GervaisNo booking needed
Finish the journey to Chamonix on the narrow-gauge Mont-Blanc Express, free along the valley with your guest card.
What it is
The final approach to Chamonix is the narrow-gauge Mont-Blanc Express line. It carries on up the valley to Vallorcine and the Swiss border, where you change for Martigny; Chamonix to Martigny takes about an hour and a half.
How to do it
From Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains-Le Fayet, where trains from the rest of France arrive, the line climbs to Chamonix in about 40 minutes, roughly one train an hour, with no change. Staying in the valley? Your accommodation should give you the carte d'hôte guest card, which makes the train free between Servoz and Vallorcine. Any trip beyond that stretch, Chamonix to Saint-Gervais included, needs a normal SNCF ticket for the whole journey.
Good to know
Check timetables on SNCF Connect, since connections at Le Fayet are not always timed to match.
Ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car to 3,842 metres
Chamonix
Half a dayBook ahead
In about 20 minutes the cable car lifts you from Chamonix to a terrace facing Mont Blanc, with a glass box over the drop.
What it is
At the top you get the Rébuffat belvedere, the summit terrace facing Mont Blanc and the Pas dans le Vide, a glass box over a 1,000-metre drop.
How to do it
The cable car leaves from the centre of Chamonix at 1,033 metres and reaches the summit terrace at 3,842 metres in about 20 minutes, changing cabins at the Plan de l'Aiguille (2,310 m). It runs on a seasonal timetable and only in good weather: from 28 September to 1 November 2026 it ran 08:10 to 16:30, last return trip at 15:00, and it then closes from 2 November to 18 December.
Good to know
Children under 3 are not allowed up and under-5s are not recommended. Bring warm layers, sunglasses and sun cream even in August, and pick a clear morning for the best chance of a view.
A serious mountaineering climb to the summit of Mont Blanc, for which the hut bookings and paperwork start months ahead.
What it is
This is a serious mountaineering climb, not a hike. Guided programmes run four or five days: one or two acclimatisation days, then a three-day ascent.
How to do it
On the normal Goûter route a prefectural order requires a named reservation in one of the route's huts, Tête Rousse or the Goûter, shown with ID on the mountain; camping is not an alternative. Hut bookings go through the FFCAM portal, and the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix says both huts were fully booked for 2026. Its Duo package requires at least two days of previous experience on crampons and a minimum age of 18.
Good to know
In 2026 the Goûter hut opened from 30 May to 4 October, and early in the season the Mont-Blanc Tramway is usually shut until mid-June, adding about an hour and a half of climbing.
Geneva airport is the nearest, about an hour away by road, with coaches and shared or private transfers to Chamonix. By train, change at Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet for the Mont-Blanc Express up the valley, or arrive from Switzerland via Martigny. By car, the A40 motorway from Geneva runs straight to the valley, and the Mont Blanc tunnel links Chamonix with Courmayeur in Italy.
Getting around
The valley train links Servoz, Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentière and Vallorcine, and Chamonix's buses serve the lift stations; ask your accommodation for the carte d'hôte guest card, which makes the train free between Servoz and Vallorcine. For the lifts, the Mont Blanc Multipass covers the Aiguille du Midi, Montenvers, the Brévent, La Flégère and more in summer, and it pays off after two or three big lifts. A car is rarely needed.
How many days
In must30's view, four days in summer. One for the Aiguille du Midi and the Grand Balcon Nord down to Montenvers and the Mer de Glace, one for Lac Blanc, one for the Brévent and a tandem paraglide, and one spare for bad weather or the Tramway du Mont-Blanc. Mountains close in fast, so keep the big lift days flexible and use the forecast.
When to go
For hiking and sightseeing, come between mid-June and mid-September, when the lifts run and the high paths are clear of snow; July and August are the busiest weeks. Many lifts close from late September or October to mid-December and again from late April to June. Winter, from December to April, is for skiing, with the Vallée Blanche from late January to early May.
Where to base yourself
Chamonix town puts you next to the Aiguille du Midi, Brévent and Montenvers stations and most restaurants. Argentière, up the valley, is quieter and closer to the Grands Montets and Le Tour. Les Houches, at the lower end, is cheaper and good for families. The valley train and buses link all three.
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Chamonix?
From mid-June to mid-September for hiking, lifts and views, with July and August the busiest. From December to April for skiing. Avoid the in-between weeks of late autumn and late spring, when many lifts close for maintenance.
How do I get from Geneva airport to Chamonix?
The drive takes about an hour on the A40 motorway. Without a car, book a shared or private transfer or a coach from the airport; by train, you go via Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet and the Mont-Blanc Express, which takes longer.
What can you do in Chamonix when it rains?
Spend a few hours at QC Terme, the spa with outdoor pools facing the Bossons glacier, or take the Montenvers train for the Glaciorium and the ice cave, worth it even on a grey day. Low cloud often lifts by afternoon, so keep the high lifts for a clear morning.
Is the Lac Blanc hike suitable for children?
For children used to mountain walking, yes. From La Flégère it is about 7 km there and back with 500 metres of climbing, about three hours of walking, on a rocky but well-trodden path. Start early, bring layers and water, and remember that swimming in the lake is banned.
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