Walking Routes in Chamonix — 10 of Our Favourites

Starting from Planpraz at Brévent, turn left out of the lift station and follow the wide path past the Altitude 2000 restaurant (closed in summer). On a good calm day you’ll see parapenters taking off from the grassy field on your left.

Continue up towards the chairlift pylons and bear right towards Flégère; after a couple of hundred metres you’ll come to a footpath on your left that climbs uphill through open fields before reaching a scree slope. Scramble across the scree (it’s not too steep or challenging) and pass through a narrow gap.

The trail becomes steeper as it approaches Col Cornu and you pass between the impressive peaks of Aiguille de Charlanon on your left and Aiguille Pourrie on your right; once you’ve reached the summit of the col at 2,414m the trail drops down to the lake.

The lake itself is surrounded by rocks that make good picnic tables and the occasional grassy patch. The rocks make for quite eerie acoustics and you can often hear the cawing of birds or bleating of goats, magnified and distorted from their usual sounds. The views are spectacular and you get a completely different perspective by being on the other side of the mountain.

You can either return via the same route, or make a circuit of it by descending to Flégère and taking the cable car down to Les Praz, from where you can catch the bus back to Chamonix or walk alongside the river.

Lac Blanc is a high altitude mountain lake, surrounded by rocks and accessed by a number of different hiking trails. The calm clear waters create the perfect mirror image of Mont Blanc and the snowy peaks on the opposite side of the valley.

Lac Blanc is a particular favourite of ours as it offers so many different perspectives of the Mont Blanc Massif and demonstrates some of the most beautiful alpine colours, changing all year round. At the tail end of summer a few seasons ago we hiked up to Lac Blanc in the late afternoon staying overnight in the refuge. That evening we saw the most amazing sunset over the Mont Blanc massif. We were lucky enough to have a clear day the following morning and were able to watch the sun rise over the range again. It was a truly amazing sight with rich autumnal colours on display against the stunning Mont Blanc backdrop.

The mountain refuge on the edge of the lake was destroyed by an avalanche and re-built in the 1990’s but it has proven to be such a popular stop over with walkers (being on the Tour de Mont Blanc) that it was further extended in 2005 to offer more beds.

The Glacier des Bossons is steeped in history. 

The glacier has made its way down from the summit of Mont Blanc and once touched the village of Les Bossons. 

It's slowly receding and the walk to its base gets longer every year. 

It has served as a training ground for the Compagnie des Guides and also has been witness to two air crashes in the past century. The wreckage of two Air India flights, one in 1950 and the other in 1966, still turn up on occasion as it makes its way down the mountain transported by the ever moving ice.

The forest is lush with thick green foliage and masses of wild flowers throughout the summer months, wafting fresh invigorating scents into the air. In the spring months this area is announced as “out of bounds” by the Compagnie du Mont Blanc for being still at risk of snow slides and rockfalls; it's amazing what a difference a couple of weeks of sunshine can make though and by the start of summer the paths are all clear and perfectly passable.

On your return towards Les Planards ski area don’t panic if you hear screaming, it’ll most likely be coming from the toboggan ride that loops around the meadow - in the summer the ski area is transformed into a fun park. There is also a restaurant with a big sunny terrace if you fancy rewarding yourself with an ice cream on the way home.

The Mer de Glace is famous worldwide and is the longest glacier in France. The hike up to it is steep in places but not too tricky for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.

There are plenty of places to stop and catch your breath en-route, as well as a little refuge where you can stop for a drink and a look at the incredible views.

This hike can be done as one big loop or, thanks to the Montenvers train, you can either do the ascent or the descent and ride the train in the other direction.

Starting from Chamonix we took the train to Les Tines (timetables can be found here); on exiting the station you cross the road, turn left and look for a pathway leading into the forest, signposted for Le Chapeau. After a few hundred metres on a 4x4 track the route branches off to the left and narrows to a small footpath.

This walk is a nice one for a hot day as much of it is in the shade of the trees, with the air getting cooler as you climb up past Lavancher towards Le Chapeau. When the paths pops you out at Lavancher you need to bear right and look for the continuation of the path that leads away from the bend in the road.

It’s uphill all the way to Le Chapeau but mostly at a pleasant gradient, twisting in and out of the forest and coming out occasionally into wild tangles of long grass and Alpine flowers. As you get closer to Le Chapeau you’ll see little signs tucked amongst the paths, labelling certain plants and herbs (they mostly looked like weeds to me, but I’m no expert). The last little push up to the buvette is absolutely lovely with a number of small streams trickling across and alongside the path and bright purple lupins swaying in the breeze.

Le Chapeau is a pretty little wooden chalet with Tibetan prayer flags fluttering overhead, surrounded by swathes of colourful flowers. It sits on a little terrace at 1,576m with excellent views of both the Chamonix valley and of the jagged peaks of Le Drus and Les Grandes Jorasses looming over the Mer de Glace.

After a lovely lunch of salad and omelette we filled our water bottles from a cold stream and continued onwards to La Tête des Prapators, making a little detour to the viewpoint that looks out over the Mer de Glace.

After this point the path gets markedly steeper and we were soon making regular excuses to stop and admire the view, so that we could catch our breath. It’s well worth the effort though, as the views get more and more spectacular the higher you get. There’s also the excitement of the odd bit of scrambling over rocks, aided by ladders and metal rails embedded in the mountainside. We finally made it up to the giddy height of 1844m and had a brief pause for water and recuperation at the Tête des Prapators, before heading back down via Lavancher following signs for Les Tines and Les Bois, passing by the Retour Pendant chairlift at Les Grands Montets en route.

Considering the climb up seemed so long and steep, the descent actually felt quite gentle; there was the occasional skitter down the odd rocky section but generally it was a pleasant trot through overgrown greenery and cool forests. After four hours of hot and dusty hiking we were more than ready for the cool breezes coming off the roaring torrents of the Source des Arveyrons as we returned back to the Bois du Bouchet. From there it was a flat stroll alongside the river back to Chamonix, stopping only to scratch the ears of a friendly goat by the Bergerie d’Orthaz.

All in all, our circuit took in a little over 12 kilometres and climbing about 1,000m in elevation, meaning that our après-hike beers in MOO Bar were extremely well deserved.

This first section of the pre Aiguille du Midi cable car route between Les Pelerins and La Para was opened in 1924 in time for the Winter Olympic Games. 

The second section leading up to Les Glaciers was finished in 1927. 

Both lift stations were abandoned in 1951 due to their diminished popularity following the opening of the Brévent Planpraz cable. Now hikers enjoy a good nose around this relic which still includes one of the original cable cars.

This hike starts with a ride on the world-famous Aiguille du Midi cable car. You only need to go to the mid-station but we recommend going all the way to the top first and then coming back to the Plan de l'Aiguille - just for the experience.

Step outside the cable car station at Plan de l'Aiguille and follow the hiking signs for Montenvers. Dropping down past the Refuge du Plan de l’Aiguille, the path then veers off horizontally to the right to La Tapia (not to Chamonix via Plan du Trois or Pre du Rocher). Once on this path, you can pretty much always see the route ahead meaning minimal opportunity to take a wrong turn. Look out for donkeys beside the refuge, they can often be found grazing here and are quite friendly.

Don’t forget to take a break to admire the views of the Aiguille du Midi and Mont Blanc which will always be behind you in this direction. Having passed the sign to the Chalets du Blaitière (and continued straight on), the next junction you come to will give you a choice of route.

To the left is a shorter but very narrow path that leads to Montenvers across steep gullies which can be dangerous if snow covered. This route is not recommended if you have young children with you or if you are unsure of heights as the path drops away sharply in places.

The better route to take (and the most scenic) is the path that climbs up to the right to the Signal Forbes (2,198m). The additional effort is repaid in amazing views of Les Drus and the Mer de Glace that the other route does not offer. Once at the top, the path continues down to the Montenvers view point and the railway station.

Starting from Chamonix bus station, this hike only takes around 45 minutes to get there and less to get back, making it ideal if you only have time for a quick jaunt. The view of the cascade is worth the effort and the dense forest gives you the feeling of having escaped into the wilderness within a very short distance of Chamonix town.

Once you get near to the waterfall there are a couple of bridges to cross that give you a fantastic view of the cascade in all its glory.

Starting from Chamonix centre, head up behind the tourist office and take the Brévent-Planpraz lift up to the mid-station at 2,000m. When you come out of the lift station you’ll see a restaurant directly ahead of you, follow the path that goes to the left of it and you’ll soon pick up signs for the Grand Balcon Sud and La Flégère.

The trail drops downhill first of all, twisting through boulders covered in thick bracken and wildflowers. Listen out for the whooping sound of marmots, they’re well camouflaged but you’re never far away from them up here.

Although there is a bit of up and down to contend with, this hike ambles fairly gently along a path that once passed through old grazing pastures - you’ll still come across the ruins of old cottages and shepherds huts from time to time. Small streams run alongside the path in places and there are countless places to take the perfect photo, or to stop for a leisurely picnic.

On the sunnier side of the valley and above the tree line, this is a great hike for admiring the spectacular views across to the Mont Blanc Massif and the Aiguilles Rouges.

It doesn’t take long at all, maybe only a couple of hours, but it can easily be extended at either end by hiking up to Lac Brévent from Planpraz or Lac Blanc from Flégère.