GPX ViewFrance · Italy · Switzerland
Tour du Mont Blanc
The most walked loop in the Alps: a full circuit of the massif through France, Italy and Switzerland, from pass to pass and hut to hut.
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1,001 m · 0.0 km
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- Distance
- 159.7 km
- Elevation gain
- 9,487 m
- Elevation loss
- 9,482 m
- Highest point
- 2,525 m
- Walking time
- 70 h · ~12 d
Estimated walking time (DIN 33466 standard) — breaks, meals and overnight stays not included.
Tracks derived from OpenStreetMap data, under the ODbL license.
The terrain
A clear mountain path, waymarked throughout, that asks for no particular technique — but strings passes together without let-up: elevation resets every day, and it dictates the pace far more than the kilometres do. The highest stretches, around the Col de la Seigne and the Fenêtre d'Arpette, hold snow late and are bypassed by waymarked variants when that's the case.
When to go
Mid-June to mid-September, once the passes have cleared and the huts have opened. July and August are the safe months but also the busiest — huts there get booked out months ahead. September often brings superb conditions and quieter trails, at the cost of shorter days and possible early snow at altitude.
Access and stages
Chamonix is the usual starting point, reached by train from Geneva or Saint-Gervais, but the loop can just as well be picked up at Les Houches, Courmayeur or Champex. Allow seven to eleven days depending on how you split it; valley shuttles let you skip a stage or cut things short if the weather turns. The track below covers the whole loop, yours to split into your own stages.
Take the track into the field
The downloaded file opens in GPX View, which shows the route, the remaining elevation and your position on it — with no network once the map is saved.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this GPX free?
- Yes, and with no account to create. The track is derived from OpenStreetMap and stays under the ODbL license: you can reuse it, provided you credit the source.
- Which direction should I walk the loop?
- Counter-clockwise, starting from Les Houches, is the most common: it spreads the elevation gain better across the first days and follows the direction huts organise their bookings around. The track can be walked either way, and the site can reverse it if needed.
- Will the track work on my GPS or watch?
- It's a standard GPX 1.1 file, read by the hiking watches and GPS units on the market. If your device rejects the file, it's usually because it holds too many points: the site's lightening tool cuts that number down without distorting the route.