Planning A Trip to Chamonix in 2026

Chamonix! What an incredible mountain town. Everybody should visit Chamonix once in their life. A vacation in Chamonix has everything! Great hiking, great food, great views and (usually) great weather! We love gazing up at Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in the Alps. If you need help planning a trip to Chamonix then look no further.

The beautiful region of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (typically shortened to Chamonix) is the birthplace of mountaineering. Today it is a great base for climbers, skiers, bikers, hikers, families and just regular travellers. It's also the typical starting point for the Tour du Mont Blanc.  The Tour du Mont Blanc is an epic walking tour that goes through France, Switzerland, and Italy over ten to twelve days, and you can learn more in this Guide to Walking the Tour du Mont Blanc. Also departing from Chamonix is the Classic Walkers Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. This is a spectacular and challenging walk with big days and mountain passes. If you want to learn more then the Guide to the Walkers Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt has all the information you need!

We love the Chamonix Valley. But it’s not just the town of Chamonix. Obviously, we recommend staying in Chamonix proper, but we also enjoy Argentière and Les Houches. Argentière is a little smaller with some great chalets and apartments to rent. Les Houches is typically a little less expensive, but it is a 30-minute bus or ten-minute drive to get to Chamonix. When we hear people are planning a family holiday, we usually mention Les Houches to the parents because there are some great vacation rentals, hotels and restaurants there that we love and they are more kid friendly.

Chamonix has a wide variety of attractions, so it isn’t simply a hiking holiday. The summer gondolas and trains take you on wonderful journeys and make your hikes easier, allowing you to glide up the steep incline and start in the Alpine. You shouldn’t feel the need to hike everyday in Chamonix. That being said, once you get there you just might try, especially once you check out our Top 10 hikes in Chamonix. For those that want to simply enjoy a spectacular self-guided walking holiday near Chamonix, consider one of these:

• Complete Tour du Mont Blanc: This self-guided TMB is the complete route, 11 days of stunning views!
• 6-Day Highlights of the TMB in Hotels: Looking for a week of the exquisite Tour du Mont Blanc while staying in private rooms in hotels? This is the tour for you then!
• 7-Day Tour du Mont Blanc in Deluxe Hotels: Hiking the TMB can also include deluxe hotels in charming mountain towns, and this 7-day route is a special TMB!
• Guided Tour du Mont Blanc in Hotels: Walk the TMB with an English-speaking guide!

So what are you waiting for? Start planning your trip to Chamonix already!

Mont Blanc can be seen on epic Grand Balcon Sud trail in Chamonix, France

Chamonix Village as seen from Grand Balcon Nord trail

HOW TO GET TO CHAMONIX

Flying to Chamonix

Chamonix does not have a commercial airport. When traveling from outside of France, the closest commercial airports are Geneva, Lyon and Chambery airports.

Geneva has a big variety of airlines coming here. the majority of different airlines using the airport and is also closer by an hour and there are lots of options for transfers. One of the popular companies is Mountain Drop Offs, who offer 10Adventures users discounts to get to Chamonix or check out this post on shared transfers to find out the best option for you to get to Chamonix.

Lyon is a two-hour drive away from Chamonix and there are regular transfers with Chamonix First.

Driving to Chamonix

Geneva to Chamonix. The drive from Geneva to Chamonix takes around 1 h 15 min and is approximately 82.0 km long via road A40.
Paris to Chamonix. If you are planning to drive from Paris to Chamonix, it takes around 6 h 25 min (614.0 km) via roads A6 and A40.
Lyon to Chamonix. The drive from Lyon to Chamonix takes around 2 h 40 min (224.0 km) via the road A40.

CHAMONIX WEATHER

Chamonix weather usually has quite a narrow amplitude, which makes it perfect - not too cold for skiing and doesn’t get too hot for hiking.

In Chamonix tourists come to ski in the winter and hike in the summer. Typically you can still ski in the spring, and actually a lot of people prefer it to the winter. Just be careful it doesn’t get too warm.

In the autumn you usually can keep hiking well into autumn, and in low snow years hiking in December may be possible, depending on weather conditions.

Chamonix weather and precipitation averages:

Average monthly temperature in Chamonix

The weather in Chamonix stays relatively similar from November through to March, still getting the snow till May. And the hottest months in Chamonix are usually June through August, which is great for hiking.

HOW TO GET AROUND Chamonix

We love not having a car in Chamonix, as it makes getting around and doing one-way hikes easier. To get to Chamonix from Geneva, try Mountain Drop Offs, who offer 10Adventures users discounts to get to Chamonix.

The transit system in the region in Chamonix is very good. Buses and trains can get you from place to place if you are willing to wait a little longer.

You can certainly rent a car if you like, and if you’re staying in Les Houches this might be advised. We heartily recommend using transit though, and in fact we wish more mountain towns were as well-serviced as Chamonix.

There is a great guest card you can get that lets you use the transit for a great price. Check out the Chamonix Website for some details about what they offer.

Lac Blanc is an alpine lake near Chamonix

French Alps during the Spring on Les Posettes hike in Chamonix

CHAMONIX MAP

You can download the Chamonix Map from this official Chamonix website. Or download the pdf Chamonix maps just by pressing the links bellow:

Chamonix Valley Map.

Albert Premiere hike in Chamonix, French Alps

Lac Cornu trail in Chamonix

 

THINGS TO DO IN CHAMONIX

When you’re not hiking in Chamonix, most people just find ways to soak in the natural beauty without the physical excursion. We totally get it. Not everyone can do a big hike everyday. The solutions of things to do in Chamonix are vast and wonderful. The best part is that for 63 euros you can get a pass for a bunch of lifts and sight seeing activities. Here’s what we loved most from that list.

First, you can, wait you MUST take the cable car up to the viewpoint at Aiguille du Midi. The oxygen can be a little thin (nothing extreme) at the top, but the views are jaw dropping. While you’re there make sure to go up the elevator and “Step into the Void.” This section of the visitor centre lets you stand over a see through floor, which is always great for photos. In the visitor’s centre there is also some historical background on the surrounding area.

The next sight seeing adventure is the Brévent Cable Car. The Brévent area is beautiful (as a side note, we have two hikes near that area: Lac Cornu and Gran Balcon Sud).

The final low-impact, mountain adventure is the Montevers - Mer de Glace Train. This train takes you up to the Mer de Glace glacier and from there you can take a few hundred steps down into the ice cave. This part is especially mesmerizing.

If you’re after some traditional European sightseeing visit the Eglise Saint Michel in Chamonix. A seasoned European traveler might not find it out of the ordinary, but we’ve found that if you stop here in the early morning, when the dawn’s light breaks through the stained glass, it can extraordinarily serene. It’s a beautiful and quaint church.

If you got some older kids and teens with you, you might need some adventure activities to mix in with the hikes. Now there are plenty of mountains to ski on in the winter, but in the summer you can visit the Chamonix Parc d’Attractions. The majority of the summer activities might be suited for younger kids, but we think their luge alpine coaster is fun for nearly all ages!

If that’s not their style, some people love to try paragliding in Chamonix (though we’re too scared to try, to be honest)! You may not have considered attempting this, but beginners ride tandem with a professional, so it’s quite manageable.

View from the Col de Balme trail in Chamonix

French Alps from Pointe de Vue trial in Chamonix

DANGERS WHEN HIKING IN Chamonix

• Weather can change quickly. Make sure to bring multiple layers.
• Always bring sunglasses, a hat and wear sunscreen—even in winter. The sun at the alpine altitude is very strong.
• Storms are common in the mountains. The storms can also come out of nowhere, especially on hot summer days. At the first signs of a storm, get down off any ridges and away from waterways. Make sure to avoid any pole-like structure or solitary trees.
• Fog and low clouds can fill in fast on the mountain. Stay on the signed paths when this happens and bring a rescue whistle with you as well as maps and some form of compass.
• In especially sloped areas watch out for slippery wet grass and small rockslides from hikes above you.
• While not an extreme danger, the big white Great Pyrenees dogs that guard the sheep in the area may look like oversized golden retrievers, but these dogs are trained to protect their flock. Keep that in mind. Some people have gotten bit in the past.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CHAMONIX

• Mont Blanc meaning. Mont Blanc, or Monte Bianco, means “The White Mountain”.

• Chamonix pronunciation. Although every region in France pronounces Chamonix a bit differently, the most common Chamonix pronunciation is Sham-on-EE.

• Chamonix altitude. Chamonix resort altitude is averagely at 1,035 m. The elevation difference in the Chamonix region is between 995 m–4,810 m.

• The Aiguille du Midi lift. If you’re planning on skiing, avoid hotels that advertise proximity to the to the Aiguille du Midi lift. That lift does not take you to any groomed runs. The Aiguille du Midi is great, however, for the summer because that viewpoint is something you don’t want to miss.

• Try asking for south facing views when booking your room. The south rooms are most likely to have views on Mont Blanc
• English is pretty common in the are due to the large amount of tourists this area sees especially during ski season