Highlights of Mont Blanc

This small-group holiday with Explore Worldwide takes you through highlights of the Mont Blanc massif, based in a chalet hotel in Les Houches. Each day’s walking is made accessible by the local cable car system and a travel pass for buses and trains around the valley. From Les Bossons to Chamonix, the route runs close to glaciers and ridges, with an included picnic in the forested Paradis du Praz.

Higher routes from the Bellevue cable car showcase the main Tour du Mont Blanc trail, including the ascent to Le Prarion with its extensive views and a long descent through woodland. A day’s outing leads to the waterfalls and hamlets of the Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve, with an option to visit a cave linked to the Robin Hood of the Alps. The last full-day walk is the scenic climb to Lac Blanc, where the vast Mont Blanc range stretches into view, sheer faces and icefields in clear sight.

The hotel offers a swimming pool, sauna and a garden with mountain vistas. Should the legs tire, there is always the cosy bar or the village of Chamonix just a short bus ride away. The week includes some longer ascents and descents, so a reasonable level of fitness suits this steady-paced holiday.