3 days in Chamonix

Day by day

1. Day 1: Aiguille du Midi and Vallée Blanche descent

   Aiguille du Midi, Vallée Blanche descent and Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola, then Rue des Moulins in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Aiguille du Midi

      Two cable car stages climb from the edge of town to the summit station at 3,842 metres in about 20 minutes, one of the highest vertical ascents of any cable car in the world.

   2. Late morning

      Vallée Blanche descent

      Book through the Compagnie des Guides or another guide office, which supply the safety gear and know current snow and glacier conditions.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fondue savoyarde

      Traditional restaurants in the centre and mountain restaurants on the slopes; usually a minimum of two people.

   4. Afternoon

      Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola

      In summer, small gondola cabins continue from the Aiguille du Midi across the glaciers of the Vallée Blanche to Pointe Helbronner on the Italian border, a ride of about 35 minutes over crevasses and seracs at well above 3,000 metres.

   5. Evening

      Rue des Moulins

      A short street in the centre with a cluster of small bars and late-night spots that fill up after dinner.

2. Day 2: Montenvers railway and Mer de Glace and Le Brévent

   Montenvers railway and Mer de Glace, Le Brévent and Place Balmat and the Saussure statue, then Chamonix centre in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Montenvers railway and Mer de Glace

      Allow time for the stairs to the ice cave and back, and look out for the signs that mark where the glacier surface stood in past decades.

   2. Late morning

      Le Brévent

      A gondola from the top of town to Planpraz and a cable car on to the summit at 2,525 metres face Mont Blanc head-on across the valley, so this is the best place to see the whole massif.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tartiflette

      Almost every restaurant and mountain hut menu in winter.

   4. Afternoon

      Place Balmat and the Saussure statue

      Follow the statue's pointing finger on a clear evening and you will see the summit of Mont Blanc lit pink at sunset.

   5. Evening

      Chamonix centre

      Après-ski bars near Place Balmat and around the station, busy from about 4pm in winter.

3. Day 3: Lac Blanc and Lac des Gaillands

   Lac Blanc, Lac des Gaillands and Cascade du Dard and Glacier des Bossons, then Chamonix Sud in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Lac Blanc

      A small lake at about 2,350 metres in the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserve, famous for the reflection of the Mont Blanc massif in its water.

   2. Late morning

      Lac des Gaillands

      Come at sunset and watch climbers on the crag while the peaks turn pink above the lake.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Raclette

      Savoyard restaurants in the centre; some cheese shops rent raclette sets for apartments.

   4. Afternoon

      Cascade du Dard and Glacier des Bossons

      A forest path from the southern end of town climbs to the Cascade du Dard waterfall and continues towards the Bossons glacier, whose icefall descends lower than almost any other in the Alps.

   5. Evening

      Chamonix Sud

      Relaxed bars and a local microbrewery near the Aiguille du Midi base, popular with seasonal workers.

Before you go

• Aiguille du Midi: Book a timed slot online in July, August and on clear winter weekends, when queues at the base station can be long.
• Vallée Blanche descent: Guided places fill in February and March; reserve a few days ahead and keep a weather back-up day.

If it rains

• Swap in Église Saint-Michel (Chamonix centre): Photograph the bell tower from the bridge over the Arve with the Aiguilles behind it.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Chamonix centre keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Chamonix Sud ($$) suits budget, solo travellers and nightlife. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 23–34 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Chamonix
• 2 days in Chamonix
• 5 days in Chamonix

Questions travellers ask