The Lac Blanc hike is the one photograph everybody comes back from Chamonix with: a shallow alpine lake at 2,352 m (7,717 ft) holding a perfect reflection of Mont Blanc, with the Aiguilles Rouges at your back. It is the best view in the valley for the least effort, because the lifts do most of the climbing.
TL;DR: There are plenty of ways up to Lac Blanc. These are our three favorite, and the one you choose changes the day completely.
Shortest: the Index chairlift, 2½ to 3 hours return with almost no climbing.
Our pick: Index up, Lac Blanc, Lacs des Chéserys, down to La Flégère, then take the gondola down. About 4 hours and far better hiking.
Epic: from Argentière on the Tour du Mont Blanc, 6 to 7½ hours with ladders.
Lunch: the Refuge du Lac Blanc, right beside the water.
Where to stay in Chamonix
Hôtel Mont-Blanc Chamonix – 5-star, in the middle of town, for when the hike is the excuse and the hotel is the holiday.
Alpina Eclectic Hotel – 4-star, walkable to the lifts, with Mont Blanc out of a lot of the windows.
PlanB Hotel – Living Chamonix – 3-star and the sensible one. You are out hiking all day, so the room only has to be good in the evening.
More options, hostel to 5-star, in our guide to where to stay in Chamonix.
How to Hike Lac Blanc
You can start from the Index chairlift, the La Flégère gondola, the valley at Les Praz, or Argentière. Between the easiest and the hardest there is about five hours and 1,500 m of climbing, so it is worth picking deliberately.
Here are our three favorite ways to do it, one for each kind of hiker.
1. The Shortest Lac Blanc Hike: From the Index Chairlift
Take the La Flégère gondola from Les Praz (1,067 m / 3,501 ft) up to La Flégère (1,877 m / 6,158 ft), then the Index chairlift on up to 2,595 m (8,514 ft). From there Lac Blanc is about 1h15 to 1h30 each way, and the whole thing is 2½ to 3 hours return.
This is the family-friendly option. If you have small children, or you are not really a hiker and you simply want the view, this is the one. The gondola alone saves around 800 m (2,625 ft) of climbing, and the Index chairlift removes another 440 m (1,444 ft) on top of that. It is the easiest way to a view this good anywhere near Chamonix.
One honest caveat. The 60 m (197 ft) of ascent quoted from Index is a net figure. You drop down from the chairlift first and the trail undulates the whole way, so budget more like 100 to 150 m (330 to 492 ft) of real climbing.
2. Our Recommended Lac Blanc Hike: The Index to Flégère Loop
Same lifts, considerably better day. Ride the Index chairlift up, walk to Lac Blanc, then carry on down to the Lacs des Chéserys and across to La Flégère, taking the gondola down. About 4 hours, roughly 300 m (985 ft) of ascent, and one short ladder section.
This is the one for the average hiker who wants some exercise without giving up the whole day. It costs you an hour or so over the out-and-back and you see twice as much, including the Chéserys lakes, which are quieter than Lac Blanc and worth the detour on their own.
3. The Epic Lac Blanc Hike: From Argentière on the Tour du Mont Blanc
This one is for serious hikers, and the views are extraordinary the entire day rather than only at the lake. If you have a full day and the legs, start at Argentière. This is 6 to 7½ hours, 14 to 15 km (8.7 to 9.3 miles), with 1,100 to 1,150 m (3,610 to 3,770 ft) of ascent, finishing at La Flégère so you can take the gondola down rather than walk the whole descent.
You climb to the Aiguillette d’Argentière and then follow a balcony trail across the flank of the Aiguilles Rouges, which sits directly opposite Mont Blanc and gives you glaciers and summits the entire way rather than only at the top. The trail passes the Lacs des Chéserys before Lac Blanc itself.
This section is part of the Tour du Mont Blanc, and it includes the ladders bolted into the rock that TMB hikers either enjoy or talk about for the rest of the trip. They are secure, but if you would rather not, take one of the lift options above.
Check the Lifts Are Running Before You Go
Both the La Flégère gondola and the Index chairlift run seasonally, and the Index in particular opens later and closes earlier than the gondola below it. Check the current opening dates and daily running times before you set out. If the Index is shut, the hike from La Flégère is still perfectly good. It is just 500 m (1,640 ft) of climbing instead of almost none.
If both are shut, you are walking up from Les Praz, which is a 7 to 8 hour day. Of all the options this is the one we would least recommend, so have a look at the other routes in the chart first.
Lunch at the Refuge du Lac Blanc
The Refuge du Lac Blanc sits right beside the lake at 2,352 m (7,717 ft), which makes it one of the better placed lunch stops in the Alps. Have a proper meal or just a drink and something sweet on the terrace, and let everyone else queue for the photograph.
Lac Blanc in a Day, or the Whole Tour du Mont Blanc
If you only have one day, the Lac Blanc hike is the right choice. Best view in the valley, a fraction of the effort of anything comparable, and you can be back in Chamonix for dinner.
If you have longer, this trail is one small piece of something bigger. Lac Blanc sits on the Tour du Mont Blanc, which circles the whole massif through France, Italy and Switzerland. We book every night of accommodation, which on this route is the genuinely hard part, and once your booking is confirmed you get a custom training plan built around where you actually live.
Lac Blanc Hike: Your Questions Answered
How long is the Lac Blanc hike from Chamonix?
It depends where you start. From the Index chairlift it is 2½ to 3 hours return. From the La Flégère gondola it is 3 to 3½ hours return. From Argentière on the Tour du Mont Blanc route it is 6 to 7½ hours. Walking all the way up from Les Praz in the valley is a 7 to 8 hour day.
Are the Chamonix lifts to Lac Blanc open all year?
No. Both the La Flégère gondola and the Index chairlift are seasonal, and the Index opens later and closes earlier than the gondola beneath it. Check the current opening dates and running times before you set out, because if the Index is shut you are adding 500 m (1,640 ft) of climbing, and if both are shut you are walking up from Les Praz.
Which lift do you take for Lac Blanc?
The La Flégère gondola runs from Les Praz (1,067 m / 3,501 ft) to La Flégère (1,877 m / 6,158 ft). The Index chairlift then continues to 2,595 m (8,514 ft). Taking both is the fastest route and saves roughly 440 m (1,444 ft) of climbing compared with starting at La Flégère.
Is the Lac Blanc hike hard?
From the Index chairlift it is one of the easier big-view walks in the Alps, with about 60 m (197 ft) of net ascent. That is a net figure though: you descend from the chairlift first and the trail undulates, so expect 100 to 150 m (330 to 492 ft) of actual climbing. From La Flégère it is a genuine 500 m (1,640 ft) climb.
Does the Lac Blanc hike have ladders?
Only on some routes. The direct hikes from the Index chairlift and from La Flégère have none. The Tour du Mont Blanc route from Argentière, and the routes from Tré-le-Champ and the Col des Montets, include ladders bolted into the rock. The Index to Chéserys loop has one short section.
Can you eat at Lac Blanc?
Yes. The Refuge du Lac Blanc sits beside the lake at 2,352 m (7,717 ft) and serves meals and drinks, with a terrace looking straight at Mont Blanc.
What is the altitude of Lac Blanc?
Lac Blanc is at 2,352 m (7,717 ft), in the Aiguilles Rouges massif above Chamonix in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps.
Where should you stay for the Lac Blanc hike?
Chamonix itself, since both lifts start in the valley. Our guide to where to stay in Chamonix covers hostels through to 5-star hotels, sorted by star rating.
More Hiking Around Chamonix and Mont Blanc
- Where to stay in Chamonix, by star rating
- Summer in Chamonix: the best things to do
- The Tour du Mont Blanc ladders, and whether you can avoid them
- Getting from Geneva to Chamonix
- The Tour du Mont Blanc: everything you need to know