Tour du Mont Blanc Accommodation: The 4 Types, From Dormitory to 5-Star

Tour du Mont Blanc accommodations run from a bunk bed in a mountain hut all the way up to a 5-star hotel, and where you sleep shapes your whole trip.

There are four kinds of accommodation on the TMB. Here’s how they differ, what a night in each is really like, and which of our Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided tours includes it.

The 4 Types of Tour du Mont Blanc Accommodation, Most Comfortable First

Here’s the TMB accommodation ladder, from the most comfortable rung down:

1. 4 and 5-star hotels, with one night in a 3-star. The most comfortable way to hike the TMB, and only on our new 7-Day Ultimate Luxury Tour.
2. 3 nights in 3-star and 2 nights in 2-star accommodations, with your own private bathroom every night. Only on our 6-Day Classic Luxury Tour.
3. Comfort private double. Your own room, usually in inns, with shared bathrooms some nights. On our 7 and 10-day tours.
4. Dormitory. A shared room with other hikers, in mountain huts or inns, sometimes on or close to the trail. On our 7 and 10-day tours.

Private rooms go first, and there are not many of them. Dormitory beds last longer, which is worth knowing before you decide.

Type 1: 4 and 5-Star Tour du Mont Blanc Hotels (7-Day Ultimate Luxury Tour)

Our new 7-Day Ultimate Luxury Tour is the most comfortable way to hike the TMB. You get 4 and 5-star accommodation, with one night in 3-star, and your own private bathroom every night. If comfort is the thing standing between you and this trip, this is the one that solves it.

That’s three nights in 5-star hotels, two in a 4-star and one in a 3-star. Luggage transfer is included, so you hike with a daypack, and private transfers cover the road sections, so a big day ends at a hotel, not a bus stop. It also includes the Bonatti section, one of the most beautiful parts of the TMB. See the 7-Day Ultimate Luxury Tour du Mont Blanc itinerary.

Type 2: 3-Star and 2-Star Tour du Mont Blanc Hotels (6-Day Classic Luxury Tour)

Comfortable, but mountain style. On our 6-Day Classic Luxury Tour, you spend 3 nights in 3-star and 2 nights in 2-star accommodations, with your own private bathroom every night.

Rooms are simple by hotel standards but considered luxurious by hiking standards. Luggage transfer is included, you can leave the sleeping bag liner and hut slippers at home, and it’s a good fit if you’re working with a tight vacation window. See the 6-Day Classic Luxury Tour du Mont Blanc itinerary.

Type 3: Comfort Private Double Rooms on the TMB (7 and 10-Day Tours)

A Comfort private double is a private room, usually in an inn, because private rooms in mountain huts are extremely hard to find. The inns and hotels are usually in small villages.

This is a good option if you prefer a bit more luxury, would like more privacy and/or are a light sleeper. Just note that you’ll still be sharing a bathroom some nights, as some providers have limited bathroom facilities.

Accommodation is simple by hotel standards, and we choose places that suit hikers. You eat dinner at a long table with people from four countries, which is a particular kind of evening you do not get anywhere else. Having the option of a private room at all on a trek like this is a luxury in itself.

Type 4: Dormitory Beds in Tour du Mont Blanc Mountain Huts (7 and 10-Day Tours)

Dormitory is the standard accommodation on our 7 and 10-day tours: a shared room with other hikers, usually on bunk beds, with shared bathroom facilities. Showers are available in inns and may be available in mountain huts, depending on the accommodations and water availability, usually for an additional fee and with a time limit. Accommodation is simple, yet clean.

There’s usually a strict lights-out policy at around 10:00 pm, and hikers are up at approximately the same time to eat a light breakfast. Lights out at 10 sounds early, right up until you’ve hauled yourself over a col that afternoon.

Staying in a mountain hut is a great way to connect with fellow hikers. Huts are usually right on or close to the trail. It’s a good option if you enjoy the camaraderie of meeting fellow hikers, and it’s also the cheapest accommodation option. If you’re a sensitive sleeper, bring a sleep mask and earplugs, as there will likely be someone snoring. But I’ve had some surprisingly good sleeps in dorm rooms, and I enjoy meeting my fellow hikers.

Huts provide a mattress, pillow and blanket or duvet, but a sleeping bag liner is required, and our Tour du Mont Blanc packing list covers the rest.

Tour du Mont Blanc Accommodations: Why It’s So Hard to Reserve All the Accommodations for Your Tour

Refuge, auberge, gite: on the TMB, all three are names for the mountain huts where hikers sleep (in Italy it’s rifugio, as in Rifugio Elisabetta). They’re simple, usually right on or close to the trail, and built around shared rooms and dinner at a long table. You’ll also stay in inns and hotels, which are often small, with only a handful of rooms.

So why are Tour du Mont Blanc accommodations so hard to book?

• The season is short. The TMB is only doable from mid-June to mid-September, when the huts and lifts are open, so it needs to be booked 9 to 12 months ahead.
• There’s no central booking system. Every accommodation has to be called or emailed, one at a time, across France, Italy and Switzerland.
• Places open reservations at different times. Some take bookings one year in advance and others don’t accept reservations until mid-October.
• Some stops have only a handful of places to stay. If they’re full, there’s no alternative on that stage. Accommodations in Les Chapieux are already full for many dates, so some hikers sleep about 30 minutes away in Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
• Demand far exceeds supply. Because the Tour du Mont Blanc is so popular, demand for accommodation far exceeds the supply.
• One full stop can change your whole itinerary. Because you’re hiking, if the next available accommodation is 5 km (3 miles) away from your planned stop, that can add a lot to your day. It often means going back and changing the previous accommodation, or seeing whether you can take a transfer between where you stop hiking and your accommodation.

That’s why private rooms go first and dormitory beds last longer. If you want a Comfort private double, being open to a dormitory night or two makes it much more likely we can confirm your tour. Having at least three alternative start dates helps too.

The good news: on our self-guided tours we book every refuge, inn and hotel for you, so you skip the TMB accommodation booking entirely. Trust me, that’s a good thing, as it’s incredibly time-consuming, and frustrating when accommodations are very slow to get back to you, or it takes multiple attempts for them to respond. Our Tour du Mont Blanc guide shows how the stages fit together.

How to Choose Your Tour du Mont Blanc Accommodation

There’s no “right” choice. Each type of accommodation has its benefits. It depends on what’s important to you.

• 4 and 5-star hotels: the highest level of comfort on the TMB.
• 3-star and 2-star accommodations: comfort, mountain style, with your own bathroom every night.
• Comfort private double: for light sleepers and more privacy, with shared bathrooms some nights.
• Dormitory: for meeting other hikers, a smaller budget, and the best chance of a bed on your dates.

Our TMB tour comparison chart puts all four of our Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided tours side by side, with hiking times, distance, ascent and luggage transfer.

Camping on the Tour du Mont Blanc: What to Know Before You Pack a Tent

Thinking of carrying a tent instead? You can camp along the TMB, but the rules change at every border. Here’s the short version of the Tour du Mont Blanc bivouac and wild camping rules for the Mont Blanc area:

• France: Les Houches and Saint-Gervais tolerate a one-night bivouac, from sunset to sunrise. Chamonix has banned camping outside designated sites since 1992. The Contamines-Montjoie nature reserve bans bivouacs below 2,500 m (8,200 ft) in peak summer, except at two sites you book ahead, and the Aiguilles Rouges reserve above Chamonix only allows them in designated zones you reserve.
• Italy: the Aosta Valley forbids bivouacs below 2,500 m (8,200 ft).
• Switzerland: bivouacking and wild camping are prohibited, so use designated campsites, such as those in La Fouly and Champex-Lac.

Rules can change from one summer to the next, so look them up again before you go. None of our TMB tours involve camping, so if hauling a tent over the Col de la Seigne sounds like a lot, all four options above come with a real bed.

Accommodation in Chamonix and Les Houches Before and After Your TMB Trek

You’ll also need to book accommodation in Chamonix or Les Houches the night before your tour starts and on the last day of your tour. Our 6-Day Classic Luxury and 7-day tours start in Les Houches, our 7-Day Ultimate Luxury and 10-day tours start in Chamonix, and all four finish in Chamonix.

Staying in Chamonix? Ask your hotel for the free Chamonix Guest Card, which gives you free rides on the Mont Blanc Express train, including to Les Houches, and discounted bus passes. With Tour du Mont Blanc luggage transfer, choose a hotel with a staffed reception, not an apartment. Flying in? Here’s how to get from Geneva to Chamonix.

Use the map below to find a place to stay in Chamonix or Les Houches before and after your Tour du Mont Blanc.

Tour du Mont Blanc Accommodation FAQs

Ready to Book Your Tour du Mont Blanc Accommodation?

Private rooms go first, and a few key stops on the TMB have only a handful of places to stay, so if you know which rung of the ladder is yours, now’s the time to claim it. Book one of our Tour du Mont Blanc self-guided tours and we’ll book every refuge, inn and hotel for you. If we can’t secure accommodations for your dates, you’ll receive a full refund.