The Day-by-Day Brief

Day 1: Group members rendezvous in Chamonix, cross the French Alps by cable-car to theItalian border, then hike down to Montenvers from the Plan de Aiguille. Day ends with a cogwheel train descent along the Mer de Glace and return to the Chamonix Valley. Night at 3* chalet-hotel.

Day 2: To Les Houches in our minivan "chase car" and ride the Bellevue lift up to our start of the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) trek. Ascend to the Col de Tricot, lunch at a refuge and then down to Les Contamines-Montjoie town. By road to Megeve, France and night at 3* hotel in this resort center.

Day 3: Return to Les Contamines-Montjoie. Walk the Gorge de Bon Nant then ascend to the Col Bonhomme and higher Col de la Croix-de-Bonhomme. A refuge lunch and descent to Les Chapieux village for night at small 2* auberge.

Day 4: By road through the Val Veni to the TMB trailhead. Walk to Village des Glaciers and begin the hike up to the broad Col de la Seigne (8,252') on the Italian border. Cross into the Aosta Region of northern Italy; lunch at the Elisabetta Refuge.Descend to meet our minivan near La Visaille village at the foot of the Glacier de Miage. Drive east to Courmayeur, Italy; night at an historic 4* hotel.

Day 5: A rest day to tour the elegant old city of Courmayeur, the castle-dotted Val D'Aosta and the roman ruins in Aosta. Niight in Dolonnevillage near Courmayeur in a restored 3* 16th century hotel.

Day 6: Drive northeast through the Val Ferret to the TMB trailhead. Begin the climb to the Col Grand Ferret (8,321') on the Swiss-Italian border, the highest point reached on the trek. Lunch in the village of La Fouly,Switzerland. Descend to the road and connect with our chase car, then drive to village of Champex. Night at a 3* chalet-hotel.

Day 7: Walk north from Champez through forest and cross alpine meadows with sweeping views of the Rhône Valley below. A picnic lunch, then follow the Trient River down to the village of Trient. Night at a 2* hotel in Trient.

Day 8: Hike up the Trient Valley to the Col de Balme (7,229') on the French-Swiss border, passing tiny cow-shed hamlets such as Les Grands enroute. A refuge lunch at theCol with views of the Rhône Valley, Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, the Aiguille Verte and the Aiguilles Rouges. Descend by cable-car to the French village of Le Tour on the Arve River at the foot of the Le Tour Glacier. Meet our chase car and drive south to Argentière. Night at a 3* chalet-hotel.

Day 9: A day-long looping drive to Geneva along the north shore of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) via Montreux, Vevey, Lausanne and Nyon, with a stop at the lakeside Chateau de Chillon enroute. Some short side trips along the Route Vignobles to picturesque hill villages and small wineries surrounded by vineyards. Night at a 3* hotel in Geneva.

Day 10: Airport transfers and departures for home.