Across the 170 km106 mi of the Tour du Mont Blanc, the answer to this question should not take long: the Italian section, between Courmayeur and the Grand Col Ferret, is without question the most spectacular stretch of the circuit. This is not a matter of taste - it is a matter of geography.
The TMB crosses three countries (France, Italy, Switzerland) and circumnavigates the Mont Blanc massif in the anti-clockwise direction for the vast majority of hikers (roughly 90% of all traffic). Each side of the massif offers a different experience. Not all of them are equal.
Why is the Italian section the most beautiful part of the TMB?
From Courmayeur to the Grand Col Ferret (2,537 m8,323 ft), the trail runs along the Italian Val Ferret over two solid days of hiking. You walk directly beneath the north faces of Mont Blanc, the Grandes Jorasses, and the Aiguille de Triolet - towering walls of ice and rock that dominate the valley at a proximity found nowhere else on the circuit.
The centrepiece of this section is Rifugio Bonatti (2,025 m6,644 ft), perched on a ledge with a sweeping view down the entire Val Ferret and the Grandes Jorasses chain as a backdrop. It is the most photographed refuge on the TMB, and for good reason: the terrace looks directly at 4,208 m13,806 ft of north faces. If you sleep in only one refuge on the entire circuit, make it this one.
The climb to the Grand Col Ferret from the refuge completes the section with a 360-degree panorama. On the Italian side, you look back over everything you have just crossed. On the Swiss side, the Swiss Val Ferret opens before you with the Bernese Alps in the background.
The Swiss Val Ferret: solid but different
The descent from the Grand Col Ferret on the Swiss side down to Champex-Lac is long (around 20 km12.4 mi) and passes through more pastoral terrain - alpine meadows, streams, and scattered farms. It is beautiful, but with a gentler character than the Italian side: less vertical drama, less glacial ice in view. The standard trail via Champex is heavily trafficked and visually unremarkable by TMB standards.
The Fenetre d’Arpette: the variant that changes everything
If the standard Swiss section disappoints, the Fenetre d’Arpette (2,665 m8,744 ft) transforms it entirely. It is the hardest variant on the TMB - 22 km13.7 mi, 1,938 m6,358 ft of ascent, rated hard - and by far the most beautiful day on the Swiss side of the circuit.
The trail climbs from Champex-Lac through the Val d’Arpette, first through forest then into increasingly steep boulder chaos, to the col at 2,665 m8,744 ft. The moment you tip over the other side is the most striking on the entire Swiss section: the Trient Glacier drops away below your feet, a tongue of ice wedged between vertical walls. The descent toward the glacier is steep, technical, and spectacular.
Weather dictates everything. This variant is impassable in poor conditions - the boulder field below the col becomes dangerous in rain or fog, and snow lingers until early July. Check the forecast the day before and only commit in clear weather. If conditions are not right, fall back to the standard Champex route without hesitation.
The French side: two completely different experiences
The French section breaks into two very distinct stretches.
The Grand Balcon Sud, between Chamonix and Les Houches, follows the left bank of the valley facing the Mont Blanc massif. It is a panoramic trail with direct views of Mont Blanc and the Mer de Glace. Spectacular on paper - but the Chamonix valley is heavily developed, cable-car infrastructure is visible throughout, and trail traffic during peak season is intense. The magic is real but comes with an asterisk.
The section between Les Contamines and the Italian border - particularly the climb to the Col du Bonhomme (2,329 m7,641 ft) and the Col de la Seigne (2,516 m8,255 ft) - is the wildest stretch on the French side. Few refuges, sparse crowds outside the main stopovers, open alpine meadows. The ascent to the Col de la Seigne marks the crossing into Italy and delivers a raw panorama of the glaciers on the western flank of Mont Blanc.
Which part of the TMB is the least spectacular?
The honest answer: the section around Champex-Lac and the Trient valley on the standard route (without the Fenetre d’Arpette). This stretch is largely forested, views of the massif are absent or partial, and it is hard to believe you are on the same circuit as the Italian Val Ferret. It is not unpleasant - it is actually a welcome rest - but if you are doing a shortened version of the TMB and need to cut something, this is where you cut without regret.
The Chamonix valley section between Argentiere and Les Houches also deserves a mention: the final stretch on road and vehicle track to return to Les Houches from Chamonix is purely logistical. It is not trekking - it is getting from A to B.
How to make the most of the best sections
If you are hiking the TMB with time constraints, here is the priority order to follow:
- Non-negotiable: The Italian Val Ferret (Courmayeur - Rifugio Bonatti - Grand Col Ferret). Do not cut this section under any circumstances. The 7-day TMB already includes a night at Bonatti.
- Highly recommended: The Col de la Seigne and the wild sector between Les Contamines and Courmayeur.
- Do if you have the fitness: The Fenetre d’Arpette variant on the Swiss side. The 10-day TMB gives you the space to include it.
- Weather-dependent: The Grand Balcon Sud from Chamonix.
