2-Day TMB Challenge: Courmayeur to La Fouly Hiking Guide

Travel tip · 2026-06-28

2-Day TMB Challenge: Courmayeur to La Fouly Hiking Guide

2日1夜挑戰！阿爾卑斯山 TMB 徒步全攻略（逆走篇）

We hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc anti-clockwise — 2 days, 1 night, from Courmayeur (Italy) to La Fouly (Switzerland): about 35 km with 2,055 m of climbing. Full breakdown of our route, stay prices, luggage transfer and hut-booking tips, plus 4 things you must know before you go.

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◎ Watch the full reel on Instagram

💡 Book your mountain huts at least 3 months ahead for July–August and arrange luggage transfer at least 3 days before you set off — hike light, not heavy!

Our 2-day, 1-night route (anti-clockwise)

We hiked anti-clockwise from Courmayeur (Italy) to La Fouly (Switzerland) — about 35 km with 2,055 m of total climbing over 2 days and 1 night. The official standard direction for the TMB is anti-clockwise, which is why most online info covers this way round.

The day before: we took the 3-hour FlixBus from Milan straight to Courmayeur and stayed the night at Hotel Dolonne (double room with breakfast, HKD$947).

Day 1: Courmayeur ➔ Refugio Elena — we originally wanted the very popular Rifugio Bonatti, but booked too late and it was fully sold out, so we pushed over an extra mountain to Refugio Elena instead (double bed in a dormitory with dinner and breakfast, HKD$1,250).

Day 2: Refugio Elena ➔ La Fouly — we stayed at Hotel Edelweiss, which has a bus stop right outside the door, so getting back to the main valley and catching the train was super easy (2 beds in a dormitory with dinner and breakfast, HKD$2,020).

The hiking wasn't easy, but the scenery was absolutely worth it! ✨

Luggage transfer + hut stay tips

🧳 Luggage transfer: companies specialise in moving hikers' big bags from one stay to the next on the TMB. We used Peakplus (about €50 per bag) — remember to book at least 3 days before you set off!

🏡 Mountain hut stays: most huts are dormitory-style. We booked Half Board (bed + dinner + breakfast). Our mountain stay used token showers with a 15-litre water limit per person (it stops once you run out), while village hotels had no limit.

📌 Tip: in peak season (July–August), book at least 3 months ahead!

Trail conditions, weather & gear

We went in mid-June — the snowmelt had just started, but there was still residual snow above 2,000 m. We'd recommend waterproof hiking boots, trekking poles, and crampons if you think you'll need them.

🔍 How to check trail conditions: ask at the tourist office, watch live webcams online, check Facebook hiking groups for real-time reports from other hikers, or just email the huts directly.

☁️ Weather app: we recommend Meteoblue. Mountain weather changes fast, so full rain protection is a must!

Navigation & offline maps

The TMB trail markers are extremely clear, with proper signs at every junction — you'd be hard pushed to get lost! But to be extra safe:

- 🗻 Download the TMB Map or Komoot offline maps before you set off
- 📱 Use them to plan your route — they work even with no signal
- ⚠️ And remember: safety first!

Original post (verbatim) 【2日1夜挑戰！阿爾卑斯山 TMB 徒步全攻略（逆走篇）🏔️】今次由意大利 Courmayeur 出發，逆走至瑞士 La Fouly，全程約 35 公里，總爬升 2,055 米！雖然路程唔容易，但風景絕對值得！✨ **官方標準路線通常係逆走，所以資料會比較多！** 👉🏻 【行程路線分享】起步前一日：由米蘭搭 3 小時 FlixBus 直達 Courmayeur 前一晚住宿：Hotel Dolonne 💰HKD$947 （Double room，包早餐） 🏃‍♂️ Day 1：Courmayeur ➔ Refugio Elena （原本想住熱門的嘅Rifugio Bonatti，但太遲 Book full 咗，唯有 Chur 啲行多座山去呢間） 💰HKD$1,250 （Double Bed in Dormitory包晚餐及早餐） 🏃‍♂️ Day 2：Refugio Elena ➔ La Fouly 到達後住宿：Hotel Edelweiss（門口一出就係巴士站，可以直接出返市區搭火車，超級方便！） 💰HKD$2,020 （2 Beds in Dormitory包晚餐及早餐） ⚠️ 【出發前必知 4 大注意事項】 1️⃣ 行李寄送 🧳 有公司專幫TMB行山客將大行李由一間住宿寄到下一間。我哋用 Peakplus（大約 €50/件），記得最遲要出發前 3 日預約！ 2️⃣ 山屋住宿 🏡 大部分係 Dormitory，我哋訂嘅係Half Board（包全宿+早晚餐）。今次住嘅山上住宿用代幣制沖涼，每人限 15L 水（用完即停），小鎮的 Hotel 就無限制。 📌 溫馨提示：旺季（7-8月）一定要提早至少 3 個月預訂！ 3️⃣ 路況及裝備 🥾 我哋 6 月中去啱啱好開始溶雪，但上到 2,000 米以上仍然有殘雪。建議著防水行山鞋、帶行山杖，有需要可帶備冰爪。 🔍 查路況秘訣：可以去 tourist centre 問、睇網上 Live Cam、上 Facebook Group 睇行山客Po 嘅即時實況或者直接 Email 問山屋。 ☁️天氣 App 推薦用 Meteoblue，記得山上天氣變幻莫測，防雨措施一定要做足！ 4️⃣ 導航與離線地圖 📍 TMB 路標極清晰，分岔路都有明確指標 🗻推薦大家下載 TMB Map 或 Komoot 離線地圖，或者用嚟規劃路線，記得安全至上！ #tourdumontblanc #tmb #行山攻略

TMB for First-Timers: Meet the Tour du Mont Blanc

Our 2-day, 1-night hike covered one of the most spectacular sections of the TMB — but the full Tour du Mont Blanc is a big loop that takes around 10 days! If you're thinking of doing it too, we've packed all the homework you need into this page — bookmark it and save yourself hours of research!

What is the TMB?

The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is a long-distance trekking loop around the Mont Blanc massif — roughly 170 km (Wikipedia's figure is 165 km), usually walked over 7–14 days, with the official site citing about 10 days / 60 hours of walking. It crosses three countries — France, Italy and Switzerland — circling Mont Blanc (about 4,808 m), the highest peak in the Alps, with around 10,000 m of cumulative ascent. We hiked the classic anti-clockwise direction, which is the standard way round — that's exactly why most online info covers it!

Refuges & the Half Board system

Overnights on the TMB are mostly in refuges (mountain huts), usually dormitory-style. You can book just a bed or — like us — go Half Board (bed + dinner + breakfast). A half-board dorm bed typically costs about €40–70 a night, with private rooms around €80–120 where available. Refuges have limited capacity, so book ahead in peak season (July–August) — the busiest stages sell out weeks in advance. We know this first-hand: we booked too late, missed out on Rifugio Bonatti, and had to switch to a different hut! Mountain stays are also water-conscious — ours used token showers with a 15-litre limit per person, while village hotels had no limit.

How luggage transfer works

Don't fancy carrying your big bag over the passes? Luggage transfer companies move TMB hikers' bags from one stay to the next — hand it over in the morning and it's waiting at tonight's accommodation when you finish your hike. Prices are typically about €30–50 per bag per stage (some providers charge €60–65); we used Peakplus at roughly €50 per bag. Book early — we booked 3 days before departure, and in peak season slots fill up even faster. One catch: not every refuge is reachable — high huts without road access (like Rifugio Bonatti) are usually outside the transfer network, so on those nights you carry your own gear.

Best time to go

The consensus — from official sites and hikers alike — is that late June to early September is the best window: clear trails and open refuges. July–August has the most stable weather but also the biggest crowds and hardest bookings. We went in mid-June, right at the start of the snowmelt — there was still snow above 2,000 m, so waterproof boots, trekking poles and full rain gear are non-negotiable, and crampons are worth packing for peace of mind. For weather, Meteoblue is our pick for mountain forecasts. Before you go, check trail conditions at the tourist office, via live webcams or by emailing the huts. Alpine weather changes fast — better safe than sorry!

Fitness, elevation & offline navigation

The TMB is a hiking trail, not a climbing route — no technical gear needed — but it's no gentle stroll either: the full loop racks up about 10,000 m of cumulative ascent, and our short 2-day stretch alone involved 2,055 m. If you're new to this, train on hills beforehand and give yourself extra days. Navigation: TMB markers are extremely clear with proper signs at every junction, but download offline maps before you go anyway — the official TMB App (free, works fully offline, with 200+ points of interest), TMB Map or Komoot all do the job. Safety first!

Sources Wikipedia — Tour du Mont Blanc ↗ Autour du Mont-Blanc — official TMB site ↗ Wikipedia — Mont Blanc ↗ Ascension Mont Blanc — TMB route and stages ↗ The Hiking Club — TMB luggage transfer guide ↗ Tour du Mont Blanc App (official) ↗